Elser Successful

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Georg Elser (1903–1945), Adolf Hitler's would-be assassin.

Adolf Hitler is perhaps the most known, as well as the most hated, figures in modern history. Rising to power in an economically depressed Germany, Hitler rebuilt the German economy and military. He would then sweep across Europe with his army, murdering millions and eventually taking his own life when it was clear that he would not survive the war. During his reign, Hitler was either loved or hated by his people. Even though he would portray himself as a savior of Germany and being beloved by all Germans, he had a fair number of assassination attempts and conspiracies against him. One of the most overlooked was Georg Elser's bombing of the Bürgerbräukeller.

Had Elser detonated his bomb sooner or if Hitler had spoken longer, the Fuhrer would have been killed just two months after invading Poland and subsequently starting the Second World War. Not only would Hitler have been killed, but it is likely that Joseph Goebbels and Heinrich Himmler would be killed as well. The loss of these evil yet significant figures would radically alter the 20th century as we knew it. This timeline focuses around one question: What if Elser were Successful?

Point of Divergence[edit | edit source]

On November 8, 1939, at 8:45 p.m., border guards apprehend a suspicious German citizen named Georg Elser. The guards originally suspected Elser of being a petty criminal attempting to flee to Switzerland, however a search of his pockets changed their suspicions. In his pockets were wire cutters, notes on placing explosives, firing pins, and a diagram of the Bürgerbräukeller's interior. Elser was immediately handed over to the Gestapo for questioning, but it would be too late for them.

At 9:05 p.m., Adolf Hitler was in the middle of his fiery speech honoring the anniversary of the Beer Hall Putsch. He had begun to decry the United Kingdom and the French Third Republic, when a deafening explosion tore through the beer hall. His last recorded words were the following:

"The British and the French will be shaking when they see our great soldiers marching in! They will hide in the shadows when our aircraft roar over their cities! They will know that their time-"

The explosion killed 18 people and injured 35. Among them were Joseph Goebbels, Rudolf Hess, Heinrich Himmler, Robert Ley, Alfred Rosenberg, Julius Streicher, Hermann Esser, and most significantly, Adolf Hitler. Authorities immediately arrived to the scene after hearing the explosion, however all they found were the corpses of some of Germany's most powerful rulers. At 9:18 p.m., the chief of the Munich police phoned Hermann Göring, Hitler's selected successor, to inform him of the Führer's death. Göring was now the most powerful man in Germany.

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