(At least) 100 more meters for Heinrich Brüning

I'm reading Patch's biography of Bruning right now ( up to 1931 so far), and one thing that comes out of it is Brunings hope for a new united party of the center-right which would incorporate the DVP, the new Staatspartei, the small bourgeois parties like the Wirtschaft Party, the Christian Peoples Service Party etc, which would become a sort of protestant version of the Centrum party of Bruning. If he retains the chancellorship he would probably keep trying to help this get going.
According to Patch's book, the two people he met with most as Chancellor were Kaas, the leader of the Centrum, and Hilferding of the SPD, which is interesting as it shows his friendly ties to the SPD. I think Bruning is going to try to avoid Reichstag elections for as long as possible. Prussian elections have just shown what a debacle they would be if held soon, so his overall policy should be to keep his government running smoothly, bask in the upcoming demise of reparations, and hope for gradual improvement in the economy so that when the Reichstags term expires in 1934 things are much more moderated in Germany.
 

oberdada

Gone Fishin'
Still no new update, sorry. But the discussion here is mostly helpful. You will likely see some of the ideas finding their way into the timeline.


Hugo Eckener is interesting. His name apparently pops up often in AH discussion about 1932 PODs. BUT:
I hardly now anything about him. Having somebody without political experience and a very special militarry record running for office is risky.
Can he win?
Is he willing to fullfill the needs of the office?

With President Hugo Eckener a leagal way into power for the Nazis is blocked without a doubt.
The ideal President for Brüning would be somebody who is able to give Hitler the feeling he could be appointet Chancellor any day without that ever realy happening.

Even with a NSDAP mayority in the Reichstag Eckener would not have to appoint Hitler. So in that case another coup atemp becomes a possibillity.

Avoiding Reichstag Elections is of course a common interest between Brüning and the SPD. If they can hold out untill '34 is the one million Reichsmark question.

A Braunschweigschlag is not a good idea for Brüning. Germanywill not go into civil war over "states rights" right away but with a move like that he would alienate too many people, the entire BVP for example, basicly anyone who is skeptical of a strong central government in Berlin...

Any other ideas for a presidential candidate?
 

NoMommsen

Donor
Hugo Eckener is interesting. His name apparently pops up often in AH discussion about 1932 PODs. BUT:
I hardly now anything about him. Having somebody without political experience and a very special militarry record running for office is risky.
Can he win?
Is he willing to fullfill the needs of the office?

With President Hugo Eckener a leagal way into power for the Nazis is blocked without a doubt.
The ideal President for Brüning would be somebody who is able to give Hitler the feeling he could be appointet Chancellor any day without that ever realy happening.

Even with a NSDAP mayority in the Reichstag Eckener would not have to appoint Hitler. So in that case another coup atemp becomes a possibillity.
Admitted, Brüning might not have been too fond of him due to his 'unpoliticalness' (as described here) before the presidential election.
Eckener backed away in favor of Hindenburg and even campaigned for him when Hindenburg finally decided to run for the second term (what was a hard piece of work to get the Field Marshallto).
But know ? Who else ? And there were quite some pros for Eckener :
- He knew at least on single business level his way in economics, so a somehow 'educated' partner for Brüning
- He was very respected internationally, esp. in for Brüning crucial USA to support him
- He was a 'Hero of Modern times', of peace-time less of war-time, with his Airship activities esp. post-war
- He still was kind of a war-hero, wearing the Iron Cross 1.class for his training of airship-crews, but bears not 'bood' on his hands for actually killing someone.
- He was (almost ?) free of involvements in political fights post-war, no participation on any 'putsches' nor other political 'affairs'
- He was a trained and capable campaigner, in opposite to the 'mummy' Hindenburg
Sounds for me like someone Brüning would/could be happy to have on his side for the upcomming domestic struggles as well as for the upcomming diplomatic struggles. A man capable of the burdens of this office and much better convincable with rationality than Hindenburg, who Brüning needed a lot of ... unrationality to 'steer' him the way needed.

Last but not least : who else ?
Avoiding Reichstag Elections is of course a common interest between Brüning and the SPD. If they can hold out untill '34 is the one million Reichsmark question.

A Braunschweigschlag is not a good idea for Brüning. Germanywill not go into civil war over "states rights" right away but with a move like that he would alienate too many people, the entire BVP for example, basicly anyone who is skeptical of a strong central government in Berlin...
At a 'Braunschweig-Schlag' :
Beside Brünings unwillingness OTL to violate the consitution as blatantly (atm), there was no lever for.
- In Prussia due to the election 24.April a parliamentary backed and 'legalized' goverment wasn't possible.
In Braunschweig WAS a parliamentary backed right-wing coalition goverment.
- In Prussia were almost everyday somewhere civil war like clashes, medially covered.
In Braunschweig such clashes were on a much smaller scale, if at all (don't know about in detail)

Any other ideas for a presidential candidate?
Just wonder : nobody came up yet with famous/infamous L-V (Lettow-Vorbeck).
IMO not a very good candidate :
Yes, he had a record as a War Hero, respected even by the Entente powers (esp. in Britain).
But ...
his 'performance' during the Kapp-Putsch wouldn't be forgotton by the SPP and esp. the KPD. This would make him a damn big toad to be swallowed by the SPD and a welcomed 'victim' to KPD-propaganda.
 
IOTL the two Chancellors before Hitler (Schleicher and Papen) tried to create a broad anti Nazi front
involving the DNVP, Zentrum and the Social Democrats. One of the reasons for its failure was that Hindenburg
was dead set against giving any power to the Social Democrats. Assuming Hitler doesn't win the presidency,
there could be more life to this strategy.
 

NoMommsen

Donor
IOTL the two Chancellors before Hitler (Schleicher and Papen) tried to create a broad anti Nazi front
involving the DNVP, Zentrum and the Social Democrats
. One of the reasons for its failure was that Hindenburg
was dead set against giving any power to the Social Democrats.
Sry M8, but I have to correct you there.
This was the strategy Brüning wanted but failed to achieve (mostly due to stubborn Hugenberg, head of the DNVP).

It was 'conditio sine qua non' for Papen as for Schleicher in getting Hindenburgs backing to keep the SPD away from any political power, from any influence at all.
(The old man was utterly aghast, that he had been elected mostly by SPD followers)
... Though the latter still tried to deal with them, or at least parts of them behind the Presidence' back (old habbits like playing games and intrigues with and against everybody don't dy easily ;)).
 
Still no new update, sorry. But the discussion here is mostly helpful. You will likely see some of the ideas finding their way into the timeline.


Hugo Eckener is interesting. His name apparently pops up often in AH discussion about 1932 PODs. BUT:
I hardly now anything about him. Having somebody without political experience and a very special militarry record running for office is risky.
Can he win?
Is he willing to fullfill the needs of the office?

With President Hugo Eckener a leagal way into power for the Nazis is blocked without a doubt.
The ideal President for Brüning would be somebody who is able to give Hitler the feeling he could be appointet Chancellor any day without that ever realy happening.

Even with a NSDAP mayority in the Reichstag Eckener would not have to appoint Hitler. So in that case another coup atemp becomes a possibillity.

Avoiding Reichstag Elections is of course a common interest between Brüning and the SPD. If they can hold out untill '34 is the one million Reichsmark question.

A Braunschweigschlag is not a good idea for Brüning. Germanywill not go into civil war over "states rights" right away but with a move like that he would alienate too many people, the entire BVP for example, basicly anyone who is skeptical of a strong central government in Berlin...

Any other ideas for a presidential candidate?

Some thoughts for presidential candidate besides Eckener:

- the Generals Wilhelm Groener, Hans von Seeckt, August von Mackensen
- the DVP-man Siegfried von Kardorff
- Wilhelm von Gayl and Max Wallraf from the DNVP
- Adam Stegerwald and Rudolf Amelunxen, Zentrumspartei
- or buisiness tycoon Fritz Thyssen
- Hans Schlange-Schöningen, CNBL

I would count on Groener because he is conservative and accepted by the SPD.
Hope that helps a bit.
 

NoMommsen

Donor
@marcus23
Beside your first, the military tear all others fell extremly short in terms of popularity, compared to Hitler, the main opponent. Non of them could 'mobilize masses'.

As Mackensen was very/too unpolitical and von Seeckts appearence in the republics crisis years made him almost unaceptable for the SPD I would agree that of the three Groener would have been the best choice.

However, he was extremly important for Brüning right there where he was.
As Reichswehr-minister to keep control of the army - and of Schleicher !
As minister for domestic affairs in controling police and public security he could trust.
 
@marcus23
Beside your first, the military tear all others fell extremly short in terms of popularity, compared to Hitler, the main opponent. Non of them could 'mobilize masses'.

As Mackensen was very/too unpolitical and von Seeckts appearence in the republics crisis years made him almost unaceptable for the SPD I would agree that of the three Groener would have been the best choice.

However, he was extremly important for Brüning right there where he was.
As Reichswehr-minister to keep control of the army - and of Schleicher !
As minister for domestic affairs in controling police and public security he could trust.

That's true. But I think Kurt von Hammerstein could replace Groener as Reichswehrminister perfectly. And Brüning trust him, too.
 
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