Military of Imperial Germany

Darth Darth

Banned
If the Central Powers had won World War I (or a slightly later or earlier version of it), how would the Imperial German military have developed by the 1940s? Would OTL's field marshals and generals (such as Manstein, Rommel, Paulus, Guderian, Model, etc.) still be prominent?
 
If the Central Powers had won World War I (or a slightly later or earlier version of it), how would the Imperial German military have developed by the 1940s?

IMHO, it could go either way. It might be a force which is resting on its laurels, not the quickest to grasp the newest trends concerning equipment and tactics. But I cannot imagine it to become an un-motivated pushover force. Also consider that not all was perfect with OTLs-Wehrmacht either. It would be very far-fetched to assume that a Neo-Entente might beat this Germany within a few weeks.

On the other hand, Germany might have the strongest, best-led, best-equipped army and air force in the world. Maybe a bit weak on the armoured side, but then, if Germany wins WW1 without major tank involvement, then there might be less emphasis on this weapon elsewhere, too. Also, the HSF would be a force to reckon with, certainly among the 4 largest navies in the world.

Would OTL's field marshals and generals (such as Manstein, Rommel, Paulus, Guderian, Model, etc.) still be prominent?

Certainly as most of them had started to rise through the ranks already in WW1 - well, that is except if any of them catches a bullet ITTL WW1. Not willing to do all the work for you ;) I suggest you check the figures you are keen on in Wikipedia. If he lives a bit longer in this timeline (not unimaginable), Ludendorff might still be around.
 
Mainstein seems certain to rise to prominence. Model's middle class upbringing doesn't seem to bode well for him in an Imperial Germany, especially if there isn't a war to accelerate promotions. Rommel, likely not. He was Hitler's favorite which accounted for much of his rise. Guderian really wasn't a prominent military figure at all until Hitler favored his Blitzkreig tactics. His armored spreadhead doctorines were frowned upon by military traditionalists. Paulus, likely not. Even Hilter only promoted him to Field Marshal as a way to keep him fighting at Stalingrad.

You'd likely see von Blomberg in a position of prominence. Maybe Keitel too. Bock seems certain to rise to high rank given his Prussian noble background. As it's name implies, Imperial Germany would pretty much have a prequisite of having von in your name to rise to a position of prominence I think.
 
As it's name implies, Imperial Germany would pretty much have a prequisite of having von in your name to rise to a position of prominence I think.

Various "Royal" armed forces have a lot of middle-class officers in it, why not Germany? The game was already changing before 1914 - why don't you think that Germany, victorious or not, would be exempt from the trend?
 

Darth Darth

Banned
Various "Royal" armed forces have a lot of middle-class officers in it, why not Germany? The game was already changing before 1914 - why don't you think that Germany, victorious or not, would be exempt from the trend?

Plus wouldn't a World War I at any rate produce various promotions from officers of the middle class?

Would an Imperial German government keep Luddendorf considering he was rather reactionary, considering the government has a good chance of being Socialist-led?
 
I think it all depends on how long the war lasts and whether Germany feels secure or not. If Russia (and possibly France) goes communist, while a powerful Britain remains hostile, then likely the German army will remain large and up-to-date. If (at least at first) its enemies look totally broken, they might rest on their laurels.

If the war ends in 1917, then Germany's economy will be still in good condition and therefore it could afford to maintain a large army. On the other hard, a victory on the continent in a relatively short space of time could breed complacency. If the war goes on into the early 1920s, then Germany will probably be very badly mauled and will have to cut back on military spending to rebuild the country.

Another factor to consider, is will Germany will lean to the left or right? The left will probably want some compensation for so many workers being killed in the war and even the right (depending on its flavour) will probably need to reform the state.
 
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