What would happen if Germany went the other way?

During the 1930s, after the financial crash there was a great wave of extreme ideologies that swept throughout Europe. Principal among these were extreme far right nationalism and far left communism. In Germany as you almost certainly know, the far right triumphed under Hitler and the NSDAP. This was at least in part due to funding from the well off bourgeoise who feared communism and gave their support to Hitler as they believed they would do better under a nationalist government. They were probably wrong.

My question to you, is what would have happened if instead a communist government had Ben democratically elected. Would they, like hitler have abolished other parties and created a (albeit different) one party state? What would this mean for European politics of the time? (Particularly if Spain had also gone a similar route) and how could this have affected the world today?
 
In my opinion this would split the ideology of Communism in two. While Germany will probably still be a dictatorship it won't end up like the USSR in terms of totalitarianism because it won't have a Stalin-like figure.
 
During the 1930s, after the financial crash there was a great wave of extreme ideologies that swept throughout Europe. Principal among these were extreme far right nationalism and far left communism. In Germany as you almost certainly know, the far right triumphed under Hitler and the NSDAP. This was at least in part due to funding from the well off bourgeoise who feared communism and gave their support to Hitler as they believed they would do better under a nationalist government. They were probably wrong.

My question to you, is what would have happened if instead a communist government had Ben democratically elected. Would they, like hitler have abolished other parties and created a (albeit different) one party state? What would this mean for European politics of the time? (Particularly if Spain had also gone a similar route) and how could this have affected the world today?

The KPD's high water mark in terms of seats in the Reichstag was 100 seats in the November 1932 elections, barely more than a third of what was needed for a majority- and they would have needed a majority since none of the other parties (not even the SPD) were willing to work with them. And even if they had won that many seats, the Freikorps, Nazis, industrialists and the Heer weren't going to just let Thalmann walk in and become Chancellor. The only way the KPD takes power in Germany is by revolution, and by the 30s even the KPD themselves realized they weren't in a position to pull that off successfully. If you want a KPD takeover of Germany you need a POD either at the end of WWI or in the early 20s.
 
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BlondieBC

Banned
Best guess. If Germany goes communist, then it will ally with Russia. France and the UK will be the opposite sides of the alliance. We then have to write a totally different ATL. Beside Russia and Germany will work together to correct the wrongs of WW2, it is hard to deal with details besides to say the this new communist axis has a very good shot at winning.

While we would obviously butterfly OTL September 1939, it is useful to illustrate. Imagine where Red Germany and the Soviet Union had decided to split Poland, but Soviet troops invade first. What realistic options do the French/British have with the bulk of Germany army on the French border. And where Russia troops will be attacking across the globe against British interest come spring. Good chance the French have to back down.
 

BlondieBC

Banned
The KPD's high water mark in terms of seats in the Reichstag was 100 seats in the November 1932 elections, barely more than a third of what was needed for a majority- and they would have needed a majority since none of the other parties (not even the SPD) were willing to work with them. And even if they had won that many seats, the Freikorps, Nazis, industrialists and the Heer weren't going to just let Thalmann just walk in and become Chancellor. The only way the KPD takes power in Germany is by revolution, and by the 30s even the KPD themselves realized they weren't in a position to pull that off successfully. If you want a KPD takeover of Germany you need a POD either at the end of WWI or in the early 20s.

If one wants a communist 1930's, my suggestion is to go back to the 1920's. Hungary flirted with Communism right after WW1. And if we have a POD where Lenin and friend would support German nationalistic goals in addition to German communist, you can get the Tri-communist alliance. Germany, Russia, Hungary. It would make a great ATL for someone to write who loves communism
 
Personalily I imagine if Germany went commie, there would be no WWII, and if there was it old be a Vry different one: Russia, Germany and Spain against the western powers.
 
It would be interesting to see where Fascism would go, considering that Mussolini would still control Italy. In my opinion the UK and France would support Italy and would form an alternate version of the Allies that would combat the Comintern.
 
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