Hitler never becomes Chancellor?

Perkeo

Banned
The Reichswehr was too small to stop paramilitary groups. The Reichswehr had only 100,000 men (plus another 15,000 for the Navy). The SA was about 2 million men strong.

But how many of those two million had guns, let alone heavy weapons? How well were they trained and organized? What about the police? How many people can both sides recruit?

IMO if, and once again I say if, the Reichswehr is against the Nazis, the republic is probably saved.
 
If he just dispenses with any Chancellor and governs by fiat he probably faced a coup. If not there is a chance of an external intervention, the Poles were talking about it if a military guy got in power (von Schleicher for instance)
I think the military overthrowing the President is unlikely in this case, since it would be easier to simply place their people in the fiat government (eg Schleicher).

As to a war with Poland... well, it would be less reckless than inviting the Nazis into the government. Hell, a particularly cunning politician president might even be able to use foreign tensions to his advantage.
 

Deleted member 1487

I think the military overthrowing the President is unlikely in this case, since it would be easier to simply place their people in the fiat government (eg Schleicher).

As to a war with Poland... well, it would be less reckless than inviting the Nazis into the government. Hell, a particularly cunning politician president might even be able to use foreign tensions to his advantage.
The military wouldn't overthrown Hindenburg, the public would revolt against the government, as he was not popular or successful enough to rule as dictator. Hitler had to impose terror first and go in steps through legal methods to become dictator over a period of years while breaking the communists and delivering jobs to get accepted. Schliecher and the army weren't exactly on the best terms by late 1932 either and putting him in power would have led to foreign intervention, the Poles were claiming they were planning to invade if such an explicit military man was in power. A Polish invasion was not surviveable even with the full addition of the police, SA, and secret reservists. If France, Czechoslovakia, or really anyone else joins in then the government is gone.
 
"The public would revolt against the government"? If you mean the Nazis and Communists would unleash the troops with violent action, yes I can see that; but the idea of the population at large rising against Berlin because the elected Reichprasident can't get a functioning coalition in the elected Reichstag... I don't see it.
 

Deleted member 1487

"The public would revolt against the government"? If you mean the Nazis and Communists would unleash the troops with violent action, yes I can see that; but the idea of the population at large rising against Berlin because the elected Reichprasident can't get a functioning coalition in the elected Reichstag... I don't see it.
That is exactly the fear of Hindenburg and his coterie.
 
That is exactly the fear of Hindenburg and his coterie.
Ah. Well, I'm of the school that thinks they were mistaken in this (again, aside from where the SA and the KDP are concerned), though it seems that, even with the benefit of a lot of hindsight, that is not a universal view.
 
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