RabidAlien
1st Lieutenant
I've been really curious about this for a long time now, and was wondering what sort of thoughts others have: how would WW2 have played out if the July '44 assassination attempt against Hitler had succeeded?
Hitler's Assassination
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ccheese
Member In Perpetuity
There were many attempts.
I really believe it all would depend on what year he was assassinated.
The "outcome" would probably been different if he were killed in 1942,
than in 1944.
Charles
I really believe it all would depend on what year he was assassinated.
The "outcome" would probably been different if he were killed in 1942,
than in 1944.
Charles
- Thread starter
- #4
RabidAlien
1st Lieutenant
Rommel knew of the assassination plot. And while he couldn't bring himself to actively conspire to kill the elected leader of his country, he agreed that something had to be done. The members of the plot had asked Rommel to take over after Hitler was gone, and Rommel agreed. When the plot failed, Hitler couldn't openly arrest and execute Rommel, because he was not an active participant, so the SS "arrested" Rommel and, while taking him in for questioning, gave him a vial of poison (the gentleman's way out). Rommel never made it to the SS headquarters. (all this from Desmond Young's book, "Rommel", and various other sources I can't remember off the top of my head). I've always admired Rommel, and have often wondered what the outcome would've been if the July '44 attempt had succeeded (edited original post to add date, thanks for pointing that out, CCheese!).
That is all really disputed. I have spoken with Rommels son on many occasions and he says that his fathers knowledge of the plot was very vague and that it was never planned for Rommel to take over the Reich at any time.
How would that have changed Hitlers tyranical policy, and the holocaust. Think about it...
Thorlifter
Captain
Chris, you know Rommel's son? His son must be in his 70's by now, right?
Anything else you can tell us about what his son said about his father?
Anything else you can tell us about what his son said about his father?
I do not know him as a friend or anything, but I have met him on many occasions. He is actually in his late 80s now. I spoke to him at several memorials for his father at the grave site of his father, once in his office when he was mayor of Stuttgart, and once when he was the guest of honor (along with several members of the Afrika Korps Members Foundation (I am not sure wha it is actually called) at our Military Ball. The last time I talked to him, he gave me a color photo of his father in his uniform in North Africa. He actually served for a little bit in the Wehrmacht, a few months after his father was forced to commit suicide he actually went AWOL from the military.
What kind of info would you like to know? Everything he pretty much told me about his father, is what is readily available in books and on the internet.
How would that have changed Hitlers tyranical policy, and the holocaust. Think about it...
I thought Hitler was supposedly assasinated in the poll, I did think about it. So roll your eyes like my daughters did when they were younger.
Stalin was a little more tyrannical and killed many more people then Hitler did. It would have been in our best interest to stamp out communism then.
renrich
Chief Master Sergeant
I believe that if the assasination attempt in 1944 had succeeded the Third Reich would have been in chaos with a number of leaders trying to take control. I don't believe that Rommel would have wound up as the chancellor(?) but the net effect would have been that the war in Europe would have ended sooner with many lives on both sides saved.
Konigstiger205
Staff Sergeant
In 1944 it was already to late to change the outcome of the war, but who knows maybe if someone who wasn't nazi would have taken the power, then Germany would probably have tried to fight off the Russians at the expense of the Western front. Anyway the war would have ended much sooner with Hitler dead and countless lives would have been saved.
JugBR
Staff Sergeant
other:
the assassination of hitler is keep in secret by the nazi party and their propaganda machine makes the people believes he still alive but sick. maybe pneumonia, or flu...
the masterminds of assassination attempt are killed, the history follows the same course.
the assassination of hitler is keep in secret by the nazi party and their propaganda machine makes the people believes he still alive but sick. maybe pneumonia, or flu...
the masterminds of assassination attempt are killed, the history follows the same course.
Rabid
the planned president was Beck, CoGS up to 38 and the planned Chancellor was a civilian, G...something, also for ex Hoeppner, the in Dec 41 sacked commander of 4th PzA, was active participant and clearly waited to get a very high military post after successfull coup. And anyway Rommel was critically wounded a few days before the assasination attempt.
My guess is that there would have first chaos but Nazis would have got upper hand rather soon being more single minded and more ruthless, also most of the army would not have understood the plotters. How Nazis would have chose the new leader, I don't know but after the war neo nazis would have been much bigger problem with clear proof for yhe stab into back theory. Allied would have used the initial chaos for their advantage but how much that would have shorten the war, at least some weeks maybe a couple months.
Juha
the planned president was Beck, CoGS up to 38 and the planned Chancellor was a civilian, G...something, also for ex Hoeppner, the in Dec 41 sacked commander of 4th PzA, was active participant and clearly waited to get a very high military post after successfull coup. And anyway Rommel was critically wounded a few days before the assasination attempt.
My guess is that there would have first chaos but Nazis would have got upper hand rather soon being more single minded and more ruthless, also most of the army would not have understood the plotters. How Nazis would have chose the new leader, I don't know but after the war neo nazis would have been much bigger problem with clear proof for yhe stab into back theory. Allied would have used the initial chaos for their advantage but how much that would have shorten the war, at least some weeks maybe a couple months.
Juha
JugBR
Staff Sergeant
juha, i think hermann goering would be the new leader.
- Thread starter
- #17
RabidAlien
1st Lieutenant
Granted, someone should've taken Hitler out in '38, spared us all alot of grief.
The reason for my question, and in particular the use of Rommel as future leader of Germany, comes from Desmond Young's "Rommel" (also reprinted as "Rommel: The Desert Fox" in paperback), pg 222: " 'I went on to say to him,' continued Strolin, 'that he was our greatest and most popular general and more respected abroad than any other. "You are the only one," I said, "who can prevent civil war in Germany You must lend your name to the movement." I did not tell him that it was proposed to make him President of the Reich: the idea was not, in fact, suggested until I returned and had a talk with Goerdeler, and I don't think he ever heard of it until the last day of his life."
So even if Rommel wasn't directly involved or even actively supporting the attempt on Hitler, what would've happened had he become the new leader?
The reason for my question, and in particular the use of Rommel as future leader of Germany, comes from Desmond Young's "Rommel" (also reprinted as "Rommel: The Desert Fox" in paperback), pg 222: " 'I went on to say to him,' continued Strolin, 'that he was our greatest and most popular general and more respected abroad than any other. "You are the only one," I said, "who can prevent civil war in Germany You must lend your name to the movement." I did not tell him that it was proposed to make him President of the Reich: the idea was not, in fact, suggested until I returned and had a talk with Goerdeler, and I don't think he ever heard of it until the last day of his life."
So even if Rommel wasn't directly involved or even actively supporting the attempt on Hitler, what would've happened had he become the new leader?
He would not have. He never really wanted to get involved in politics. He was a military commander and nothing else.
