World War 2 and Chemical Warfare

[LittleSpeer]

Hitler is killed in late 1941.
Depending on who takes over and assuming Germany suffers similar Military setbacks, would the war in Europe have turned to chemical warfare at some point with the difference in leadership?

 

[MattII]

If it does, Germany goes Vegetarian.

 

[Pangur]

Hitler is killed in late 1941.
Depending on who takes over and assuming Germany suffers similar Military setbacks, would the war in Europe have turned to chemical warfare at some point with the difference in leadership?

Not a hope is hell. The senior officer corps on both sides had been through ww1 and seen that chemical warfare up front and personal. The would not do it. What has crossed my mind is that this would be an example of MAD that actually worked even in a war

 

[CalBear]

The senior officers who had seen the chemical attacks up close learned something that frequently escapes many folks.

Chemical Weapons actually suck as weapons. If you are the only ones who have chemicals, they are great, unfortunately both sides tend to have them. Even today there no really good defenses against them for foot soldiers, and it was much worse in WW II. As a result you just make you own life as difficult as you make the enemy's.

 

[LittleSpeer]

If it does, Germany goes Vegetarian.

I am just talking chemical weapons and not bio( even if it is asb to consider the allies not doing that in response to Germany using chemical weapons).
What about if the SS took control of Germany later in the war. Would someone like Himmler consider using them?

 

[jmc247]

What about if the SS took control of Germany later in the war. Would someone like Himmler consider using them?

Consider it? Perhaps. Live long enough to have any such ideas become orders that get carried out? Far less likely.

 

[MattII]

I am just talking chemical weapons and not bio( even if it is asb to consider the allies not doing that in response to Germany using chemical weapons).

Operation Vegetarion is the use of bioweapons that have the same effect as chemical weapons, ie, localised and specific. Not that it matters anyway what it is anyway, after the first use it's all retaliation.

 

[Mike Stearns]

Consider it? Perhaps. Live long enough to have any such ideas become orders that get carried out? Far less likely.

Agreed. Britain has bigger stockpiles and better delivery systems, and the Germans know that. If the Germans gas British cities, the British response will be VERY nasty, and that's not even taking the British bioweapons program into account, which was extremely nasty in its own way and would have result in parts of Germany being permanently evacuated had it actually been deployed in combat conditions.

 

[jmc247]

Agreed. Britain has bigger stockpiles and better delivery systems, and the Germans know that. If the Germans gas British cities, the British response will be VERY nasty, and that's not even taking the British bioweapons program into account, which was extremely nasty in its own way and would have result in parts of Germany being permanently evacuated had it actually been deployed in combat conditions.

Well there is that, but I was also refering to the fact that Himmler taking over the government say in January 1944 would require a Great Purge of the German officer corps the kind that would make the one after Valkyrie seem tiny in comparison. Hitler or Stalin had enough loyalty from the rank and file of their armies to pull it off. Himmer... not so much.

 

[Michel Van]

after Hitler death there will be a powerstrugel for next Fuhrer
and if Heinrich Himmler becomes it
the Wehrmach will use Chemical weapon largely on east front
label as "Pest controll" by the Propoganda machine

the Allies will responds also with Chemical weapon dropt over The Thrid reich
or even wourst: Biological weapons
see British plans on use of Antrax spores as weapon system...