https://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showpost.php?p=11945161&postcount=40
Quote:
Originally Posted by
DrakonFin
It hindered innovation. What ever successes German innovation saw under the Nazi regime it could have developed without it in a democratic or vanilla-militarist Germany, say, even if not in the same schedule, etc. The Nazi priorities and especially the perceived needs of the war effort directed German innovation towards certain advances and applications so there were some pretty visible successes. But in general, a non-Nazi Germany would have done much better innovation-wise, only on a wider spectrum.
In fact, we could probably create a fairly plausible timeline where such a democratic or vanilla-militarist Germany as noted above fights a more aggressive Soviet Union in a war for survival and manages to create even more just purely military innovations than Nazi Germany, just because it has not gutted its education and scientific community the way OTL Germany did in 1933-1945.
A 'Red Alert' scenario would see Germany innovate far more overall and actually have a far better run military, because instead of having their Jewish officers sidelined or fired, along with the actual strategists, plus not having the younger generation poisoned with Nazi 'education' system would mean junior officers would know how to think, rather than being ruthless and ideological. The trade off is the youth is less physically fit and prepared for the rigor of combat due to youth organizations that were effectively paramilitary training for boys. Plus you wouldn't have huge investments in wasteful rocket programs or blockade of Germany, still have all the nuclear physics establishment, and not have university programs gutted by Nazi ideology. Plus Germany wouldn't be a police state, so you'd likely have far more intellectual cross talk, rather than infighting and compartmentalization. It would actually be an interesting what if situation where Germany is far less prepared for war without the Nazi buildup, but have far more potential to develop a high degree of technology, especially if working with the British and French in an alliance against the Soviets. Think a Tizard mission to Germany.
Actually as a POD you might have something coming out of a Hitler dies in 1932 situation, the Nazis not getting in power, a left coalition then rises to power in 1933, they then have a different deal at the World Disarmament Conference, perhaps getting French buy in, and as Europe disarms the Soviets continue to arm and expand their military so that as Europe isn't ready for war Stalin thinks he's got a shot to invade and win against disarmed Europe in the early 1940s even if its united against him. He could even use the various communist movements as a 5th column in all states. It would be an interesting scenario for sure and one that would probably be pretty nasty even with Soviet initial ineptness, due to the rest of Europe not having a major defense industry or standing military after a disarmament deal in the early 1930s.
Could we see a situation where Stalin doesn't do a purge in the late 1930s due to butterflies from no Nazis, a disarmament deal that gets Europe to keep their militaries at a low level thanks to the Nazis falling apart and not getting anywhere electorally, and then the Soviets violently spreading revolution in the early 1940s after arming up while everyone else disarmed? I'd imagine given the realities of logistics and Soviet issues with professionalism, even without a Great Purge, they'd still bog down in Poland after rolling the Baltics, Finland, and parts of Romania, leaving a weak Allied alliance including Germany to try and hold them in Prussia and parts of Poland and Romania. Of course the entire scenario might well be implausible. Thoughts?