The Life of *Adolf Hitler
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Not to alarm anyone whose subscribed with this, but I hope to have my next post up by Tuesday so (fingers crossed) stay tuned!
Chapter Four:
As 1915 wore into 1916 the First Great War carried bloodily on. It was at this point that each side in the conflict was beginning to realise that there was going to be larger manpower elements required for the continued war effort. The front lines were eating up men, crippling them and spitting them out. It was in the interests of the German Empire to recruit more soldiers, whether they be German citizens or not. The myth of the short war was long over.
In March 1915 *Hitler presented himself to the enlistment office in Munich. By all accounts he had spent the previous two years unemployed and essentially homeless while wandering the streets. His record shows that he was enthusiastic about joining, and despite not showing any proof of German citizenship he was recruited anyways along with many other questionable men into the German Army. He was assigned to the 1st Bavarian Reserve Regiment, one which would remain on light duty for the remainder of 1915 after taking a serious beating at the Battle of Arras. There were gaps in the ranks to be filled and the young and enthusiastic *Hitler worked his way to the rank of corporal by August of that year.
Records show that *Hitler was an energetic recruit with his officers saying he was ‘strong, motivated, and eager’ though most found his accent peculiar.
By all accounts he was well liked by the men and seemed to be a popular leader while in training. It seems there were suggestions of further promotion even before his unit was transferred to the front. Sadly the depressing realities of the war meant that at least some officers knew they would have to use *Hitler to replace some dead mans position later on.
To recap for readers on the status of the Great War however, one should remember that it was a time of dramatic reversals and stunning victories for Germany. In the West the French and British had suffered truly staggering losses against well entrenched German positions, with the Germans suffering only one major defeat at –insert name- . Meanwhile in the East on the Russian army had initially surprised the German forces with a massive offensive only to be turned back by a skillful defense and vicious counter attack which drove the more numerous Russian forces back into the Polish interior. It was a high water mark for the German forces who felt invincible. This was especially true amongst the new green units being mustered in the provinces of the German Empire. *Hitler in fact comments on this in Mein Kampf where he says ‘In these the great days of the war, it was believed that we the German people were truly without fault. No man though is without fault, and if there was fault that we had in those days, it was hubris. Hubris that all could know the way of the warrior or that scheming politicians at the rear truly understood the misery and suffering on the front. No we fooled ourselves into believing that we were a great martial nation supported by its entire people.’
Here we can see some of the bitterness that *Hitler felt towards the ‘bureaucratic class’ of society. A sincere legacy of the loathing he felt for his father. In both Mein Kampf and Auf Ehre there are lengthy tracts against bureaucrats and ‘pencil pushers’ who are merely the cogs of a machine which serves its dominant masters. He believes that a true Aryan race is sadly destined to serve over, and guide these otherwise useless members of society in order to further their own goals. Many modern analysts see his worldview being flawed through a misappropriation of Nietzsche’s works. Others though, insist that it is merely his childhood troubles floating back into his mind and asserting themselves with a sort of wicked vengeance for the abuse and ill will of his father.
Psychological speculation aside however, we do come to the moment where *Hitler was thrust into battle for the first time. *Hitler’s unit was sent as a reconnaissance force to monitor English positions along the French front, German intelligence was expecting an attack in the region and the recruits could use some time at the front.
German intelligence had been correct. The Battle of the Somme would be *Hitlers first engagement.
----
I have to admit this is a truncated version of the original post I had planned
I lost the majority of my recent revision to it and had trouble with my internet last night so the post is veeery late and not what I had hoped to be putting up. But I thought I had best put something out there, so something I did.
Chapter Four (part 2) should hopefully be up next week.
Hope it isn't to little to go on, but I think it will keep you satiated for a while yet
As 1915 wore into 1916 the First Great War carried bloodily on. It was at this point that each side in the conflict was beginning to realise that there was going to be larger manpower elements required for the continued war effort. The front lines were eating up men, crippling them and spitting them out. It was in the interests of the German Empire to recruit more soldiers, whether they be German citizens or not. The myth of the short war was long over.
In March 1915 *Hitler presented himself to the enlistment office in Munich. By all accounts he had spent the previous two years unemployed and essentially homeless while wandering the streets. His record shows that he was enthusiastic about joining, and despite not showing any proof of German citizenship he was recruited anyways along with many other questionable men into the German Army. He was assigned to the 1st Bavarian Reserve Regiment, one which would remain on light duty for the remainder of 1915 after taking a serious beating at the Battle of Arras. There were gaps in the ranks to be filled and the young and enthusiastic *Hitler worked his way to the rank of corporal by August of that year.
Records show that *Hitler was an energetic recruit with his officers saying he was ‘strong, motivated, and eager’ though most found his accent peculiar.
By all accounts he was well liked by the men and seemed to be a popular leader while in training. It seems there were suggestions of further promotion even before his unit was transferred to the front. Sadly the depressing realities of the war meant that at least some officers knew they would have to use *Hitler to replace some dead mans position later on.
To recap for readers on the status of the Great War however, one should remember that it was a time of dramatic reversals and stunning victories for Germany. In the West the French and British had suffered truly staggering losses against well entrenched German positions, with the Germans suffering only one major defeat at –insert name- . Meanwhile in the East on the Russian army had initially surprised the German forces with a massive offensive only to be turned back by a skillful defense and vicious counter attack which drove the more numerous Russian forces back into the Polish interior. It was a high water mark for the German forces who felt invincible. This was especially true amongst the new green units being mustered in the provinces of the German Empire. *Hitler in fact comments on this in Mein Kampf where he says ‘In these the great days of the war, it was believed that we the German people were truly without fault. No man though is without fault, and if there was fault that we had in those days, it was hubris. Hubris that all could know the way of the warrior or that scheming politicians at the rear truly understood the misery and suffering on the front. No we fooled ourselves into believing that we were a great martial nation supported by its entire people.’
Here we can see some of the bitterness that *Hitler felt towards the ‘bureaucratic class’ of society. A sincere legacy of the loathing he felt for his father. In both Mein Kampf and Auf Ehre there are lengthy tracts against bureaucrats and ‘pencil pushers’ who are merely the cogs of a machine which serves its dominant masters. He believes that a true Aryan race is sadly destined to serve over, and guide these otherwise useless members of society in order to further their own goals. Many modern analysts see his worldview being flawed through a misappropriation of Nietzsche’s works. Others though, insist that it is merely his childhood troubles floating back into his mind and asserting themselves with a sort of wicked vengeance for the abuse and ill will of his father.
Psychological speculation aside however, we do come to the moment where *Hitler was thrust into battle for the first time. *Hitler’s unit was sent as a reconnaissance force to monitor English positions along the French front, German intelligence was expecting an attack in the region and the recruits could use some time at the front.
German intelligence had been correct. The Battle of the Somme would be *Hitlers first engagement.
----
I have to admit this is a truncated version of the original post I had planned
I lost the majority of my recent revision to it and had trouble with my internet last night so the post is veeery late and not what I had hoped to be putting up. But I thought I had best put something out there, so something I did.Chapter Four (part 2) should hopefully be up next week.
Hope it isn't to little to go on, but I think it will keep you satiated for a while yet
forget
Banned
Great update, very clever manipulation of history indeed.
Hitlers in TL dislike of the non elected bureaucratic class that wield massive powers of destruction which he let lose on the german economy in OLT.
Free market Hitler is a very clever butter fly, if Hitler discorages the massive bureaucracies of OLT and listens to the free market economist Carl Goedeler more when he is planning for WW2.
With out the centrally planned handicap of huge bureaucracies notorious for misallocation of resources and wealth destruction, it should boast the efficiencies of german war machine and over all economy massively.
Will Hitler meet Carl Goedeler in person in this TL?
Hitlers in TL dislike of the non elected bureaucratic class that wield massive powers of destruction which he let lose on the german economy in OLT.
Free market Hitler is a very clever butter fly, if Hitler discorages the massive bureaucracies of OLT and listens to the free market economist Carl Goedeler more when he is planning for WW2.
With out the centrally planned handicap of huge bureaucracies notorious for misallocation of resources and wealth destruction, it should boast the efficiencies of german war machine and over all economy massively.
Will Hitler meet Carl Goedeler in person in this TL?
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He may not meet him directly until 1936 or so but he will have heard of him. His loose management of the economy is going to have many interesting buterflies TTL as its working out. He can't directly abolish the bureaucracy, but he does some...interesting management policies in the future.
Thanks for the comments
That's my basic idea. I'm exploring a Hitler who could actually 'win' WWII and be a competent leader besides. It's my nightmare scenario where the *Nazis manage to take and hold Europe.
This is a great TL.
Thank you
though I have to apologize as updates will still be few and far between You'd have to get rid of a lot of their more...insane policies, but that's not saying much; other leaders (Stalin, cough cough) have gotten away with murdering large numbers of people as well.
I imagine that by the Hitler is the kind of dude who's looked up to with respect and exaltation by the people of one continent and with absolute fear and disgust by the inhabitants of the rest.
Well the *Nazis of TTL are more hardline militarists and opportunistic racists. *Hitler is actually pretty open with the economy, but much of its early work does go towards building it up to war footing. He's also slightly more genre savy and doesn't make a number of monumental mistakes that his genetic half brother would.
As to respect and exaltation, yes, but mixed with just the right dose of reverence and fear. Loads more cult of personality. Think 'Unlce Joe' but with an Adolf face.
Mixing Japanese style militarism with German resources and anything that they can steal from Europe, very interesting overall. I'll be looking forward to the next update.