| November 19 |  |
Editor says, if Germany won WW1, should Hitler have a future? Please note that the opinions expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the views of the author(s).
This story was published in the November 2011 edition of Changing the Times Magazine.
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In 1918, on this day Gefreiter (Private) Adolf Hitler of the 16th Bavarian Reserve Regiment was discharged from the Paswalk Hospital, his administrative status of Kriegdverendungunfahig ("unfit for military service") made largely irrelevant by the recent and spectacular success of Ludendoff's autumn offensive.
KriegdverendungunfahigTransferred to the 2nd Bavarian Infantry Regiment in Munich, he witnessed the beginnings of orderly demobilization of the Reichwehr.
The situation in the allied countries was chaotic. The process of internal collapse that had forced the allies to sue for terms had continued after the armistice. In Britain, Soviets were being established in northern and Scottish industrial towns, and in France, Paris was in the grip of a new commune. Former Prime Minister David Lloyd George, who had first muttered "We are going to lose this war" accredited defeat less to a triumph of German arms, but rather to a "stab in the back" from anti-establishment forces stirring revolt in the working class.
As his eye-sight began to fully recover, Hitler was to observe more subtle changes in his own victorious nation. The prestige of the monarchy was shattered, and the war-time dominance of the military was set to continue long into peace-time.
Germany had attained its undeclared war-time aim of achieving world power status. But continued expansion would surely bring the country into conflict with the two world powers that had remained out of the Great War, the United States and Japan. Creating the possibility of a terrifying future war with the defeated nations in combination with those world powers. Hitler wondered if perhaps this current peace was little more than an interregnum. A prolonged armistice of two conflicts bridging a single war. It was the start of a thought process that would eventually lead to his own political awakening..
Entry posted by Todayinah Editor
© Alternate Historian, 2004-.Story Tags
Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: Politicians Source: Wikipedia Labels: Adolf Hitler, Reichwehr, Germany, Revolution, World War 1. Editor says, in this post we explore an article on What if Germany Had Won World War 1? and repurpose content from Wikipedia.
~ One point: If Germany won the Great War, then the last paragraph can't be accurate (where it says that Germany remained out of the War) Typo fixed, meant Japan - thanks. Ed
Other than that, quite intriguing.
~ Lloyd George's complaint about a "stab in the back" hints at the possible rise of a British counterpart to OTL's Nazis (under Oswald Mosley, or someone else).
And surely "Scottish" should be capitalized. Fixed - thanks. Ed
~ Japan was never a threat to Germany. The Japanese joined in a land grab to get German colonies in Asia. So Japan joining shouldn't make a difference in the outcome.
~ Why would the prestige of the monarchy be harmed? I'd think that the Kaiser'd be riding high.
~ It could never have mattered how sucsessful the German Spring offensive was the Germans were going to lose the war because America came into the fight with millions on the front, millions in reserve and yet millions more back home in training awaiting battle if need be.
Germany only had a shot at winning had American not involved itself in the war in anymore way then say Portugal.
~ PS,
"There is no balance of power but me, me and my twenty five (army) corps"
kaiser Wilhelm
~ With enough political chaos in Britain and France, their empires are going to be in trouble. It'd be an even bigger land-grab than for Germany's in OTL.
~ Mike, I think the PoD is that America doesn't join tram is more stupid than in OTL, although I'm not sure how thats possible. Without it, America lacks an impetus to go to war besides USW.
© Today in Alternate History, 2013-. All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
