Nazis declare alhocol prohibition in Germany

As we know, Hitler didn't use alcohol.
But isn't it so that he was not disposed so badly to other people's drinking or in any phase planned to prohibit alcohol in Germany.

Let's now suppose, however, that Hitler wants to prohibit alcohol. Before year 1933, this could have been harm nazis popularity. But late 1930s, as Germany's absolute dictator, he wouldn't have needed to ask ordinary people's opinion.

But how would other nazi leaders have disposed to that idea. Could it even have undermine Hitler's position as dictator.

When and if prohibition would have then come to effect, how perfectly do you know that alcohol drinking really would have stopped in Germany. I think that we can well suppose death penalty e.g. from smuggling and alcohol manufacturing for sale.
 
In that case, the NSDAP should also ban:

- smoking
- meat
- sex


Now, seriously. The NSDAP was, strange as it seems from today's point of view, a party which aimed to please the ordinary German to remain in favour. I mean, everything is possible in the madness of 1944/45, but beforehands?

AFAIK, Germany never had an influential temperance movement. Prohibition? You are not risking the emergence of the Mafia here, you are provoking civil war. :D It is less likely than enforcing gun control in the USA.
 
Hitler was worried about how certain things could affect morale and he avoided them if it didn't damage his position. Drinking was one of those things so he wouldn't ban it.
 
Hitler was worried about how certain things could affect morale and he avoided them if it didn't damage his position. Drinking was one of those things so he wouldn't ban it.

Let's now suppose that he wanted to ban it, however. If it would have been impossible at once, could one have done it by degrees. E.g. first require teetotalism from all SS members. Drinking would have led to sack from SS.
 
I really can't see any other possibility other than an instant and massive civil war in Germany as people panic and start killing party officials. In the end Hitler is hanged in public in Berlin as a massive crowd of Germans, now living under a practically self-imposed communist regime, raise a mug beer each to his death.

Maybe not like that exactly, but my point is that keeping German people from alcohol is generally a bad idea. :)
 
An angry mob forms in Munich and marches on berlin with the sole aim of Lynching Hitler.

Hitlers chief bodyguard (an alcoholic according to a documentry thats been on TV here) cheerfully hands him over the mob.
 
But late 1930s, as Germany's absolute dictator, he wouldn't have needed to ask ordinary people's opinion.

Until late 1943, Hitler's regime heavily relied on "bribing" the populace into accepting the Nazi regime and ideas. People willfully closed their eyes and pretended they didn't see any atrocities, but they were for the most case not intimidated to the degree Stalin purges intimidated Russian population. The nazi regime appeared to have improved the life of an average German - even if everybody could see that it was not sustainable and in large part due to looting conquered countries AND crushing debt.

Now take away an important component of social life, the beer - and all the "life quality improvement" effect is lost. The only worse idea would be to prescribe the whole country a vegetarian lifestyle. Charl's description would fit pretty well.
 

Larrikin

Banned
Unlike the US and it's strong puritan tradition, over half the German population was Catholic. They use wine in church, it is part of the Eucharist at Mass.

That doesn't even take into account that the national drink of Germany is beer.

Way to have the NSDP removed from power really quickly.
 
It will be a hell of a day in the Reich, to say the least. I mean, Bavaria, Austria and Bohemia used to have lower beer taxes than the rest of the Reich just because of that.
 

Hendryk

Banned
But late 1930s, as Germany's absolute dictator, he wouldn't have needed to ask ordinary people's opinion.
That's not how the Third Reich worked. See Ian Kershaw for details, but basically, decision-making in Nazi Germany was an incredibly complex and opaque process in which what mattered wasn't so much what Hitler actually ordered, but what the people and agencies around him thought he had ordered. Not to say that such a decision couldn't be taken, but I don't see a reason why it would have.
 
Unlike the US and it's strong puritan tradition, over half the German population was Catholic. They use wine in church, it is part of the Eucharist at Mass.

That doesn't even take into account that the national drink of Germany is beer.

Way to have the NSDP removed from power really quickly.


I think the rise of the Mob during prohibition erases any puritanical traditions. If America was so, then there would have been no demand for booze. Temperance was more part of a fundalmentalist movement, you know, all that legislating morality (their version of it) nonsense.

As for Prohibition in Germany. I'm sorry, I can't imagine the German people without beer.
 

The Vulture

Banned
Beer, schnapps and wine is so much a part of the German culture that a tradition-espousing movement like the Nazis would never get away with it, even without the meddling kids and their blasted dog.
 

Blair152

Banned
As we know, Hitler didn't use alcohol.
But isn't it so that he was not disposed so badly to other people's drinking or in any phase planned to prohibit alcohol in Germany.

Let's now suppose, however, that Hitler wants to prohibit alcohol. Before year 1933, this could have been harm nazis popularity. But late 1930s, as Germany's absolute dictator, he wouldn't have needed to ask ordinary people's opinion.

But how would other nazi leaders have disposed to that idea. Could it even have undermine Hitler's position as dictator.

When and if prohibition would have then come to effect, how perfectly do you know that alcohol drinking really would have stopped in Germany. I think that we can well suppose death penalty e.g. from smuggling and alcohol manufacturing for sale.
Don't you think Hitler would have been watching what went on here? We
banned alcohol and we turned it into the equivalent of illegal drugs here. This is total ASB.
 
Top