What if Adolf Hitler died on August 20, 1939 of natural causes..., heart attack, cardiac arrest.
What will be the policy of Hermann Göring, who would become his rightful successor?
Will the agreement with the USSR still be signed, will the Ribbentrop–Molotov Pact be implemented?
Or there will be an attempt by Göring to make some form of agreement with Poland and its government. Hermann Göring, who was always skeptical of Hitler's war plans. He would probably, as at the beginning of August, send an unofficial confidant, the Swedish businessman Birger Dahlerus, to London on August 25 to assure the British government of Germany's willingness to reach an understanding... Would it be realistic if he now had the power in his hands? Would the British and French be willing to make another concession regarding Gdańsk?
What would Göring's later policy be regarding the Baltic States and Eastern Europe in general?
How would he deal with his political opponents, or with people he hated - Julius Streicher, Odilo Globocnik and many others... Would there be a purge in the form that happened during the Night of the Long Knives?
Would the Wehrmacht swear to Göring the absolute obedience it had previously given to Hitler, or would the Heer defy itself in this respect?
How would the relationship between Göring and Kriegsmarine Commander-in-Chief Raeder turn out? Would Göring have a strong enough position and influence to remove him from office and replace him with someone more politically suitable?
What would be the fate of the German navy if Göring ruled? There could be a large-scale halt to naval construction programs and the subsequent sale of many warships. I can think of the possibility of selling twins to the Netherlands and heavy cruisers to the USSR. How would the British and the RN react if something like this happened. Could this have been a gesture on the part of Göring to reconcile with the British?
These are just some of the questions that came to mind, there would be a huge number of changes. What would the world be like if there was no war and the Nazis still held power in Germany, at least for the next 10 years?
What will be the policy of Hermann Göring, who would become his rightful successor?
Will the agreement with the USSR still be signed, will the Ribbentrop–Molotov Pact be implemented?
Or there will be an attempt by Göring to make some form of agreement with Poland and its government. Hermann Göring, who was always skeptical of Hitler's war plans. He would probably, as at the beginning of August, send an unofficial confidant, the Swedish businessman Birger Dahlerus, to London on August 25 to assure the British government of Germany's willingness to reach an understanding... Would it be realistic if he now had the power in his hands? Would the British and French be willing to make another concession regarding Gdańsk?
What would Göring's later policy be regarding the Baltic States and Eastern Europe in general?
How would he deal with his political opponents, or with people he hated - Julius Streicher, Odilo Globocnik and many others... Would there be a purge in the form that happened during the Night of the Long Knives?
Would the Wehrmacht swear to Göring the absolute obedience it had previously given to Hitler, or would the Heer defy itself in this respect?
How would the relationship between Göring and Kriegsmarine Commander-in-Chief Raeder turn out? Would Göring have a strong enough position and influence to remove him from office and replace him with someone more politically suitable?
What would be the fate of the German navy if Göring ruled? There could be a large-scale halt to naval construction programs and the subsequent sale of many warships. I can think of the possibility of selling twins to the Netherlands and heavy cruisers to the USSR. How would the British and the RN react if something like this happened. Could this have been a gesture on the part of Göring to reconcile with the British?
These are just some of the questions that came to mind, there would be a huge number of changes. What would the world be like if there was no war and the Nazis still held power in Germany, at least for the next 10 years?