Why Didn't Hitler invade Ireland
 

On a recent trip to Ireland it came as a surprise to learn that so few people lived there. So why didn't Hitler invade Ireland in 1940 after Dunkirk? After all the Irish had a very small army and miles or unprotected coastline.

The Irish obviously would want to swap British rule for the Nazis version but there was still alot of anti British feeling there at the time, so perhaps they may have 'agreed' to the passage of the German Army up to Northern Ireland, in a similar way that Bulgaria allowed German troops to cross their country in early 1941 while at the same avoiding war with Russia.

Re: Why Didn't Hitler invade Ireland
 

One reason was surely, that RN would have made very difficult to Wehrmacht to get there and if Germans somehow got there IMHO suppling them would have been impossible. And men in the bottom of sea or in lifeboats don't even work as effective diversion.

Juha

Re: Why Didn't Hitler invade Ireland
 

One of the requirements for invading the U.K. was air control over the Channel to cover a fairly narrow crossing. With most of Eire outside Lufwaffe fighter range air control would have been impossible for the Luftwaffe to achieve. If one looks at the sea distance the various modified barges available to the Wehrmacht for invasion would have to be towed the invasion of Eire looks impossible to initiate or maintain for the logistical reasons and RN superiority as mentioned by Juha. With depletion of the Kriegesmarine ships in Norway and limited Luftwaffe fighter range any such invasion would surely have been a non-starter.
Thats my thoughts on an interesting scenario,

Regards

Brian Bines

Re: Why Didn't Hitler invade Ireland
 

I'd recommend getting hold of Adam Tooze's "The wages of destruction" (just out in paperback) which is about the Nazi economy. He argues that the main object of Nazi conquest was to acquire industrial or agricultural resources and I'd guess that - aside from the military drawbacks already mentioned - the Ireland of the 1940s had very little to exploit/steal, so wasn't an attractive target.

Re: Why Didn't Hitler invade Ireland
 

Thanks for the book referral.
De Valera and Churchill had discussions about this very subject. Dev told Churchill, his people would fight along side the Royal Army to expel the Germans.
But still wouldn't allow US or UK forces, bases in the Republic to help guard the Western Approaches.
And a toast and salute to the 50,000 plus lads who left Erie to fight Hitler and Co.

Re: Why Didn't Hitler invade Ireland
 

Could have been worth while. Ireland was in turmoil at the time..clashes between those who wanted to stay British and those who didn't. The British would have seemed like the enemy by some in Ireland leading to some possibly backing the Germans. Indeed I'm sure I watch a documentry which pointed to some of the troubles in Ireland being fueled by Germany...i think..lol..

Re: Why Didn't Hitler invade Ireland
 

Which was probably true of any time in history from about 1066 until 2007.

Re: Why Didn't Hitler invade Ireland
 

Very good, Nick!

I always remember the reply about the Irish from "Blazing Saddles" :)

No offense to any Irish out there.............

Re: Why Didn't Hitler invade Ireland
 

Ireland if successful occupied would have been severally counter attacked by Great Britain. The Germans would have problems resupplying troop in Ireland either by submarines, transports or aircraft. Any ship or aircraft would have been subject to attack by the British RAF, and the Royal Navy's surface fleet and submarines.

Re: Why Didn't Hitler invade Ireland
 

The Irish weren't under British rule at the time, so wouldn't be swapping it for anything else.

As others have pointed out, just how were they to actually achieve this - where was a German invasion fleet? Troop transports, supply ships, escorts? The invasion of Norway greatly depleted Germany's destroyer fleet.

Re: Why Didn't Hitler invade Ireland
 

If the Germans couldn't even make an invasion across 20+ miles of English Channel, what hope did they have of making a successful invasion several hundred miles away, and facing the same RAF and now a Royal Navy out of the range of their dive-bombers. Less than none!!

Re: Why Didn't Hitler invade Ireland
 

It's as simple as that!

Re: Why Didn't Hitler invade Ireland
 

Interesting scenario..... logistical concerns for the German army not withstanding, and just for the sake of debate conceding the fact that the Germans were successful in establishing a foothold in Ireland. I wonder what Irish reaction would have been to the German invasion and how a counter-invasion by Britain to expel the German army might have been received by the Irish.
Coupled with the limited ability of the Kriegsmarine to meet the Royal Navy head on, what would this have meant to the Italian operation in North Africa. Using their limited naval resources to fight and supply Ireland against the Royal Navy, what would be left to cover the rescue of the Italians who were in the process of being routed in North Africa. Then all this leads to kind of a "butterfly effect" regarding Yugoslavia, Crete, Malta and Greece as well as the Soviet Union.

Not really debating here.....just curious as to how this scenario might have been played out.

Billy