I think alternate history is a beautiful genre. My first exposure to it came from YouTube. A YouTube channel named Alternate History Hub became one that I binged for days. The content was incredible, and I attribute part of my love for history and politics to that channel. But alternate history provides a sort of story unlike any other. The fact is, almost anything someone can come up with, is a form of alternate history. An alternate history in which the universe was born with magic for example. Or an alternate history in which the universe created ideal conditions for non carbon based life forms. Perhaps silicon based ones such as the the Space Slugs in Star Wars.
I feel like alternate history is a genre that is often overlooked, yet it puts into context, why the study of history is important. People say that we study history so that we don’t repeat the mistakes of the past. Alternate History provides the stories that show histories importance. One particular story I feel everyone should read or watch, is “What if Nazi Germany Won World War 2”. This question sparks curiosity in many people from hundreds of perspectives. For example:
From a military perspective, it is clear that from just 1942, Germany’s fuel shortages prevented mass mobilization of a mechanized force that could rival the United States tank corp. Germany chose to adopt a strategy of quality over quantity. The Tiger series is a perfect example of this philosophy. Superb German engineering constructed a behemoth that could rival a platoon of the mass produced Sherman Tank from the United States. It is said that Tigers were more likely to run out of ammo rather than be destroyed in combat. This sort of immense power, along with the industrial might of the United States, and the oil resources of the Soviet Union could’ve created a tank force that might have even rivaled nations pasted the 1940s. All this however, is placed on the one simple aspect of mechanized warfare, and that is that a fuel source is required to make armored corps, a viable strategy in combat. A possible solution could have been for Germany to take the Russian oil fields in the Caucasus. All this poses the situation in which Germany can gain the fuel necessary to create a powerful armored corp and Air Force, and in return they stand to at least hold out another 3 years at least. German High Command also held a fairly miss guided view on how to defeat Russia. This was one of the few time Hitler proved to be right. Most high ranking German Generals modeled Operation Barbarossa after the French Campaign. Take Moscow, and the rest of the nation will fall. This however was a misguided belief. Russia had the unique ability to trade land and men for time. Simply taking Moscow would be a logistical blow for the Soviets, but Stalin would undoubtably continue his fight. Hitler simply viewed Moscow as a general direction to move in, but not the end goal. For Germany to secure a military victory in Europe, they would need to crush the British and French wills to fight, reduce the Soviet Army dust, and destroy practically all its enemies. From France, to Mongolia. A total military victory would be next to impossible, but possibilities of a political victory exist.
From a political perspective, assuming Germany wins, it creates the situation on how Germany administers its now vast territorial claims. Hitler held on to his plan on how to tackle the Jewish Question, and eventually the Christian Question. It is no doubt that Hitlers was an outspoken anti-semite, and he held a deep hatred for the slavic peoples of Eastern Europe. His goal first, was to implement policies similar to Stalin’s hunger policies. Starve the slavs till they no longer exist. Then move Germans to these new lands. For Jews, well, its no secret that the religion would practically cease to exist. The world would be “cleansed” of the Jewish Religion. (I do not hold anti-Semitic beliefs and do believe that the holocaust, hitler’s actions, and nazism were great evils and one of humanity’s worst creations). With Hitler’s first goals of ending Judaism and the Slavic People now completed, there comes more questions. The administration of Germany’s newest puppet states. The now Facist Great Britain. The struggling Italian Empire to the South. Vichy France and their many rebellions. Such nations need to be dealt with. Hitler viewed the Northern Europeans as inherently superior to Southern Europeans. He believed that Italians, Southern French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Greek peoples were lazy and mentally inferior to Northern Europeans: British, Northern French, Germans, Nordic people’s. Theses beliefs would’ve translated into how he controlled his subjects. Let’s assume that Great Britain is subjugated. Majority of British civilians would be granted the title of honorary aryans. This would mean that police forces and the German Military would treat them with some degree of respect, however, if rebellion were too persists, then Hitler wouldn’t hesitate to massacre thousands of people, or burn a city to the ground. Ultimately, if a nation openly accepts Nazi rule, they will see little to no outright violence. But if they chose rebellion, then well, look at how the Mongols treated resistance. That would give a good idea of how Nazism would treat people.
From an economic perspective, there is not much one can say. Nazism was built upon a principle that the flame will extinguish, unless there is an enemy to defeat. First there was the Jewish peoples of Europe. To genocide them was the goal, but what then. You kill all your European enemies. Nazism needs an enemy, because they provide a goal, creating a need to for industry to create, so that Germans can live happily, and they can defeat their enemy. Without an enemy, they have not direction. It’s easy to see how once the war is over, Germany fairs poorly, economically. But with their vast territories in Eastern Europe now, there is no doubt that they would have a vast bread basket, and large territories to build industry. Slaves made from the few slavs who survived would cultivate these lands, and they would provide food for the ever growing German Population. Much of the German economy will be geared for war still. Germany, most likely would create a new enemy to keep the war machine going. Possibly the United States, or maybe Africa. In the end how ever, it’s almost impossible to know how well Nazi Germany will fair in the longterm economy. The simple fact is that the Nazi experiment, while it did burn hot, it burned hot for only a decade or so, before it was snuffed out.
From a Cultural perspective, the German culture would be come significantly more violent and fanatical. Even before the war started, the hitler’s youth programs were teaching the young German population the ideals of nazism and constructing the young malleable minds of children to remain ever loyal to Hitler and the German Nation. Boys were trained to be violent, and strong. They were trained almost to be soldiers. The program instilled in them similar values to the SS, in which they swore un dying loyalty to Nazism. They were trained to be killers for Germany, at very young ages. There were many instances where children were even fighting on the front lines during World War 2, as part of the Hitler’s Youth. Girls were taught to be the perfect house wife. Loyal to their husbands, and with the sole purpose of making healthy aryan children. They essentially needed to show loyalty by having as many kids as possible. Parents, when they received their children back from these programs, were horrified by the state their children were in. Boys came home violent. Ready to fight anyone. Girls in extreme cases, came home pregnant. When parents expressed concern over these things, the children stated that they would report them to the authorities for treason. Such fanaticism would be even more wide spread as the generation who underwent this indoctrination would become the majority of the German population. They would perpetuate Nazi Ideals and show violence to nay sayers. The older population would be loyal, but no where near as fanatical as the younger folks. In essence, the culture would be changed to be more German and nazi centric. Even the capital of Germany, Berlin, would be renamed Germania.
The international world would be completely changed under a German Victory. The only nation that could even pose a threat to Germany was the United States, and they were an ocean away. Japan would remain the dominate Asian power as China would be annihilated and much of the Pacific would remain under Japanese Control. Northern Africa would most likely remain under joint German and Italian control. The Soviet Union would most likely be turned into a puppet state, or the Western Portion would become space for German Settlers. The world would mostly be changed for the worst. Nazism and Fascism would become the dominate political ideologies, with the last bastions of democracy scattered throughout the world
This one alternate history example, provides such a deep and rich new history for the world. It makes us analyze the German War Effort and Economy and shows both the weaknesses and how it could’ve improved. It shows us the importance of the work that soldiers, and generals put in ending the German Reign in Europe. We see, had we not done this, or had they done this, the world could’ve been different. These lessons teach us what we can do in modern situation. Due to the unfortunate reality of history repeating itself, it becomes necessary for us to study the past, so we can eventually break the cycles. See what we can do differently, to prevent the mistakes of the past from repeating. Right now, is a perfect example. We are in the midst of an economic crisis, a biological crisis, and cultural crisis. Many of the worlds nations are turning to more right wing and radical leaders. From Brazil, to Russia, to the UK, and the United States. Threats to world peace are everywhere, since as recently as January, we almost slipped into a war. We may look back on history, call it the boring subject that teaches nothing important, but when look at history, without the pretense that it is boring, we can see the deep and rich stories, and when we use that knowledge to speculate, we see, the many ways things could’ve gone differently. The many alternate realties that could’ve happened. To build an appreciation of history, and an understanding, of how we can change now.