[adm]

An interesting idea, but I keep coming back to your having significant troops cross the Elbe*. In our timeline, General Eisenhower** halted Western Allies at the designated stopping points, both to reduce closing Allies accidentally firing on one another, and to not spend Western Allied lives on land that the Russians were going to occupy anyways. What changed here that would have troops cross the Elbe in strength here?


*Using the Elbe for short hand for the various stop lines.

**I will note that there was pressure from Washington DC too minimize casualties in Germany so that more troops would be available to invade Japan, it was not just Ike saving men because he though it was the right thing to do.