"Our Struggle": What If Hitler Had Been a Communist?

[Napoleon IV]

I don't think Socialism In One Country was as much of a policy switch as it's often characterised as, it was essentially a recognition of the facts on the ground. The revolutionary wave had failed everywhere except the Soviet Union and its energy had largely burned out. If the Soviet Union was to survive and grow stronger it had to learn to co-exist with the capitalist world. Stalin's use of nationalism and patriotism certainly became widespread later on but by the mid-twenties it was the only reasonable policy left to pursue. Permanent revolution would have led them to ruin.

However this direction wasn't set in stone, between 1922 and 1945 the Soviet Union was the only socialist country in the world* and options were limited. If another major country becomes socialist earlier, let's say Germany for the sake of argument, then other alternatives will begin to appear.

* Apologies to Mongolia and Tuva, but as they were effectively Soviet satellites with small economies I'm counting them as an extension of the Soviet Union.

One possibility I could see is that Stalin does the same thing he did with collectivization: take a moderate position to distinguish himself from leftists like Trotsky/allow him more room to work with the Rightists, and then once in power swing dramatically towards the left.

 

[Das Amerikan]

moustache twirling villains.

Does Hitler still have his trademark mustache?

 

[LancyIain]

Does Hitler still have his trademark mustache?

There's no way he could possibly have twirled that tache.

 

[Augenis]

There's no way he could possibly have twirled that tache.

Are you sure? Because this looks definitely twirleable.

 

[LancyIain]

Are you sure? Because this looks definitely twirleable.

That's not the iconic one though. That one certainly is twirlable.

 

[Redshank Galloglass]

I wouldn't be surprised if old Addie grows a beard.

 

[O'Alexis 89]

I tried to imagine...
... My God, why do I do this? ._.

 

[Obergruppenführer Smith]

I wouldn't be surprised if old Addie grows a beard.

I tried to imagine...
... My God, why do I do this? ._.

 

[Tsar of New Zealand]

l

Looks like John Hurt.

 

[The Red]

Wasn't that one of the mock-ups done post-war to try and picture what Hitler might look like in disguise?

 

[The Red]

Looks like John Hurt.

Well he did play Adam Susan...

 

[Obergruppenführer Smith]

Wasn't that one of the mock-ups done post-war to try and picture what Hitler might look like in disguise?

Yep. This one looked the most distinguished, like a Moses bringing the plague to the world.

 

[Napoleon IV]

Wasn't that one of the mock-ups done post-war to try and picture what Hitler might look like in disguise?

Some other Hitler mock-ups:

 

[The Red]

Some other Hitler mock-ups:

Inspector Clouseau, Blofeld, and Charles de Gaulle. Essentially he could have stayed hidden until the Sixties.

 

[Tsar of New Zealand]

Inspector Clouseau, Blofeld, and Charles de Gaulle. Essentially he could have stayed hidden until the Sixties.

That would've made the Pink Panther a very different film.

 

[Magyarország]

Some other Hitler mock-ups:

Benadolf Hitlerini? What has science done?!

 

[Obergruppenführer Smith]

That would've made the Pink Panther a very different film.

Adolf Hitler, the Pink Panther of the Ruhr, hiding in plain sight.

 

[Jape]

Being unable to sleep sucks but its meant I've spent the last few hours bingeing this excellent timeline Red.

Being totally honest I'm usually disinclined to narratives simply because I prefer a 'dry' history-scrapbook style that gives more comfortable leg room to explore an ATL (and poorly done narrative TLs try to do it all anyway and end up very "as you know"). However due to the singular focus/importance of Hitler's changed life and your nimble balancing act of the two elements I've found the narratives very refreshing and its got me very attached to the characters and events surrounding Hitler. Really one of the best I've read on this site. I can't wait for more Red. Top shelf.

 

[Das Amerikan]

Still looks punchable.

 

[Heat]

Still looks punchable.