Quote:
Originally Posted by Marienburg
To start off with Hitler would have been given a hero's burial, likely in Munich or Linz. Goering would have succeeded Hitler as stipulated by Hitler on September 1 of that year. Plans for the attack on France would have been well under way but would Goring have led them to a similar conquest of France as Hitler actually did? Goring was less than enthusiastic about the war at the beginning and was not confident his Luftwaffe could defeat the Allies. How would he have responded to having the ground and naval forces at his disposal as well? And how would the rest of the Nazi hierarchy take to having Goring as new Fuhrer? Would the Allies have been more willing to come to some sort of negotiated end to the war without requiring the unconditional surrender of Germany? Would events have ever led to an invasion of the Soviet Union, Germany's newfound ally?
I think there are many more interesting things to consider in this what if Hitler was assassinated scenario than the usual one that considers only the 20 July, 1944 attempt.
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Firstly, I disagree.
The General Staff had been continually planning such things years before and had one plan for the day Germany was to invade Poland that collapsed for some stupid reason like traffic or something.
Whether they or someone else assassinated Hitler, or he just died choking on a cherry, the German generals had been preparing to not only arrest all the Nazi Party Leaders, but disarm the SS at the same time.
In your scenario,
I think the Generals would take immediate action, especially while the Nazis themselves were in a state of shock and confusion and long assuming eachother would be the chosen successor resulting in no clear leadership.
I believe the Generals would step in, order martial law and especially now before the SS got so big, immediately arrest all Nazi Officials and disarm the SS units.
They would open immediate channels to the West asking them to not to try to take advantage of the coup on promises they would return part if not most of Poland and 'influence' the Russians to do so also.
Germans in general did want pre-ww1 borders returned, but they were also dismayed when Hitler's promise that the Allies would back down yet again over Poland back-fired.
Not to mention put Stalin's armies twice as close to Berlin as before.
As for Nazi support.
When Hitler announced the Nazi-Soviet Pact, and ordered a complete 180 in regards to propaganda about who was and who wasn't the great enemy anymore, even those leaning towards the Nazis were still going....
'what the hell?'.
It would be worse than Bush all of a sudden hugging that Iranian President and announcing nuclear, economic and military trade deals between present-day USA and Iran. Alot of Germans even Nazis were questioning what the Nazis actually stood for or not with the Nazi-Soviet Pact.
Between this and the paralysis of losing the founder of the movement, hell ya I say the Generals win.
I'd say the Generals would succeed in a coup and the elimination of the Nazi Party.
I don't think they'd voluntarily give up especially former German Poland, but I do think they'd want to make peace with the Allies as long as, again, it wasn't unconditional.