German economy without the NSDAP

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Deleted member 1487

Assuming, as do many threads, that Hitler never rises to prominence, perhaps through an early death, the NSDAP never really forms and its subsidiary the S.A. never forms either. Assuming the men that became NSDAP members OTL join other groups like Stahlhelm and the national discourse trends rightward without the extremism of the Nazis, how does the Weimar economy develop past 1932?

Any form of military build up is unlikely given that OTL it relied on Hitler's gambling mentality to come about, Germany focuses on building up its economy. The Autobahn and other public works projects still happen, though somewhat differently than OTL, as they were already on the books when Hitler took power and credit for them. Schacht is still around, as are the Mefo credits, but instead of military spending they probably are used toward building up the economy IMHO.

How do things play out? Can Germany recover serious during the depression without Hitler's 'tricks' to hide unemployment and bankrupting the economy? Does Austria still unite with Germany, though perhaps more willingly from the top?
 
If we get moderate Keynesians in Germany who do all the public works projects it could work nicely, working with the Americans to ease off reparations payments and such could work, pushing for union with Austria despite the ToV expressly forbidding it is no bueno, that sort of thing will cost a Germany looking to genuinely recover its reputation in the world.
 
Why would a democratic Germany working for a peaceful unification with Austria - something both countries wanted to happen - damage its international reputation? The French and (possibly) British wouldn't like it, but other countries, like the US, would probably just see it as a simple exercise in national self-determination by the Germans and Austrians. Especially since the Treaty of Versailles was later seen as too harsh and unjust by many - not just inside Germany, but other countries as well, even some British - and should be subject to re-evaluation and revision.
The clause forbidding the unification of Germany and Austria might very well be the very first to be revised, as it would do a lot to stabilize the political situation in both (in Austria, the situation was hardly better than in Weimar Germany), and give the German economy a (morale) boost, meaning it is more likely to be able to pay its reparations.

- Kelenas
 
How do things play out? Can Germany recover serious during the depression without Hitler's 'tricks' to hide unemployment and bankrupting the economy? Does Austria still unite with Germany, though perhaps more willingly from the top?
Germany can certainly make a economic recovery. Look at the 1950, where they managed the same with the country split in two, millions of refugees and most of the big cities in rubble.

Germany had a strong position in the chemical industry en advanced machinery, exactly the focal points of the economy in the next decades. It'll do just fine in the long run.
 
I agree with Kelenas that a unification of Germany and Austria is far from impossible. In 1931 they wanted to create a customs union to ease the economical crisis but it was vetoed by the French (but not the British) who feared it would be a first step to unification. Any German goverment will use an opportunity for unification if they see it. As to rearmament: I can certainly see it as part of the economical politics similiar to the infrastructure programs of OTL, which started already before Hitler took the power, but were used as propaganda. But the rearmament will not be as big as OTL, they will be payable. And probably the Germans will do it in agreement with at least the British if probably not the French. The French won´t start a war on their own.
The German economy might not seem to recover as quickly without the Nazis but will be more stable. Without the war the economy in other countrys like the USA won´t recover as quickly either.
 

Nietzsche

Banned
The British response to any German-Austria union will be the same "...and, your point, chap?" it was with Hitler. Why? It was seen to be just another Rhineland. Germany is taking back what is hers to begin with. France can go jump off a bridge.
 
Would a non-Nazi Germany that succeeds in uniting with Austria ever want to do the same thing with Switzerland?
 
The Treaties of Versailles and St. Germain specifically forbid such a union.

Questionable how long a Weimar government would obey those terms, especially if the economy started to get better and Germany began to get stronger economically than France.

Without the NSDAP, Weimar Germany would probably have become a dictatorship of the more traditional sort, but assuming democracy survived, I expect a long period of economic decline followed by stagnation which very slowly grows into actual economic growth. If the Soviets go nuts and decide to drive west, then this recovery might speed up though...
 
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