What if Hitler died on September 1, 1939?

What would happen after that?
Probably a power struggle between Himmler, Goebbels, and/or Goering. If the Nazis are badly in disarray, the USSR crosses the partition set during the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact and takes all of Poland. Nazi Germany will still be at war with France and the United Kingdom.
 
Wouldn't they agree to work together for the duration of the war? They all have an interest in ensuring Germany wins as they would all inevitably killed if Germany lost whereas they could survive if Germany won...
 
Wouldn't they agree to work together for the duration of the war? They all have an interest in ensuring Germany wins as they would all inevitably killed if Germany lost whereas they could survive if Germany won...
That's entirely possible, but still, each one of them wanted to be Fürher.
 

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Wouldn't they agree to work together for the duration of the war? They all have an interest in ensuring Germany wins as they would all inevitably killed if Germany lost whereas they could survive if Germany won...

Ha. Don’t know a lot about the personalities of the leading nazis do you?
 
Goebbels was effectively powerless, same for Himmler; Goering still had control of the Gestapo and there were few Waffen SS units at this time. Goering had the Luftwaffe and would have the support of Wehrmacht (Anti-Himmler), was also much higher placed in the hierarchy so more legitimacy too.
 
Wehrmacht would ensure the country stays together and out of war until its ready to strike.
 
Wouldn't they agree to work together for the duration of the war? They all have an interest in ensuring Germany wins as they would all inevitably killed if Germany lost whereas they could survive if Germany won...
I'm not sure that would be the case in 1939. War crimes trials to execute leaders won't the done thing just yet.

Having said that, I am not sure any of them would be too quick to jump into Hitler's chair simply to sign surrender papers. Better to let someone else have that glory and then relieve them afterwards.
 
If you're looking to change the complexion of WWII the most opportune time for a heart attack would be in November or December of 1938. Then it's at least possible that internal power struggles would lead to Germany inadvertently adhering to the Munich agreement for a while. Alternatively, if somebody did launch an invasion of Czechoslovakia and it prompted international condemnation, it would be at least possible that the leader responsible could be deposed and condemned for "ruining Hitler's legacy of peaceful restoration of German pride."

OTOH, while most of the higher-ups in the Third Reich had their own personal brand of crazy, my understanding is that they shared a general theme of fetishizing war. So the most probable change would just be a different name for the guy who becomes the historical villain responsible for WWII.
 
If this event were so destabilizing as to shake the core of the Nazi regime, would it be impossible to see a coup d'etat by a moderate political faction? If 1939 Germany was taken over by non-expansionist moderates, it would be a geopolitical and economic powerhouse (owning Austria, Czechia with a puppet Slovakia, and Memelland)
 
If this event were so destabilizing as to shake the core of the Nazi regime, would it be impossible to see a coup d'etat by a moderate political faction? If 1939 Germany was taken over by non-expansionist moderates, it would be a geopolitical and economic powerhouse (owning Austria, Czechia with a puppet Slovakia, and Memelland)
Germany's balance of payments and foreign currency accounts at this period in time indicate a far less "rosy" picture than the one you describe...just saying.
 
Germany's balance of payments and foreign currency accounts at this period in time indicate a far less "rosy" picture than the one you describe...just saying.
Well, there might be some doing to be done but, say, after 45 years, don't you think that Germany would be able to at least patch up their economic situation while maintaining their brilliant geopolitical position?
 
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