I read so many WW2 books but couldnt find an answer to my question. If you look at the WW2 map Hitler invaded everywhere around Turkiye but didnt even touch Turkiye. Why wouldn't he invade a country too weak to defend itself?
He didn't want it. One of Hitler's main failings was to not understand the importance of northern Africa in defending Europe from invasion. Although Turkey isn't Africa, it fell outside of the sphere that Hitler considered important. Namely Europe. IMO.
As far as I can assertain Hitler was not interested in conquering the world. A muslem country was safe. He was only interested in weeding
maybe turkey would have been the next step... or he simply couldn't be bothered to... or there were no jews to slaughter.
There are several reasons for this. 1.Germany had limited resources they simply didn't have the manpower to invade everywhere they fancied. 2.Turkey was a former ally which Germany hoped to get to enter the war on its side. It would have been better to recieve added manpower for the axis rather than use extra manpower to subdue a country which was basically friendly towards the axis. 3.Since Turkey was not hostile towards the axis it acted as a neutral buffer zone for the southeastern flank of fortress europe. The allies would basically have to declare war on neutral Turkey to attack fortress europe from the southeast which would bring Turkey into the war on the axis side.
If I remember correctly, Turkey had signed 'friendship' treaties with both the Allies and Germany. An aid pact with Britain and France in 1939, although I don't believe it was a true defense treaty, and then in '41 Turkey signed a non-aggression pact and a trade agreement with Germany. I believe Turkey supplied Germany with material through the first years of the war. The German High Command supposedly had an invasion plan available (Operation Gertrud(e) ?) in case Turkey joined the Allies. When Turkey did break off diplomatic relations with Germany in 1944, Germany was obviously in no position to initiate the plan.
These are interesting ideas. I do agree that the tie from the 1. WW had a big impact. However, if you listen to one of Hitler's speech where he counts the countries he will conquer he also says Turkiye. I also like the bufferzone idea. Jadedflower there are still many Jews in Turkiye especially Istanbul. So, at that time there were many rich Jews in Turkiye. I want to talk about the Jews and the Turks during the 2. WW in a different topic.
Just finished a book on the battle of Kursk Turkish military officials were invited to witness the build up to the battle that Germany hoped would tip the scales in their favor in the east. The Turks were invited in an attempt to persuade them to join the German cause but as we know things didn't go as planned for Germany. Thanks for the details spyke Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
If Hitler had invaded Turkey and the Middle East in 1941 the war would have been lost for the allies. I assume that if that plan was in Hitler's head he would think as follows: 1) Secure the region around Turkey (Greece), and beef up Italians so they can defend the South from attack, reorient German forces on the Thrace. 2) Keep "alliance" with the USSR rather strong and allow them to invade Eastern Turkey (Armenia) and thus create the diversion. 3) Invade Turkey from the West, up the highlands and secure Kurdistan for the final putsch into Arabia. 4) In Egypt the Germans should have gotten to the Suez and crossed into Palestine. 5) From there the two would meet and the Euphrates for instance and then cut off all British trade, and communications with India. 6) That allows for the Japanese and her Indian allies to create a revolt and eventually seize India away from the British. 7) The Germans would have also cut off most of the Oil to which the allies needed and won the war. But no the idiot Hitler just had to invade the USSR.
I think it was vanity what Napoleon couldnt I will achieve or something to that degree. Probably in a reach to do what many before have failed to do. But I think it had something to do with the cleaning the loss of the german in the 1100s as well. I remember seeing the propoganda clips on the history channel where the germans are called on to clean the slate of their forefathers and subdue the eastern barbarians or something like that.
Hitler wasn't particularly interested in the Mediterranean - because that was the Italian sphere of influence. German troops were only sent to Greece because Mussolini pleaded for assistance. Turkey was historically a German satellite; had been one of the Central Powers of WWI; and Hitler hoped that it could be enticed to join the Axis (as had Hungary and Roumania). However, one must also bear in mind that Turkey had had a revolution of its own in 1921 when Attaturk had come to power, and that it was at this time in its history rather weak ECONOMICALLY. Yes of course Hitler could probably have defeated it militarily - but to what purpose? There was nothing there of value to him.
Hitler knewed he will lose the war against Turks Hitler knewed he will lose the war against Turks, hitler said: If i go to Turkey with 200.000 tanks, i will come back with 2!
Turkey was neutral in the war, but it helped Germany and looked the other way on a lot of things. It was, for example, much tougher on allied shipping, and worked to close down the British espionage rings in Istanbul. It let the Germans get away with a lot more. I think Turkey came into the war for the allies in 1945, but it never fought in any battles. As for why Hitler didn't invade. I honestly don't know. He did have a lot on his plate, though... Part of that is true. Turkey was certainly weak. But nothing of value? The straits of the Dardanelles are pretty damn valuable. And the Allies were certainly shipping arms and material to Russia through those straits. Control of them could have meant a Southern front in Russia and access to Iranian oil through Turkey. I'd say both would have helped the war effort.
Allied convoys went to Archangel and Murmansk in Northern Russia, not through the Dardanelles. The border between Turkey and Russia is the Caucasus Mountains - not exactly an easy route for invasion forces to take. The Iranian oil fields are nowhere near the Turkish border.
Pretty sure Killjoy is right on all these points. The Dardanelles were mined IIRC so as to keep part of the Russian fleet trapped. The only possible long-term strategic value of taking Turkey early on(if any) would have been the opening of another front in the middle east(not worth the trouble with those long supply lines in an occupied territory). Or in preparation for an amphibious assault on Russia - again probably not worth the trouble and requiring a substantial capturing of the Turkish navy, which probably wouldn't have held it's own against the Russians anyway hence nullifying any chance at invasion.
