TOCarroll
Posts: 215
Joined: 3/28/2005 From: College Station, Texas Status: offline
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Well (In Reply to Jimm & others)....No Hitler no WW2 is an oversimplification. There were numerous factions within the Nazi government (SS, Luftwaffe, Army, Foreign Office, Labor Servics, Nazi Party, (the remaininig) SA). All were vieing for more power. As someone pointed out, this was a "Feature" of the government. If Hitler was assisanated, it is by no means sure that Goering would have succeeded him. Even if he did, who would follow him? He had nowhere near the (Germanic) chrisma of Hitler, and was a fat, lazy, drug addicted slob to boot. In order to acheive a military victory, WHOEVER became head of state would have had to quickly execute drastic government reforms, so that the system was not utterly chaotic. These reforms would had had to include removing from power people like Himmler, Heydrich, Borman, Ley......it would have made the night of the long knives look like a girl scout picnic. Then there is the alliegence problem. Hitler KEPT the goverment fragmanted into factions. The new leader would have to unite the factions (after executing or imprisoning the leaders), AND maintain the immense popular support Hitler enjoyed. No small task. Perhaps someone like Rommel could have become Der Furher #2, but in 1940, Rommel was an avid Hitler supporter. I agree that technically, Germany could have won a military victory if they purged Hitler & company, but there were enormous practical obstacles to overcome. I think the problem was more political than military, in that sense. Tom OC
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"Ideological conviction will trump logistics, numbers, and firepower every time" J. Stalin, 1936-1941...A. Hitler, 1933-1945. W. Churchill (very rarely, and usually in North Africa). F. D. Roosvelt (smart enough to let the generals run the war).
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