RodentRevolution
Banned
He was a message runner, he mostly had a talent for getting through without getting shot. His officers had mixed feelings about him. He had definite physical courage but they were not keen on giving him authority over any of the other men.
Also yet another loss is going to seriously fracture the French psyche as well as leave the French economy in ruins (and unless it's a late peace, France isn't going to be allowed to remain in a position to threaten Germany).
Adolf Hitler is more than likely a nothing to history in a world where Germany was victorious. Even if he still radicalized as per OTL he won't have the fertile ground to feed off of that was caused by Versailles. We'd probably be looking at an authoritarian populist arising in Britain, France or Italy... again.
Marc
Donor
Then, since we really don't know if history is sticky, lets say that Hitler parleys his powerfully appealing political beliefs to a large segment of the German population, his apparent great charisma, and an insane personal cleverness, to eventually take advantage of the Great Depression (which isn't butterflied away by this supposing), and take power.
Slightly different cast, timing, and a few different plot points, but the same nightmare.
I know, Destiny is really an unpopular thought, nevertheless...
Slightly different cast, timing, and a few different plot points, but the same nightmare.
I know, Destiny is really an unpopular thought, nevertheless...
Deleted member 103950
Deleted member 103950
This one with the mother and child actually is quite nice. Shame he had to throw it all away and murder millions of people.
He could also be sent to Africa to the new colonies, there'll be plenty demand for new security personell and lower level administrators. Probably ends up painting the landscape and today the pictures make a few million Marks at auctions.
I'd think his lack of promotion means that he leaves the army not long after the War. Perhaps he tries for art school again (there may be a grant for ex-soldiers) but he obviously hasn't got the talent. Disillusioned, he returns to Austria and gets a job as a scene-painter in the Vienna Opera. He dreams of becoming a director, but he never gets the opportunity.
Deleted member 103950
The German Hegemony would probably crush a French hitler before he even rises to power. It wouldn't even be a 'world war II' so much as a small european skirmish that gets crushed within a few years.
Deleted member 103950
Hitler in MittelAfrika. That might actually make for a decent timeline.
RodentRevolution
Banned
It is not the French Hitler you have to worry about but the American Muscle-lini. German hegemony will close market access to the US, this will have economic impacts in the great power of the New World and stoke resentment. Then you have the urge and means to gather the underdogs and also rans of the First Great War under the banner of retribution for round two.
Recall in this world aggressive war has been once again vindicated. No reason to expect that lesson to go unlearned.
Deleted member 103950
But America wouldn't have been involved in a war at all in this timeline if Germany won right?
RodentRevolution
Banned
But it would feel the consequences afterwards. One of the interesting things to come up in studies of the world economies in the early 1900s was that British products, at least at first, seemed rather unaffected by American or German competition. Essentially this was because the British were not producing goods catering to the same customers within markets. The Germans and Americans were, to add insult to injury some German companies were offering for sale what were essentially knock-offs of American patented machine tools.
The German Empire had a fairly mercantilist view of trade. Looking to lock the Americans out of markets it controlled would be one of the first things it would do. It would likely stoke tensions over time as the US was heavily dependent on exports to absorb its surplus capacity.
It's certainly possible he would be just some guy who served in the war and never amounted to anything.
OTOH, I think this board tends to undersell the genius part of Hitler's evil genius, particularly regarding his rise to power in the 30s. All the evidence suggests he was really good at political knife fights, figurative and literal. Any number of ruthless authoritarians thought he would make a useful puppet and wound up used and discarded by the side of the road. At the same time, he presided over a bunch of evil underlings who were certainly willing to climb the ladder over a dead body or two, and none of them made a serious run at taking his spot.
Without the complete breakdown in society, his talents get channeled in other directions, sure, but he'd still have the talent. Maybe instead of trying to take political power in his own right, he would become a political consultant and/or fixer. In the present day he'd be best known as the answer to a trivia question about the father of the television attack ad.
Deleted member 103950
Despite how much we like to characterize him as a bufoon. He had to have some kind of charisma and way to influence people. Much in the way a rockstar could.