- Location
- North Solihull
- Pronouns
- she/her
A very common AH cliche/trope surrounds the assassination of Adolf Hitler - most commonly evoking the 1944 July Plot, or else the efforts of British Intelligence agents during war time.
However up to 1939, Hitler was seen by the wider world as a far less morally black character - whether that arose from a lack of foresight, apologism, Versaille-era guilt, or else pure wishful thinking and turning a blind eye to certain German domestic policies; he was remained just another head of state in the eyes of many outside political figures and the citizens of countries like the UK. Only later is the 'most evil man in history' label consistently applied.
Further, in the late 30s the German regime attempted to play down its aggressive and militaristic aims in the eyes of western nations, their statesmen, and their civilians. Figures like Lloyd George, the Duke of Windsor, and HG Wells were given tours and private audiences with Hitler, as well as being invited to the rallies at Nuremberg. Foreign journalists were given heavily sanitised tours of Germany, to promote the 'economic miracle' that had occurred post-Weimer, and the success and strength of the Nazi ideology.
Some foreign observers would be taken in by this PR offensive, however many became repulsed by what they saw first hand. In private audiences Hitler could often be charming for a period, before inevitably slipping into one delusional rant or other. And of course, there would be many socialists, liberals, and conservatives who opposed National Socialism from the very beginning.
So what if, during this period of 'charm offensive' a foreign visitor had taken advantage of access to a less paranoid pre-war Fuhrer to somehow* become a foreign proto-Stauffenberg? Many of course expressed precisely these impulsive sentiments in memoirs or letters, either at the time or in hindsight. Having killed Hitler, what happens next? If they are caught by German police (as seems likely), what happens next wrt the inevitable diplomatic incident? If the assassin somehow* escapes back to their home nation (e.g. the UK), are they extradited back to Berlin, or else do they become a figure of high controversy and divided loyalties within domestic politics?
What, for a TLDR, would be the legal and diplomatic implications, consequences or processes arising in this scenario?
* - I am entirely aware that this qualifier is doing a lot of heavy lifting in both of these places.
However up to 1939, Hitler was seen by the wider world as a far less morally black character - whether that arose from a lack of foresight, apologism, Versaille-era guilt, or else pure wishful thinking and turning a blind eye to certain German domestic policies; he was remained just another head of state in the eyes of many outside political figures and the citizens of countries like the UK. Only later is the 'most evil man in history' label consistently applied.
Further, in the late 30s the German regime attempted to play down its aggressive and militaristic aims in the eyes of western nations, their statesmen, and their civilians. Figures like Lloyd George, the Duke of Windsor, and HG Wells were given tours and private audiences with Hitler, as well as being invited to the rallies at Nuremberg. Foreign journalists were given heavily sanitised tours of Germany, to promote the 'economic miracle' that had occurred post-Weimer, and the success and strength of the Nazi ideology.
Some foreign observers would be taken in by this PR offensive, however many became repulsed by what they saw first hand. In private audiences Hitler could often be charming for a period, before inevitably slipping into one delusional rant or other. And of course, there would be many socialists, liberals, and conservatives who opposed National Socialism from the very beginning.
So what if, during this period of 'charm offensive' a foreign visitor had taken advantage of access to a less paranoid pre-war Fuhrer to somehow* become a foreign proto-Stauffenberg? Many of course expressed precisely these impulsive sentiments in memoirs or letters, either at the time or in hindsight. Having killed Hitler, what happens next? If they are caught by German police (as seems likely), what happens next wrt the inevitable diplomatic incident? If the assassin somehow* escapes back to their home nation (e.g. the UK), are they extradited back to Berlin, or else do they become a figure of high controversy and divided loyalties within domestic politics?
What, for a TLDR, would be the legal and diplomatic implications, consequences or processes arising in this scenario?
* - I am entirely aware that this qualifier is doing a lot of heavy lifting in both of these places.
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