What would you have done differently

Richard Miller · Post by **Richard Miller** » 23 Aug 2002 05:40

Suppose for a moment that you were in Hitler's position when he took ofice as Fuehrer.

What would you do if...

Your country was in the midst of a severe depression, due to harsh reparations payments from the past war...

You have no economy so to speak...

Your government is filled with people that you believe, caused your country's miseries...many of which are communist party members.

The communist party itself is attempting to make inroads into your labor organizations.

The majority of your people are out of work...

You lost large portions of your lands due to an interim government that signed a flawed surrender.

And you promised to turn it all around...

ZeitGeist · Post by **ZeitGeist** » 23 Aug 2002 13:19

Well, hard question.

The main problem, to me, is that Hitler gave lots of work to the
german people mainly because of his "turned war" economy.

Let's face it, he built fastways only to invade countries faster.

If I were at the beginning, I guess I would have try to do exactly
the same as Hitler : have the crowd with me, which is the most
important stuff in politics.

I would have kept a strong ideology -but probably not
the nazism as it is-, due to the important communist ideology
in Russia.

But, from 1939 It's difficult to say if i would have done the same
or not ... First of all, I guess i would have took in consideration
much more than Hitler the usa, which he didn't have in mind when
he planned to invade Europe ...

Weird, it's diffucult AND easy to say what i would have done
knowing more the different errors of the TR.

T.R.Searle · Post by **T.R.Searle** » 23 Aug 2002 14:04

Yes I would have done what Hitler did up to 1939 the same but After 'I' would invade Poland I would do things differently,seeing it is pretty easy now to point out the mistakes.

T.R.Searle

Zachary · Post by **Zachary** » 24 Aug 2002 02:03

I always wished I wouldn't be in that position....
Okay. First I would have stabilized the economy, made a right currency. Next I would have tried to give out food to all the working people, ask for aid from foreign countries. I'll appear nice at first and then stab them in the back later. Tough question...
Zachary

Phil V · Post by **Phil V** » 24 Aug 2002 06:30

Stick to politics and let the military leaders do their job.

Once Hitler started to play General the Fuhrer cult suffered a demise as did the war.

Arhanghelul Mihail · Post by **Arhanghelul Mihail** » 06 Sep 2002 19:25

Hitler was a great political leader but a very idiot army leader

Eva · Post by **Eva** » 06 Sep 2002 21:27

I would have been more patient. Hitler would have been much more sucessful if he had been a little more patient. if he had waited a year or so in between invasions, maybe appeasement would have won out. I mean, the allies practically handed him Czechoslovakia so as to prevent war...don't you think that they might have compromised over Poland if they'd had sufficient time to settle down in between?

EB

Tim Smith · Post by **Tim Smith** » 12 Sep 2002 12:05

My strategy as Fuhrer up to 1940 would be:

1933 - Same as Hitler, rebuild economy, stop paying reparations.

Instead of persecuting the Jews, I would do exactly the opposite - support the Zionist claim for an independent Israel to the hilt! Encourage all Jews to think of themselves as Israelis. Perhaps even secretly send arms to the Hagenah and Stern Gang in Palestine, preferably via the US. This will win much sympathy and support in the USA, divide the USA from Britain, and create huge unrest in Palestine and Egypt which will make the British government very uncomfortable indeed and keep their attention away from Europe.

1934 - Start rearming as France and Russia started first. Build Scharnhorst and Gneisenau with 6x15" guns instead of 9x11". Don't build Bismarck, Tirpitz or Graf Zeppelin, build more U-boats and medium tanks instead.

1936 - Send troops into Rhineland, but equipped only with flaqs and flowers. If the French open fire on unarmed German troops, there will be an international outcry and France will lose all her allies!

1936 - Spanish Civil War, same except no bombing of civilians.

1938 - Demand Sudetenland, but pretend to cooperate once the Allies agree rather than pushing the timetable and alienating Chamberlain.

1939 - Support Slovak separatists and force break up of Czechoslovakia, but do not annex rump Czech republic. Instead, try to force them to join the Axis through economic and diplomatic pressure. Hopefully this less aggressive tactic will prevent the British and French from extending a guarantee to Poland. If successful, buy Czech tanks and guns for the Wehrmacht.

1939 - Demand Memel from Lithuania - no problem.

1939 - Demand Danzig and the Polish Corridor from Poland. If Poland refuses, make Pact with Russia to divide up Poland, then organise a 'peaceful' march of 500,000 Danzig and East Prussian civilians into the Corridor. When the Poles break up the march by force, use that as a pretext for invasion. Without a guarantee to Poland and with the Nazi-Soviet Pact, the British and French will be reluctant to intervene. Only annex up to the old 1914 German border, set up the rest (except Soviet zone) as puppet Polish state under German occupation.

1940 - Depending on how relations with the Allies stand, either prepare to invade France in 1940, or Russia in 1942 if France and Britain are likely to stay neutral.

kchuah · Post by **kchuah** » 14 Sep 2002 04:05

If I'm hitler, I will order every SS to leave their helmets (with decal only) for personal collecting...