Hitler names Himmler as his successor in 1945. What are the consequences?

Himmler was expected to be made Hitler's successor after Goring was disgraced. Just days before Hitler dismissed him, he attended a meeting with the German High Command (Doenitz included) where he was acknowledged as deputy Fuhrer given he was expected to succeed Hitler. In the end he didn't succeed Hitler because his peace attempts got leaked and Hitler accused him of treason.

Suppose Himmler's peace proposal don't get leaked or somehow they fail to reach Hitler in time (he killed himself just days latter)

What would happen next with Himmler as Hitler's successor? Would he attempt to make peace with the allies again? Would he eventually surrender? Would the nukes end up being used in Germany?
 
To be honest, by that point in the war, I don't think it would make that much difference. By that point, it's game over, and even if Himmler reaches out to the WAllies, he has nothing that he can offer them, and there's nothing he can do to prolong the war long enough for nukes to come into it.

Would he be more likely to try holing up in the mountains, and not do the last stand in Berlin?
 
To be honest, by that point in the war, I don't think it would make that much difference. By that point, it's game over, and even if Himmler reaches out to the WAllies, he has nothing that he can offer them, and there's nothing he can do to prolong the war long enough for nukes to come into it.

Would he be more likely to try holing up in the mountains, and not do the last stand in Berlin?

Well he woudln't be able to do the last stand in Berlin because by there the last stand in Berlin was already done, which is why Hitler killed himself. So he would have to go somewhere else, either Flensburg or maybe the Berghof, I remember reading or seeing in a documentary that the allied believed that the final battle against Germany would be to take the Berghof.

There is also the possibility that the High Command would not go along with him and kill him or coup him, but I find it unlikely, just days before Himmler was acknowledged by the HC as the deputy Fuhrer and even OTL after being disgraced Doenitz feared the SS throwing a tantrum enough that he humored Himmler for a time.
 
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Ian_W

Banned
What would happen next with Himmler as Hitler's successor? Would he attempt to make peace with the allies again? Would he eventually surrender? Would the nukes end up being used in Germany?

The last shreds of the Nazi regime continue to be destroyed.

Himmler, not Donitz, signs the instruments of surrender.

No.
 
I don’t see it making much difference in the short term but I might be wrong. The real question is if this butterflies Himmler’s suicide and he ends up in the dock at Nuremberg.
 

Perkeo

Banned
The only difference is, he could refuse to formally surrender get a few brainwashed kids, dig himself in a hole and wait for the meat grinder. But that only prolongs the war by days, not weeks let alone months.
Maybe the Wehrmacht even uses the opportunity to make a coup and play heroes (a stab in the back myth is hardly believable that late in the war).
 
The only difference is, he could refuse to formally surrender get a few brainwashed kids, dig himself in a hole and wait for the meat grinder. But that only prolongs the war by days, not weeks let alone months.
Maybe the Wehrmacht even uses the opportunity to make a coup and play heroes (a stab in the back myth is hardly believable that late in the war).

"Hardly believable" is not enough for fanatics.

I mean we have Neo Nazis thinking that, even in OTL!
 
Armed with Hitler's Will and Testament, Himmler goes to Doenitz at Flensburg and assumes command of Germany. Doenitz remains Naval Commander (why not, to my knowledge Himmler had no particular beef with Doenitz).

Doenitz wanted a staged series of surrenders to help get as many soldiers and refugees to the West as possible and was personally annoyed by Wolff's surrender in Italy on April 29th but if we assume Himmler isn't formally proclaimed Fuehrer until after the announcement on Hamburg Radio of Hitler's death, it will be May 1st and too late to change things.

I think Himmler might have followed a different path to Doenitz and sought a single surrender of all western forces but might have been dissuaded by Doenitz, Keitel and others it was possible to save considerable numbers by delaying surrenders even a few hours.

Let's assume Himmler hopes for some bargaining kudos by a single surrender to the west only - he sends Doenitz to Montgomery's HQ on May 2nd to arrange for the capitulation of all German forces facing British, American and French forces. This is immediately rebuffed by Montgomery (confirmed by Eisenhower) who knows the allied policy is full unconditional surrender. Montgomery offers to accept the surrender of German forces in his theatre and with Himmler agreeing to it the German surrender in Denmark, Norway and Holland occurs without trouble on May 5th.

I suspect Himmler would want to go to Rheims in the hope of meeting Eisenhower but that wouldn't happen. Keitel duly signs the instrument of surrender in the early hours of May 8th.

What then ? The Allies would have to decide the fate of Himmler but that would mean Nuremburg ultimately unless Himmler does what he did in OTL and takes his own life possibly in Flensburg soon after the surrender. I doubt the allies would be as tolerant of a Himmler "Government" as they were of Doenitz's "administration" which remained in being until May 23rd.

Himmler dies on or about May 10th at this own hand and the allies deal with commanders like Busch until some form of order is restored.
 
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