The Austrian Reich and an Austrian Fuehrer

Mikey said:
What-if HItler had stayed in Austria, fought in the Austrian Army, and joined a post-war, Nazi-like Austrian party. COuld this be plausible?

It's plausible but an Austrian Nazi party would never have the same power base as a German one, the population base is too small.
 

Grey Wolf

Gone Fishin'
Donor
Landshark said:
It's plausible but an Austrian Nazi party would never have the same power base as a German one, the population base is too small.

Hitler by all accounts hated the Habsburgs for their decadent rule and saw them as an obstacle to pan-Germanism - he was supposed to have served in the Austrian army but left for Bavaria instead. So, in the first instance you need to get round that

The Nazi's fundamental principles included pan-Germanism, the idea of the Greater Germany - this could of course have originated out of Austria (there was always support for it amongst some sections of the population there) but it would be inherently contradictory - remaining AUSTRIAN and yet preaching pan-Germanism

Austria-Hungary's collapse in 1918 could not be blamed on the same elements of society as that of the German Empire - i.e. no stab in the back myth, no reviling of the Jews (many SPD members were Jews, eg Rathenau) and no red menace as the wave of strikes and uprisings was a German rather than an Austrian phenomenon. Thus if a Nazi Party had arisen out of Austria it would have different underlying tenets

As well as different leading members - many of the leading Nazis were Bavarians originating in the Bavarian birth of the party

I think you COULD have a Nazi Austria with a Nazi fuhrer if you have someone like Seyss-Inquart (I think?) rise to leadership within Austria in alliance with Nazi Germany but no Anschluss due to a stronger and more defined Italian opposition

Grey Wolf
 
What I meant was that while Hitler could become the leader of an Austrian Nazi-style party such a party would never rise beyond a fringe group. The NSAOP(?) would probably be part of a grouping of extreme right wing organisations that would include blood and soilers, pan-Germanists and ultra conservative monarchists. I doubt the average Austrian on the street would know who Hitler was beyond "that one with the silly mustache".

I do wonder what would be going on in Germany proper if Hitler stayed in Austria?
 
I'd say we're most likely to see a Hugenberg Chancellory. BTW, does anyone know if Hugenberg and the DVNP (German National People's [or Nationalist] Party) share all the "goals" that Hitler did?

For a different approach, how about a party led by Hjalmar Schacht? Schacht, although extremely hostile to Germany's Jewish population (he basically wanted them to leave), disagreed publically with what he called the "unlawful activities" against the Jews in 1935. He pointed out that Jews had fought bravely in the German Army in WWI and that they deserved to be treated legally, if not fairly. A brilliant economist, Schacht resigned his post as Economics Minister in 1937. During WWII, he became involved in several plots against Hitler (including the July Plot) and was sent to the Dachau Concentration Camp, where he managed to survive until the war's end. He was found not-guilty of war crimes at Nuremberg and died in 1970.
 
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Grey Wolf

Gone Fishin'
Donor
Well, I was thinking Tirpitz becauise Hugenberg didn't make good his possibilities in OTL so given the same situation another extreme right leader could rise up with some freakiness and overtake him, and Tirpitz could be the man to do it - or without Hitler and thus without Munich may be Ludendorff

Grey Wolf

Walter_Kaufmann said:
I'd say we're most likely to see a Hugenberg Chancellory. BTW, does anyone know if Hugenberg and the DVNP (German National People's [or Nationalist] Party) share all the "goals" that Hitler did?

For a different approach, how about a party led by Hjalmar Schacht? Schacht, although extremely hostile to Germany's Jewish population (he basically wanted them to leave), disagreed publically with what he called the "unlawful activities" against the Jews in 1935. He pointed out that Jews had fought bravely in the German Army in WWI and that they deserved to be treated legally, if not fairly. A brilliant economist, Schacht resigned his post as Economics Minister in 1937. During WWII, he became involved in several plots against Hitler (including the July Plot) and was sent to the Dachau Concentration Camp, where he managed to survive until the war's end. He was found not-guilty of war crimes at Nuremberg and died in 1970.
 
Another Possibility

WI Germany does better in World War One so the results are a negotiated settlement along roughly ante bellum lines for Germany but less good for AustroHungary. So the Kaiser retains control of Germany (not without some domestic unrest) but AutroHungary descends into the Abyss. Hitler might pop up as a political figure in Austria in a party pushing for Austrian entry to Germany. He would probably claim the Jews were responsible for this not happening already.
 
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