If Hitler had the A bomb first where would he have used it and the effect on world history?

Answer 1

The germans would have used it against England, as that was the staging area for a large number of US combat forces as well. They would also have used it against the Russians, and depending on the number of nuclear weapons they had command over, may have allowed their allies in Japan access to the technology. Remember too, that knowledge about the dangerous after effects of radiation was minimal, and the german war machine had no conscience, so stopping after one or two would not have been a considered option. This would also, in my opinion, allowed the germans to finish their rocketry and long range bomber programs and given them ample methods to deliver nuclear explosives to the North American continent. Under those circumstances, you'd see an entirely different world picture now than you do, not to mention the unfathomable problems they would have faced with the after effects on the population. By this time in history, one or more of the South American countries would be a super power, and the world super powers we know would probably be considered third world. No one will have yet been to the moon, and travel between continents would be severely limited. Food products from affected lands would be banned in the civilized world, and very few of the power centers that we know would exist.

Answer 2

Agreed with other commentators that it would have depended upon when in the war the bomb would have become available. Other important questions might have included how many he had available, what delivery mechanisms were available, and wether or not Hitler believed another country had or would shortly have one as well (Hitler never used chemical weapons during the war as he knew that other nations could and would retaliate in kind). Also the use of the weapons might have depended upon wether or not the Germans were aware of the problems caused by radiation (the bomb is a more attractive offensive weapon if you don't know that it can give your own troops cancer.) Hitler might have used it against London or a city on the US Eastern Seaboard, most likely in an attempt to knock one or both of those companies out of the war (perhaps on the theory that the western allies would sue for peace if so attacked.) Alternately it could be used against a major enemy troop concentration, or to blow open a passage for a major offensive. For example it might have been tempting to try to use the bomb in Normandy during the summer of 1944 when a lot of allied troops were confined to a small area. I'm not sure when such a good target might have presented itself on the eastern front.

Probably if Hitler had gotten the war in the later stage of the war (certainly after mid 1944) the outcome of the war would have been the same.

Answer 3

It really comes down to, at what stage in the War he developed the Atom Bomb and what facilities he had available to Him not to mention his state of mind. Had the Bomb been used in latter stages of the War it almost certainly would have been used on London as Hitler had already ordered all V1 Weapons to be directed against the UK, even when the launch Sites were over-run the Luftwaffe were still launching V1s from the few Aircraft they had remaining.
Also with Russian onslaught in the East, Hitler would have used
the Bomb here if not to stem the tide of the forces ranged against him but as part of his Scorched Earth Policy.
I doubt very much Hitler could have turned the tide of the War in its closing stages even with possession of the A Bomb, although
London, Leningrad or even Stalingrad may have become our Hiroshima and Nagasaki. If he had the A Bomb in the early stages
of the War...he over-run and occupied half of Europe without it, imagine what he would have done with it. Operation Barbarossa
may well have been a successful Campaign as he would have had no qualms in using it against the Russians to achieve his objectives clearly demonstrating to Britain his nuclear capability forcing Britain to either capitulate or re-negotiate peace terms.

Answer 4

Given the extremely fractured state of the Nazi regime and the German High Command, it's likely that there would have been several conflicting views as to where Germany should use its A-bomb, and that Hitler would ultimately have listened to the last person who spoke to him!

I would have thought a German A-bomb would have been 'claimed' in the bureaucratic sense by Himmler, and that the SS would have been the 'project lead', to use a modern term. Given the probability of Himmler and SS involvement in the German atomic bomb programme, I would have thought they would have inclined in favour of a first use against the Soviet Union, possibly either a major industrial target (ie, Chelyabinsk or Magnitogorsk), or an important operational target, such as Leningrad. Himmler and the SS viewed the war against the Soviet Union as a European crusade against the 'evils' of Bolshevism (hence their leading part in the war of racial subjugation and extermination in the East).

Therefore, despite the existing plans for an A-bomb attack on New York (planning which was led by the Luftwaffe), I believe a German atom bomb would more likely have been used on the Eastern Front.

As to the effects on world history, I doubt it would have altered the course of the war, as it would have spurred the US into even greater efforts to manufacture their own atomic weapons. Given the enormous financial, industrial and technological resouirces available to the US, a German a-bomb would only have given a greater impetus to the US atomic programme.

Answer 5

The main consideration would be: When did he have it? If early in the war (before he invaded Russia), then his first target would have been Great Britain. If after he invaded Russia, first Russia, then Great Britain.

The next consideration would be: How many weapons did he have? And, if only a few, would the Allies have surrendered before we realized? I don't think we would have. Japan did, but they are a very small target, and they were already surrounded and almost out of everything needed to wage war.

If Germany had nuclear weapons, then it would have been very bad. They also had a delivery system, with their V-1 and V-2 rocket programs. With even a little time and a relief from the constant attacks, they could have used their weapons anywhere in the world.

Answer 6

He would have dropped it on Moscow and not London, Hitler always commented that it was a pity that England and Germany were at war and that they should have formed an alliance to defeat Russia, so London would not have been his first choice. Moscow however was always viewed by Hitler with disregard so would have been an obvious target especially as he viewed the Russians as sub-human, look at the atrocities on the Eastern front for a start.

Answer 7

There were actually plans to nuke New York. The flying wing was to do the job.

The effects on history depends. If Hitler had it early then there could be a good chance that Hitler wins WWII, but if he gets it late in the war then there wouldn't be much of an effect.

Answer 8

He would have dropped it on London. He still would have lost the war as more countries would have gone into high gear and thrown everything they had at Hitlers armies. World history would have changed very little.

Answer 9

I am thinking Moscow. Not that I think this would have won the war for them. It might have had the effect of the US taking the major emphasis off of the Pacific and moving to defeat Germany on a faster schedule than before.

Answer 10

Having a bomb (regardless of type) and being able to deliver it are two totally different things.

I suspect he would have probably used it on the Russian front, and threatened to use it on England if the Allies did not negotiate an immediate settlement. I doubt he could have gotten one to the U.S. mainland.