Hitler is captured by Allies, what happens next?

Hmmmm, if Hitler actually makes an effective case for Nazism, then killing him might be REALLY bad idea, since it could be percieved turning him into a kind of secular political martyr.

I was thinking something similar. Perhaps a much, much more intense resurgence across the Western World in the form of Neo-Nazis, Nazi Skinheads, and White Supremacist/White Nationalists.
 
Well if he is captured by Russians he has 10 secs at most to say his prayers... If British/Americans capture him he will survive for a few hours until an electric chair is brought...
 
I fear it kind of is. I don't know what kind of scenario your thinking, but barring the rather ASB "Royal Marines somehow sneak into Berlin miles (possibly hundreds) ahead of other Allies forces and get as far as the Fuhrer Bunker without any opposition due to hand-wavium" there is no plausible scenario where Hitler wouldn't have plenty of time to consider suicide rather than risk capture. Even in the most optimistic run of events the allies will have to battle for Berlin and even assuming German resistance is more limited than OTL, given the difference in foes, this battle will take several days. This is more than enough time for Hitler to decide to kill himself.
I disagree. You see, in the last few days they might well have decided to smuggle Hitler outside of Berlin. If such a plan had been implemented, it would entail several risky points in which Hitler could fall in allied hands. With little to no time to suicide.
 
If anything, I'd expect either Hitler to make a poor showing that discredits the Nazis worse than OTL, or a terrifyingly effective one that might conceivably raise fears that the movement may survive.

If I was writing the TL, I'd have Hitler be calm and composed, and make a terrifyingly effective showing in defense of his philosophy. To show how insidious true evil is.
 
I fear it kind of is. I don't know what kind of scenario your thinking, but barring the rather ASB "Royal Marines somehow sneak into Berlin miles (possibly hundreds) ahead of other Allies forces and get as far as the Fuhrer Bunker without any opposition due to hand-wavium" there is no plausible scenario where Hitler wouldn't have plenty of time to consider suicide rather than risk capture.

Actually its not. One of the reasons why the Russians wanted the right to capture Berlin was because they had intelligence indicating that Hitler was still in the city. Give Eisenhower access to that same intelligence, and I think you'll see the Americans push very hard to get to Berlin first. Like I said in a previous post, give Patton his 500,000 gallons and you'll see Hitler on trial at Nuremburg.
 

The Vulture

Banned
If Hitler might decide to try and sneak out of Germany and either go into hiding opr create a government in exile, he might very well be captured in transit.
 
I disagree. You see, in the last few days they might well have decided to smuggle Hitler outside of Berlin. If such a plan had been implemented, it would entail several risky points in which Hitler could fall in allied hands. With little to no time to suicide.

Actually its not. One of the reasons why the Russians wanted the right to capture Berlin was because they had intelligence indicating that Hitler was still in the city. Give Eisenhower access to that same intelligence, and I think you'll see the Americans push very hard to get to Berlin first. Like I said in a previous post, give Patton his 500,000 gallons and you'll see Hitler on trial at Nuremburg.

How long do you think it takes to commit suicide? Between suicide pills or simply gun shots the person really needs only a handful of seconds assuming they are infact inclined to do it. Okay the first instance above has some potential, Hitler attempts to escape and in the confused process finds himself captured without a pill or a gun, but even that seems somewhat doubtful, I offer Himmler as an example of how suicide could still occur, and I think would really require a second POD given the lack of an escape attempt in OTL.

And in OTL it took the Soviets about two weeks to take Berlin, never mind all the intervening territory the allies have to cross in the meantime. Even with the most optimistic appraisal of the facts the idea that Patton can set off with his 500,000 gallons at breakfast and have men inside the Fuhrer bunker in time for tea is just nonsense.

Hitler will know they are coming as there is no way to conceal such an advance. Hitler will therefore have days and probably weeks if not months to decide to kill himself. In OTL he did. There seems little reason to believe he wouldn't in this scenario.
 
Suicide, capture, and trial

IIRC, it was Stalin that wanted trials for the nazi's captured. So, whoever captures him, I'd expect the brass would want him alive. However, I expect that the report of his capture describes him as resisting, so it was needful to shoot him...many times.

As for suicide, it takes only a moment--but it's one thing to prepare to comit suicide as things come apart--and another all together to go from the mentality of "evade capture" to deciding to kill oneself. He might decide too late. Alternatively, if he was wounded in an escape attempt, he might be unable to do anything.

So, I seeit as possible for an escaping Hitler to be captured rather than killed--but unlikely. Just my quick thoughts; I'm no expert in this area of space-time.
 
He'd be put under max security, just so he can make it to trial in Nurenburg. What happens next, who knows? Randomly ranting on everyone else for ruining the Thousand Year Reich, perhaps? :)

Marc A

P.S. Off-topic question (and it might have been posted before): what happens to Eva Braun in a "Hitler captured" scenario?
 
I wonder if any of the Allies would be willing to give Hitler a platform at a public trial. The man was an astonishing public speaker. Even if caught alive, I can very easily see him "shot while trying to escape" as soon as the implications of a trial sink in. Or simply claim he had a heart attack -- caused by a .45-inch piece of high velocity lead.
 
As for suicide, it takes only a moment--but it's one thing to prepare to comit suicide as things come apart--and another all together to go from the mentality of "evade capture" to deciding to kill oneself. He might decide too late.
Agreed. One has just to look at the narrative of Hitler's last few days to see how long it took for him to decide to kill himself. Besides, Hitler had the illusion of infallibility ingrained to the core. If he decided to escape, he would never prepare for the eventuality of failure. And I doubt any of those near him would have the nerve to suggest him this "ultimate escape": he might get the idea that the suggester was cheering for his demise....
So, he wouldn't carry a "suicide pill" with him, and (even if cornered)would spend a long time making his mind that capture was unavoidable.
 
I'm definitely of the "accidentally shot 73 times" school. God help him especially if one of the soldiers who moves in on him is Jewish (remember the scene in Band of Brothers where Leibgott is tracking down the man who may or may not have been a concentration camp commandant?).


P.S. Off-topic question (and it might have been posted before): what happens to Eva Braun in a "Hitler captured" scenario?

Two options: "accidentally shot why resisting capture" or goes on to live a completely shamed life, possibly in exile.
 
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