1930: Brüning Restores the Hohenzollerns

Caveat: I learned this off Wikipedia, so if it's inaccurate or less-than-likely, please say so.

Still, this, if true, is an interesting potential alternative path:

Brüning ... agonized over how to stem the growing Nazi tide, especially since Hindenburg could not be expected to survive another full term as president should he choose to run again. If Hindenburg were to die in office, Hitler would be a strong favorite to succeed him. By the end of 1931, Brüning thought he had hit upon a solution—restoring the Hohenzollern monarchy. He would persuade the Reichstag and Reichsrat to cancel the 1932 presidential election and simply extend Hindenburg's term by a two-thirds vote in both chambers. He would then have parliament proclaim a monarchy, with Hindenburg as regent. On Hindenburg's death, one of Crown Prince William's sons would be invited to assume the throne. However, unlike the old German Empire, the restored monarchy would have been a British-style constitutional monarchy. All of the major parties except the Communists were at least willing to give Brüning's plan some support, seeing this as the last real chance of stopping Hitler. However, the plan foundered when Hindenburg, an old-line monarchist at heart, refused to stand down in favour of anyone except William II himself. Brüning tried to impress upon him that neither the Social Democrats nor the international community would tolerate any return of William II, and that the Crown Prince wouldn't be acceptable either. This only angered Hindenburg further, and he threw Brüning out of his office.

Any differences if this actually happened? Does a restoration of, say, Louis Ferdinand, prevent Hitler's rise? Or does history unfold the same way -- Hindenburg as a senile, dying president appointing Hitler as Chancellor, Hitler taking full control upon Hindenburg's 1934 death, and then perhaps blocking the restoration?

The other question is who would actually have succeeded to the throne? The quote above indicates it would have been Crown Prince Wilhelm's sons, but perhaps Hindenburg could have been persuaded had the Crown Prince himself been given the crown. Failing that, then does Crown Prince's eldest son, Wilhelm rise to power? He, OTL, fought for the German Army, so presumably more sympathetic to the Nazis, but he also renounced his succession rights in 1933 to marry a non-royal. Crown Prince Wilhelm's second son, Louis Ferdinand, was ardently Anti-Nazi, which could produce some fireworks.
 

Deleted member 1487

Caveat: I learned this off Wikipedia, so if it's inaccurate or less-than-likely, please say so.

Still, this, if true, is an interesting potential alternative path:



Any differences if this actually happened? Does a restoration of, say, Louis Ferdinand, prevent Hitler's rise? Or does history unfold the same way -- Hindenburg as a senile, dying president appointing Hitler as Chancellor, Hitler taking full control upon Hindenburg's 1934 death, and then perhaps blocking the restoration?

The other question is who would actually have succeeded to the throne? The quote above indicates it would have been Crown Prince Wilhelm's sons, but perhaps Hindenburg could have been persuaded had the Crown Prince himself been given the crown. Failing that, then does Crown Prince's eldest son, Wilhelm rise to power? He, OTL, fought for the German Army, so presumably more sympathetic to the Nazis, but he also renounced his succession rights in 1933 to marry a non-royal. Crown Prince Wilhelm's second son, Louis Ferdinand, was ardently Anti-Nazi, which could produce some fireworks.

I don't think the German people nor the international community wanted to see Wilhelm come back. The Crown Prince was tainted by Verdun and having attitudes similar to his father. I don't see any chance of the above unless Hindenburg is willing to step down for Louis Ferdinand. Now if he was welcomed back, and someone did a TL with him as monarchy, Germany probably is viewed much more favorably by the international community, especially the US, all of whom might be more tolerant of the annexation of Austria. I don't see Hitler coming to power here, but the Nazis will be destabilizing the German political scene until there is an economic recovery in the late 1930's.
 

Eurofed

Banned
Anschluss seems unlikely here IMO. If the Empire comes back, it's the corridor they will want.

Not really. As much as the priority scale for German irredentist claims went, which pretty much every political faction shared, it was:

1) Austria
2) Danzig and the Corridor
3) Sudetenland and Upper Silesia
4) South Tyrol and Alsace-Lorraine
 
I don't think the German people nor the international community wanted to see Wilhelm come back. The Crown Prince was tainted by Verdun and having attitudes similar to his father. I don't see any chance of the above unless Hindenburg is willing to step down for Louis Ferdinand. Now if he was welcomed back, and someone did a TL with him as monarchy, Germany probably is viewed much more favorably by the international community, especially the US, all of whom might be more tolerant of the annexation of Austria. I don't see Hitler coming to power here, but the Nazis will be destabilizing the German political scene until there is an economic recovery in the late 1930's.

But how would this timeline work? Remember that the Hohenzollerns would only be restored after Hindenburg's death. By which time, Hitler, presumably, would already have been appointed.
 

Deleted member 1487

But how would this timeline work? Remember that the Hohenzollerns would only be restored after Hindenburg's death. By which time, Hitler, presumably, would already have been appointed.

I just skimmed the OP and seeing as the title states that 1930 is when the Hohenzollern's come back I made a big error. Sorry.
Assuming in 1932 that the monarchy is back and Hindenburg dies, I'm not sure if that year would go down as OTL due to butterflies. Hitler, assuming he gets the Chancellorship ITTL, would have some things to say about the Hohenzollerns coming back, which could scuttle things. So much depends on who is the monarch, what happens with the elections in 1932, and more that its very difficult to say from the OP.
 
1) This is form Brünings memories, written after the war, that some consider to be a major retcon of his actions and motives.

2) It is hard to imagine that the Social Demoracts would have accepted any monarch and without them Brüning couldn't get a majority in the Reichstag. So a restoration requires a coup or de-facto coup (like Hindeburg announcing the restoration without consulting parliament).

3) There was an overwhelming desire for an Anschluß in Austria itself. Two attemps were failed because of Entente pressure. Even after Hitler came to power SPÖ leader Karl Renner supported it.

4) If the monarchy had been officaly restored the reichswehr would have prevented Hitler from merging Hindenburgs office into his own when the old man died.

5) But as said under 2): Any restoration of the monarchy would require an more autocratic goverment, with an at least weakend parliament, removing any need to make Hitler chancellor.
 
Wilhelm II is completely unacceptable, not only to foreign government, but also the Germans themselves. His son, Wilhelm (III) also had some major problems with his reputation, IIRC, so someone further down the line might be a better choise.

If the monarchy is restored, Hitler loses pretty much all major political support from industrialists and militarists, many of whom saw him as a puppet to bring a monarch back - a puppet which would be of no further use, now.

- Kelenas
 
1) This is form Brünings memories, written after the war, that some consider to be a major retcon of his actions and motives.

2) It is hard to imagine that the Social Demoracts would have accepted any monarch and without them Brüning couldn't get a majority in the Reichstag. So a restoration requires a coup or de-facto coup (like Hindeburg announcing the restoration without consulting parliament).

3) There was an overwhelming desire for an Anschluß in Austria itself. Two attemps were failed because of Entente pressure. Even after Hitler came to power SPÖ leader Karl Renner supported it.

4) If the monarchy had been officaly restored the reichswehr would have prevented Hitler from merging Hindenburgs office into his own when the old man died.

5) But as said under 2): Any restoration of the monarchy would require an more autocratic goverment, with an at least weakend parliament, removing any need to make Hitler chancellor.


I always believed that this was something Brüning made up, so he could say: "I had a plan!"
 
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