Who amongst the ones who were hanged IOTL do you see being potentially being sentenced to life in prison as a result?
WI: Hitler at Nuremberg
- Thread starter Bookmark1995
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The only one who seemed like he had a chance of escaping the noose was Streicher but all the ones hanged deserved it.
I think people are overselling Hitler's ability to sway crowds here. He's not the pied piper of Hamlin
Yes he was good at theatrical set pieces, but these set pieces were just that, set pieces. They were a culmination of a lot of work by a lot people and were TBF pretty damn theatrical. Yes he spent his time stumping on soap boxes before he got big enough for those huge rallies, but this is different. Also the court isn't going just stand there letting him chunter on, this isn't going to be some kind of court room drama where he's given room for effect.
On top of this IMO he doesn't do well with failure and you'll have his trial last so I think he'll spend most of his time blaming everyone else or calling them traitors for what hey said during their own defence to avoid the noose themselves. Don't get me wrong yeah he'll disdain the court etc but I don't think he make the rallying cry for nazis down the ages.
Also while yeah he might be healthier at his trial than he is was in the bunker in 1945 in some ways, going through detox/rehab in prison while stewing on a v.public defeat, occupied Germany etc is going to takes it's toll.
Of course there's the final point that even if he doesn't die in 1945 he's got to make it to Nuremberg, and that's going to involve staying one step ahead of the Soviets.
Yes he was good at theatrical set pieces, but these set pieces were just that, set pieces. They were a culmination of a lot of work by a lot people and were TBF pretty damn theatrical. Yes he spent his time stumping on soap boxes before he got big enough for those huge rallies, but this is different. Also the court isn't going just stand there letting him chunter on, this isn't going to be some kind of court room drama where he's given room for effect.
On top of this IMO he doesn't do well with failure and you'll have his trial last so I think he'll spend most of his time blaming everyone else or calling them traitors for what hey said during their own defence to avoid the noose themselves. Don't get me wrong yeah he'll disdain the court etc but I don't think he make the rallying cry for nazis down the ages.
Also while yeah he might be healthier at his trial than he is was in the bunker in 1945 in some ways, going through detox/rehab in prison while stewing on a v.public defeat, occupied Germany etc is going to takes it's toll.
Of course there's the final point that even if he doesn't die in 1945 he's got to make it to Nuremberg, and that's going to involve staying one step ahead of the Soviets.
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A side question: considering that Berling was captured by the soviets, chances are they would be the ones to capture him. So... would Stalin insist on a separate trial in Moscow?
Maybe Jodl - he was posthumously rehabilitated and then a few years later, un-rehabilitated. Indicates the Allies didn't think his case was as clear-cut. He'd be the most likely.
If he is captured by the Russians, I seriously doubt that Stalin will let him stand trial. I see him being tortured to death while Stalin watches.
Deleted member 94680
I don’t know. Did other Nazis captured by the Soviets go on trial in Nuremberg or in the USSR?
Which is why I asked. It would be a massive propaganda coup. The propaganda coup, tbh.
No idea, tbh. But the others were all small fry, compared to Hitler. Stalin could aford to send them off to a world court, as a show of good faith and intent on following international law*. But Hitler...
*brb, getting a big laugh from this...
Some book I read a while back, can't remember the title, had Stalin keeping Hitler as a caged animal with standing orders to finally kill him on Stalin's death.
Harsh, but poetic in a way.
That rings a vague bell, doesn't he occasionally go and see him to gloat and/or check his greatest enemy is still there when ever his paranoia get's the best of him?
Sounds right. As I recall Hitler was a bearded, wild-haired, never-washed savage who was thrown enough scraps to stay alive, but not physically tortured, per se, who was literally kept in a barred, four-sided and otherwise open zoo cage.
Seems like dung-flinging might be a hazard, though.
nbcman
Donor
Some of the defendents in the first Nuremberg trials were captured by the Soviets such as:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Fritzsche
Maybe:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baldur_von_Schirach - He was in Vienna and the Red Army captured Vienna.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm_Frick - He defended Prague which was captured by the Red Army.
Well, only the British and the Americans wanted a fair trial (they're why Schacht walked). The French were in a pretty vengeful mood and the Russian judges were making little gallows-in-a-bottle trinkets throughout the trial*, which they thought was a silly idea in the first place. The trial was by and large a document trial so no matter what he said Hitler was going down, well, up slowly and then down rather rapidly.
*Citation needed.
Yeah, it isn't like they are going to air his speech live. He will give his speech to the court who will announce a verdict. BBC, CBS, NBC etc. are going to give a few sentences here and there from his speech on the newsreels , with their own comments. Somehow, I doubt they will be flattering to Hitler.