Unsolved History: Conspiracies to Kill Hitler

[Gerald]

http://videos.howstuffworks.com/mili...tler-video.htm

[TLAM Strike]

While Hitler was a despicable human being killing him would have just put someone with some military common sense in charge and probably lengthened the war.

[Diopos]

Originally Posted by TLAM Strike

While Hitler was a despicable human being killing him would have just put someone with some military common sense in charge and probably lengthened the war.

Depends on "when". After Stalingrad strategic "common sense" points toward seeking a """negociated""" endgame while you still have an army (so as to avoid an "unconditional surrender").

.

[TLAM Strike]

Originally Posted by Diopos

Depends on "when". After Stalingrad strategic "common sense" points toward seeking a """negociated""" endgame while you still have an army (so as to avoid an "unconditional surrender").

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I have a feeling Stalin would not have accepted a negotiated end to the war. It would have made him look weak in the eyes of the populous and the military.

Also when Hitler relinquished military planing back to the army general staff look what happened. The Germans attacked at Kursk.

[Diopos]

Originally Posted by TLAM Strike

...
Also when Hitler relinquished military planing back to the army general staff look what happened. The Germans attacked at Kursk.

They were still under the "influence"!



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[STEED]

Originally Posted by TLAM Strike

Also when Hitler relinquished military planing back to the army general staff look what happened. The Germans attacked at Kursk.

Hitler was running the shop long before then, time and time again he would over rule the general staff. Russia was one country to many, trying to kill the golden goose laying the golden eggs for Germany was not a smart move.

[Raptor1]

Originally Posted by TLAM Strike

I have a feeling Stalin would not have accepted a negotiated end to the war. It would have made him look weak in the eyes of the populous and the military.

Also when Hitler relinquished military planing back to the army general staff look what happened. The Germans attacked at Kursk.

Not really, Hitler let the OKH plan Operation Citadel, but it was he who concluded it was best to attack there in the first place; Manstein proposed letting the Red Army attack south of the salient at the Kharkov sector and then enveloping and destroying them in a 'backhand blow'. Also, while he did not mess up the operational details of the plan like he did the previous year, he is responsible for delaying the attack for 2 months in order for the new armoured vehicles to be used in large numbers, which allowed the Red Army much time to prepare.

[STEED]

Operation Citadel was a bloody disaster in wasting all that German Armour for nothing, it should have never happen. Mind you Case Blue should have never happen, over extending the lines was asking for trouble.

[frau kaleun]

Originally Posted by Diopos

Depends on "when". After Stalingrad strategic "common sense" points toward seeking a """negociated""" endgame while you still have an army (so as to avoid an "unconditional surrender").

.

Yep, I was thinking the same thing. There came a point where any military coup that did away with Hitler would have been motivated by a desire to end the war on the most favorable terms possible, not do a better job fighting it and thus prolong it until victory was achieved. In fact I'd be hard put to believe there was any serious support for a coup within the military except for the express purpose of getting Hitler out of the way to facilitate negotiations with the Allies (or at least the Brits and Americans).

[Sailor Steve]

Given the way it turned out, maybe the entire war was a conspiracy to kill Hitler.

And Roosevelt.

[frau kaleun]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

Given the way it turned out, maybe the entire war was a conspiracy to kill Hitler.

On some deep unconscious psychological level, you may be right when it comes to Herr Hitler. Dude had issues and was able to play them out on the grandest of scales... most people who hate life and living that much, don't get the opportunity to bring half the world crashing down around them as an excuse to put an end to their own misery.

[TLAM Strike]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

Given the way it turned out, maybe the entire war was a conspiracy to kill Hitler.

And Roosevelt.

don't forget Mussolini... and Tojo... and Boris III and Prince Kiril... and Tiso... and Szalasi... and Petain... and Antonescu...

[Gerald]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

Given the way it turned out, maybe the entire war was a conspiracy to kill Hitler.

And Roosevelt.

[Diopos]

Originally Posted by frau kaleun

Yep, I was thinking the same thing. There came a point where any military coup that did away with Hitler would have been motivated by a desire to end the war on the most favorable terms possible, not do a better job fighting it and thus prolong it until victory was achieved. In fact I'd be hard put to believe there was any serious support for a coup within the military except for the express purpose of getting Hitler out of the way to facilitate negotiations with the Allies (or at least the Brits and Americans).

Something along that line.
And finding a "new role" for Germany as a guardian against the """communist tide""".

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[frau kaleun]

Originally Posted by Diopos

Something along that line.
And finding a "new role" for Germany as a guardian against the """communist tide""".

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Yes, wasn't that one of the things they hoped they could pull off - a separate peace with the western Allies, allowing them to focus their efforts on the Russian front? Meanwhile hoping that then the US and UK would withdraw from alliance with the USSR. I think they really believed that getting Hitler out of the way would take unconditional surrender to the Allies in toto off the table and they would have the chance to call at least a few of the shots.