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WI Kurt von Schleicher had held out somehow (maybe getting Hindenburg's ear and isolating Von Papen, or Hindenburg dies soon after Von Schleicher becomes Chancellor) to establish a military dictatorship without the Nazis? Wondering the impact if any on Spanish Civil War, (would Germany assist Franco? would he succeed without German help?) Probably no WW2, but would there be a German-Polish war?

Would Germany have gone the way of Spain OTL, i.e. a general in charge with a return to constitutional government later on.Von Schleicher seemed to favor an Hohenzollern restoration, would this have occured sooner or later?

If Hindenburg dies (say, December 10, 1932), who is the new Reichs President? It's too soon for a restoration. Von Schleicher needs someone he can control. Or does Von Schleicher assume the post himself, combining it with the Chancellor? On the other hand, won’t this be seen as too much of a power grab?

Another question is, what will Hitler do? He won't accept Schleicher's dictatorship happily. I can see a Romanian solution defining itself, whereby a military strongman both keeps the far left outlawed and at bay, and beheads the far right, while carrying out some of the right's policies - thus stabilizing the country and his own grip on power.

Is here a chance the Nazi Party would split? The party was in financial straits due to there having been four election campaigns in 1932. Hitler and the Strasser brothers were getting restive. If Von Schleicher could get approval ("I need to protect the country against the Red menace and the Brown threat.") from the international community, he could start a rearmament. Bruening had actually done so but his government had fallen. (Bruening had also planned a restoration.)

Internationally, Von Schleicher would be in an interesting position, in that he would be repressing Communists and keeping these Mussolini-style guys (which is how they would seem) out of power. One balances off the other, either way.

If there’s going to be a restoration, then the Kaiser would probably remain a figurehead. Having a Kaiser will make the royalists happy; having a Kaiser with ceremonial tasks will sweeten the pill for those who did not want him back in the first place; and Von Schleicher keeps the real power for himself. Personally, I think a military government would wait a few years before bringing up the question of restoration, until 1936 or so.

A GREAT Kaiser would, in my eyes, be Louis Ferdinand.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Ferdinand,_Prince_of_Prussiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Ferdinand,_Prince_of_Prussia

Any thoughts so far? Any implausibilities?
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