AHC: Have a surviving Weimar Republic start World War Two

[the Imperium of Canada]

The challenge here is to have the Weimar Republic survive and yet still start a Second World War.

Germany must remain a democracy (at least on paper), though it can still be a "democracy" in a similar way to how modern Russia is a "democracy".

 

[Iggies]

Would the Nazis keeping the Weimar constitution and continuing to hold sham elections count? That's too easy though.

 

[the Imperium of Canada]

Would the Nazis keeping the Weimar constitution and continuing to hold sham elections count? That's too easy though.

No

 

[BeardedHoplite]

Perhaps have one of Germany's neighbors turn to an extreme ideology and a moderately rearmed Weimar (they trained in the USSR, after all) declares a preemptive war?

 

[Femto]

This is very realistic, the Weimar Republic could invade Poland and unintentionally start a war with France and Britain, although they would be less enthusiastic and eager for this than the Nazis.

Bringing the US to the fold is more difficult, as a Victorious Weimar Republic would probably make peace had they been in Hitler's place after the Fall of France, and a Defeated Weimar Republic wouldn't be a problem for Washington.

The Japanese would just continue doing their own thing, and I don't know how would Mussolini react to this different Germany.

Germany would be less vilified today, that's for certain.

 

[jmc247]

I am of the opinion that them pecking at the French occupation and winding them up to strike and then fighting a national liberation war to eject the occupation was possible in the 20s and if they did it Germany might be a mess for awhile, but German democracy survives.

 

[saluto]

In the last few years of the Weimar Republic it was a semi-dictatorship anyway. Have one of these, maybe a more successful General Schleicher, try to secure his position with aggression towards Poland or on another flash point. Maybe the first couple work, just like with Hitler, and before finally backfiring into ww2.

 

[Cudymcar]

Even without Nazis Germany could have easily got a right-wing government with a revanchist agenda, and then - Danzig.

 

[Resurgam]

Any WWII triggered by a democratic Weimar Germany is going to be subject to butterflies, though. So countries will probably align differently or stay out (initially) due to those butterflies.