"No one can state, as fact, what would have happened if a single event in history had been different." - OH YES THEY CAN - with remarkable ease.

"Any single aspect in history. You can predict all you like. You can apply the law of probabilities to attempt to prove it. But you can never be certain of what the outcome would have been."

No prediction involved Gnome:

In 1938 the RAF's front line fighter would have been the Gloster Gladiator - no need to predict how this aircraft would have faired when matched against the German Me-109E - that was clearly demonstrated in Finland, in Norway and in Greece - they were slaughtered Gnome.

In the case and period under discussion had Great Britain not had the advantages detailed in previous posts and the time to develop them and had the war started in 1938 - then the following would have happened just as they did in 1940 with the exception that in 1938 the German Luftwaffe would have won the Battle of Britain.

Interesting little snippet for you Gnome:

Blitzkrieg - the lightening war - the use of massed tank formations integrated with mechanised infantry and close air support (As developed by the British under Field Marshall Douglas Haig in 1917/1918) to break through your enemy's defensive line and cause him to retreat in disorder. Any idea what made that possible for the Germans in 1940 Gnome? The number of Czech tanks (t-35s & t-38s) they acquired in 1938 - you see the Czech tanks were a damned sight more mechanically reliable that the ones the Germans had. Watch any documentary about the German attack on the West in May 1940 and in almost every frame showing "German" armour you will see either a Czech t-35 or a t-38. Had the war started in 1938 the Germans when they turned West would have had those tanks, they would have rolled up Holland, Belgium and France just as they did in 1940 as there would have been no changes required and their enemies even less prepared than they were in 1940. The BEF would have been defeated in France and the RAF would not have been able to provide any protection for any evacuation beaches - so a Dunkirk would not have happened. Then onto the Battle of Britain which in 1940 we won solely because of:

- Integrated air defence system gave us far better command and control of our forces which enabled 680 fighters to defeat over 3,500 German aircraft.

- In the Hurricane and Spitfire we had aircraft that could take on and destroy the best the German air force could throw at us.

Of course in 1938 we had none of the above did we Gnome. We would rapidly have lost command of the air and the British Government would have been forced to sue for peace on German terms or be forced to watch our cities destroyed before our eyes - THAT would have been the reality - obvious to all except theoretical pedantic little you.

Having secured his position in the West Hitler would have then attacked Poland (Where Gnome's Dad would have had to have remained having nowhere else to go) and then Russia (As he always intended to do).

Now who was it that robbed Hitler of his war in 1938? - Neville Chamberlin.

Who was it that bought us the time we needed to prepare and rearm? - Neville Chamberlain.