WW2 higher-ups peace proposals

Nietzsche

Banned
We all know what Hitler, Mussolini and the head-hanchos wanted. But what bout the people under them? I'm only foing to list German as they come to mind first. People like=

Hermman Goering
Heinrich Himmler
Rommel(maybe)
Guderian

The list goes on.


Any takerts? And no, they don't need to all be on the same map.

Now get too it, AH.com!
 
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MSZ

Banned
IIRC many of them did not want war in the first place; Goering for certain was quite cosy with his position and prefered basking in the priviliges of power than going on global conqests. I assume Rommel, Guderian and other military figures shared that sentiment.

Himmler and Heydrich were fanatics; while no certain proposals were made, judging by some of their quotes and works they published in articles for the SS their goals sometimes exceeded even that of Hitler. Himmler for one wrote about the necessities of conquering not only the lebensraum in the east, but also all of Europe to 'unite the white race' and in that unity stand against the coloured. Securing the Americas and Africa for their resources and the white colonists there were occasionally on the agenda.
 
IIRC many of them did not want war in the first place; Goering for certain was quite cosy with his position and prefered basking in the priviliges of power than going on global conqests. I assume Rommel, Guderian and other military figures shared that sentiment.

Himmler and Heydrich were fanatics; while no certain proposals were made, judging by some of their quotes and works they published in articles for the SS their goals sometimes exceeded even that of Hitler. Himmler for one wrote about the necessities of conquering not only the lebensraum in the east, but also all of Europe to 'unite the white race' and in that unity stand against the coloured. Securing the Americas and Africa for their resources and the white colonists there were occasionally on the agenda.

You under rate how much Himmler cared about his own life and position. In 1945 he was sending letters to Churchill and left to meet IKE fully intending to keep his life and his position to 'keep order' which shows how far from reality he was.
 

Nietzsche

Banned
You need to give people more to go on, what kind of peace? and when in the war?

This is the point. The when does not matter, nor really does the type of peace. I simply with to know their proposals, from 1939 to 45, regardless of the how or when.
 
This is the point. The when does not matter, nor really does the type of peace. I simply with to know their proposals, from 1939 to 45, regardless of the how or when.

Hitler was the CiC and the only one able to legitimately offer any kind of peace proposal. But, Hitler would rather swallow a bullet then achieve anything short of his version of 'Total Victory'. That was one of the reasons I think the unnconditional surrender demand was pretty short sided... as if Hitler would have supported any kind of surrender and it made the position of the July 20th plotters and other anti Hitler groups inside Germany hard to gain traction as all Germany had to look forward to was occupation, division and Plan Morganthou even if the Nazi Party was wiped out and the Final Solution ended.

As for the others Himmler figured he would just work with whoever took over Germany be it the Western Allies or Soviet's. Fat Man was passed out on drugs. Guderian I am not sure about. Rommel wanted to play Lee at Appomattox in France once the WAllies had solid beachheads so they take Germany before the Red Army, but without having divisional control and major chaos in Berlin it wasn't likely to happen.
 
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MSZ

Banned
You under rate how much Himmler cared about his own life and position. In 1945 he was sending letters to Churchill and left to meet IKE fully intending to keep his life and his position to 'keep order' which shows how far from reality he was.

I don't. Of course he was detached from reality and crazy and spun dreams of german global domination when the Reich was on the offensive, while seeking to save his life when the war was ending. By 1945 I think all 'peace proposals' went along the lines of returning to "status quo ante bellum", which was of course impossible.

The "official" terms of peace I recall were made was in Hitler's speech after the fall of France, which demanded Britain accept German conqests made to that point and Hess's proposals to return to 1939 borders in the west and allow Germany to keep fighting in the east. After that, no one dared to suggest peace, while Hitler didn't bother to make a list of demands other than those set in the Tripartiate Pact (everything up to the 60th meridian east).
 

Tannhäuser

Banned
Hitler was the CiC and the only one able to legitimately offer any kind of peace proposal. But, Hitler would rather swallow a bullet then achieve anything short of his 'Total Victory'. That was one of the reasons I think the unnconditional surrender demand was pretty stupid... as if Hitler would have supported any kind of surrender and it made the position of the July 20th plotters and other anti Hitler groups inside Germany hard to gain traction as all Germany had to look forward to was occupation, division and Plan Morganthou.

But is another stab-in-the-back legend really what we want? Or maybe it wouldn't have come about. Or maybe destroying it wasn't worth the cost.
 
But is another stab-in-the-back legend really what we want? Or maybe it wouldn't have come about. Or maybe destroying it wasn't worth the cost.

A stab in the back myth can't take root if you occupy said country and tell the population what to think as did not happen in WW1. Suffice it to say I think the development of nukes ended the era of major power wars.

In WW1 the Allied powers put on Germany the terms of a conquered country without having actually conquered and occupied Germany. That is a recipe for a second greater war if anyone ever read the history of the first and second Punic Wars.
 
One wonders if Stalin or Beria would have really minded that much about keeping a pet Nazi.

Would the temptation to be able to order the last surving member of Hitlers Reich to do literally anything possibly override the desire to wipe them from the earth?

No, but it sure as hell would be funny :D

Beria: Hey HH, it's Daddy-B here, listen could you do be a big favour and declare war on France?
Himmler: Umm, sure okay. How many divisions will you be sending to support us?
Beria: Divisions? I never said we were going to war with France, we just want you to try and invade them again.
Himmler: But...we don't have any planes or ships! We have 5 Panzers and 100 guys with old mauser rifles! This is insane!
Beria: I'm sorry what was that? I can't here you I'm going through a tunnel. Oh and btw, if you don't invade France we'll drop a H-bomb on you. Kay bye.
 
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