Who Would Surprisingly Replace Hitler c. 1942?

So, a long while ago I started an Alternate History idea where Hitler died around February 1942 (I can't remember if a plane crash or heart attack or what). The idea I had, to try to change up the whole "Himmler outmaneuvers Goering and Goebbels to become Fuehrer" was that Albert Speer, just named the Minister of Armaments a month or so before, was named the successor to Hitler as a compromise candidate.

Looking back on it, I realize that the idea was kind of silly, even though I think Speer would have been a good leader of Wartime Germany that Hitler never was, if is work in the Ministry of Armaments is any suggestion.

So, the question I ask you: baring the big name candidates like Himmler, Goebbels and Goering, who could become Fuehrer if Hitler dies in 1942, and how would it play out?
 
So, the question I ask you: barring the big name candidates like Himmler, Goebbels and Goering, who could become Fuehrer if Hitler dies in 1942, and how would it play out?

Maybe a comeback for Von Papen. None of the remaining Nazis have the stature to be head of state; and there will be rumors of an anti-Nazi coup. Von Papen could be the "compromise" figure to keep the non-Nazi German right on side. Really, what is the competition?

Funk, Schirach, Ley, Sauckel, Ribbentrop, Frank, Frick, Seyss-Inquart, Kaltenbrunner?
 
You're forgetting Heydreich...Someone who was very cold, very ruthless, and a devoted Nazi. And he knows the skeletons in everyone's closet.
 

katchen

Banned
In 1942, before he was assassinated? Definitely Heydrich. And a scary and able Fuehrer he would have been:eek:
 
If Hitler dies in Feb '42, though Goering's the official successor, Heydrich would likely outmaneuver them all. Even his boss, Himmler. Knowing all the dirt on the top Nazis, and since Himmler lacked the talent for plotting, Heydrich might very well come out on top.
 
It would depend on who could form the strongest alliance.

As alternative - how about a Wehrmacht coup - The Group around Canaris was active before 1943 and General Beck (ousted before 1939 ) could draw on loyalties with the Officer corps.
 
If Hitler dies in Feb '42, though Goering's the official successor, Heydrich would likely outmaneuver them all. Even his boss, Himmler. Knowing all the dirt on the top Nazis, and since Himmler lacked the talent for plotting, Heydrich might very well come out on top.

By this point in the War, Hitler has lost confidence in Goering, so maybe the last will and testament is revised to leave it open.

If it comes to political maneuvering, Heydrich has a really good shot. However I see two problems with this: do you think the Wehrmacht would tolerate such a figure in charge? And if everyone recognizes Heydrich for what he is, will THEY tolerate it? After all, if the Gestapo chief is the head of the Reich, no one will feel safe or comfortable, both inside or out of Nazi Germany. Heydrich should know he can wield as much power behind the scenes than at the front, like a good Secret Police Chief.

That is why I think a compromise candidate, one acceptable to the Army, Nazi Party and SS would have to be put in place, and maybe the position of Fuehrer itself might have to be split up into a "Chancellor" and a "President", as none of the interested parties would want to have such a powerful figure, though the excuse would be to "honor Hitler" by retiring his title.
 
Heydrich?

I had posted a question awhile back on this forum, asking if Heydrich could replace an assassinated Hitler. The response was that Heydrich was too far removed from top power to succeed Hitler. Posters in this thread seem to disagree. Can someone come up with a scenario in which Heydrich outmanouvers everyone and replaces Hitler?
 
One thing in Heydrich's favor is that he knows all the dirty little secrets of the top Nazis. He can use that to scheme and blackmail his way to the top. Keep in mind that Himmler had little talent for plotting, so he can be easily shunted aside. Bormann? He had a lot of political IOUs from top Nazis, but he, too, had skeletons in his closet. Goering's opulence, womanizing, and his increasing morphine addiction can count against him, but that Hitler issued a decree on 29 Nov 41 designating Goering as his successor, and so assuming that Hitler dies in Feb '42, he's in the top slot by default, though the scheming to replace him would begin in earnest.
 
Dathi THorfinnsson writes:

Originally Posted by Duke 4
Heydreich... Scary Leader.

Hey, we're talking Nazis here, theyre ALL scary.


But what is so scary about Heydrich was his extremely high level of intelligence and his drive for power. His biographer points out that he didn't really believe in Nazi ideology and the hatred of Jews, but embraced these views to achieve power.
 
There was something on the history channel where Hitler's plane caught fire in Finland. Suppose the fire was worse. Suppose thzt Hitler survived, but he was disfigured and lost his voice. How would they treat Mannerheim? They did not react much as it was.
Also the final solution was just starting. Goering or whoever may decide to abort it
 
Goering would obviously take office of Fuhrer immediately, but would probably come down with a case of resignation after about a month. Heydrich assumes power and leads Germany to an even worse loss than historical. Of course this is because of Soviet and British vengeance post-war due to more of their men dying horribly.

Heydrich wouldn't waste precious resources on Wunderwaffen. He would waste resources on a terrifying Werwolf force to kill the shit out of Allied leaders. Stalin would be dead by '43. Operation Zeppelin wouldn't be planned by someone with the espionage skills of a elephant in musk.
 
I had posted a question awhile back on this forum, asking if Heydrich could replace an assassinated Hitler. The response was that Heydrich was too far removed from top power to succeed Hitler. Posters in this thread seem to disagree. Can someone come up with a scenario in which Heydrich outmanouvers everyone and replaces Hitler?

Well, first you have to pick the exact date Hitler dies.

Then you have to explain how Goering, Himmler, and Goebbels are all excluded.

Then you can start working out a "rise of Heydrich" scenario. But really, I don't think he's eligible for the top spot.
 
True, we had a discussion about Heydrich some tme ago. Can't find it now.

The conclusion was that Heydrich was not close enough to the top and that his spell in Czech removed him from the Berlin circles.

It leaves us with two options:

1) He is gunning for the top slot right away
2) He is fine with being the power behind the throne for a short spell of time

The first is not so easy to engineer.

The second will force him to choose one of the top leaders as his best bet. Who would like to see Heydrich in his corner?

Goering: He would be scared to death by Heydrich or he would have hoped that Heydrich at least would just leave him alone

Himmler: He would know that Heydrich would kill him very soon

Kaltenbrunner: not top slot material anyway

von Papen: Not sure he understood a Heydrich. This could have been Heydrich's bet

Not a lot more springs to mind from a political perspective. The rest would be army. Not sure how the general SS would like that.

Ivan
 
Hey, we're talking Nazis here, theyre ALL scary.

But what is so scary about Heydrich was his extremely high level of intelligence and his drive for power. His biographer points out that he didn't really believe in Nazi ideology and the hatred of Jews, but embraced these views to achieve power.

Nazi All scary ?

Goering was fat incompetent veteran WW1 pilot on drugs

Gobbles was Movie fanatic Nazi with clubfoot, who chased every woman he sees and drag her to bed.

Hess, i have no idea what happen in side his head, as he take that plane to England...

Himmler belief he was incarnation of old german King (at last they him told so)

Borman was intriguing Opportunist who miss used his position as sectary of Hitler.

Heinrich was the dangerous monster of them all:
in time of 6 month he build up a Intelligence servis for SS, getting all the dirty secret of top NSDAP members.
He organize for Himmer the so called "Night of Long Knife" aka "Rhöm putsch"
were manny opposition members of NSDAP and all enemy of Heinrich were killed !
He Reorganize the German Police in year into effective oppression machine making Germany a Police state.
in end he envision the "Endlosung der Judenfrage" the holocaust
and by god are we lucky, he was killed in Prage months later...
 
There was something on the history channel where Hitler's plane caught fire in Finland. Suppose the fire was worse.

It was actually just the wheel burning when it landed. It's unlikely the fire would have become any worse than it was.

You can see the landing and the burning wheel in the beginning of the video here (there'll be an ad before the actual video).


Suppose thzt Hitler survived, but he was disfigured and lost his voice. How would they treat Mannerheim? They did not react much as it was.

Why would Hitler's Luftwaffe plane catching fire have anything to do with dealing with Mannerheim?
 
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