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So let me get right into it before anyone starts WTF-ing!:closedeyesmile:

When Nazi Germany invaded the Netherlands, Winston Churchill offered the former German Emperor and his family asylum in the UK! Now OTL Kaiser Wilhelm turned him down, but what if he accepted the offer, fled to the UK and formed a government-in-exile! (POD)

Note: While Wilhelm was impressed by Hitler's military conquests and had initially hoped that the Nazi's would support his family's restoration, he personally disliked Hitler, disagreed with his anti-Semitism and hated the Nazi's for "taking away" his fourth son August Wilhelm, who became a devout follower of Hitler's!

Now this would not have any real major changes for the war, other than the propaganda value of having the former Kaiser 'on the Allies side'! However one potential butterfly could come in Norway, say after D-Day!

The German commander in Norway was Nikolaus von Falkenhorst, from a minor noble family! He was known to have treated the Norwegians fairly and for opposing the Nazi's more radical policies. My thinking is that with his Kaiser in exile, his obvious dislike for the Nazi's and the recent invasion of Normandy, might it not be possible for him to decide to defect with his army to the Allies and join the German Government-in-exile. That is to declare his loyalty to the Kaiser and detain anyone that doesn't support him. He could even invite the King of Norway and the Norwegian forces to return and take control of the country, with his forces providing protection. (Though I imagine that would be seriously awkward)

In Norway itself all he has to contend with are about 6000 SS and Gestapo, not including any officers who might refuse to join him, against his army of 400,000 troops!

Now the Hohenzollerns are the heads of a Allied Government-in-exile, with a large army and are responsible for 'liberating' an occupied country!

Cue the next butterfly: Valkyrie! Now I don't really see how any of the previous events would prevent the July 20 Plot (alter it maybe), in fact the plotters might see their mission as even more necessary. Furthermore the plotters could decide to declare their loyalty to the Kaisers government, potentially gaining more support from conservative monarchists and the Prussian military establishment!

The most important change may be the plot succeeding in killing Hitler for whatever reason (Stauffenberg or whomever may take his place has time for both fuses or puts both bombs into the suitcase etc).

If the plotters are able to successfully overthrow the Nazi's/SS and secure the country with Ludwig Beck acting as regent for the Kaiser, then you have a Germany that is now an Allied power. I could see them withdrawing all their forces from the west and digging in on the eastern front until they come to some sort of agreement with the Allies.

How would things play out: would the Allies recognize the new government (I could see them supporting it so long as its a constitutional monarchy under Prince Louis Ferdinand, a liberal who was friends with FDR), does the unconditional surrender clause still apply in this situation, would their still be an occupation, does Austria and the Sudetenland remain part of Germany, would the de-nazification be more or less successful under these circumstances, how would Germany evolve without being divided?

Also after the war would Germany eventually become part of the European Union and NATO? Or would it become a neutral state so as to avoid Soviet aggression, thus could we see a less volatile Cold War with a whole country instead of a wall keeping east and west apart?

The only real issue for me in the scenario would be right after von Falkenhorst' defection! Would this precipitate a massive purge that might strangle the July 20 Plot before it has a chance to act? Or if they move quickly they could use the confusion and act earlier?

The really attractive part of this scenario for me would be the fact that it would be the Germans themselves that removed one of the greatest evils of the 20th century and thus helped end one of the worst wars ever fought!

What do you all think? Its a scenario I've been playing around with in my head for a while now, also its my first attempt at a scenario so please be gentle;)
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