RE: Given a chance would you kill baby Hitler?
November 12, 2015 at 3:10 pm
(This post was last modified: November 12, 2015 at 3:13 pm by Anomalocaris.)
I think people place too much emphasis on hitler's personal shortcomings as commander in chief as a reason for Germany lossing the war. I think once started, Germany was overwhelmingly favored to lose the war even if she was led by fully competent military and national leadership.
I think the unlikely part was Germany achieving the magnitude of her initial diplomatic and military successes between 1936 and 1941, not that she would inexorbly be defeated after 1942.
So I think without hitler, it is much more likely that Germany would not have ever thought she could gain by risking a European war during the late 1930s, and so the tension in Europe would not have boiled over. If war is avoided in late 1930s and early 1940s, I think Germany's relative strength would only decline afterwards. So she would be even less likely to seek or risk war later.
I think the unlikely part was Germany achieving the magnitude of her initial diplomatic and military successes between 1936 and 1941, not that she would inexorbly be defeated after 1942.
So I think without hitler, it is much more likely that Germany would not have ever thought she could gain by risking a European war during the late 1930s, and so the tension in Europe would not have boiled over. If war is avoided in late 1930s and early 1940s, I think Germany's relative strength would only decline afterwards. So she would be even less likely to seek or risk war later.
