Stupid dictators of WWII

[airpirate]

So I'm playing my first serious game as the French in WWII, and its been fun. I've managed to hold the Germans in Belgium and after about two years the front became somewhat stable. Then the Soviet Union attacks Germany. while this isn't a problem all by itself (IMO the SU should attack Germany if they aren't getting anywhere), its that days after the Soviet Union declares war, Italy, Bulgaria, Greece, and Yugoslavia join the Axis and declare war on the Soviet Union and the Allies. Why would they do this? wouldn't it be smarter to stay neutral so they don't get overrun by the Soviet horde?

IMO only Slovakia or Hungary (if they get Slovakia) should join the Axis before Paris falls. IIRC, Italy didn't join the war until they were certain France was screwed, so I don't think Italy would have joined Germany if France never fell and the Soviet Union decided they were going invade Germany.

 

[Steelwhip]

if the soviets have shown a desire to invade germany then whats to say they wont invade any of those other countries?..better to join up and try and stop the red horde rather than being eaten by them one at a time. makes perfect sence to me

 

[Rotten Venetic]

Yep. Eastern Europe became full of dictatorships that aligned with Germany in no small part because of the Red Scare, which they had some time before the Americans even cared about SOV.

 

[airpirate]

The problem is that Germany has no chance of winning even with the help of these other countries, they still have a fairly powerful France and Britian to worry about. What happened in my game is akin to a previously neutral Bulgaria joining Germany in 1945, when the Germans are pretty much screwed. The smartest thing for these countries to do, if they didn't want to stay neutral, is join the allies, who could provide some protection later on if the red menace decides to go further. In this case, they were simply being suicidal.