WI: King Edward joined Nazi Party in 1937?

GlobalHumanism

What if King Edward VIII, during his visit to Germany in 1937 after abdicating the throne to his brother George, not only was extended (and accepted) a full fledged membership in the Nazi Party, but also joined the government?

What position could he have plausibly held?(Deputy Ambassador to the UK I assume)

What effect would his active personal participation in the Nazi Party hiearchy have on Anglo-German relations?
 
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Asami

Asami

Banned
He'd never be allowed to return to the United Kingdom, and he would be publicly reviled for the rest of his days. He might even die at the Nuremberg Trials if the British press hard enough to punish him for participating in the Third Reich. King's brother or not, he's effectively become a traitor. Try having him dig himself out of his grave when the Germans start bombing London; there's going to be lots of people who will want to string Edward up by his neck.
 

Kung Fucious

Why would he? Sure, he was a moron, but he's so stupid as to effectively commit treason.

What would he get out of joining the Nazi party?
 
shiftygiant

shiftygiant

Gone Fishin'
GlobalHumanism said:
What if King Edward VIII, during his visit to Germany in 1937 after abdicating the throne to his brother George, not only was extended (and accepted) a full fledged membership in the Nazi Party, but also joined the government?
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He refuses. Plain and simple. Edward was many things, but he wasn't (that much of) an idiot to actually accept membership, and it wouldn't exactly look good to accept the membership of any Political Party (joining political parties being unacceptable), let alone foreign organisation. And why would the Nazi Leadership want Edward in the Nazi Party? What benefit does either party to the agreement get? Edward wouldn't be able to go home, he would be more divorced from the people who admire him, and he will have effectively committed treason against his own country. This is, after all, a man who has had tradition drilled into him at every moment of his life, and among those is that the "Crown is above Politics". Sure, he was cutting it close to the knuckle IoTL, but he isn't going to abandon that tradition just for the Nazi Party.

Again, he was many things, but he wasn't that much of an idiot.
 

Kung Fucious

shiftygiant said:
He refuses. Plain and simple. Edward was many things, but he wasn't (that much of) an idiot to actually accept membership, and it wouldn't exactly look good to accept the membership of any Political Party (joining political parties being unacceptable), let alone foreign organisation. And why would the Nazi Leadership want Edward in the Nazi Party? What benefit does either party to the agreement get? Edward wouldn't be able to go home, he would be more divorced from the people who admire him, and he will have effectively committed treason against his own country. This is, after all, a man who has had tradition drilled into him at every moment of his life, and among those is that the "Crown is above Politics". Sure, he was cutting it close to the knuckle IoTL, but he isn't going to abandon that tradition just for the Nazi Party.

Again, he was many things, but he wasn't that much of an idiot.
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Exactly. The government already thought we was a moron, so trying to recruit him as a means of pacifying British opposition to the Nazi's designs on Europe is DOA. Him essentially defecting to the Nazi's would also turn the population against him, making him useless as a political tool. It's basically an elaborate political stunt that makes both Hitler and the Duke looks like dopes.
 

Kung Fucious

GlobalHumanism said:
so no one thinks his participation in the Nazi Party could have caused a possible improvement in Anglo-German relations?
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How could it? He was disliked by the government, and defecting to the Nazi's would kill any support he had with the British people. Anglo-German relations are already at a pretty low starting point, this kind of high profile stunt doesn't even begin to move the needle.
 
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