WI: Hitler dies in 1918?

Wikipedia said:
On 15 October 1918, Hitler was admitted to a field hospital, temporarily blinded by a mustard gas attack

My question: What would the World look like today - military situation, political situation, science, culture, music, movies, the law - if Cpl. Adolph Hitler had died as a result of that poison gas attack in 1918?
 

Deleted member 1487

Sorry to inform you, but this has been done a number of times. The point that Hitler dies is not really relevant before 1923, but the results are hard to predict. Weimar likely survives without him, but still with a right wing coalition in charge. It might only be a republic in name with an oligarchy of industrialists, nobility, military, and monarchists that decide what is going to happen. There is a good possibility that Austria and Germany unite at some point, though the Sudeten and the Polish corridor are likely to remain out. I doubt the Soviets would attack west, as it would mean war with the united Europe. So the Soviet Union is most likely going to be alive and well today, thanks to remaining intact without the Nazi invasion and the destruction. Germany is likely to remain a leader in science without the exodus of intelligensia. It is also likely the economic engine of Europe. France recovers eventually from its decline after WW1, but is still the main rival of Germany.

There is likely no European Union without German and French detente; this may come about if the Soviets threaten Europe. Germany will rearm and be the shield of Europe. Poland and Germany will have to reach an accommodation eventually, as they need each other in the event of a Soviet attack-Germany to have the buffer zone and Poland for military support. The little entente would break down eventually, as Germany is seen to be the economic partner to have, especially as the 40's and 50's roll around. The US is not so economically dominant and the British and French have to deal with decolonization eventually. The Japanese are stuck in the quagmire of China forever, and won't risk going to war with an undistracted Europe/US. Though if they do, it will be over that much quicker and China will NOT go communist. Instead it will remain a corrupt kleptocracy and likely turn into our modern version of itself, but simply earlier and without the terrible and damaging cultural shift of the communist era. Germany may end up their chief sponsor without the Japanese alliance, and also then have special privileges in trading with them. This is bad for the French-British, as they will have this new axis to contend with, one that is going to get rich off one another and work together to open up new markets by helping go after the closed British-French colonies. This can get ugly if they are seen supplying nationalist movements in the colonies.

China eventually becomes the new Japan and likely sponsor of the decolonization movement in Asia. India might turn into a blood bath for the British, who are not going to have the support of the US. In fact the US and Britain may never develop their special relationship without WW2, which means that the US opposes imperialism that much more, as it locks them out of emerging markets. Britain has to go it alone and may find the US supporting the new countries trying to break from France and Britain. International relations are then strained between the British-French and the US, who may in turn look to Germany as an ally, because they also will want new markets.

Communism would of course stick its nose into everything, as Stalin is not going to have access to Europe. He will look elsewhere for new "markets".

The world would still be tri-polar, with the Communists, Imperialists, and free states all working against one another. Economics will be the major weapon, as I don't see any state capable of it wanting to start another world war.
 

Eurofed

Banned
Sorry to inform you, but this has been done a number of times. The point that Hitler dies is not really relevant before 1923, but the results are hard to predict. Weimar likely survives without him, but still with a right wing coalition in charge. It might only be a republic in name with an oligarchy of industrialists, nobility, military, and monarchists that decide what is going to happen. There is a good possibility that Austria and Germany unite at some point, though the Sudeten and the Polish corridor are likely to remain out. I doubt the Soviets would attack west, as it would mean war with the united Europe. So the Soviet Union is most likely going to be alive and well today, thanks to remaining intact without the Nazi invasion and the destruction. Germany is likely to remain a leader in science without the exodus of intelligensia. It is also likely the economic engine of Europe. France recovers eventually from its decline after WW1, but is still the main rival of Germany.

There is likely no European Union without German and French detente; this may come about if the Soviets threaten Europe. Germany will rearm and be the shield of Europe. Poland and Germany will have to reach an accommodation eventually, as they need each other in the event of a Soviet attack-Germany to have the buffer zone and Poland for military support. The little entente would break down eventually, as Germany is seen to be the economic partner to have, especially as the 40's and 50's roll around. The US is not so economically dominant and the British and French have to deal with decolonization eventually. The Japanese are stuck in the quagmire of China forever, and won't risk going to war with an undistracted Europe/US. Though if they do, it will be over that much quicker and China will NOT go communist. Instead it will remain a corrupt kleptocracy and likely turn into our modern version of itself, but simply earlier and without the terrible and damaging cultural shift of the communist era. Germany may end up their chief sponsor without the Japanese alliance, and also then have special privileges in trading with them. This is bad for the French-British, as they will have this new axis to contend with, one that is going to get rich off one another and work together to open up new markets by helping go after the closed British-French colonies. This can get ugly if they are seen supplying nationalist movements in the colonies.

China eventually becomes the new Japan and likely sponsor of the decolonization movement in Asia. India might turn into a blood bath for the British, who are not going to have the support of the US. In fact the US and Britain may never develop their special relationship without WW2, which means that the US opposes imperialism that much more, as it locks them out of emerging markets. Britain has to go it alone and may find the US supporting the new countries trying to break from France and Britain. International relations are then strained between the British-French and the US, who may in turn look to Germany as an ally, because they also will want new markets.

Communism would of course stick its nose into everything, as Stalin is not going to have access to Europe. He will look elsewhere for new "markets".

The world would still be tri-polar, with the Communists, Imperialists, and free states all working against one another. Economics will be the major weapon, as I don't see any state capable of it wanting to start another world war.

I essentially agree with this analysis, apart from the fact that the Anschluss is still pretty much a certainety when Germany recovers its great power status in the late 1930s and a sane right-wing Germany is still going after the Sudetenland and the Polish Corridor, and without Hitler's blatant warlord M.O., the Entente powers are quite likely to support them on this. Oh, and Italy shall find a way to break up Yugoslavia and turn the pieces into satellites one way or another. As for whether Stalin shall pick a fight with united Europe, I say there is 25-30% chance he does. The man was paranoid and prone to make bad mistakes about other powers' willingness and ability to fight, it is quite possible he deems Europe weaker than it is, or think he needs to do a preemptive attack. If anti-Soviet WWII happens, it is a coin's toss which side Japan allies with, but it won't stay neutral. Anyway, Europe shall win, and the war shall unify it into an EU even stronger than OTL. Communism becomes the pariah ideology, and a tripolar world emerges, US, EU, and China, with India as the up-and-coming newcomer.
 
I disagree. The Nazi's were one of the few groups able to fight the communists after Wall Street crashed, and the Nazi's came to power mostly on the strength of Hitler's oration.

If Hitler bites it before he becomes relevant I'd say you'd see a Revanchist Communist Germany come out of the Great Depression.
 

Deleted member 1487

I disagree. The Nazi's were one of the few groups able to fight the communists after Wall Street crashed, and the Nazi's came to power mostly on the strength of Hitler's oration.

If Hitler bites it before he becomes relevant I'd say you'd see a Revanchist Communist Germany come out of the Great Depression.

What?! The communists never got more than 11-15% of the vote in Germany. They tried to take over after the war, when they had their best opportunity, and took Bavaria. The Bavarian Socialist Republic existed only in Munich and lost support heavily when the leader of the Bavarian communist party gave information to the Allies from the Bavarian state archives which they used to blame Germany for WW1. Even without the Nazis there were plenty of right wing organizations to fight the communists. Unless the communists could win over the middle class, they would NEVER be successful, least of all in getting elected. And the middle class was solidly against the communists. Sure, they might rise up, but as Rosa Luxemberg and Karl Leibkneckt found out, Germany does not treat communists well. Besides, the existing right wing groups, perhaps fragmented, would still be a formidable foe. Not to mention that they would be bolstered by the Reichswehr and vets of WW1, as well as have international support in putting down any communist uprising. How are the Soviets going to support the German communists? By running over Poland? Poland will mobilize the second that the Germans gets sucked in a civil war. Even if the rest of the communist parties in Europe rose simultaneously, there is no way that early 1930's Red Army can take combined Europe, even if they are fighting their own communists at the same time.
 
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