Winning the war through the ballot box: German general election 1943

You could call this ASB, but I think stranger things have happened in the past.


Let us suppose that, following the failure of Citadel in 43, Hitler believes that defeating Russia has become a near impossible task. He feels therefore, for whatever reason, that German lives need no longer be lost in fighting the Soviet Horde when the victory he has sought for so long has become impossible. He approaches both the Allies and Soviets in an attempt broker an honourable peace, but they all, by this point, refuse to consider a conditional peace with Nazi Germany, especially after the soviets have delivered such a devastating blow against them.

Going against everything that Nazi ideals stand for, and in seemingly a complete turnaround, Hitler decides to announce that he will be stepping down as Fuhrer, and that the position will be abolished (reverting back to President and Chancellor), following a general election, which he has called to take place within 3 months. Importantly, he claims that this will be a multi-party election, with previously banned parties, including communists, allowed to stand candidates, and a number of key political prisoners will also be released to show sincerity in this matter. Anyone with German citizenship may vote. Any violent tactics by parties (including his own) to intimidate voters will be banned again. Furthermore, he announces the arrest of a large number of key Nazis (Himmler, Bormann and Goering included) for "Crimes against the state; allocating war resources for personal interests; corruption; and for jeopardising the fairness of the upcoming elections). He stresses that he is making this personal sacrifice to save the honour of the German Reich, and to prevent the world from being 'conned' into believing the lies of Stalin and the Soviet Union.

Assuming Hitler is true to his word, and fair multi-party elections take place. Who wins, and what happens in the long run for this new government, Germany, and the world? How will the world react, and how will Nazis, amongst others, react and treat these elections? Could die hard Nazis be able to prevent this election from happening in the first place, deposing their once beloved Fuhrer, for the sake of the Reich?
 
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Sachyriel

Banned
Communists would win the elections. There'd be not stopping the Cominterm, too many people underground in Germany, no matter who was arrested and released 're-educated'.
 

CalBear

Moderator
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Well this would make Hitler sane, an ASB level event:D.

Even if there was an election, Stalin wasn't going to stop (for that matter the Western Allies weren't going to stop) meaning that Germany is still crushed.

It would be very likely that the NSP would do everything it could to prevent the election from taking place. Given the party's willingness to do violence, it would actually be shocking if they DIDN'T do some killing to retain power(hmmm... Hitler seems to have outlived his usefulness here).

It is doubtful that any leftist party would have a prayer, not after a generation of some of the best anti-communist/socialist propaganda ever created.
 
Whether or not the Allies stop; the fact is that they may lose any moral argument with which to continue the war against Germany - faced with a) a democratically elected German government and b) one which is seeking peace - this seriously affects their post-war political situation, as well as regard amongst Germans. Plus I'm sceptical to the extent of Nazi hindrance of the political system. Bear in mind that they would be a legitimate party standing for election. This sudden shock move by Hitler may even rise potential moderates or reformers to the top of the party, allowing it to shed elements of its extremism. Also, everyone predicted that Nazi resistance would be huge in post-war Germany... but even when the allies began pushing into Germany in 45 OTL, they faced little resistance. If you take away the central authority, the extreme elements of Nazism rapidly disappeared.

Can you name one? I can't.

Strange things? A nation of tribes forming the largest land empire in the world (Mongolia)? A poor, third world country defeating the United States (Vietnam)? Or more recently - the speedy collapse of a country which only a year before seemed impossible (Soviet Union)?

Don't be so quick to dismiss things, remember this would have been a genuine attempt to save the honour of Germany, while attempting to create an good internal and international legacy for himself. Not to mention try and make the allies see the SU in a different light. Hitler could also think in the long-run – with the possibility of being able to return to the forefront of German politics in a post-war environment with his honour and reverence still intact.
 
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For what lost of "moral ground" for waging the war you are talking about?
For the Allied leaders/soldiers/civilians as long as there is Germany capable of waging war there will be a determined will to go to the end.


You just can't start a war, but then say "OK guys we are going democratic" and hope that the whole war machine will stop and the people will be no more willing to fight you.


Plus that, such thing will turn the whole of Germany in a chaos.
 
germany would unravel at this point.... the only semi plausable way hitler could turn over power would be to form a military junta.

this imo would entail naming Rommel as the chancellor/president of germany. Rommel had significant standing with the western allies and wasnt considered a war criminal. Churchill was a severe anti communist and its not completely asb that he could see a new regime as an opportunity to keep the reds out of western europe. I dont know if he could talk FDR into playing ball but its not impossible if Rommel offered an immediate evacution of all occupied territories, immediate armistace and certain key nazi's sent for war crimes trials. Churchill did after all coin the phrase iron curtain. Stalin may even jump at this as an opportunity to reclaim all his lost territory without having to fight for it then try to unravel germany from within with some good ole communist agitation but i imagine he would allow some breathing space to get his house in order

imo its all asb... the junta would only come in with hitler dead he would never willingly turn over power i mean look what he did to goering the last week of the war
 
Don't be so quick to dismiss things, remember this would have been a genuine attempt to save the honour of Germany, while attempting to create an good internal and international legacy for himself. Not to mention try and make the allies see the SU in a different light. Hitler could also think in the long-run – with the possibility of being able to return to the forefront of German politics in a post-war environment with his honour and reverence still intact.

But all of those things make sense when you give them their context back, rather than just saying them in such a way to make them seem ridiculous. This is pretty ASB even with context. Hitler was a madman who only got more insane as time went by.
 
I'm sorry, you can spin it anyway way you want but this idea is still ASB. Hell, this idea could probably be used to describe ASB to people who've never heard of the term.

Hitler showing concern for Germany? The same man who believed Germany had let him down? The same man who gave Speer the infrastructure destruction orders? That Hitler?

The POD you're suggesting here would require a brain transplant at the very least.


Bill
 
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