Q&A · 2:12:11-2:14:35

If the Arnhem bridges were held

Holding the Arnhem bridges long enough for relief could destroy Germany's remaining western reserve and open a rapid Allied route into northern Germany.

Question

What happens if the airborne troops hold the Arnhem bridges until the ground forces arrive and cross?

Short answer

The success could break Germany's western reserve, open a rapid advance into Germany, and give the Western Allies a much stronger position in Berlin and the early Cold War.

Notes

The German formations fighting the airborne troops represented much of the reserve available to contain the Allied advance. If the bridges remained open for XXX Corps and Seventh Armoured Division, the Netherlands could fall quickly and the Western Front might collapse. The panel envisions a broad advance into Germany rather than merely a local operational success. Western Allied forces might reach Berlin before the Soviets, reversing the diplomatic leverage over access to the city. That result would reshape the occupation and remove the circumstances that produced the historical Berlin Airlift.