@Brain:
If Russia is eliminated early, then Germany would have only one front to contend with.
Ehhhh… If Germany starts the game with one foot in France it’d kinda be folly to go after Russia at game start, especially if they’re at peace.
I’m guessing whatever Germany builds in the first three turns is what she’ll have available for Russia when war is imminent.
But, yeah, IF Germany had been able to somehow get around Poland and the French and English guarantees of war dec with the Polish invasion in 1939, THEN she would have had full confidence of the West in invading and conquering Soviet Russia. I think if Germany had gone after "Anchluss"ing German citizens and German land in Poland FIRST instead of Czechoslovakia she might have gotten away with it under appeasement with Chamberlain. BAM. Legal (well almost legal) road to invasion of Russia without promises of Allied war declaration intact.
Of course, Germany would have been short of several tanks and munitions factories she annexed from Czechoslovakia, but at least the road would have been open.