What if?

An Allied victory in World War II was by no means a sure thing. Adolph Hitler made several strategic mistakes that helped turn the tide and probably shortened the European war.

An interesting book on the subject is Hitler's Mistakes, by Ronald Lewin. In this book, the author points out twelve major blunders made by Hiter in the prelude to the war and during the actual conflict.

If you enjoy speculative fiction, you might like Hitler Victorious. This alternative-history collection of short stories contains eleven tales based on the premise that Germany won WWII. This is by no means great literature, but it is a thought-provoking read. My favorite story is Thor meets Captain America with it's chilling rationale behind the mysticism practiced by the Third Reich.

One thing Hitler possessed was vision. Sometimes his dreams were near insanity, but in many ways this faculty allowed his scientists the freedom to design wildly imaginative solutions to a given problem. Add the classic Tuetonic attention to detail, and there were warmaking weapons on the drawing boards that were twenty years ahead of their time. Take some time to visit Luft '46 and look around. As you explore the site and admire the elegant designs and breathtaking creativity, remind yourself that it's not fiction. Each and every idea outlined was a real and documented project of Hitler's Luftwaffe. Truly frightening.