alternatehistory.com

Okay, so a thought I had earlier today:
In the modern age, we can look back at the Confederate States of America and Nazi Germany as having many important parallels, both in the nature of the regimes themselves (ranging from a general horror at the core ideals of said regimes and the crimes they committed, to more particular parallels in political style, etc); as well as their place in history as costly enemies of the United States, and of their defeat helping to usher in a more "progressive" age.

However, in their respective shorter terms, the legacies of these two regimes were less similar -- in the half century following their defeat, the Lost Cause mythology underwent a major resurrection in the South, such that by 1920, statues of Confederate generals and political leaders were being put up throughout the South, their fight frequently treated with sympathy by mass media, and a former terrorist organization looking to contest the result of the bloody conflict was being reborn as one of the largest and most influential fraternal organizations in the country. (Again, referring to the history up to 1920.)

By contrast, in this same time span following the defeat of Nazi Germany (so by 2000), there was indeed a noticeable movement of Nazi apologists and enthusiasts -- ranging from the skinhead movement, to a three time candidate for US president who dabbled in Holocaust denial -- but it was far more belittled and/or reviled, and not considered part of the mainstream political debate. (Again, in 2000.)
My AH question regarding this -- with no PoDs prior to 1944, and preferably later PoDs to earlier ones, how could the legacy of Nazi Germany by 2000, in Europe and/or the United States, have been more akin to the legacy of the CSA in the US by 1920?

Similarly, with no PoDs prior to 1864, how could the legacy of the Confederacy of the United States in 1920 have been more akin to the legacy of the Nazis in 2000 OTL?
Top