WI: Earlier transistor tech and Weimar Germany

[Richter10]

One idea for a Dieselpunk TL that I'm thinkering:

In the 1920's, Oleg Losev was working on LED and transistor technology (called "Crystaldyne" by Hugo Gernsbeck) but it was ignored both by scientific community and Russian government.

But let supposed that after the Russian Revolution, Losev moved to Germany, either to work as a technician in a German university or at a German electrical company.

Would it be possible that his work the attention it deserved? What would be the effects on technological evolution?

If Weimar Germany become the center of products with transistor technology, could it improve its economy enough to turn it more stable? Could it prevent that the rise of the Nazis?

 

[mowque]

Tech rarely (if ever?) grants political stability. Wiemar Germany had alot of problems, and this isn't going to fix many of them.

 

[Richter10]

Tech rarely (if ever?) grants political stability. Wiemar Germany had alot of problems, and this isn't going to fix many of them.

By itself, that is true. I was thinking more in terms that with Crystaldyne technology as an edge for its electric-eletronical products, Germany would export more, bringing more divises. The incoming money would some effect in help the economy to recover, putting somewhat less pressure on the Weimar Republic.

But and the other question: if the transistor was invented in 1920's, how it would affect the technological development?

 

[BlondieBC]

Sure, you could speed it up. It will not get the "attention it deserves", but some affordable level of funding. Now for a TL, I am assuming like many technologies on the interwar years, it got little to no funding. So you need to find out what year it began to get funding and how much. Then determine the level available in your TL. Then compare to OTL funding. Then make some estimate on how far it advances.

So just to pick numbers. Lets say transistor is not fully funded to 1940. And during the war it gets 5X units of funding (money, scientist, however you measure). And you determine it can start in your ATL in 1925. Well at first you see the 5 to one ratio, but you decide that wartime funding has wastes, so you set the ratio at 3 to one. So this means in 1928 you get 1941 technology. In 1931, you get 1942. In 1934, you get 1943. (Note: On ATL, there is not right answer, just keep it plausible/defensible.) Then you have to go check what year it first gives the result you want. There are other ways to do this, but I prefer to do it this way because it keeps it fairly simple. You only need a few peaces of data such as OTL funding in a given year. Estimate of ATL funding. Then you if you want to see if something can be done, you just see if it was available in year 19XX.

Now to your other questions. It is exceptionally unlikely to stabilize the German economy or prevent the rise of Nazism. It may have a few products in the 1930 that help a little, but I would guess it is well under 1% of German GDP. You may get some wonder weapons out of it. And whatever lead Germany has will be largely destroyed in WW2 unless the wonder weapons win the war. And the scientist and technicians will move to one of the winning powers, who will then get the transistor buff.

Now if you see something that brings in a huge amount of earnings, say well over 2% of GDP, then maybe you can stabilize German. I just don't see the product. Did you have one in mind?

 

[Michel Van]

God heavens
the Nazis with transistor tech in there hands !

real guidance computer in V1 or V2
advance radio equipment
Enigma on Transitor, while the brits build there computers with radiotube ?!
and Conrad Zuse build his Computer on Transitor (not with relais like OLT)

 

[Richter10]

God heavens
the Nazis with transistor tech in there hands !

real guidance computer in V1 or V2
advance radio equipment
Enigma on Transitor, while the brits build there computers with radiotube ?!
and Conrad Zuse build his Computer on Transitor (not with relais like OLT)

And that is reason why I will try keep Weimar Germany stable in the Dieselpunk TL that I'm planning... If World War II happens, I want that Germany be the Allies's "Germanium Valley" and not the Axis...