Nazi Germany under Himmler

[jmc247]

The Nazi Germany under Goering thread brought up an interesting if horrible thought what would Germany be like run by Himmler for three decades?

The first assumption when its brought up is that much of the officer corps would rather kill themselves then be led by the genocidal chicken farmer which has a fair bit of truth to it, but if Hitler is killed in say 1938, you could see Himmler puppet someone like Hess into purging his major enemies in the Army while growing the power of the SS and then kill Hess a few years later and conduct his own Stalin like Great Purge of the officer corps.

That would leave Germany in no position to a world war, but it could leave Himmler in charge of the German state for some time. It makes me wonder the point at which ordinary people would get over their fear of being killed to stand up to the SS assuming of course Himmler tries to force his insanity and things like neo-Paganism down their throats.

[Soundgarden]

Nazi Germany would crumble almost immediately. Despite how high of a ranking he had, Himmler had no charisma whatsoever to intice people into thinking like him. He only got as high as he did because he was friends with Hitler.

[Meadow]

My gut says a troika like that used to eliminate Beria would emerge.

[MarshalBraginsky]

Actually, couldn't Reinhard Heydrich be a better man to lead Nazi Germany? I'm not sure how a Heydrich-led German Reich would turn out, although it could almost be dominated by the SS instead of the NSDAP.

[Cook]

Originally Posted by MarshalBraginsky

Actually, couldn't Reinhard Heydrich be a better man to lead Nazi Germany? I'm not sure how a Heydrich-led German Reich would turn out, although it could almost be dominated by the SS instead of the NSDAP.

I think Goering used to joke that Himmler had a brilliant mind – and it was called Heydrich.

I really don’t see Himmler ever having the opportunity to rule, his power base was just too narrow with far too many enemies.

[EnglishCanuck]

Himmler would never be fit to rule Nazi Germany, sure he was clever enough to pull strings behind the scenes and wage his own small scale brutal bureaucratic civil war with his enemies, but his drive for total power was small. He was a petty, power seeking, cowardly, little creep who (while he was disgusted by the genocide) thought it was a total necessity for the future of Germany and thus had no qualms about liqudating entire villages if it suited his purposes.

Despite that he would never stick his head onto the chopping block and preffered having someone like Hitler to hide behind.

[MarshalBraginsky]

Of course, if Himmler was taken out of the equation during the war, could Heydrich become the head of the SS a bit earlier?

[Major Major]

Originally Posted by Cook

I think Goering used to joke that Himmler had a brilliant mind – and it was called Heydrich.

The comment was "Himmlers Hirn heisst Heydrich." -- Himmler's brain is named Heydrich.

[paulo]

And Heydrich is vary capable indeed.
The most capable in the 3Reich by far.
What you today call a functional sociopath - as the brains, the lack of scruples and the pragmatism to make the things work - real scary guy.

[Grumpy young Man]

I read somewhere that he wanted to offer human sacrifices to Odin in Berlin's squares to turn the german luck around.

[Zmflavius]

Originally Posted by Grumpy young Man

I read somewhere that he wanted to offer human sacrifices to Odin in Berlin's squares to turn the german luck around.

He certainly wanted to revive Germanic Paganism; while I haven't read about that specifically, knowing Himmler, it wouldn't surprise me.

[Germania09]

Originally Posted by MarshalBraginsky

Of course, if Himmler was taken out of the equation during the war, could Heydrich become the head of the SS a bit earlier?

Probably, if given the chance Heydrich would have jumped at it.

Originally Posted by paulo

And Heydrich is vary capable indeed.
The most capable in the 3Reich by far.
What you today call a functional sociopath - as the brains, the lack of scruples and the pragmatism to make the things work - real scary guy.

^^^^ This right here. If anyone could have made Nazi Germany less of a bureaucratic hell than it was him. The perfect example would be the Wansee Conference or even his administration of the Reich Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia

[Cook]

Originally Posted by Major Major

The comment was "Himmlers Hirn heisst Heydrich." -- Himmler's brain is named Heydrich.

Thanks, I knew it went something like that but it was late and I couldn't be bothered hunting it up. Goering did come up with some memorable insults for the other members of the leadership.