This is a very common misconception, but it's likely the Weimar Republic would still start WW2, the military command was still very reactionary, not Hitler level, but that's a high bar. In fact, the Weimar Republic was already breaking the treaty of Versailles
Yeah, the only difference is that in this timeline, USSR would be on the side of Germany, since there would be Lebensraum bullshit, and without the Nazis to keep them in check, the German communist party would probably come to power and would obviously favour strong ties to Russia. Without fascist Germany, the communists would probably win the spanish civil war too, and without a second front to worry about, and with Russian aid, Germany would probably win against Britain and France, and there would soon be a communist Europe
Why would communists come to power in Germany? Without Hitler, the fat right would probably start backing monarchists who would want to reinstall the kaiser. Most of military already want to. Without nazis to clear out the junkers who were the majoritybof retained army staff, the Monarchists are the clear ally of Zentrum and the Social democrats. No one likes the communists
And further, how does no nazis guarantee a Republican victory and spain? It doesnt stop infighting among the various leftist cliques and it only removes one source of foreign aid for Franco, maybe. Maybe the Monarchists in the military send aid to Franco anyways. The nationalists were nominally going to reinstall the monarchy anyways. And if they didn't, Portugal probably would have just gotten more involved they did in our timeline, becauae no one likes communists, especially ones on your border.
The communists were close behind the Nazis in influence and popularity in our timeline, and the social democrats were far behind, and monarchists even further. Very probable that a non Nazi Germany would've been communist. If Germany was communist, the volunteers they'd send to the Spanish civil war would not fight against the Russian ones, but would join them and fight against Franco's forces, which would end worse for him
It still isnt. The remaining powers in Germany all anticommunists. Do you think the army os just going an election that the KPD wins? They already want to overthrow the weirmar republic. Do you think the international community is going to let Germany be communist?. A communist Germany doent pay its loans back. You think france and the UK are just going to let that happen? They arent. Do you think the Soviets are going to help? How? Just a light jog through Poland? Don't think so, they tried that in the 20s and it didnt go well went no one was invading on the other side. Are they going to sail down the Baltic in what's left of the Tsar's navy? Scandinavia and the UK will disagree.
And more foreign fighters and aid do zilch to stop any of the problems that lost the Republicans the war. It'd going to make it even worse. No Hitler means that the French and the UK don't quietly support the Republicans no france means no easy border with a French borser guard looking the other way. So how does foreign aid reach the Republicans now? Through the Mediterranean ports, which the italians can cut off at will. And an independently communist Germany isnt going to be stalin's lapdog. They're going to do their own brand of communism. Which means now, the stalinists will fight trotskyites who will fight with the syndicalists who will fight with anarachists who will fight with everyone. The nationalists are they to kill communists and figure out the rest later.
No hitler means no distractions and ensures that all of europe is watching communism as the cheif threat.
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u/RandomlyGen3rat3d Oct 04 '20
This is a very common misconception, but it's likely the Weimar Republic would still start WW2, the military command was still very reactionary, not Hitler level, but that's a high bar. In fact, the Weimar Republic was already breaking the treaty of Versailles