There are a number of people, who could have been influential in the Weimar Republic or even were, but died fairly young (relatively speaking). All the people below died in their mid-50s. Now I have been wondering what each of them could have achieved in the decade after their otl death and like to hear your ideas.
You are also welcome to add people who´s longer survival could have changed the Weimar Republic fundamentally. Only condition for that is they must have lived to see the end of WWI.
The first person who comes up in this kind of debate is usually Walther Rathenau. He intended to get rid of Versailles by negotiation. Was greatly hated by the right for that and for being a Jew. Murdered for that. Stresemann had his diplomatic success based on similiar ideas, but apparently Rathenau was the better diplomat.
Speaking of Stresemann, the other one popular in this kind of debate, he is today regarded highly for his diplomtic success but while he lived that was not entirely true within Germany. Nonetheless he was highly influential, being part of the government between 1923 and his death and shaping Weimars entire foreign policy in this time.
Hugo Stinnes was the most powerful industrialist of the Weimar republic. For him the economy came above anything else. Most important achievemnt otl is the deal between industry and unions he forged, which provided much needed stability at the time and is the basis for the modern German economic model. He opposed Versailles so far the DVP considered him part of the right wing, but also opposed militarism and antisemitism.
Matthias Erzberger was in support of signing Versailles and as minister of finance stabilised the German finances. His reforms to do that still have influence on the modern German tax system. Also murdered.
I guess most people know who Max Weber was. Beyond his scientific work he was also a founding member of the DDP post WWI and involved in drafting the Weimar constitution as well as member of the German delegation in Versailles.
So what would change if one of those lives. Or a combination of them if one averted death butterflies the next?
You are also welcome to add people who´s longer survival could have changed the Weimar Republic fundamentally. Only condition for that is they must have lived to see the end of WWI.
The first person who comes up in this kind of debate is usually Walther Rathenau. He intended to get rid of Versailles by negotiation. Was greatly hated by the right for that and for being a Jew. Murdered for that. Stresemann had his diplomatic success based on similiar ideas, but apparently Rathenau was the better diplomat.
Speaking of Stresemann, the other one popular in this kind of debate, he is today regarded highly for his diplomtic success but while he lived that was not entirely true within Germany. Nonetheless he was highly influential, being part of the government between 1923 and his death and shaping Weimars entire foreign policy in this time.
Hugo Stinnes was the most powerful industrialist of the Weimar republic. For him the economy came above anything else. Most important achievemnt otl is the deal between industry and unions he forged, which provided much needed stability at the time and is the basis for the modern German economic model. He opposed Versailles so far the DVP considered him part of the right wing, but also opposed militarism and antisemitism.
Matthias Erzberger was in support of signing Versailles and as minister of finance stabilised the German finances. His reforms to do that still have influence on the modern German tax system. Also murdered.
I guess most people know who Max Weber was. Beyond his scientific work he was also a founding member of the DDP post WWI and involved in drafting the Weimar constitution as well as member of the German delegation in Versailles.
So what would change if one of those lives. Or a combination of them if one averted death butterflies the next?