Germania Victoria - The Triumph of Ludwig Sternberg

[Czernobog]

Extracted from 1933: The World Changes

The election of Ludwig Sternberg, leader of the Große Deutsch Nationalist Partei (GDNP), as Chancellor in 1933 proved to be one of the seminal events in world history. But before we discuss those elections, we must first discuss Mr. Sternberg's own character. He was tall, blond-haired, blue-eyed. He was a great orator, intensely patriotic and nationalistic but not easily given to racial hatreds. The only thing he cared about was patriotism and willingness 'to make Germany...a greater and better country'. He liked to present himself as Germany's saviour, and indeed, many saw him as a hope against the scourge of Communism, ironic given that he would later ally himself with the Soviet Union.

He was from Prussian stock and had fought as a Colonel in the Great War - he liked to present this 'war hero' aspect as a publicity technique. Indeed, he was a master of what later people would call 'spin'. He had written a manifesto of his general aims in 1920, just a year after the Treaty of Versailles, entitled Deutschland den Krieg - Germany's War.

He was, in general, a skilled politician.

We must also discuss the historical background. With the brief existence of the Bavarian Räterepublik and the Nazi Munich Coup (the Nazis disintegrated into a number of warring fringe far-right factions (which were eventually banned) after their leader died in the attempted Coup), Germany was in a precarious position. Ludwig was exactly what the Germans needed, a strong leader.

The elections showed a landslide victory for Hindenburg and Sternberg, as the records of the Greater German Republic show. With Hindenburg's death in late 1933, and with no suitable replacement, Sternberg decided, somewhat unwillingly (as his diaries attest), to take the President's power into his own hands and become simply the leader (Fuhrer) of Weimar Germany. A plebiscite was held, and this was accepted by the population. Elections for the new Fuhrer were to be held in 1940, but owing to the state of war at that time they were not held till the war's end in 1947, during which time Sternberg was essentially a supreme dictator.

He was to lead Germany's people to grand new heights.

[speaker-to-trolls]

I've written three different reviews for this now which is far more time than I should be spending on it. The bottom line: A story about how your Prussian Aristocrat Imperialist Aryan Dreamboat Demagogue restored the Fatherland to glory is not going to be interesting to read about unless the plot gets much more developed than that in the next few chapters. In my humble opinion this is a non starter.

[Siege]

A perfect Aryan übermensch takes over Germany in Hitler's place and leads it to greatness over the course of a war that just so happens to coincide with WW2... Yes, this very much leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

And what the fuck is this obsession with Germany/Prussia/the Reich anyway?

[Czernobog]

Consider this abandoned; I'm going to rewrite Galaxy of Life instead.

[Steve]

A perfect Aryan übermensch takes over Germany in Hitler's place and leads it to greatness over the course of a war that just so happens to coincide with WW2... Yes, this very much leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

And what the fuck is this obsession with Germany/Prussia/the Reich anyway?

People wanting to prevent the rise of the Nazis and the debasement of, and eternal black mark on, German culture and society, I'd say.

Or, like Thanas, the writer is German?

[Siege]

People wanting to prevent the rise of the Nazis and the debasement of, and eternal black mark on, German culture and society, I'd say.

It's one thing to write about a reality in which Hitler fell down a well or was killed in a freak accident involving cheese and a horde of ravenous house cats, after which some big lefty took charge, and Europe turned into a big field of bunnies and rainbows afterward -- as unrealistic as it would be, I'd have no problem with it. It's quite another thing however to write about how some Aryan übermensch hero guy type takes over Germany, fights a war, and "saves" Germany from the "scourge" of communism. That's borderline Nazi fanfiction.

Or, like Thanas, the writer is German?

I very much doubt your average German would want to touch a concept like this with a ten poot pole.

[Czernobog]

Well let it be known; I am not a Nazi, nor do I believe in their detestable ideology or am associated with them or any groups of them. Indeed, there was recently a troll on a forum where I frequent that espoused their views - while he was swiftly banned, with an introductory thread title like "fantasies of being the Fuhrer" - I was half-disgusted, half-amused by his utter madness. Neither am I German - I am simply fascinated by the German Empire, not the Third Reich (and only a person with no knowledge of history would conflate them). I am also interested in how Germany could have won WW2 (like pretty any alt-historian ever), and various other matters of history, but interest does not denote supporting the ideologies of the historical figures and nations you are interested in, otherwise I would be a Greek Orthodox Byzantine/Czarist Space Nazi/Communist, to list just a few of the things I would be if that was the case.

In hindsight, it was probably a mistake to post this here, and to prevent such things occurring in future I will not post alternate history here again, unless I check it with other people first.

[Siege]

I didn't say you were a Nazi, nor meant to imply such; it's just that this particular bit is far too close for comfort. I'm not one for imposing limits on what people can and cannot talk or write about on this forum, as any of the long-term members can attest to, but I'm drawing a line at things that could be (mis)construed as Nazi sympathies.

But you've already explained yourself, and you're going to discontinue writing this anyway, so I suppose we can consider this tangent closed.

[Steve]

Frankly if someone's a fan of the Second Reich I would think they would posit ATLs that either A) prevent WWI or B) alter where, how, and why WWI is fought so the German Empire survives it. Not necessarily "wins", just survives.