If Hitler was killed or he simply "disappeared" at say: 1924 (Shortly after he left prison for trying to take over the government) would Germany have remained under the weimar republic, or would the nazis or another facist group taken power?

If Hitler was killed or he simply "disappeared" at say: 1924 (Shortly after he left prison for trying to take over the government) would Germany have remained under the weimar republic, or would the nazis or another facist group taken power?

The Weimar Republic was doomed to begin with. The power vacuum in it and the wanted to revenge tarnish honor and the Great Depression would have lead to a fascist group in power. It is actually good that Hitler came to power because his incompetence in military was a boon to the allies. If a more competent had come to power I fear we would be saying "Seig Heil, Mein Führer" (I think I screwed up the German).

-the Wolf

The Fascists would have come to power regardless I think.

Well the political climate would have turned more extreme, that's for sure. But we have to remember that it was Hitler who made the Nazi party so popular, without him, I think the Communists would have been more influencial than the Nazis.
And who knows if Germany would start a war, and such a war... Maybe they would be happy with the abandoing of the Versailles treaty? Maybe the USSR would have gone to war?

If Hitler suddenly disappeared in 1924 the whole story about hi would only be worth a chapter in a special book about German extreme parties of the beginning of Weimar. However, the KPD would have grown more but also the NSDAP in a much weaker extent. They would not have had the leading person as Hitler was. Who should replace him? Göring, the Opium junkie? Goebbels, a fantastic orator indeed but without the ability to run the party? Himmler? Röhm, who was leader of the SA and homosexual? None of them would have been appointed by Hindenburg. Also the NSDAP had no real chance to get over 20% in the elections and would have been bancrupt before 1933 (as they were indeed in 1933). In that year the economical crise would be over and the sea would be much more calm. The crise for the democracy would be over. The German governmets following would have tried everything to get rid about Versailles and rebuilt the German Forces. But now there would be a democratic government ruling. No state antisemitism and Holocaust. Einstein would have stayed in Berlin as many others. Germany would have been in a scientific extremely good position.
What about the other foreign relations? Well, the trouble with Poland would have existed still and as soon as possible Germany would claim the lost territories but in no way a world war would have started by Germany. Stalin could have. When he thought he was ready in 1945 or later he would have attacked leading to ww2.
A last word about the KPD and why I believe they would be out of the government: They had no backbone in the military and other state leading institutions. Only a coup would have been used but this would have failed as they had no chance to win against the private armies of the other parties and the Reichswehr.

Adler

If Hitler didn't rise to power I might be alive..., but if he rose to power and won the war I would be dead in the death camps..

Another one of these materialistic-idealistic battles.
IF he died in the 'first' years (early), the materialists are certainly correct: Another one would have come along and "done the (sad) job".
The later it gets, the more complicated the situation becomes. Is Adler right with his idealistic view? Or would another man in the NSDAP rise to power - we cannot be sure there was noone capable? Or would it just have been a historical necessity (a 'must') that Hitler died (that early), and thus materialism is correct again?

m

The Soviets would of started ww2 by invading europe. Then after they got part way through germany the allies would beat them back and win. After that the soviets would be allowed to keep control of russia but weakend. they would sneakly bulid up and then invade america by pretending that they were peace keeping in Mexico and using mind control to disable americas Nukes. After this the allies would bulid back up chronoshpere back into russia and win the war. Next a terrorist organisation would form out of the russian empire by a balding man named Kane; known as the Brotherhood of NOD would amege based on the newly discovered mineral Tiberium.......................................... .................................................. .......
.............................somewhere along the line The USA and China would join forces to fight the GLA who are very simlar to Al Quida. In the end the death of hitler would have lead to alot of Commanding and a lot on Conquring.

The Soviets would of started ww2 by invading europe. Then after they got part way through germany the allies would beat them back and win. After that the soviets would be allowed to keep control of russia but weakend. they would sneakly bulid up and then invade america by pretending that they were peace keeping in Mexico and using mind control to disable americas Nukes. After this the allies would bulid back up chronoshpere back into russia and win the war. Next a terrorist organisation would form out of the russian empire by a balding man named Kane; known as the Brotherhood of NOD would amege based on the newly discovered mineral Tiberium.......................................... .................................................. .......
.............................somewhere along the line The USA and China would join forces to fight the GLA who are very simlar to Al Quida. In the end the death of hitler would have lead to alot of Commanding and a lot on Conquring.

This was the very reason i thought about this. It was somewhat based off the story of red alert when hitler was taken out before he could rise

Hitler was an extreme. HE was the reason why the NSDAP became so dominant. Would there be another? It isn´t impossible but very improbable. No, without him the NSDAP was lost and the KPD had no real chances to gain the power so that the Weimar Republic would have existed much longer.
A C&C Red Alert scenario, I mean Stalin would start ww2, would still be possible and propable.

Adler

HE was the reason why the NSDAP became so dominant.
And yet Hitler only appealed to the masses. He didn't shape their world view. The Germans already were nationalists, racists, antisemits, anti-democrats etc.
The basic condition for NS was the state of the society.

Hitler had an amazing talent to combine all the various sentiments in large parts of the population and present a simple solution to certain problems.

I'm not sure that we wouldn't have ended up with the Third Reich if Hitler didn't exist. Let's not forget that he needed skillful fellow combatants like Goebbels and Göring.

Nationalistic and anti democrats were widely spread in that time and not only in Germany. However racism was not that spread as you say. The conditions for the NSDAp to gro were the situation and Hitler himself. The situation we do not discuss, but the person of Hitler. Without him the NSDAP would be a small party woth some success in the crise but in no way getting over 20% in the height of the crise. There was no acceptable person for the other parties to accept the NSDAP.

Adler

I tend to agree with Adler.

I believe that if Hitler had not come to power, there would
have been no anti-semitic rascist far right government.

Germans might have looked to peacably develop a mini-EU following on from the 19th century customs unions with a strong commercial, industrial and scientific leading eastern non soviet europe OR maybe adopted a moderate germanic variant of Mussolini's fascism.

Well there would still be colonies for awhile...Maybe into the 80s if no WWII.....if there was no agressive Germany, its hard to say what Japan would have done. Italy would have continued to the same route of building up and annexing some weaker countries, but after Mussolini died it would probably stop. He would be alot like Franco in his later years probably.

Gregor Strasser was quite important to the NSDAP during the 20s although he didn't have the personality of speaking powers of Hitler. More of a 'socialist' than Hitler.
Quite a mysterious character though, never been able to find good info on him. When he split from the party Hilter was quite worried.

Imo Germany would have ended in a totalitarian regime with or without Hitler. Certain aspekts coming from Hitler´s personality like the rabid anti-semitism would have been different, the regime would have been closer to Italy or Spain without him.
Austria for instance ended up in a Fascist regime under the Christian-socialists with the far from impressive leader Dollfuß in charge. The masses called for authority at this time, the question was if the Fascist or the Communists take over the government.

I think war would still have happened but not as extreme. Germany would have either won or cut its losses alot earlier and I doubt the Holocaust would have happened. Invasion of Russia would be unlikely for example but Poland would have been in trouble sooner or later.

Easy answer:
No way

A better question perhaps, what would have happened if the High Command had been successful in assassinating Hitler in July 1944?

Would his successor(s) have tried for immediate peace, potentially arranging a much larger Germany than currently exists today?

The conspirators were a muddled lot, at one point they suggested Goring take his place.
They would have the backing of the army (obviously) and would want to continue the war against the Soviets. Making peace with Britian and America would have been difficult given that they probably wouldn't be able the come to agreeable peace terms.

Germany would equal minor fascist government. Soviets would be the big baddies through the forties. Allies[including germany] will beat back Soviets because of population comparison.

I doubt that. Hitler was the force behind the NSDAP. There was no other leading person available. The others, Göring, Himmler, Goebbels, were not accepted by population and party at least as leader. However the NSDAP would have had some success as protest party, like in reality, in the time of the crise 1929- 1933. But wide under the percentages they got. And nobody would have got the idea to take one of them for chancellor. So the other anti democratic party, the KPD, would have gotten more votes, but as they were in no way accepted by economy, Reichswehr or leading political men and parties they also would have had no chance. Perhaps a civil war could have been occured, but I do not think they had the possibility to win it.
On the other side Stalin would have prepared for war...

Adler

I think I agree with Adler that Hitler really was much more than just a figurehead for the Nazi's. Germany had been pushed to extremes by the economic situation, not just on the right but also on the left. It could just as well have been the communists who profitted from Germany's strife instead of the fascists. It could also have been neither - Germany could have recovered without indulging an extremist party. It really is impossible to predict.

Nature abhors a vaccuum. Someone would have filled the role. Without Hitler, it clearly would not have been the Nazis, but the German Communists were long a principle foe. The real question is whether anyone else would have been able to solidify a hold on power as well as Hitler did. Again, the communists are a possibility, in this case because of outside factors, principally USSR. However I doubt it. The antipathy between Germany and Russia runs too deep.

J

At first the communists could have achieved power only by a coup. On the legal way it was unthinkable. At first a majority in the Reichstag for them was unthinkable. As well as any president appointing a communist as chancellor. And a Soviet invasion of Germany in the 1930s was also not possible.
Concerning the antipathy between both, Germany and USSR, you are wrong. Until Hitler broke it, Germany had close relations to the USSR, as both were the European Pariah states. Both lost the war and both had no allies. In the treaty of Rapallo the Reich made a peace treaty with the Soviets, in which no side demanded anything. Indeed Germany was allowed to keep secret bases in Russia to build, deploy and train on weapons forbidden for Germany like tanks and fighters. Therefore they had also to train the Red Army. However it was indeed an alliance of an own kind and still also a danger for Germany. And because of that it was not undisputed among the German politicians. But it was nearly the only way to circumvent Versailles.

Adler

I doubt that. Hitler was the force behind the NSDAP. There was no other leading person available. The others, Göring, Himmler, Goebbels, were not accepted by population and party at least as leader. However the NSDAP would have had some success as protest party, like in reality, in the time of the crise 1929- 1933. But wide under the percentages they got. And nobody would have got the idea to take one of them for chancellor. So the other anti democratic party, the KPD, would have gotten more votes, but as they were in no way accepted by economy, Reichswehr or leading political men and parties they also would have had no chance. Perhaps a civil war could have been occured, but I do not think they had the possibility to win it.
On the other side Stalin would have prepared for war...

Adler

Adler knows what he's talking about.

Taking the first post - Hitlers date of death being 1924 - by this time Hitler would have had little impact beyond the renaming of the party. As such the NSDAP would still be led by its founders - Anton Drexler, Gottfried Feder, Dietrich Eckart and Karl Harrer - people who generally had as much in common with socialism as they did with nationalism. Thus it would be these people, not Goebbels or Goring who would be in control of the party. It was the whole personality of Hitler that turned the NSDAP from a minor German workers party to a fascist powerhouse - Mein Kampf would not have been even written. Theres a good chance that from this point on Weimar would survive - or be overthrown - but by the left, not the right.

Given the facts, world economy crise, "negative" (democratic parties in absolute minority) majority in the Reichstag and Hindenburg as president, which would be also doubtful if Hitler died or disappeared in 1924, most probably then Marx, Zentrum, it is more propable the Republic would have recovered form the crise as there was an upgoing of economy since the 2nd half of 1932. So in the elections after it the democratic parties would have gained majority at last in 1934/35. Then there would have been no Hitler and de facto also no Versailles. The Republic would have been reformed- perhaps, as the introduction of a real constitutional court and the ban of non- democratic, perhaps without parlamentarian monarchists, parties would have lead to a consolidation of power for the democracy.
A communistical coup or similar take over I can´t see. But then Stalin would have been the agressor. In the 1940s. I would assume about 1945. Then he would have challenged the western world but given the capability of the united forces of Germany and the Western allies, perhaps excluding the USA, Stalin would have had no chance. But this is massive speculation.

Adler

Given the facts, world economy crise, "negative" (democratic parties in absolute minority) majority in the Reichstag and Hindenburg as president, which would be also doubtful if Hitler died or disappeared in 1924, most probably then Marx, Zentrum, it is more propable the Republic would have recovered form the crise as there was an upgoing of economy since the 2nd half of 1932. So in the elections after it the democratic parties would have gained majority at last in 1934/35. Then there would have been no Hitler and de facto also no Versailles. The Republic would have been reformed- perhaps, as the introduction of a real constitutional court and the ban of non- democratic, perhaps without parlamentarian monarchists, parties would have lead to a consolidation of power for the democracy.
A communistical coup or similar take over I can´t see. But then Stalin would have been the agressor. In the 1940s. I would assume about 1945. Then he would have challenged the western world but given the capability of the united forces of Germany and the Western allies, perhaps excluding the USA, Stalin would have had no chance. But this is massive speculation.

Adler

I actually agree with this. In the early 1930's the Nazi party actually had to fight an aggressive campaign to win it's extra seats due to the strenghtening of the German economy and the loss of overall liking for extremist groups such as the NSDAP and the KPD. Seeing as there was no real 'leader' in the party in the early 1920's, and himmler, etc, only rose to such heights through hitler, I think that a lack of Hitler as an iconic figure in the NSDAP during the early 1930's would have turned the Nazi party into a fragmented minority.

The BVP and the SDP would have fought for a majority during these years, and after either would establish a government and the government would have eventually stablized itself.

Also saying that Stalin would have gone to war with Europe is silly. Russia wouldn't be capable of such a war until the 1940's, and by then Europe would be more than ready to crush any Russian offensive.

I also suspect that between 1930 and 1950 the war with Japan between the USA would not have happened since Japan got most of his military influence directly from nazi Germany--such as it's air force and a large part of it's oil and iron ore supplies--but I do suspect that Japan would conquer Manchuria still, but without it's german ally it would be hesitant on going beyond this. The USA would never have a WW2 incident though and would remain an isolationist nation for much longer. I even suspect the atomic bomb wouldn't come until later.

In other words, if Hitler died the world would have been a much more peaceful place all the way from Japan to the USA. His actions caused a ripple through the world and was a key to the development of the nuclear bomb, the entire second world war, the rise of imperialist Japan using war, the rise of the cold war, and the USA becoming a world military super power.

Hitler was an extreme. HE was the reason why the NSDAP became so dominant. Would there be another? It isn´t impossible but very improbable. No, without him the NSDAP was lost and the KPD had no real chances to gain the power so that the Weimar Republic would have existed much longer.
A C&C Red Alert scenario, I mean Stalin would start ww2, would still be possible and propable.

Adler
The cold war would not be as tedious as it was. Nuclear Wepons probaly would never exist.