Apparently, the prospective Kaiser had the idea that Hitler would've brought him back to the throne and initially supported him because of that idea. If he wasn't wrong on that front, would it actually have been possible? Was Hitler actually capable of bringing back the monarchy? Would there be any noticeable difference in how Germany would've been like aside from having a royal head of state? Would the personality cult still be there? Who would the oath of allegiance be given to? Would there still be WW2 or could the Kaiser have restrained Hitler?
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WI: Hitler Brings Back the Monarchy?
- Thread starter Christian
- Start date
Ricardolindo
Well-known member
- Location
- Portugal
No. Hitler hated monarchism.
Makemakean
Mr Makemean
- Pronouns
- Logical, unlike those in German
It's not that Hitler hated monarchism per se. Rather it's that he saw no immediate usefulness of it at present as an intrinsic institution, and regardless, were he to bring it back, it would be in the form of Kaiser Wilhelm II, who had been a most incompetent peacetime politician and an even worse wartime leader.
Pictured: Benito Mussolini being held back from creating a powerful personality cult around himself by King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy.
Arthur_Phuxache
Double Points Friday
- Location
- Greater Doncastrian Empire
Why would Hitler cede his absolute power to some random Hohenzollern?
What does Hitler, the centre of the universe and saviour of the German volk, get out of it?
What does Hitler, the centre of the universe and saviour of the German volk, get out of it?
Yeah a monarch would serve as a rallying point for the conservatives who weren't convinced Nazi but followed along for the ride and Hitler couldn't have that.
Torten
Well-known member
- Location
- Wessex, UK
- Pronouns
- He/Him
The most plausible way I could see it happen is if Hindenburg can't run for a second term due to poor health, and Crown Prince Willhelm runs with the backing of the Conservatives.
Then when Hitler takes power, he elevates Willhelm to Kaiser to placate the army and Conservatives, but strips the Kaiser/President of some of his powers at the same time (because reasons) and enpowers himself instead (or perhaps the Reichstag if he wants it to appear less of a power grab) so Willhelm can't dismiss him - he becomes a figurehead for the Chancellor.
Then when Hitler takes power, he elevates Willhelm to Kaiser to placate the army and Conservatives, but strips the Kaiser/President of some of his powers at the same time (because reasons) and enpowers himself instead (or perhaps the Reichstag if he wants it to appear less of a power grab) so Willhelm can't dismiss him - he becomes a figurehead for the Chancellor.
Arthur_Phuxache
Double Points Friday
- Location
- Greater Doncastrian Empire
This would certainly guarantee that Hitler would become President in 1932.
- Location
- Albany, NY
- Pronouns
- She/Her
IMO such an outcome launches a German Civil War.
Hitler bringing the Kaiser back for whatever reason - I can't see him doing it but let's say he did - would, like @Makemakean says, want a crappy one and will have little issue doing all his Hitler stuff like the King of Italy didn't/couldn't stop Mussolini. But I could see this having an impact on how we popularly remember WW1 and the Versailles Treaty if both world wars were done with a Kaiser (and Good Officers swearing loyalty to him) and the interim with nice stuff was a republic. "Should've made Versailles harsher" we may now say
napoleon IV
Sheer Animal Cunning of the Groundhog
- Location
- Washington, Douglass Commonwealth
- Pronouns
- he/him
In particular I suspect the failure to put Wilhelm II on trial and hang him after WWI would be seen as a much greater failure than it is OTL, since presumably ITTL Kaiser Wilhelm III and possibly other members of the Hohenzollerns would have gone to the gallows with the other Nuremberg defendants.