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Post by xeoran on Jun 12, 2006 11:06:51 GMT -5
The Turkey idea is a goodie, that way they could fit in with areas like Iraq, Palestine etc in a Middle Eastern conflict.
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Post by skorzeny on Jun 12, 2006 17:01:15 GMT -5
Well, in the Middle East there is always the Grand Mufti to exploit. With a bit better organization and reach, he could become more like the Mahdi who lead the Moslem uprising in Rhodesia and the Sudan - ie a religious fanatic who gathers a horde of followers and rises up against the British Empire.
There was a period where Iraq was actually a member of the Axis, although this lasted for only about a month before the British reasserted control. With the Germans focused on the USSR, the only contribution they made to the Iraqis was a few planes from the Luftwaffe and Regio Aeronautica. The Iraqi military was quickly put down, the officers in charge of the uprising interred for the war's duration (including Saddam Hussein's uncle) and the Grand Mufti, with a bounty on his head, flees to Berlin for refuge. Interestingly, the Shah of Iran also entertained the idea of joining the Axis to throw off British rule. He was deposed by a British-backed coup before things could go too far and his son installed as ruler of Persia.
The Grand Mufti became a close confederate of Heinrich Himmler and raised several divisions of Moslem SS to support the German war effort - and their genocide policies. These units were at their most notorious in Yugoslavia, and about a hundred Islamic SS were among the final defenders of Berlin in 1945.
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Post by xeoran on Jun 12, 2006 17:43:32 GMT -5
Yes the revolting Iraqis controlled most of the country only to get beaten b a single air field with out of date equipment. Similarly around the time Palestine was a big issue with the Jew-Arab tension which could have gone either way. Turkey obviously could see a serious Ottoman revival. BTW the Germans sent the Iraquis an advisor but I believe he was shot by the Iraquis mistakenly with AA fire! The Middle East is a great area to explore WW2 wise.
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