Ludendorff as dictator of Germany in the 30s?

[Myth]

Is there a plausible POD that puts Ludendorff in charge of the German state as a fascist dictator by the 1930s, in a position comparable to Hitler's from OTL?

And if so, how would a Ludendorff regime run Germany? What foreign and domestic policies would one expect?

 

[Fatt Shea]

Firstly you will need to make his views less extreme (so he is not openly anti Christian and pagan and having theories that even nazis thought were crazy) then you can have him not attack Hindenburg so he doesn't look bad and become unpopular. If he runs regime it will be similar to Hitler in policies on jews but it will also be anti catholic, he will need to moderate this in public, but maybe this will make him less interested in Anschluss. He will also be in favour of war and will try to mobilise society towards it. However he died in 1937 of liver cancer so he might die before he has a chance to start a war, this will be very good fo Germany as he could reverse Versailles and take land back from Poland without starting war and so nationalists could be satisfied, but it depends on his successor.

 

[Deleted member 2186]

Is there a plausible POD that puts Ludendorff in charge of the German state as a fascist dictator by the 1930s, in a position comparable to Hitler's from OTL?

And if so, how would a Ludendorff regime run Germany? What foreign and domestic policies would one expect?

Maybe if Hindenburg dies early in the 1920s.

 

[𝗟𝗲𝘁𝘁𝘂𝗰𝗲𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗼𝗼t]

ludendorff would lead the german right if you can sweep the anti-catholicism under the rug, and hitler out of the way. ludendorff was friendly and very engaged with the nazis, and given his war-time success + political prominence among the german right, he could very well take power over the nazis should hitler get shot in say, the beer hall putsch. that would be his ticket to power: if he gets the right united behind him, he could very well win proper elections fully, with a greater right-wing appeal.

now when he’s in power, that’s a different story.

ludendorff was a man with many grudges, grudges against generals, grudges against catholics, grudges against jews. publicly, for his own electoral sake, he’d have to shove it on the backburner on the campaign trail, but when he‘s in power? who’s gonna sto-oh wait germans may not appreciate a mad pagan who thinks catholics are effeminate losers and is resolving his petulant disputes with dictatorial power. combined with his ill-health, the proverbial ‘straw’, I think he gets couped as he wastes away in some bed.

 

[Myth]

ludendorff would lead the german right if you can sweep the anti-catholicism under the rug, and hitler out of the way. ludendorff was friendly and very engaged with the nazis, and given his war-time success + political prominence among the german right, he could very well take power over the nazis should hitler get shot in say, the beer hall putsch. that would be his ticket to power: if he gets the right united behind him, he could very well win proper elections fully, with a greater right-wing appeal.

now when he’s in power, that’s a different story.

ludendorff was a man with many grudges, grudges against generals, grudges against catholics, grudges against jews. publicly, for his own electoral sake, he’d have to shove it on the backburner on the campaign trail, but when he‘s in power? who’s gonna sto-oh wait germans may not appreciate a mad pagan who thinks catholics are effeminate losers and is resolving his petulant disputes with dictatorial power. combined with his ill-health, the proverbial ‘straw’, I think he gets couped as he wastes away in some bed.

Interesting; thanks. I know Hitler had similar issues with Christians; I assume the dividing line between him and Ludendorff is that Ludendorff didn't have the political sense to keep quiet about it, or to be measured in his approach once in power?

 

[𝗟𝗲𝘁𝘁𝘂𝗰𝗲𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗼𝗼t]

Interesting; thanks. I know Hitler had similar issues with Christians; I assume the dividing line between him and Ludendorff is that Ludendorff didn't have the political sense to keep quiet about it, or to be measured in his approach once in power?

yep. ludendorff wasn’t very competent politically, and would give into base instincts regarding christianity. hitler was anti-christian, but measured in how he went about kicking around german christianity. as goebbels said

In his private diaries, Goebbels wrote in April 1941 that though Hitler was "a fierce opponent" of the Vatican and Christianity, "he forbids me to leave the church. For tactical reasons."[18]

 

[Myth]

yep. ludendorff wasn’t very competent politically, and would give into base instincts regarding christianity. hitler was anti-christian, but measured in how he went about kicking around german christianity. as goebbels said

It's remarkable how many groups were lucky the Nazis lost WW2. They really had something for everybody.