Name 3 or more major mistakes that cost nazi Germany to lose WWII?

Answer 1

There are soooooooo many.

Hitler was his own worst enemy when it came to military strategy. What do you expect from a failed house-painter that couldn't rise above a corporal in the military himself.

Narrowing it down considerably to JUST the U-Boat war you can find many bad calls that cost them the war.

Karl Doenitz, Befelshaber der Unterseeboot (BdU) The Commander of U-Boats, Was an excellent military tactician that could have easily strangled Britain and all of Europe had Hitler not repeatedly countermanded him at almost every turn for some harebrained Idea of Der Furher.

Just a small list:

1) Hitler insisted on sending the larger Type IX U-boats into the Med, where their larger size in restricted waters was more of a handicap. This was against Doenitz' wishes to use the Longer ranged Type IX's out to open sea in the Air Gap and off the US East Coast. The Smaller and shorter ranged Type VII's were better suited to the Med.

2) Hitler insisted on using the U-boats in the Med to smuggle supplies to Rommels beleagered Afrika Corps rather than directing them against Allied shipping convoys taking supplies to Montgomery in North Africa. This too was against Doenitz' better judgement.

3) US Merchants were transporting War material to England and even escorted by US Navy even before the formal war declarations in violation of the US's supposed Neutral status. Doenitz and every U-boat commander knew this yet Hitler insisted on not provoking the US into joining the war. Hitler went out of his way to not provoke the US then was taken by surprise himself by the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor. He then declared war on the US in support of his alliance with Japan.

4) Doenitz Knew the US Eastern Seaboard was quite literally undefended and US shipping was extremely vulnerable before they organized into the transatlantic crossing convoys. Doenitz wanted to send every available U-boat across the Atlantic to the US while America was still trying to get organized. Hitler refused and insisted the boats be sent to Norway and the Med. In the end Hitler relented and Doenitz was able to send 5 boats in Jan 1942 and a few boats at a time after that.(Operation Paukenschlag) no more than a half dozen at a time. this lasted until about Aug 1942 when the the US got its act together finally and got a coastal convoy system running. During this time these handful of boats nearly strangled US shipping to the point of America not being able to fight in the war for lack of oil. More ships were sunk in these few months within sight of the US Coast than all the ships sunk in convoy in the open Atlantic during the entire war period. Imagine if Doenitz was allowed to do his job right.

5) Doenitz' U-Boats started coming under more and more frequent and accurate attacks by aircraft that were locating his subs both at night and in bad weather. Doenitz questioned German high command about whether RADAR (still in its infancy) could be made small enough to fit on aircraft. High command insisted this was impossible and refused to allow a change in the U-boats tactics. Britain DID develop a radar that they were putting on their patrol planes and that was how the U-boats were being attacked. This got worse and worse until in May 1943, 41 Uboats were lost in a single month. This was the end of the U-boats as an effective weapon and Hitler's Vaunted "Hunters of the Deep" became themselves the hunted.

As you can see there were many many mistakes in just the Battle of the Atlantic, let alone the wider war.

Some other great blunders was:
To open a two front war by attacking the USSR who was not only neutral but a trading partner with Germany (Much as the US was neutral yet supplied Britain). and to compound that mistake by attacking in the dead of the Russian Winter.

Insisting the first Jet plane be developed as a bomber rather than a fighter. It finally was developed as a fighter (ME-262 Komet) but too late to help the Luftwaffe.

and many others as well.

Answer 2

It's still a major mystery why Hitler declared war on the U.S. His treaty obligations with Japan did not require it.
Germany's strategic thinking was somewhat land-locked. Even had they gained air superiority over England in the Battle of Britain, Germany had no Higgins.
We gripe about our intelligence services and the inability of our leadership to be flexible and nimble. But the Germans destroyed or captured more Soviet units than the Germans thought they had in the first months of Barbarossa, and saw plenty more after. And Kursk went ahead even after it was obvious it was too late.
The distrust of totalitarian leaders is always problematic. The Normandy defense could have been Rommel's plan, von Runstedt's plan, or another, but it turned out to be an ineffectual mix of parts of several, because of the totalitarian's need to keep his subordinates in a non-threatening, subordinate role.

Answer 3

Invasion of Poland - - - Hitler thought Britain would not declare war on Germany.

Invasion of Russia without winter supplies.

Deliberate mistreatment of Jews, resulting in entire world turning against Germany.

Failure to develop and field a strategic bomber force.

Failure to create an aircraft carrier force.

Hitler personally micromanaging the war, while ignoring the counsel of experienced generals.

Actually, the war was unnecessary.

Germany had only to market the innovative technology they were developing and they would have been incredibly wealthy.

With their new wealth, they could have peacably resettled the Jews (or whoever) with ease and comfort to whatever country the Jews chose to go to.

Answer 4

Hitler's Major mistakes:
(1) Invasion of Russia. This opened a second front that Germany has to fight with, thus reducing allocation of men and materiel on the first front (against Anglo-American forces).
(2) Hitler never put priority in the German atomic program (short of ignoring it). Most of the scientists involved in the atomic program were re-assigned to other weapons development programs.
(3) Hitler had always been at odds with his generals for his constant interference in the conduct of war, nor he allowed the military to operate indepently. He constantly altered tactical plans and changed them according to his whims, much to the consternation of his generals. Hitler even despised the word "tactical withrawal" or any word that signified retreat, on his firm belief that "never give away ground that you already gained". This led to the 6th Army of more than 300,000 men being surrounded and captured at Stalingrad, instead of being allowed to retreat to safer ground. Hitler's unreconcilable disagreement with his generals led to his dismissal of brilliant professional generals like Guderian, von Runstedt, von Manstein, Heinrici, etc and their replacement by less competent and amenable Nazi generals.
(4) In the first few weeks after the Russian invasion, most of the Russian population in the conquered territories welcomed the German army as their liberators, who will soon free them from decades of Stalin's brutal regime and repressions. They even offered food, winter clothing, and blankets to the invading German troops. Only later, when they started to see the mass-scale atrocities and brutalities being committed by the German troops on the Russian population did they realize that the Germans are no different from Stalin. This strengthened their resolve to resist the the invaders in any way they can. Had the Germans gave better treatment towards the Russian population, this gesture could have been instrumental in removing Stalin from power.

Answer 5

1) Betraying Russia
2) Invading Russia
3) invading Russia in the Winter

If Germany hadn't broken it's ties to Russia, the two could have easily defeated Britain and America. Hence, having control of much of the world.

Answer 6

Fighting on too many fronts simultaneously
Relying on superior quality armour as opposed to a greater quantity of armour
Inability to jam British radar
Heisenberg's atomic weapons programme being behind Oppenheimer's
Not capturing the French fleet before it was scuttled

Answer 7

1.Campaign in Russia during winter.
2. Africa Korps should have been sent back to Europe to protect the conquered territories.
3.Himmler - a no good, brainless loser.

Answer 8

*Fighting on too many fronts, particularly the East
*Trusting the Italians to fight for them (Their great military history finished with the end of the Roman empire).
*Wasting valuable resources on exterminating Jews and others
*Bad leadership from the top: not knowing when to stop or retreat (e.g. Stalingrad).
*Underestimating the resistance (sabotage etc.).
*Not winning the "hearts and minds" of those they conquered (like Iraq).

Answer 9

Invading Russia during the winter.

Answer 10

Dunkirke, not finishing the BEF off when they had the chance.
Overengineering, too little was produced , tigers etc.
Logistic, fighting a two front war.