Strasser as Vice-Chancellor

Md139115

Banned
Here’s a question for everyone:

In late November/early December 1932, Von Papen offered Gregor Strasser the position of Vice Chancellor, hoping to foment a split in the Nazis and/or have at least the left-leaning Nazis support his government.

Hitler found out, and in a party meeting the first week of December, utterly cowed all of Strasser’s supporters into abandoning him and expelled Strasser from the party on December 8th.


What if, sometime between Von Papen making the offer and that party meeting, Hitler died? It doesn’t really matter how, it could be an assasination, him falling down the stairs, getting hit by a car, gored by a mountain goat, etc. Could Strasser convince the Nazis to support him? Would they ever rise to power? Who would succeed Hitler as head of the right wing of the party and would there be an party civil war?
 

Tolkiene

It was Schleicher who made this offer, not Papen. Papen was out of government at the time. It was part of Schleicher 'Querfront' concept.
 

NoMommsen

Donor
Md139115 said:
Here’s a question for everyone:

In late November/early December 1932, Von Papen offered Gregor Strasser the position of Vice Chancellor, hoping to foment a split in the Nazis and/or have at least the left-leaning Nazis support his government.
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Ok, who was actually in charge of goverment at the end of 1932 has already been cleared.
Md139115 said:
Hitler found out, and in a party meeting the first week of December, utterly cowed all of Strasser’s supporters into abandoning him and expelled Strasser from the party on December 8th.
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Nope. ... or : this was the least reason, as there were contacts from within the Schleicher goverment with Hitler as well. Also Gregor Strasser did not kept his contacts with the Schleicher administration secret from Hitler.

The "split" between Gregor Strasser and Hitler had other, more important reasons.
  1. Most important : in december 1932 Hitler was still - despite the miserable Reichstags election in november - NOT willing to cpmpromise, still clinged to his demand of bein Chancellor or nothing. Something Strasser WAS actually of different opinion. In his talks and discussions with Hitler he argued for a "compromise" with Schleicher and the "powers" he thought to control (esp. Hindenburg).
  2. Strasser was at that time under heavy attack inside the party. Many in the sharks-pond the party was envyed him because ... he was THE MOST POWERFULL man after Hitler, controlling the whole party organization. Goering at that time was fully dependant on Hitler without any own power base. Goebbbels was quite the same, more than half of the propaganda organization of the party was still under control of Strassers party organization. Himmler at that time was almost a nonety, commanding a splinter group of the SA in part time while working the party propaganda parts still under control of Strasser. The only one in a position to challenge Strassers powers was Ernst Röhm with his SA.
  3. Strasser was personally done at that point in time. He suffered constant pain from a skiing accident in january 1931, forcing him, who was before an eager sportsman to use a cane, what also didn't help his Diabetes he suffered from. Also, not at least due to the constant parrty work and quarrels the relation with his wife was degraded to a mere 'paper'-affair.

Md139115 said:
What if, sometime between Von Papen making the offer and that party meeting, Hitler died? It doesn’t really matter how, it could be an assasination, him falling down the stairs, getting hit by a car, gored by a mountain goat, etc. Could Strasser convince the Nazis to support him? Would they ever rise to power? Who would succeed Hitler as head of the right wing of the party and would there be an party civil war?
Click to expand...
Well, after the however "removal" of Hitler ...
First
IMO Strasser would "keep on" to "preserve" the Führers work (as well as his years long) and yes he would convince the majotity of the party to follow him. With Paul Schulz (former Black Reichswehr, participant/at least coorganisator of the Küstrin Putsch) as his close "colleague", who had a lot of own contacts into the goverment (Brüning i.e.) as well as to the the highest party judge Walter Buch and treasurer of party Franz Schwarz, he controlled the most important asset for all the other party "big-whigs" ... the money.​
Second
IMHO it would be a rather short party infighting. Some of the die hard "old Munich Gang" like Streicher and Esser would probably - after being thrown out of the party by Strasser, Schulz and Buch - try to set up a "new/true Adolf Hitler" movement with their extreme antisemitism, that was somewhat reduced since 1928 by Strasser for political and election sensibility.​
Third
The only "Big Issue" would be Ernst Röhm and the SA. But I could envisage, that the SA after some "accident" of AH would at first run amok, what would call in police and esp. the Reichswehr to "pacify" the streets again - esp if Röhm would start bloating around about his dreamed of "trench-soldier-socialism".
And with Paul Schulz, who already once "pacified" the SA after the second Stennes-Putsch, the Strasser-camp could offer the goverment someone able to control the SA on the "right" lines ... after some "cleaning" of its higher echolons.​
 
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