German-Soviet war w/o Hitler?

I've often heard that many in the west hoped that post-WWI Germany would stabilize, and eventually serve as a "bulwark against communism" in Europe. Had the Weimar Republic survived, or given way to a less insane regime, do you believe that this would have eventually come to fruition?
 
I've often heard that many in the west hoped that post-WWI Germany would stabilize, and eventually serve as a "bulwark against communism" in Europe. Had the Weimar Republic survived, or given way to a less insane regime, do you believe that this would have eventually come to fruition?

I think Weimar Germany may win against the Soviet Union, although they will probably need help.
 
considering how well the Germans did with the nazi's running things (into the ground I might add) I'd think they'd actually win.

Condsider that with a more stable government they'd have probably far less of the mismanagement that plagued Germany OTL as well as the idological insanity that killed any of the rather sizable support they had at first. Since one reason the Germans advanced as far so quickly was due to the perception that they were liberators come to free eastern Europe from Stalin's grip. the genocidal policies that were undertaken turned any potential sympathizers against them and right into Stalin's camp.

If the war is just to overthrow Stalin's regime and get rid of communism then I think they'll have a far less difficult time winning.
 
What would be the motivation though? The Weimar Republic had numerous arms factories set up deep inside the USSR, out of the prying eyes of the enforcers of Versailles. Weimar Germany's military capability in defeating the USSR would be dependent on the USSR existing to build up said capability!
 
I've often heard that many in the west hoped that post-WWI Germany would stabilize, and eventually serve as a "bulwark against communism" in Europe. Had the Weimar Republic survived, or given way to a less insane regime, do you believe that this would have eventually come to fruition?

Weimar Germany could not serve as a military bulwark because it was disarmed.

A post-Weimar government which rearmed defensively might so function (no long-range bombers or submarines, 500,000 man army max).

It's unlikely that any non-Hitler Germany will attack the USSR (even if the Nazis are in power; Goering was opposed to BARBAROSSA, though he dared not argue with Hitler).

So that requires Soviet attack on Germany. Or a re-armed Germany coming to the defense of Poland. Such an alliance would have the support of France and Britain (and even Italy, if that matters).

As to performance - the German army would be operationally very good. Perhaps not as good as OTL, as Hitler did back Guderian and other radical innovators, overriding the more conservative Army elements. No non-dictator could do that so effectively.
 
There actually was a short Soviet-German war sans Hitler, it was the reason the Bolsheviks woke up to the flaw in No War, No Peace. So OTL.
 
considering how well the Germans did with the nazi's running things (into the ground I might add) I'd think they'd actually win.

Condsider that with a more stable government they'd have probably far less of the mismanagement that plagued Germany OTL as well as the idological insanity that killed any of the rather sizable support they had at first. Since one reason the Germans advanced as far so quickly was due to the perception that they were liberators come to free eastern Europe from Stalin's grip. the genocidal policies that were undertaken turned any potential sympathizers against them and right into Stalin's camp.

If the war is just to overthrow Stalin's regime and get rid of communism then I think they'll have a far less difficult time winning.

A non-ideological Germany has a greater vested interest in keeping up military and economic ties with the USSR than in going off to repeat Charles XII and Napoleons' follies. The Soviets made the OTL Wehrmacht, it could not have come to exist in anywhere the time or the scale it did without Rapallo.
 
As someone said, Poland is in the way. Maybe have the Soviet-Polish war go differently. That's an earlier divergence but more workable geographically.
 
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