What if Walther von Brauchitsch and Franz Halder Removed Hitler, along with the Nazi Party, from power in Nov, 1939?
For the discussion lets imply they go through with their conspiracy and everything runs smoothly. Hitler and all of the top Nazi leaders are either killed or arrested, Brauchitsch and Halder assume military dictatorship, similar to Hindenburg and Ludendorff in WWI, until the war ends. What's the result? If they sue for peace what happens? If they continue the war how would it look and can they win?
For the discussion lets imply they go through with their conspiracy and everything runs smoothly. Hitler and all of the top Nazi leaders are either killed or arrested, Brauchitsch and Halder assume military dictatorship, similar to Hindenburg and Ludendorff in WWI, until the war ends. What's the result? If they sue for peace what happens? If they continue the war how would it look and can they win?
During November 1939, Halder conspired with General Brauchitsch. Halder declared that he would support Brauchitsch if he were to try to curtail Hitler's plans for further expansion of the war, but Brauchitsch declined (the so-called Zossen Conspiracy). Brauchitsch and Halder had decided to overthrow Hitler after the latter had fixed "X-day" for the invasion of France for 12 November 1939, an invasion that both officers believed to be doomed to failure.[4] During a meeting with Hitler on 5 November, Brauchitsch had attempted to talk Hitler into putting off "X-day" by saying that morale in the German Army was worse than what it was in 1918. This statement enraged Hitler, who then harshly berated Brauchitsch for incompetence.[5] After that meeting, both Halder and Brauchitsch told Carl Friedrich Goerdeler that overthrowing Hitler was simply something that they could not do, and that he should find other officers if that was what he really wanted to do
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_HalderWhile Halder opposed Hitler’s expanded war plans, like all officers he had taken a personal loyalty oath to Hitler. Thus, he felt unable to take direct action against the Führer. At one point, Halder thought the situation to be so desperate that he considered shooting Hitler himself.[9] A colonel close to Halder noted in his diary that "Amid tears, Halder had said for weeks that he had a pistol in his pocket every time he went to Emil [cover name for Hitler] in order to possibly gun him down."
Last edited: