ThePest179
Banned
What would become of Adolf if Germany had won World War I (victory happens in 1918, don't question plausibility for the sake of the question)? Would he ever go into politics without the pain of losing the war?
Hitler in a Central Powers victory scenario?
- Thread starter ThePest179
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You're assuming the pain of the war is why he went into politics...and who knows, for certain? Maybe what we saw in the trenches was enough to make him want to change it. Maybe a German victory will fill him with energy and the need to make a difference. Maybe the lightning bolt of inspiration will instead hit the corporal standing next to him. Hitler was literally a nobody in WWI, and his rise to power depended on some pretty weird circumstances. Now, without them...who's the say? Maybe he's still as charismatic, maybe he's still as able to craft a message people want to hear. And maybe he moves to a small town in Bavaria, becomes a carpenter, gets married, and tries his best to forget the War.
I would not be surprised if he did eventually become involved in politics. It's likely to happen later than OTL because the specifics are so different.
My main reason is that Germany is going to become some sort of constitutional monarchy once all those soldiers return home, and will want a say in government. Despite being victorious, I think they will react in similar ways that the British and French veterans did - they'll want a proper home for heroes, and will have question the vast slaughter of German manhood. The SPD would still be the largest party in the Reichstag and would have a lot of patriotic credentials for having supported the war. The Kaiser will be on very shakey ground - he wasn't very popular by end of the war. Much of that prestige was given to Hindenburg. The Kaiser will have to devolve power to the Reichstag even if he retains much more power than a British monarch.
We are going to see very prominent Jews (like Rathenau) in government similar to Weimar, and much of the materialism of the Weimar Years will still happen. There is going to be some sort of volkisch political reaction by the mid-twenties, and likely Hitler will be part of that in Bavaria.
However, without the emotional trauma of losing the war, the losses of Versailles, and without the conservatives being alienated from the government, any such party will remain small. If there is the trauma of some form of hyperinflation or economic depression, it'll become a significant force in the Reichstag by the early thirties, but it won't ever dominate the Right like it did IOTL and Hitler might not even be the head of that party.
My main reason is that Germany is going to become some sort of constitutional monarchy once all those soldiers return home, and will want a say in government. Despite being victorious, I think they will react in similar ways that the British and French veterans did - they'll want a proper home for heroes, and will have question the vast slaughter of German manhood. The SPD would still be the largest party in the Reichstag and would have a lot of patriotic credentials for having supported the war. The Kaiser will be on very shakey ground - he wasn't very popular by end of the war. Much of that prestige was given to Hindenburg. The Kaiser will have to devolve power to the Reichstag even if he retains much more power than a British monarch.
We are going to see very prominent Jews (like Rathenau) in government similar to Weimar, and much of the materialism of the Weimar Years will still happen. There is going to be some sort of volkisch political reaction by the mid-twenties, and likely Hitler will be part of that in Bavaria.
However, without the emotional trauma of losing the war, the losses of Versailles, and without the conservatives being alienated from the government, any such party will remain small. If there is the trauma of some form of hyperinflation or economic depression, it'll become a significant force in the Reichstag by the early thirties, but it won't ever dominate the Right like it did IOTL and Hitler might not even be the head of that party.
Hopefully he'd be dead.
He might join the army permanently. I doubt he'd have gone into politics.
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I think this. Hitler found his reason for living in the army and he would do his damnedest to remain in it. A victorious Germany will need a larger Army and I could see Hitler re enlisitng.
Alternatively--if Austria-Hungary goes through some trouble I could see him joining a Freikorps there.
I see him reenlisting as well. With his true military genius I see him making sergeant.....someday. 
With his oration skills, him as a Training Instructor would be a hilarious background character in a TL in its own right. I'm thinking something like a Dieselpunk Starship Troopers centered around infantry that wind up in WW2. Say he gets to Feldwebel around 1930 (what was the rank structure back then, any links? I know there is a huge gap between what the DoD would consider an E-4 and an E-6 from the Third Reich on, but before?)
His skills, plus the fact that he was a trench runner for so long... Probably would terrify the daylights out of fresh conscripts, and would make a good character in second act in a five-act sort of story, assuming he would be a Drill Sergeant for a few years in the 1928-1935 window.
His skills, plus the fact that he was a trench runner for so long... Probably would terrify the daylights out of fresh conscripts, and would make a good character in second act in a five-act sort of story, assuming he would be a Drill Sergeant for a few years in the 1928-1935 window.
Actually he was an orderly for Guderian and he embarrassed him because he was anti-Semitic to Morrell’s aide, which is worse since Guderian and Morrell are close friends.
Why? He was by no means politically connected at the time and he was hardly an artist of the first caliber. He wasn't awful but he was by no means good enough to make a living at it.
Considering conditions for the winners economically and socially were much the same as the losers it's not hard to imagine Hitler still spying on reds in Bavaria or even still joining the DAP, considering that it was founded by the German high command to mobilise the people behind the Kaiser.
Coulsdon Eagle
Monthly Donor
Plenty of talentless political idiots have made that role.
David Mellor - I'm looking at you!