Stopping Hitler

[Beowulf DW]

If I could go back in time to 1907 to kill Hitler, I might just do it. I'd be very worried about some one even worse stepping in to fill the void he left, though. I've heard that the British decided not to assassinate Hitler because they were worried that his successor would employ strategies that would prolong the war or even turn the tide. Still, I'm not sure if the who would've replaced Hitler would have massacred the Jews, so that's 4 million lives that might be saved.

I'd also worry about whether or not WW2 would occur. As horrible and ghastly as it was, it was necessary. People and societies must struggle in order to grow. The greatest sources of struggle are war, natural disaster, and economic disasters. The technology and world policies that emerged from the war made the world a better place. Humans had grown. We had finally reached the point at which total war was no longer beneficial to survival. Without World War 2, we, as humans, would have continued in our aggressive tendencies. It was only through nearly burning our own planet that we realized that disputes had to be settled through other means if our species was to survive.

However, I'm sure that even if Hitler was killed in 1907, whoever rose up to replace him would have started a war, too.

 

[Robert0288]

What, and let Stalin take over Europe? You obviously have NOT played Red Alert

This. Well more spesificly, we as the west where extremely lucky that hittler was incharge, instead of the other sociopaths that shared his ideas. For instance, his astrologer told him the allies would invade at pas de calais instead of Normandy. Hittler had direct command over a tank division that could have been used to smash the allied landings within the first day, instead of waiting many days as hitler was still convinced that the d-day landing were fake.

Instead of keeping the presure on britain, Hitler attack the soviet union who where still giving them free supplies.

Without hitler we would have had a bigger problem with the Russians if the war didn't happen. If we assume WW2 did happen, we would be more screwed b/c a sociopath rather than a psycotic would have been incharge. Sociopaths are scary as they are rational thinking human beings that can justify all their actions. psycopaths as hitler turned into later on in the war start telling themselfs something untill they themselfs belive it, and force it onto other people. Hence beliving that he was winning the war when he wasn't and ordering division sized units around, when they were in real life 10 kids with 1 gun and a couple of knives.

 

[Zorg Machine]

maybe the lesson we learned from hitlers rise to power prevents a nuclear war (then again since the nuclear bomb was invented in that time it might stop a future nuclear war but i wouldnt take the chance)

btw what about stopping djingis khan wasnt he a teensy bit worse?

 

[Mr Jack]

I would tell hitler to make his tanks with slanted armor and with that once sentance Germany would win the war and I'd be like his evil duke and get all the free pop tarts I want.

More important would be to use the Me 262 as a fighter rather than a bomber.

 

[Mr_Powers]

Of course you can't go back and kill Hitler. WWII, for better or worse was the catalyst for the advancement of humanity. Without WWII it would have taken decades longer to develop things like the atomic bomb, radar, computers, assault rifles, advanced jet engines and hundreds of other things. Also no WWII would likely mean no Israel, no cold war, and no East and West Germany. We wouldn't have James Bond movies dammit. And what do you thing video game makers would have done for the last few years, make make WWI games? No one gives a shit about WWI anymore.

So, no you can't go back and kill Hitler, the repercussions would be too great.

Also if you were to kill Hitler you'd do it when he fought in WWI, I know he was temporarily blinded by gas in that war.

 

[Flour]

I would create some documentation claiming he has Jewish heritage.

I'm quite sure I heard somewhere that he had a Jewish father that abused him. But everybody knows "I heard somewhere" is the most reliable source ever, so I'm not going to say it's true.

The question gives specific parameters people; if you kill hitler you stay in 1907 regardless of the time altering effects, because you continue to live in an alternate reality, your original reality would stay the same and you simply live in this new one. jeez people read and understand the question fully.
I know that it doesn't say anything specific about alternate realities but it is implied

Only if you're in an alternate reality.
If you go to a different reality, there's the problem of killing Hitler and possibly starting a much worse war, bringing someone even more brutal and efficient than Hitler to power.(someone that allied with Russia, and didn't order every troop movement to be authorized by him would probably have conquered the world)

If you stay in your own reality, you'd alter your own timeline, creating a paradox because you have no reason to go back in time and kill Hitler. Which would mean you never traveled to the past to kill Hitler, which means you would go back in time to kill him, I think I don't need to explain any further.

To be honest, considering everything, it's stupid to kill Hitler because you don't know how you'll change the world.
One action could have a million different outcomes, which is why I think there are multiple dimensions, one for every action that could(will) have happened. Your whole life is already 'set' to some cosmic timeline and nothing you do will change anything because everything that can happen, will happen.(pretending to jump off a building probably kills at least one of your alternates, and you should be lucky that it wasn't you)
This [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raXv_TOvp0w] video would probably explain it better.(see mario as you, and every difference as another dimension)

 

[SecretTacoNinja]

History is history, it's done, everyone has kissed and made up (most of everyone).
Sure it was horrific but we're not exactly feeling the effect of it now are we? So why should we change it?

 

[Imitation Saccharin]

History is history, it's done, everyone has kissed and made up (most of everyone).
Sure it was horrific but we're not exactly feeling the effect of it now are we? So why should we change it?

Bored mostly.

 

[DeadpanLunatic]

I have removed my words from this site.

 

[Brusveen]

I'd just go back meet hitler and become his mate. since he had a cute mustache and all. but seriously guys whats all the fuzz about hitler being soo evil both mao and stalin killed off more people than hitler did but ive never seen or heard anybody whine about them.

but to answer the question seriously i wouldnt go back to stop him. quite simply coz ive always had alot of fun studying WW2 and i wouldnt wanna miss out on that.

 

[martin's a madman]

It's funny that this should come up, but during WW1 a british rifleman (forget his name if you've heard this and remember his name please tell me.) his nickname was "the one man rifle squad" took out all the members of a german sqaud and in the forest came across a young corporal named adolf hitler. Hitlers gun was lowered as he wasnt ready and the british rifleman could have killed him. Hitler actually had a painting of this done hanging in one of his offices. EDIT: i forgot to put the british man showed him mercy instead of killing him.

 

[John Galt]

I'd go back just to hang out with him. It'd be pretty nice to live with Hitler through his Vienna days as a struggling artist. Once he gets hauled off to prison, then I'd begin work on my own memoir titled Mein Kampfy Chair: Hitler's Room-mate. I might even be able to steal some of his thunder for when he releases his own book. I might even get to be the head of my own political party.

 

[Trace2010]

No...the appearance of Hitler (and his subsequent actions...sad and deplorable as they are)is indirectly necessary in the framework of linear time, human scientific development, and the growth of American cities.

 

[Graustein]

Honestly? No.

The effects of World War II are too far-reaching. Even assuming that killing Hitler = no WWII, it's an act on the scale of going back and killing Jesus before Christianity forms. It's just too complex. It's not a simple matter of no Hitler = no WWII = happiness for all. Doesn't work that way.

 

[templargunman]

The entire flaw with this whole discussion is that if you were to go back in time and kill Hitler, 2 things could happen.

1) You would cease to exist, meaning that you would have never gone back in time to kill Hitler meaning you never stopped existing meaning Hitler never died, meaning you went back in time to kill Hitler... and on and on and on.
2) You would not cease to exist, but Hitler's deeds would, meaning you never went back in time to stop him meaning blah blah blah etc etc etc.

So, no I wouldn't, because I wouldn't achieve anything, except maybe breaking time.

 

[DeusFps]

Is this really worth a discussion?

 

[[PWND]Sticky]

[yay my first post]

To stay on topic, there's a bunch of things that have to be taken into account. If we stopped Hitler, would military developments have been the same and been applied to civilian life (think nuclear power plants and jet engines)? And there's not only the technological aspect of it, but what if a soldier who WOULD have died during World War II during...let's say the Normandy invasions...if he ended up a murderer later on in life and killed one of your parents?

That's the problem with time travel. There's way too many "what ifs."