Hitler's effects on the War and what removing him could do. However this is all based on the Great Man theory.[note 1]
The Great Moment[note 2] idea that the "postwar chaos in Germany would have inevitably produced an anti-Semitic, warmongering demagogue" is not explored at all.
The 1996 novel Making History does explore such a possibility with a Rudolf Gloder replacing Hitler, who thanks to time travel meddling is never born, and being far more charming, patient, and effective leader Gloder leads the Nazi party to victory in Europe and the Cold War is now between the United States and a Nazi Europe.[note 3]
Putting the Hit on Hitler[]
There are several points where Hitler narrowly escaped assassination.
Munich, 1938
The Bürgerbräukeller Affair (Nov. 8, 1939): A Württembergian clockmaker named Georg Elser tries to kill Hitler with a bomb set to go off during Hitler's planned 90 minute speech. However Hitler stopped short of his normal speaking time and just 8 minutes after leaving later the bomb exploded, killing 8 people nearest the bomb.
An Icarus Agenda (1943): Smolensk Army Group Chief of Staff Gen. Henning von Tresckow had three separate ambushes planned for Hitler. Plan A required the cavalry escort for Hitler’s motorcade to attack the Führer’s vehicle at a given signal. Plan B had his fellow plotters shoot Hitler at the mess hall. Plan C involved smuggling a bomb on board Hitler’s plane to explode mid-flight.
Operation Valkyrie (20 July 1944): likely the most famous attempt on Hitler life this failed mainly because someone moved the briefcase with the bomb to the other side of a heavy oak table leg. The failure resulted in the hunting down and execution of more than 5,000 people, including 157 army officers.
Other Options[]
The Sole Survivor (October 28, 1914): This, along with other events, did shape Hitler's belief of being "destined". It with other points could easily be altered to take out Hitler.[1]
The Iron Dream (1919): This contains the Hugo award winning novel Lord of the Swastika (1953) from a reality where Hitler emigrated from Germany to the United States and became a science fiction writer. The post script to the novel lays out the history of that world - more Communist nations then in our world. Other works by Hitler in that reality are a long-running fanzine (Storm) and the novels The Master Race, The Thousand Year Rule, and The Triumph of the Will.
Notes[]
- ↑ 'The idea that a man or woman of sufficient willpower, ability, and vision can alter history and change the course of nations.' (GURPS Infinite Worlds pg 97)
- ↑ The times make the person. (GURPS Infinite Worlds pg 98)
- ↑ Effectively a variant of Reich-2
References[]
- Weird War II pg 8
- Weird War II pg 35