Hitler fights for Austria?

[stevep]

We know that Hitler was in Bavaria when WWI broke out and quickly joined their army. What I didn't realise, at least according to Herwig, "The First World War: Germany and Austria-Hungary" page 6, referenced in "Attrition, Fighting the First World War" by William Philpott, page 107, is that he initially returned to Austria to enlist in their army. However the recruiting officers classified him as "too weak, incapable of bearing arms" and rejected him. It was only after that he returned to Bavaria and enlisted there. [Which does seem a bit odd as Philpott says he left Austria in 1908 to avoid conscription].

However what if for whatever reason Hitler had been accepted by the Austrian army:
a) Given the very heavy losses in the Austrian army he is probably more likely to suffer death,imprisonment or serious wounds. As such no talented demagogue to spark interest in the infant Nazi party.

b) Presuming he survives in good health he is more likely to view himself and be viewed by others as Austrian, which would restrict if no prevent any significant political role in Germany. In this case you might have some deranged regime in Austria in the 1930's that quite possibly prevents any desire in Germany to merge with it simply because its is so repulsive and chaotic.

Either way it might be that someone else or some other party fills the gap and without Hitler's insane obsessions might make a revanchist Germany even more dangerous in WWII. However there is a good chance that you would avoid a Nazi type extreme group driving Germany into rapid rearmament in the late 30' and prompting a major conflict in the early 40's. You might still see some adventures by Mussolini and Japan causing a conflict in the east but, in the short term at least Europe and much of the world might see less bloodshed and devastation.

Steve

[lordroel]

Nov 17, 2016 20:06:13 GMT stevep said:

We know that Hitler was in Bavaria when WWI broke out and quickly joined their army. What I didn't realise, at least according to Herwig, "The First World War: Germany and Austria-Hungary" page 6, referenced in "Attrition, Fighting the First World War" by William Philpott, page 107, is that he initially returned to Austria to enlist in their army. However the recruiting officers classified him as "too weak, incapable of bearing arms" and rejected him. It was only after that he returned to Bavaria and enlisted there. [Which does seem a bit odd as Philpott says he left Austria in 1908 to avoid conscription].

However what if for whatever reason Hitler had been accepted by the Austrian army:
a) Given the very heavy losses in the Austrian army he is probably more likely to suffer death,imprisonment or serious wounds. As such no talented demagogue to spark interest in the infant Nazi party.

b) Presuming he survives in good health he is more likely to view himself and be viewed by others as Austrian, which would restrict if no prevent any significant political role in Germany. In this case you might have some deranged regime in Austria in the 1930's that quite possibly prevents any desire in Germany to merge with it simply because its is so repulsive and chaotic.

Either way it might be that someone else or some other party fills the gap and without Hitler's insane obsessions might make a revanchist Germany even more dangerous in WWII. However there is a good chance that you would avoid a Nazi type extreme group driving Germany into rapid rearmament in the late 30' and prompting a major conflict in the early 40's. You might still see some adventures by Mussolini and Japan causing a conflict in the east but, in the short term at least Europe and much of the world might see less bloodshed and devastation.

Steve

I have a book called Third Reich Victorious: Alternate Decisions of World War II with a chapter called The Little Admiral, 1939: Hitler and the German Navy where Hitler joined the Imperial German Navy instead of the German Imperial Army, fun to read.

[stevep]

Nov 17, 2016 20:29:30 GMT lordroel said:

Nov 17, 2016 20:06:13 GMT stevep said:

We know that Hitler was in Bavaria when WWI broke out and quickly joined their army. What I didn't realise, at least according to Herwig, "The First World War: Germany and Austria-Hungary" page 6, referenced in "Attrition, Fighting the First World War" by William Philpott, page 107, is that he initially returned to Austria to enlist in their army. However the recruiting officers classified him as "too weak, incapable of bearing arms" and rejected him. It was only after that he returned to Bavaria and enlisted there. [Which does seem a bit odd as Philpott says he left Austria in 1908 to avoid conscription].

However what if for whatever reason Hitler had been accepted by the Austrian army:
a) Given the very heavy losses in the Austrian army he is probably more likely to suffer death,imprisonment or serious wounds. As such no talented demagogue to spark interest in the infant Nazi party.

b) Presuming he survives in good health he is more likely to view himself and be viewed by others as Austrian, which would restrict if no prevent any significant political role in Germany. In this case you might have some deranged regime in Austria in the 1930's that quite possibly prevents any desire in Germany to merge with it simply because its is so repulsive and chaotic.

Either way it might be that someone else or some other party fills the gap and without Hitler's insane obsessions might make a revanchist Germany even more dangerous in WWII. However there is a good chance that you would avoid a Nazi type extreme group driving Germany into rapid rearmament in the late 30' and prompting a major conflict in the early 40's. You might still see some adventures by Mussolini and Japan causing a conflict in the east but, in the short term at least Europe and much of the world might see less bloodshed and devastation.

Steve

I have a book called Third Reich Victorious: Alternate Decisions of World War II with a chapter called The Little Admiral, 1939: Hitler and the German Navy where Hitler joined the Imperial German Navy instead of the German Imperial Army, fun to read.

  Steve

  Fun to read but IIRC many of the scenarios, such as that one, are fairly unlikely.  I doubt Hitler would have the paitence and technial knowledge to be an adequate naval leader and Germany can't really afford too much resources to the navy else it doesn't win in France, in which case a more powerful navy is pretty irrelevant due to geography. 

  Steve

[lordroel]

Nov 17, 2016 23:33:02 GMT stevep said:

Nov 17, 2016 20:29:30 GMT lordroel said:

I have a book called Third Reich Victorious: Alternate Decisions of World War II with a chapter called The Little Admiral, 1939: Hitler and the German Navy where Hitler joined the Imperial German Navy instead of the German Imperial Army, fun to read.

  Steve

  Fun to read but IIRC many of the scenarios, such as that one, are fairly unlikely.  I doubt Hitler would have the paitence and technial knowledge to be an adequate naval leader and Germany can't really afford too much resources to the navy else it doesn't win in France, in which case a more powerful navy is pretty irrelevant due to geography. 

  Steve

Maybe if Hitler survives he can become the dictator of Austria instead of Engelbert Dollfuss.