DBWI: Einstein's 1933 takeover fails

What if Albert Einstein's Technologist Party failed to stop the coup attempt by Ernst Rohm's SA in 1933 following Einstein's victory in the German presidential elections and the Technologists' sweep of the Reichstag?
 

Japhy

Banned
OOC: How exactly does Albert Einstein get in politics, and as a Jew, wins elections in 1930's Germany?

Also, arn't DBWIs now verboten in AH discussion?
 
OOC: How exactly does Albert Einstein get in politics, and as a Jew, wins elections in 1930's Germany?

In BROAD strokes what I'm thinking is Mussolini's takeover and the Beer Hall Putsch has more of an impact on him and inspires him to speak his mind, blaming both on the war and the harsh terms of the Treaty of Versailles and writes a letter to a newspaper (or an op-ed or something) which becomes widely published. German industrialists, looking for someone they can back who they think will be pliable, come to Einstein and his colleagues providing backing and support.

I'm not sure how realistic the POD is, I'm more going for the weirdness of "what if one of the great geniuses of the 20th century ends up an authoritarian leader".

Also, arn't DBWIs now verboten in AH discussion?

I saw one or two floating around in pre 1900, if that is the case I"m ok with the thread being killed/moved/whatever.
 
Despite Einstein being a Jew and pacifist....

...It would be more plausible the other way round if Einstein got into politics to prevent the 'Nazism' but in doing so made the party more 'national social' rather than racist and demagoguery.

Hitler becomes 'well liked' and the head of a new form of pan-germanist government, but is still the 'anti-Semite', the people however realise that he's just a crank on that score, but instead see Einstein as the mediator and the voice of reason countering the 'angry little man'.

Like in Game of Thrones you have King Goffery being utterly stupid, but then Tyrion acting as the Hand is insuring it doesn't all go to pot.
 
I could say something completely lame like: This is not a DBWI.
Instead I say that this is the weirdest DBWI I have seen.

That's about what I was going for, doesn't mean you can't have fun with the weirdness ;) Just imagine an authoritarian technocratic state run by Einstein and other prominent scientists and engineers, if nothing else it would be a fun idea to play with.

It would be more plausible the other way round if Einstein got into politics to prevent the 'Nazism' but in doing so made the party more 'national social' rather than racist and demagoguery.

Hitler becomes 'well liked' and the head of a new form of pan-germanist government, but is still the 'anti-Semite', the people however realise that he's just a crank on that score, but instead see Einstein as the mediator and the voice of reason countering the 'angry little man'.

That plus enough of the old establishment getting spooked by the SA and the socialist side of national socialism sounds like it could lay the necessary foundation plus Einstein positioning himself as the "only sane man in the room" come 1933.
 
Well firstly we need to prevent Einstein emigrating to the US. So our point of divergence needs to be well before 1932. Indeed we need to make Einstein 'get political' in line with the rise of the NASDAP between 1925 - 1930.

It might be a good idea to say that some how he gets caught up in the events between the SA and Communists in 1928, this effects him enough to become outspoken against the Nazis.

However the Nazis at the time are specifically looking for publicity, and the saying goes; any publicity is good publicity.

Therefore instead of Hitler and his propagandists in the party trying to shout down Einstein who is already a well respected and famous figure, he is instead invited to a 'dinner party' so that he and Hitler can meet and exchange views.

Of course the 'dinner party' also includes other NASDAP members as well as other political figures. Hitler being the shrewd cunning but otherwise not so intelligent man he is, and Einstein having enjoyed a bit of drink the conversation between them goes something like this;

Einstein ridicules Hitler for his 'violence in the streets' and use of common prejudices and overall appears to be 'winning the opinions over' of the rest of the guests, since much that he says makes sense.

Hitler meanwhile goes quite with a form of silent rage at this, finally making an abrupt remark that; "Perhaps Her Einstein should join the Party such that we can stop making these kinds of mistakes!"

The sarcasm is quickly lost on that statement when one of the other guests comments that it might not be such a bad idea. At which point Hitler realises rather than having lost this debate might actually be able to save himself in front of the other important guests.

So he presses the issue to Einstein about if he is 'serious for politics' then maybe he should join him [Hitler].

Einstein is now a bit on the backfoot, since if Hitler is asking him for advice and sense, which is what he [Einstein] has been advocating the Nazis need, then he would loose face not to accept. Although the idea abhors him, through a bit of drink, the notion that he might have lost the morale high ground to Hitler in front of the important figures in German society and he might have been given an opportunity to do some good, he accepts the offer.

In the intimidate aftermath of this, the other figures in the party realise that while Hitler is a great orator for the masses, Einstein 'being on board' although fairly remotely, gives them far more credibility in the minds of high German society. This means that for the party, Hitler can only go 'so far' at attacking Jews and intellectuals. Since of course Einstein needs to be kept onboard.

Therefore slowly his speeches turn from degrading the Jews to more specifically the 'Communists in their midsts' [Nod towards the US McCarthy era]

Therefore it becomes the Communists and socialists that becomes Hitler’s scapegoats by the time of 1929 referendum and on towards 1933.


During this time, Einstein has a minor role at being able to curb the violence associated with the Party, particularly at being able to belittle Hitler behind the curtain within the inner ranks of the party. Although it disgusts him about how the party is achieving power, he too is caught up on a feeling of power and spirit. Meanwhile he realises that he is becoming a strong second in the party.

Secretly he hopes that Hitler will be found guilty by one of the new laws against political violence, and thus he can take over and impose his stamp upon the party for the better.

Of course Hitler realises this and so in the 'Night of Long Knives' tries to have Einstein murdered along with those dissenters in the SA. Einstein gets tipped off by others within the party and escapes the purge but not without working out who ordered it.

Rather than confront Hitler directly he flees to Austria to get a sense of what his next move should be and also possibly because he resents his decision to get involved with politics.

Over the next few months as Hitler declares he is the "supreme judge" and Fuhrer of Germany, others in the party are concerned that without Einstein being in the picture, suddenly Hitler has gone power mad and crazy, thus begging Einstein to come back.

Fortunately or unfortunately, Hitler is shot himself in 1935 creating a massive power vacuum. It is at this point that Einstein regretfully takes up the position at the head of the Nazi party since he is still well liked by the public, and appears to be one of the best candidates to take over.

In doing so, he assumes all the "supreme power" that Hitler declared for himself however even with this 'power' he can't do much to turn the tide of popular opinion that is the "Thousand Year 3rd Reich", and the fact that Hitler becomes a Martyr for his ideology....
 
Well firstly we need to prevent Einstein emigrating to the US. So our point of divergence needs to be well before 1932. Indeed we need to make Einstein 'get political' in line with the rise of the NASDAP between 1925 - 1930.

It might be a good idea to say that some how he gets caught up in the events between the SA and Communists in 1928, this effects him enough to become outspoken against the Nazis.

However the Nazis at the time are specifically looking for publicity, and the saying goes; any publicity is good publicity.

Therefore instead of Hitler and his propagandists in the party trying to shout down Einstein who is already a well respected and famous figure, he is instead invited to a 'dinner party' so that he and Hitler can meet and exchange views.

Of course the 'dinner party' also includes other NASDAP members as well as other political figures. Hitler being the shrewd cunning but otherwise not so intelligent man he is, and Einstein having enjoyed a bit of drink the conversation between them goes something like this;

Einstein ridicules Hitler for his 'violence in the streets' and use of common prejudices and overall appears to be 'winning the opinions over' of the rest of the guests, since much that he says makes sense.

Hitler meanwhile goes quite with a form of silent rage at this, finally making an abrupt remark that; "Perhaps Her Einstein should join the Party such that we can stop making these kinds of mistakes!"

The sarcasm is quickly lost on that statement when one of the other guests comments that it might not be such a bad idea. At which point Hitler realises rather than having lost this debate might actually be able to save himself in front of the other important guests.

So he presses the issue to Einstein about if he is 'serious for politics' then maybe he should join him [Hitler].

Einstein is now a bit on the backfoot, since if Hitler is asking him for advice and sense, which is what he [Einstein] has been advocating the Nazis need, then he would loose face not to accept. Although the idea abhors him, through a bit of drink, the notion that he might have lost the morale high ground to Hitler in front of the important figures in German society and he might have been given an opportunity to do some good, he accepts the offer.

In the intimidate aftermath of this, the other figures in the party realise that while Hitler is a great orator for the masses, Einstein 'being on board' although fairly remotely, gives them far more credibility in the minds of high German society. This means that for the party, Hitler can only go 'so far' at attacking Jews and intellectuals. Since of course Einstein needs to be kept onboard.

Therefore slowly his speeches turn from degrading the Jews to more specifically the 'Communists in their midsts' [Nod towards the US McCarthy era]

Therefore it becomes the Communists and socialists that becomes Hitler’s scapegoats by the time of 1929 referendum and on towards 1933.


During this time, Einstein has a minor role at being able to curb the violence associated with the Party, particularly at being able to belittle Hitler behind the curtain within the inner ranks of the party. Although it disgusts him about how the party is achieving power, he too is caught up on a feeling of power and spirit. Meanwhile he realises that he is becoming a strong second in the party.

Secretly he hopes that Hitler will be found guilty by one of the new laws against political violence, and thus he can take over and impose his stamp upon the party for the better.

Of course Hitler realises this and so in the 'Night of Long Knives' tries to have Einstein murdered along with those dissenters in the SA. Einstein gets tipped off by others within the party and escapes the purge but not without working out who ordered it.

Rather than confront Hitler directly he flees to Austria to get a sense of what his next move should be and also possibly because he resents his decision to get involved with politics.

Over the next few months as Hitler declares he is the "supreme judge" and Fuhrer of Germany, others in the party are concerned that without Einstein being in the picture, suddenly Hitler has gone power mad and crazy, thus begging Einstein to come back.

Fortunately or unfortunately, Hitler is shot himself in 1935 creating a massive power vacuum. It is at this point that Einstein regretfully takes up the position at the head of the Nazi party since he is still well liked by the public, and appears to be one of the best candidates to take over.

In doing so, he assumes all the "supreme power" that Hitler declared for himself however even with this 'power' he can't do much to turn the tide of popular opinion that is the "Thousand Year 3rd Reich", and the fact that Hitler becomes a Martyr for his ideology....

This is probably the craziest alternate history scenario I've ever heard but I love it. I wonder how Chancellor Einstein deals with the issue of atomic energy? Then again, Einstein being head of Germany makes a much less possibility of war in Europe perhaps?
 
Um, what the hell?

This is serious trolling. Technologist Party? Do I even have to explain that you don't rally the common working man with science, promises of more science, and slogans like "E=MC2" (I'm sure Einstein wouldn't have said that if he had indeed run, but "Technologist Party" seems to imply that he did in OP's alternate world). This is either a bad joke or deliberate trolling.

Einstein did not want to enter politics. He explained why when he rejected the position of President of Israel. Aside from that, I doubt he'd even try to run, and if he did, I find it dubious that a Jew will win.
 
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Double Blind what if Peter Parker, essentially a 'What If?' so removed from reality its not real...

While Einstein may have declined a position in Israeli politics some 20 years later than this point of divergence says nothing about his politics during the 1920s which were a very dynamic time...

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He wouldn't deal with Atomic Energy.

Without Hitler in the NASDAP party, then there is no Auschuluss, no Munich, no Danzig and no WWII.

Instead all you are left with is a highly pan-germanist national movement being led by a single party state that strongly believes in 'this is their time'.

In essence you get a form of 'workers revolution' that instead of believing in the tenets of Communism, instead believes directly in Germanic National ideal and a sense of rationale humanism coming from Einstein’s political ideology filtering across the other party members.

Therefore Nazism under Einstein become about espousing reason, ethics and justice based from a German point of view, and rejecting dogma and prejudice in decision making. Thus Hitler mobilised the masses and got them to believe in themselves as a people not to be repressed by the Great Powers, and Einstein tells them to do this by being rational and of clear logical thought.

So you end up with the most pragmatic German people who as a point of principle totally believe in being objective about life, Germany and its foreign policy.

Of course from that point of view, Versailles is still rejected because it is 'rationally believed' to be a form of repression against the German people and a large amount of animosity is still felt against Britain, France and the other Great Powers for making Germany foot the blame. Which it was in hindsight.

Of course such 'rational ideas' as Darwinian theory escape from this form of leadership. Science has shown the principle of the 'survival of the fittest', therefore under Einstein humanism, human races are in a 'survival of the fittest conflict'. Thus spurring on the German people.


This is all quite scary for both the UK and France, and also for Stalin since Germans with national pride and a strong wish to invest in themselves means they are destined for something. Hitler allowed the German people to get their self determination back, but what now?

You can somewhat see that Poland, Austria, Czechslovakia and the Neatherlands are going to find themselves passively aligning to such an ideology based out of the Classical and Enlightenment ideals, while at the same time Italy and Germany are going to begin to differ in terms of national belief.

What you won't get is any crazy wars. Stalin is too paranoid about his own nation, the UK and France don't want another Great War, Germany doesn't want anything to do with violence now Einstein is at the head of the party, which only leaves Italy and Franco as potential warmongers mid 20thC.

Francos not going to do squat all after the Civil war, while Mussolini might end up invading Albania or Yugoslavia, of course these actions will be condemned if they take place and British and French blockades/embargoes so all in all Mussolini will probs stay for the Horn of Africa and Ethiopia.

Germany will undergo a form of '3rd industrial revolution' some time around 1946-1960 as youth brought up under the regime have the best neo-classical educations in the world and indoctrination of scepticism. This might lead to the NASDAP party falling from being a 'military dictatorship' into being an 'enforced meritocracy' which would be an techno-ethical utopia, but a socio-liberal dystopia....a very grey area...
 
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