WI The Weimar Republic goes communist

I don't recall seeing this WI before, but it is a rather obvious one. Really, the Weimar Republic could've gone communist or fascist and it so happened that the fascists were the ones to seize power. What if it was the communists?
 

Susano

Banned
Really, the Weimar Republic could've gone communist or fascist
Well, no.

The communist unrests in the 20s were a joke, hardly supported by anybdoy, and even when teh economy went down the gutter... well, even among the lower middle and lower classes theer just was too much distrust of communism, and a too conservatiev attitude. In that situation a righwting revolutionary movement like the NSDAP (well, it styled itself like that, anyways) could take over, but the communists? Less likely.
 

Krall

Banned
Maybe some sort of reverse Reischstag fire? A prominent anti-communist politician [perhaps even AH himself!] is found guilty of the fire and executed?
 

Susano

Banned
Maybe some sort of reverse Reischstag fire? A prominent anti-communist politician [perhaps even AH himself!] is found guilty of the fire and executed?

The Reichstag fire was just a convinient excuse for teh Nazis. It did not really at all change public opinion, it was just a convinient trigger for the emergency laws. And by 1933 the Nazsi were a third of the Reichstag anyways, by then the train has already left.
 
Leaving aside the armed uprising side which Susano dealt with, even if the KPD could 'win' an election (i.e, gain the most seats in the Reichstag) then almost any President would try to form a government out of the other parties.

And even if, somehow, the President was receptive to the idea of a KPD Chancellor, then my god, the army certainly is not going to be.

The Nazis could convince the junker elite that, if they were not exactly 'on their side', then they were not fundamentally hostile to the old elites and their priviledges - this was a key factor in the Nazis takeover of power. The KPD could never have done that.
 
I do have what is a plausible, if IMO low probability way to get it.

Warsaw falls, as I suggested in another thread. Germany (understandably) rearms, but France doesn't go for it.

You also get OTL's feet dragging over reparations, except France is even more willing to occupy the Ruhr and try to break up Germany. IMO this was a near run thing; the Rhineland and Bavaria could easily break off.

With Russia next door, with Germany falling apart....

Well, I'd say Commie Weimar has moved all the way to unlikely.
 
That's an interesting point Faelin. I think if Germany balkanises (or never unifies) then you'd have at least the possibility of divergent political systems in the various states, one of which could then make the others it's bitch and unify Germany.

A Communist Germany with it's capital at Dresden or Munich....
 

Susano

Banned
IMO this was a near run thing; the Rhineland and Bavaria could easily break off.
No. No, it wasnt. The Rhenish speratist movement was the most pathetic seperation movement ever. A bunch of guys recruited by the French who absolutely could not find any followers. It was French wishful thinking, thats all. And Bavaria jumping on secession at every possible turn? Thats an AH cliche.

However, yes... if Warscaw falls, and France occupies the Ruhr...longer than IOTL, and maybe also more heavyhanded. Even mor eintersting with a fascist, commiephobic France (who nontheless fears a strong German ymroe than the USSR).
Germany is screwed. In its desperation it truns towards the USSR, which after all, is now next door. The USSR promsies aid, if the KPD is treated well,a nd over times raises its demands. Some years later, the KPD (which si told to behave by Moscow) is in a coalition government of national unity. At the same time, because of Frances ideological direction, resistance in the Ruhr take sthe opposite idoelogcial direction, that is communism, and that sentiment sweeps through Germany. So, you have teh KPD in a position to take over, based on a communist-nationalist attitude in the population and supported more closely by the USSR...
 

Larkin

Banned
Well, if you were paying 10 trillion marks for a pair of underwear, you might consider comunism
 
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