Why Germany needed a short war against stronger coalitions

Germany's position in both world wars depended on quick operational success before stronger coalitions could mobilize their infrastructure. For World War I, the response puts the decisive window at roughly six months, after which defeat becomes a matter of time. The 1940 campaign in France shows how political and command weaknesses could shape that window: the French government's fear of its army contributed, in this interpretation, to inadequate radios and coordination. Better communications might have allowed French forces to mass against the narrow German emergence from the Ardennes. Polish cavalry formations likewise show that technologically inferior forces could still cause serious trouble through coordination and manoeuvre. These contingencies could change a campaign without removing the deeper imbalance of a prolonged war. Naval treaties reduced Britain's former maritime margin, but its infrastructure still exceeded that of the Axis powers while the United States mobilized.