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The Military History channel had a program where they duplicated the conditions and explosion that almost killed Hitler. It pretty well determined if the bag had not been moved Hitler would have been killed by the explosion 10 months before he committed suicide.
Question is would there have been people to step in, assume the leaders role and continue the war or would the German people given up the fight ?
How many lives would have been saved by those 10 months ?
I think some other Nazi would've taken over political leadership and the German army would've obeyed and fought loyally to the bitter end. Not much of a change in what happened so much as different German political leadership as Germany went down the toilet.
Maybe Himmler or Goring would've tried negotiating but they were in real deep too; all they could expect of any outcome except victory was the hangman, just as with Hitler.
There might have been a ''Civil War'' amongst the High Command officer corp in the Wehrmacht after that event however it was already established that General Beck would assume control as Military Dictator to and then he would surrender Germany before more damage would occur. He was always anti Hitler and antiwar from the begining and infact when Hitler wanted seized Checkoslovakia if the Allie's had declared war then before the Polish invasion Gen. Beck and others were to arrest Hitler and other Nazi party leaders but to their dismay the Allie's gave Hitler Checkoslovakia.
Did the anti-Hitler crowd not have access to putting a bullet into him ? You wold think a well placed bullet would have helped end the suffering of the German people.
Did Hitler not expose himself for a well placed sniper to take him out?
Did the anti-Hitler crowd not have access to putting a bullet into him ? You wold think a well placed bullet would have helped end the suffering of the German people.
Did Hitler not expose himself for a well placed sniper to take him out?
It would have been suicidal but worth it.
Hmm.... i'm not 100% sure about his security detail but i'm sure it was an highly trained and loyal batch of SS and Gestapo troops to protect him....kinda like our secret service although there was at least 15 attempts that all failed.
Most of the Army High Command gave loyalty to Hitler even though most knew what the end result would be for Germany as in 1934 the SA was the most powerful force in Germany (3 million in manpower?) and it's leader E. Rohm wanted to disband the Werhmacht and let the SA protect Germany to the dismay of the old Prussian Army Corp in charge so Hitler knew he had to get rid of Rohm as his own power would have been in question as Rohm may have wanted to assume Dictator himself and secondly Hitler knew it would get the allegiance of the High Command so he informed the High Command that Rohn would be dealt with and that the Werhmacht and it's Generals would run the show as did happen at first until i believe the failed Barbarossa conquest made Hitler assume all military decisions and Micro managed with an Iron Fist from what i remembered.
Someone may know more about your questions pn this but that's my take from my History Classes and watching the History Channel over the years.
The German army was overwhelmingly loyal to Hitler and the Nazis. Model, Manstein, Runstedt...the best were true. Even Kluge who killed himself when called back to Berlin from France because his loyalty was doubted wrote a letter declaring his loyalty to Hitler before killing himself.
Rommel was loyal too though the post war legend the British built around him (partly to explain away their own blundering) tries to paint him as anti-Nazi.
The German officer corps was almost Japanese in it's willingness to die rather than suffer disgrace; disgrace in terms of it's perverted values that is.
Starting as far back as 1920, Hitler's personal security was considered of the utmost importance. The Ordnertruppe, from which the SS eventually evolved, was the first to act as Hitler's personal guard detail. Hitler himself always carried a pistol when he appeared in public and in the early days had at least one armed bodyguard accompanying him.
Starting in around 1935, the job of protecting Hitler was primarily shared between the Reich Security Service, which was made up of professional police officers, and the SS. Anywhere from five to eleven members each of the RSA and the SS Escort were combined into what was called the "Fuhrer Escort Detachment" and were with Hitler when he traveled or attended public functions. There were even more layers on top of that to provide security for Hitler at the Reich Chancellery (the Security Control Service) and for his military headquarters and visits to the front line (the Fuhrer Escort Battalion). Add to that the regular police, the military police, the Gestapo, and the SD, Hitler was fairly well protected.
Often times the security arrangements for Hitler, no matter where he went, were treated as if he was visiting hostile territory. When he visited Austria, his homeland, in March 1938, his security detail carried fourteen submachine guns with nearly 3,000 rounds of ammunition. Each man also carried two pistols. One of Hitler's personal adjutants was given two more submachine guns with two magazine each for "special disposition" whatever that meant.
The key to the July 20, 1944 plot to assassinate Hitler was that no one ever considered that a General Staff officer might try to do it. The Gestapo and SD had great success in sniffing out plots by other malcontents but seemed to overlook the military because of its perceived unquestioning loyalty. Even after the bomb plot, General Staff officers that met Hitler had their firearms taken, and their briefcases searched, but never their bodies. Apparently the idea that one might use a knife never crossed their minds. Stauffenberg had the best shot at it. Had he been able to utilize both bombs he had with him and not just the one, then Hitler would have died for sure, no matter what side of the table leg his attache case was moved to.
As to who would have taken Hitler's place, I guess it would depend on whether the assassination and following military coup were successful. They might have tried at a military dictatorship with perhaps General Beck in charge. If the coup failed, then Herman Goering would have been next in line per Hitler's special "testament". Had Rudolf Hess not flown off to Britain in 1941, he would have been Hitler's immediate successor since the rank he held was Deputy Fuhrer.
On a side note, Goering tried to invoke the testament on April 23, 1945 while Hitler was still alive. Hitler was so outraged that he stripped Goering of all rank and offices, expelled him from the Nazi Party, and ordered the SS to first arrest him then execute him. Himmler became Hitler's next successor but on April 28th, Hitler found out Himmler was attempting to negotiate peace with the Allies and he suffered the same fate as Goering. And so, just prior to committing suicide, Hitler designated Admiral Karl Doenitz as his successor, naming him Reich President and making Doenitz the last official leader of Nazi Germany.
On a side note, Goering tried to invoke the testament on April 23, 1945 while Hitler was still alive. Hitler was so outraged that he stripped Goering of all rank and offices, expelled him from the Nazi Party, and ordered the SS to first arrest him then execute him. Himmler became Hitler's next successor but on April 28th, Hitler found out Himmler was attempting to negotiate peace with the Allies and he suffered the same fate as Goering. And so, just prior to committing suicide, Hitler designated Admiral Karl Doenitz as his successor, naming him Reich President and making Doenitz the last official leader of Nazi Germany.
This would be a job opening I would certainly say no thanks too. (Along with being the next President of the US)
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