I just read that apparently Churchill offered the German emperor asylum in Britain when Germany invaded the Netherlands. He even offered a reception with all honours. Wilhelm declined because his health was not up to a flight. But WI he did go?
WI Wilhelm II. goes to Britain in 1940
- Thread starter historyfool
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likely not much, like you said he wasn't very healthy so likely dies in the UK at the same time or earlier then he did in the Netherlands, I guess he goes in the St. George's Chapel vault with little fanfare, if say the POD is that he's in better health, maybe he's able to improve his image in the UK, but any ways this really has a lot of fall out for the House of Hohenzollern:
Crown Prince Wilhelm: had a close relationship with Hitler in the 1930s that cooled by the 1940s, in OTL in 1944 Hitler put Wilhelm under supervision by the Gestapo, if his father leaves….
Prince Wilhelm: died in the invasion of France
Prince Louis Ferdinand: Nazi, till a falling out with Hitler, imprisoned at Dachau in 1944
basically I can see this freeze out the Hohenzollerns politically at best at worst they all end up in jail
Crown Prince Wilhelm: had a close relationship with Hitler in the 1930s that cooled by the 1940s, in OTL in 1944 Hitler put Wilhelm under supervision by the Gestapo, if his father leaves….
Prince Wilhelm: died in the invasion of France
Prince Louis Ferdinand: Nazi, till a falling out with Hitler, imprisoned at Dachau in 1944
basically I can see this freeze out the Hohenzollerns politically at best at worst they all end up in jail
Would that actually be possible? That is, would the British government be willing to support a government-in-exile made up of the Hohenzollern, promising to form a government very similar to Britain's in Germany?
Should Hitler go mad over this and throw them all into jail and later on have them all killed there will only be a handfull left.
The only male one the Nazis couldn't get their hands on would be Prince Friedrich, who's sitting in England.
Adalbert lived in Switzerland, so he may be safe too, unless he made an ill timed visit to some family member in Germany.
The rest? To my knowledge they all lived and worked in Germany.
I doubt Hitler would react that way, perhaps put them under supervision... but the later in the war the crazier Hitler... and he might convince himself that the July 20th plot or something like that was an attempt to restore the Hohenzollern and then
Definetly can't put it past him.
The only male one the Nazis couldn't get their hands on would be Prince Friedrich, who's sitting in England.
Adalbert lived in Switzerland, so he may be safe too, unless he made an ill timed visit to some family member in Germany.
The rest? To my knowledge they all lived and worked in Germany.
I doubt Hitler would react that way, perhaps put them under supervision... but the later in the war the crazier Hitler... and he might convince himself that the July 20th plot or something like that was an attempt to restore the Hohenzollern and then
Definetly can't put it past him.Seems we can agree that the part of the family the Nazis can get will be imprisoned, but it´s hard to say under which conditions.
Would it have any effect on Germany´s internal opposition though? There was still some lingering monarchism among parts of the armed forces after all. And maybe the official reception of the Kaiser in Britain might increase their hopes that a restoration would be a way to reach an accomodation.
And what about post-war, provided the war progresses more or less as otl? I don´t think restoration is in the cards then, but could the Hohenzollern have a larger visibility perhaps, being able to portray themselves as enemies and victims of the Nazis?
Would it have any effect on Germany´s internal opposition though? There was still some lingering monarchism among parts of the armed forces after all. And maybe the official reception of the Kaiser in Britain might increase their hopes that a restoration would be a way to reach an accomodation.
And what about post-war, provided the war progresses more or less as otl? I don´t think restoration is in the cards then, but could the Hohenzollern have a larger visibility perhaps, being able to portray themselves as enemies and victims of the Nazis?
After going off the deep end before/during/after WW1 about how horrible and dangerous the Hohenzollerns supposedly were, how existential to a Free Europe the Hohenzollern threat was, it would seem the height of hypocrisy for them to then create a Hohenzollern gov-in-exile in 1940.
Eh, they would be best friends with the Bolsheviks within a couple of years and the Soviets were a far more serious problem.
Although I think bringing the Hapsburgs for some sort of neo-Holy Roman Empire might be an even better sell. That or a south Germany and a Prussian north.
Thinking about it, I believe some 50 000 people attended Prince Wilhelm's funeral in 1940. That caused Hitler to ban members of the former ruling houses from service at the front lines, something about being worried that more "hero deaths" would strenghten monarchism.
Now, assuming that Willy going to England results in his grandson being pulled out of the troops and put under house arrest, this wouldn't happen and Hitler might feel that monarchism is much more gone than it really is.
Who knows, perhaps he feels encouraged and justified enough to put all princes in Germany under house arrest that are hostile to nationalsocialism. I think the Saxons weren't really on good terms with the nazis, when the former crown prince drowned his brother was convinced that it was no accident but the nazis, if I have that right.
Not sure what effects that could have (if any) on the resistance, but long term I doubt it will hurt the various houses if they can say "Members of our family were arrested, under watch etc by the nazi regime".
Unless Hitler goes "Kill them all!" later, though then you might get some Anastasia like stories for some families, but I really doubt that would be of any condolence to the families.