Looking at the terms and approach used in Japan’s surrender, it occurs that Germany could have gotten a much better deal if the July 20 1944 coup against Hitler had succeeded, and the new German leaders waved a white flag.
I’m not sure about that. At the time, the NYT drew very little distinction at the time between Hitler and the German militarists, who were perceived to be the officer corps.
What would have been interesting would have been if the German leadership offered “unconditional surrender” in the west only, and not in the east.
But at that point I am flirting with a violation of henkster’s law.