The Office changes the Man (Germany, 1933)

This is a really weird idea: What if Hitler did not turn Germany into a fascist Führer state after he became chancelor, but decided to abide by the constitution? Are case of the office changing the man. And before you say that it is completely ASB, remember that such things did happen in OTL.
 
Well Hitler only had the opportunity to change the constitution through the Reichstag Fire. If it doesn't happen and Hitler takes a moderate and cautious line then it's likely that he'll be replaced by the conservative elites as the economy recovers and support for the NSDAP decreases. Within the NSDAP itself, the failure of Hitler's legalist line would probably result in a putschist takeover of the party, possibly by Rohm. This would probably lead to a SA coup which is crushed by the Reichswehr. So overall, I think that there would be a conservative military dictatorship in the long run, without the presence of the NSDAP.
 
In OTL, he never changed the constitution nor did he abolish it.

No, he just acted as though it did not exist.

The problem for Hitler is that he has promised to be an anti-democrat to too many people not to try and be one. It would be conceivable for him to go about it in a gentler fashion, or to a less complete degree - the early years of the Nazi regime were strange in that regard, with surviving pockets of Rechtsstaat and brutal oppression side by side. But if he decided to play even by de-facto Weimar rules, with Notverordnungen and using the apparatus of state against his enemies, he would soon face the disappointment of the Völkische Bewegung, not least the SA, and be open to manipulations by the conservative elites that regarded him as a stooge. Not to mention he would lose the next election, if he survived that long, politically and physically.
 
But such a behavior is not uncommon. See François Darlan who as Admiral of the Navy promised Churchill that he will send the french navy to safety so that they will not fall into german hands, but as soon as he became minister of the navy he broke that promise. Or many popes who also did not keep the promisses thye gave the emperors before their election. So it is possible that someone who promissed the abolishment of the democracy will do anything to preserve it after he came to power.
 
But such a behavior is not uncommon. See François Darlan who as Admiral of the Navy promised Churchill that he will send the french navy to safety so that they will not fall into german hands, but as soon as he became minister of the navy he broke that promise. Or many popes who also did not keep the promisses thye gave the emperors before their election. So it is possible that someone who promissed the abolishment of the democracy will do anything to preserve it after he came to power.

I note these cases generally are dick moves, which trying to preserve democracy isn't... :D

Bruce
 
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