AHC/WI: Nazi German Civil War

Sycamore

Banned
At it says in the title- what could have led to Nazi Germany's leadership fragmenting along factional lines, vying against one another to determine Germany's future, and sending Nazi Germany into outright civil war (prior to the outbreak of WW2)? And what would the results be- for the Nazi Party (and its respective successors), Germany, Europe, and the world in general?
 
If Hitler, was not the leader, then you could see a three way split among:

  • Ernst Röhm, leader of the Sturmabteilung (SA, "Storm Battalion")
  • Hermann Göring, with most of the Armed forces on his side
  • Heinrich Himmler, commanding the Gestapo and Schutzstaffel (Protection Squadron; SS)
You would most likely have to see who is able to gain the support of Joseph Goebbels, with his propaganda abilities.

Reinhard Heydrich, would most likely support Himmler
 
Before the war, the army would have taken power in such a situation., The nazi party and its various factions did not gain the power and influence until after the campaign in the west during Summer 1940. The rapid defeat of France gave the nazis massive prestige in Germany.

The only real chance at a civil war is if Röhm and his SA catches on before the night of the long knives and resist. If Hitler is either very stupid or out of the picture, it could turn into a civil war between the Heer and the SA.
 

Sycamore

Banned
If Hitler, was not the leader, then you could see a three way split among:

  • Ernst Röhm, leader of the Sturmabteilung (SA, "Storm Battalion")
  • Hermann Göring, with most of the Armed forces on his side
  • Heinrich Himmler, commanding the Gestapo and Schutzstaffel (Protection Squadron; SS)
You would most likely have to see who is able to gain the support of Joseph Goebbels, with his propaganda abilities.

Reinhard Heydrich, would most likely support Himmler

I was thinking about a POD prior to the 27th January 1938- when Hitler wasn't yet the Supreme Commander of the German military, and when German War Minister Field Marshal Werner von Blomberg occupied that position instead. Blomberg had a reputation as something of a lackey to Hitler, and was nicknamed "Rubber Lion" by some of his critics in the army who were less than enthusiastic about Hitler. Hermann Göring had ambitions to become the Commander-in-Chief of the entire military himself though, and conspired with Himmler to oust Blomberg from power. Göring and Himmler found an opportunity to strike against Blomberg in January 1938, when the general, then 59, who had been a widower since the death of his first wife Charlotte in 1932, married his second wife Erna Gruhn. Gruhn was a 26-year-old typist and secretary, but the Berlin police had a long criminal file on her and her mother, a former prostitute. Among the reports was information that Gruhn had allegedly posed for pornographic photos in 1932, taken by a Jew with whom she was living at the time.

IOTL, this was reported to the Berlin police chief Wolf-Heinrich von Helldorf (a close ally of Joseph Goebbels), who went to Wilhelm Keitel with the file on the new Mrs. Blomberg, saying he was uncertain about what to do. Keitel, seeing a chance to destroy Blomberg's career, told Helldorf to take the file to Göring, which he did. Göring ,who had served as best man to Blomberg at the wedding, used the file to argue Blomberg was unfit to serve as a war minister- choosing to misrepresent Frau Blomberg's criminal record as being for prostitution as a way of smearing her husband. Göring then informed Hitler, who had also been present at the wedding. Hitler ordered Blomberg to annul the marriage, in order to avoid a scandal and to preserve the integrity of the army. The forthcoming wedding of Blomberg's daughter Dorothea would also have been threatened by scandal. She was engaged to Leutnant Karl-Heinz Keitel, General Wilhelm Keitel's eldest son. Blomberg refused to repudiate his wife, but when Göring threatened to make her past public knowledge, Blomberg was forced to resign all of his posts to avoid this, which he did on 27 January 1938. His daughter was married in May the same year.

As a consequence, Hitler took personal command of the military on February the 4th, adopted the title of Supreme Commander, abolished the Ministry of War and in its place, and created the High Command of the Armed Forces (OKW) under his control to be the supervisory body of the Wehrmacht (armed forces). Keitel, who would be promoted to the rank of Field Marshal on 1940, and Blomberg's former right-hand man Werner Von Fritsch would be appointed by Hitler as the Chief of the OKW of the Armed Forces. Keitel thus became the de facto Minister of War. A few days later, Göring and Himmler accused Commander-in-Chief of the Army Werner von Fritsch of being a homosexual. Hitler used these allegations of von Fritsch's homosexuality as an excuse to dismiss one of the aristocratic senior officers within the Army High Command, severely testing the limits of the German internal administration's stability at the time. Walther von Brauchitsch (a man who had already harbored suspiscions that Himmler was attempting to have the SS replace the Wehrmacht as the official German Armed Forces, and who either disliked or opposed most of the Nazi system) was subsequently appointed as the new colonel general and the army chief in von Fritsch's place.

So, what would happen if this sequence of events panned out a little differently in an ATL? IOTL, the Blomberg-Fritsch Affair only happened due to the deliberate misinformation being fed out by the Berlin police chief, Wolf-Heinrich von Helldorf. First, he withheld from the top Nazi leadership evidence which contradicted the Gestapo's assertion that Werner von Blomberg's new wife had a criminal record for posing for pornographic photos (then later leaked to the Wehrmacht leadership the same exculpatory evidence, to create the implication that it had been in the possession of, but had been withheld by, the Gestapo). Similarly, in the Fritsch affair, Helldorf possessed documentary information that would have exonerated Fritsch from the allegations that Fritsch paid for the services of homosexual prostitutes, confirming that the guilty party was a cavalry captain with a similar surname. After Fritsch's consequent dismissal as Commander in Chief of the Army, Helldorf then leaked to the army leadership the misidentification, upon which Fritsch had already been framed and disgraced. And it's widely asserted that Helldorf had been in some form of communication with the military opposition to Hitler as early as 1938- in the 20th July plot, Helldorf sided with the anti-Hitler movement in their attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler.

IMHO, this critical juncture, the Blomberg-Fritsch Affair, would have been the most plausible POD to bring about civil war. Either this, or have Magda Goebbels learn of Joseph Goebbels' affair with Lída Baarová and complain to Hitler about it in late 1937 ITTL. This would result either in Hitler accepting Goebbels' resignation, Goebbels becoming embittered against Hitler after being forced to break off his affair, or Goebbels being successful in his first suicide attempt. As such, Wolf-Heinrich von Helldorf would have forged a new alliance with a different backer when/if the the Blomberg-Fritsch Affair does happen ITTL, and Joseph Goebbels would either be a non-entity, be supporting the opposition to Hitler, or already dead. So, what do you think?
 
That is a crazy web of drama and lies. A lotta of personalities. But it looks like it's not so violent, it's based on blackmail and smearing characters. How would it lead to civil war?
 
At it says in the title- what could have led to Nazi Germany's leadership fragmenting along factional lines, vying against one another to determine Germany's future, and sending Nazi Germany into outright civil war (prior to the outbreak of WW2)? And what would the results be- for the Nazi Party (and its respective successors), Germany, Europe, and the world in general?

Have Chamberlain get delayed in his statement on September 27th, 1938, Cooper keeps mobilizing fleet and Halder&co go with their coup plan. As simple as it can get. In order for this to graduate into full blown civil war, Hitler must survive.

How to get this? Tricky question.
 

Deleted member 1487

At it says in the title- what could have led to Nazi Germany's leadership fragmenting along factional lines, vying against one another to determine Germany's future, and sending Nazi Germany into outright civil war (prior to the outbreak of WW2)? And what would the results be- for the Nazi Party (and its respective successors), Germany, Europe, and the world in general?
We need a specific date to say for sure. Things a different points would have likely broken very different ways due to changing factions and purges.
 
I can see a civil war say if the main leadership is assassinated and an issue over succession. That could split the government and cause several cous.
 
That is a crazy web of drama and lies. A lotta of personalities. But it looks like it's not so violent, it's based on blackmail and smearing characters. How would it lead to civil war?
The Nazis were incredibly violent. Himmler has his own private army, and of course the regular army hated him. So, absent a clear leader like Hitler, that is the perfect combination for a civil war.
 
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