# In WWII, how were the Germans able to cover so many fronts?

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-wwii-how-were-the-germans-able-to-cover-so-many-fronts/651282
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [February 24, 2013, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-wwii-how-were-the-germans-able-to-cover-so-many-fronts/651282 "2013-02-24T20:12:36Z")
**Posts on this page:** 2
**Page:** 2

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### Author: ![lisiate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2013, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-wwii-how-were-the-germans-able-to-cover-so-many-fronts/651282/21 "2013-02-25T20:03:13Z")

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That and the USSR was selling vast quantities of food, oil and ore to Germany right up until the invasion.

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### Author: ![Blakeyrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blakeyrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blakeyrat)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2013, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-wwii-how-were-the-germans-able-to-cover-so-many-fronts/651282/22 "2013-02-25T20:52:40Z")

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> [@Penrose](#):
>
> It wasn’t Germany alone - they were also drawing men from Romania, Bulgaria, etc… plus forcing captured Poles, Czechs and others to fight.

On the other hand, they had to dedicate troops to pro-up Italy and prevent its collapse, so it probably evens-out.

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