Interesting posts so far, another couple of historical aspects. There was no such thing as a "NAZI" That term was a convoluted term coined during the war. The actual name was the Nationalist Socialist Deutsche Arbeiter Partei - Nationalist Socialist German Worker's Party. Germany was a disconnected conglomeration of 144 city/states until Napoleon created the sixteen states there are now. The German federal military system was organized on this state system.

Each region/state had its own military organization. This was because of regional and dialect preferences which in 1900 were very strong. Each state had its own military structure. It was a three phase system of recruits, soldiers, and reservists. Recruits were drafted into the local unit, they did all their training there, went into active service with the federal military system but stayed intact as a unit, when their obligation was over went into the reserves - all with the same local unit. It was not uncommon to have three generations serving in the units plus all kinds of relatives. When a solder was wounded he was sent back to his unit for recuperation and trained the new recruits until he went back on active duty. There was a very strong family attachment to the unit plus they watched out for each other.

When WWI ended the German units were not defeated. They simply stopped fighting, turned east and went back home. They went back to the same home in the same military structure they had been in during five years of war. They were experienced and seasoned killers. The political situation at home was bad under the weak Weimar Republic. The economic situation was very bad as previously mentioned due to war reparations. The Communist Revolution had just destroyed Russia and was spreading - it was a very real threat.

When all established systems/structures are failing the only option is to create a new one. Using the military organization already in place Hitler created and put into motion a political movement. The SA - Sturm Abteilung aka Brown Shirts was created to provide a resistance to the RF - Red Front Communist faction. The NSDAP grew stronger both politically and in numbers. They eventually were able to gain seats in the Reichstag/congress as a legitimate party. The Weimar Republic was weak. In 1923 Hitler tried to overthrow the government in the Beer hall Putsch. They failed, he went to prison but was released after about a year.

He now had political creds, had written his political treatise Mein Kampf defining his positions, had fought in the War (he was awarded the Iron Cross) and been imprisoned for his political stance for Germany. The NSDAP grew stronger, became more politically acceptable as a political entity, but now the Brown Shirts were becoming a problem. They were too radical for the main stream political powers. On June 30 1934 Hitler staged what was called "The Night of Long Knives" and had the leadership of the Brown Shirts killed. The number of those killed was kept hidden but estimates are between 700 and 1,000. This removed the political pressure from the Brown Shirts for power, solidified his control, and set him up to be Chancellor of Germany.

Hitler became Chancellor in 1933, President Hindenberg died in 1934, Hitler used the Reichstag Fire (Capital building) to declare a state of emergency, and takes full power of the entire government. He used the power to shut down political opposition and consolidated his power becoming dictator.

Interesting "What If" but if you read Hitler's writings and listen to his words he was always going to go after Russia. He hated the Bolsheviks; considered them subhuman animals and a primary threat to Germany. His violation of the non-aggression pact he signed with Russia is the least shocking betrayal in the history of earth. Stalin was a complete dumbass to not see it coming. Conquering Russia was always one of his primary goals. Therefore to say "If only he hadn't invaded Russia" is basically saying "If only Hitler hadn't been Hitler".

Very good summary Roadkill.

I guess I never realized that Hitler was awarded the Iron Cross. I guess I've seen pictures of him wearing it, but for some reason it never registered in my brain.

Hitler during WWI on the far bottom left... (With a somewhat normal moustache.)

Kind of makes you wonder if a some point in his life he was a fairly normal guy and makes you wonder what switch flipped in his head and made him an evil mastermind...



Wearing the Iron Cross with his normal everyday dictator costume...

From what I understand was the defeat of Germany in WW1 and the humiliation of the Treaty of Versailles is what flipped his switch.

Yes. My understanding too. At least according to his book. It was when he was blinded and in the hospital that he had his epiphany.

Still... There a long way between being a wounded Lance Corporal and an evil dictator.

stalin and mao each killed many are people than hitler did, if that means much at all. based on sheer body count, they were worse.
i think the nazi fascination boils down to the propaganda done by the nazi party. it was so well produced and archived, it still gets constant play somewhere in the world.

correct. He was always going to invade Germany. But there were a few instances where the what ifs could of changed the war. If Enigma hadn't been deciphered, had the US not initiated the Lend/Lease program. I don't think England nor Russia would have survived the Nazi war machine. Britain was almost defeated anyways, their AF was almost destroyed, lucky for them hitler quit bombing the airfields and resorted to terror bombing. Also if the Russian winter had not have been as severe.

Very good summary Roadkill.


Thanks - Hitler was a company courier "runner". He delivered messages between units. There were no radio communications and phone wires were constantly destroyed by artillery. He would cross back and forth under artillery and sniper fire to deliver the commands and situation reports. This was both in day and night. It was an extremely dangerous and necessary job.

What flipped his head was being homeless in Austria before the war. He saw the rich (Jews) living very well while he and others like him were hot bunking in a low end flop house and trying to get one meal a day.

I think something else that pissed him off was the no one wanted to buy his paintings. I think I read where in his book that at one point he was producing as many as 3 paintings a day trying to survive.

I'm trying to imagine Hitler as Bob Ross... "Happy Little Accidents"

Perhaps one of his better paintings...

Hitler phones Biden……