Alternate countries and economies in a Weimar-lives scenario

JJohnson

Banned
I was looking at this graphic on CNN Money, showing the sizes of several economies, and I saw Germany's at around $3.6 trillion, France at $2.7 trillion, and the United Kingdom at $2.4 trillion. I was wondering, in all our various alternate timelines, how do we view the economic strength of our countries?

For example, let's say the Weimar Republic version of Germany survived (tampered down extremist parties, muddled through the 30s, didn't start any wars, etc.) - how would its economy look today? The UK, without the economic struggles post-war? France without the devastation?

If Weimar survived the 30s, how do you think Poland, Czechoslovakia, Austria, et al., would've evolved? Was another war inevitable or likely in Europe? I'm looking to continue a 'Weimar Survives' timeline from a while back, and I'm not sure Weimar would've intentionally started any wars in Europe so soon after losing one, but what about her neighbors?
 
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Enigmajones

The title is poorly worded. I was assuming you meant countries that would have been butterflied into existence by the survival of the German Reich. Which is what Weimar Germany was called, but not known as, for obvious associations with the word "Reich".
 
FellowNerd

FellowNerd

Well with a Weimar Germany their would be Silesia which has extremely rich in industrial resources combined with the additional popuation of Silesia, Posen, and East Prussia.
Then you never have the disaster of splitting the two countries.

But you also would have to control for lessened international aid and cooperation. In short it can be a wide variance depending on how things play out
 

Thoresby

Silesia would probably be an economic drag on Germany in alt 2013 as it would almost certainly go the way of the Wallonia or the US Rust Belt as the West moves towards a service economy and demand for steel and coal falls.
 

Stonewall

Banned
Keep in mind Germany would be even more of a leader in research and development as none, pr at least much less scientists would emigrate to flee fascism.
 

lukedalton

Count that in case of Weimar survives this mean no WWII and a less powerfull Soviet Union (No East Europe) so No European Union
 

Rudi Maxer

FellowNerd said:
Well with a Weimar Germany their would be Silesia which has extremely rich in industrial resources combined with the additional popuation of Silesia, Posen, and East Prussia.
Click to expand...

Germany of OTL lost those areas, but not their population which was transferred to remaining German territories (granted, with some casualties on the way). However assuming no war losses and possible peaceful Anschluss, Weimar Republic 2013 could have up to 100 - 110 million citizens.

On the other side, Poland could have 60 million.
 

JJohnson

Banned
Interesting. I hadn't considered Anschluß in a Weimar timeline. There might've been will there, but assuming this Germany's a bit more amenable to international opinion, they might opt for something less, either economic cooperation, free trade, maybe some kind of currency union with Austria (I don't know how like it is that that would happen).

If this Weimar Germany lost Posen-West Preußen and is territorially our Weimar Germany, definitely you have Silesian coal, East Prussia might be a tourist destination and some factories, Stettin would likely become a major port over Danzig, and Pomerania would give them agriculture, tourism from the forests, and industry. I don't know what'll happen to East Prussia population-wise though.

If something happens and maybe Weimar Germany gets in a scuffle with Poland for whatever reason and they come to a peace deal getting Posen and West Prussia back, then Danzig stays important as a port; it's possible they would do a population transfer between the two countries, if this map is to be believed that some Germans remained in Poland after the territory swap. This version of Weimar Germany, I'm not sure how they'd push into the 50s and 60s, but there'd be no war guilt on their part. There might be some celebrations of regained territory, some kind of 'reunification day' or something. That Poland, I don't know what they'd do. They might end up going communist still.
 
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