Map of Operation Unthinkable: A US, British & German Invasion Of The USSR At The End Of WW2

Map found on redditThe map above shows the general plan for Operation Unthinkable, which would have imposed “the will of the United States and British Empire upon Russia,” with the help of former Nazi POWs right at the end of World War 2.

Operation Unthinkable was actually a set of two related contingency plans developed by the British military in 1945 at the end of World War II.

The primary objective of these plans, which were proposed by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, was to counter the Soviet Union’s potential threat to Western Europe after the defeat of Nazi Germany.

The plans, which were never put into action, are notable for their bold and ambitious nature, as they contemplated a possible conflict between the Western Allies (the United States, United Kingdom, and others) and the Soviet Union.

Overview of Operation Unthinkable

Operation Unthinkable consisted of two main plans:

1. Offensive Operation (First Plan): The first plan, formulated in May 1945, was a surprise attack aimed at pushing the Soviet Union out of Eastern Europe. The idea was to combine the forces of the Western Allies, including remnants of the German Wehrmacht (the German Army), against the Soviet Red Army. The goal was to capture favorable positions to ensure a better negotiating stance against Stalin.
2. Defensive Operation (Second Plan): The second plan, drafted in June 1945, was defensive in nature and considered what the Western Allies should do in the event of a Soviet attack on Western Europe.

German Involvement in Operation Unthinkable

German involvement in Operation Unthinkable was primarily speculative and focused on the possibility of using German military resources and personnel against the Soviet Union.

The plan considered the following aspects:

Re-arming the Wehrmacht: One of the most controversial elements of Operation Unthinkable was the potential rearmament and use of German soldiers who were taken as prisoners of war or had surrendered to the Western Allies.

The British planners acknowledged that the Western Allies would need substantial manpower to confront the Soviet forces, which were considerably larger and battle-hardened. The involvement of German forces would have been necessary to bolster the numbers and capabilities of the Allied forces.

German Units Under Allied Command: The idea was not to restore the Nazi regime but to use German military units under strict Allied command. The involvement of the Wehrmacht would have been carefully controlled to prevent any resurgence of Nazism.

Feasibility and Challenges: The use of German forces was seen as problematic for several reasons, including the political and ethical implications, the potential lack of trust between the German soldiers and the Allied command, and the likelihood of severe opposition from both the German public and many Western Allied countries.

Moreover, given the fresh memory of the horrors of Nazi occupation, there would have been significant resistance to the idea of rearming German troops so soon after the war.

In the end, Operation Unthinkable was never implemented, and the plans remained only theoretical exercises. The idea of rearming German forces under Allied command remained a controversial and largely impractical notion, considering the complexities and potential backlash from both the German population and the global community.

Would it have succeeded?

The likelihood of Operation Unthinkable succeeding was generally considered very low, and this assessment was echoed by military planners at the time.

There were several strategic, logistical, and political factors that contributed to the impracticality of the operation:

Factors Affecting the Success of Operation Unthinkable

Soviet Military Strength and Positioning:

The Soviet Red Army was in a dominant position in Europe by 1945, with a large number of well-equipped and battle-hardened troops spread across Eastern and Central Europe. Estimates suggested that the Soviets had approximately 11 million men under arms, far outnumbering the Western Allies’ forces.

The Soviets also had extensive experience in large-scale warfare on the Eastern Front, and their rapid advances against the Germans demonstrated their formidable capabilities in both offense and defense.

Allied Force Disparity:

At the end of World War II, the Western Allies had significantly reduced their military strength, anticipating a transition to peacetime. The British and American forces in Europe were already beginning to demobilize, and their troops were tired from years of fighting.

To balance the scales, Operation Unthinkable planners considered the possibility of rearming German Wehrmacht soldiers to increase manpower. However, this would have involved complex logistics, potential morale issues, and political resistance both domestically and internationally.

Logistical and Supply Challenges:

An attack on the Soviet Union would have involved extremely challenging logistics. Supplying an advancing army across a devastated Europe, particularly when moving into Soviet-held territory, would have been enormously difficult.

The Soviets had the advantage of shorter supply lines and secure territory behind their lines.

The terrain of Eastern Europe, especially the plains and the forests, favored defensive warfare, giving the Soviet Union a significant advantage.

Political and Moral Constraints:

The rearmament of German forces would have been politically contentious and could have sparked outrage among Allied populations. The world had just seen the horrors of Nazi Germany, and using former German soldiers against the Soviets would have been seen as an unpalatable decision.

Additionally, there was little appetite among Western leaders for continuing another war so soon after the end of World War II. The public and political climate in the US and the UK was overwhelmingly in favor of peace and rebuilding, not entering another large-scale conflict.

Soviet Potential Response:

The Soviet Union had vast reserves of manpower and industrial resources and could potentially draw on these reserves to launch a prolonged and devastating war.

Given their experience in defending against the Nazis, it was unlikely that a surprise attack by the Western Allies would have resulted in a quick victory. A long, drawn-out war would likely ensue, with high casualties and uncertain outcomes.

The Soviets could have also used their influence over Communist parties and sympathetic movements in Western Europe to destabilize Allied nations from within.

Nuclear Weapons Consideration:

While the United States had developed nuclear weapons by this time, their number was limited, and their use would have posed significant ethical and practical problems.

The destruction caused by nuclear weapons might not have been sufficient to compel Soviet surrender or peace, especially given the vast territory of the Soviet Union and their potential to disperse military assets.

Conclusion

Overall, the success of Operation Unthinkable was deemed highly unlikely due to the formidable strength of the Soviet military, logistical difficulties, lack of sufficient Allied manpower, political constraints, and the potential for massive and prolonged conflict.

British military planners themselves, upon reviewing the strategic options, concluded that a war with the Soviet Union would most likely lead to a stalemate or worse, with the risk of catastrophic losses.