Part 12/13:
In sum, the decision not to invade Turkey and the Caucasus via the southern route was dictated by a combination of strategic misjudgments, logistical constraints, and ideological beliefs. Hitler’s confidence in the Soviet Union’s imminent collapse, combined with the political and military risks inherent in invading Turkey, steered Nazi strategic planning toward an eastern front through the Soviet Union rather than a southern corridor.
The complexities of terrain, resistance potential, resource availability, and geopolitical risks made any alternative route through Turkey unfeasible. Ultimately, these factors contributed significantly to the failure of the Germans’ broader aim to swiftly seize resource-rich regions, prolonging their war effort and contributing to their defeat.