If Germans won the World War 2, would German be our universal language?

Answer 1

If Germany won WWII, the official language in Europe would be German. It would not have become THE language the world uses to communicate. A win for Germany didn't include taking over North America, or for that matter all of Europe. If Germany could have gotten a negotiated peace with England, Hitler would have taken it - and respected that peace for at least a decade. Hitler also didn't want to conquer all of the USSR. Rather he wanted access to the oil and other natural resources in the Ukraine and Western Russia. Once he reached the Ural Mts, Hitler would have stopped advancing. Despite many portrayls, Hitler wasn't a complete moron. His invasion of the USSR is seen as a great 'blunder', but evidence supports the idea that the USSR was building a large, powerful army that would have threatened the German's eastern front, and Stalin would have invaded before 1950. If you read Clauswich, Machiavelli, or Sun Tzu, they all advocate attacking while your enemy is weak and before he can grow strong. Hitler knew that Germany couldn't conquer the world in the 1940s, and would have been content with France, Eastern Europe, and North Africa.

Using that premise, a majority of the world would be outside of the direct cultural influence of Germany. The USSR (or its successor state) would still speak Russian. The Middle East would still speak Arabic. The lands that Japan conquered (or liberated by the USA) would speak Japanese, English, or their local dialect just as they currently do. Africa would still have its multiple languages, S. America would still speak Portuguese of Spanish, Mexico would still be a Spanish speaking country, and the US and Canada would speak English. Spain would have retained its independence and language. Therefore a majority of the world would speak a language other than Germany as its official language.

Then there is the resistance to cultural change. Poland as a country did not exist for over a 100 years, and Polish language and culture was either outlawed or severely persecuted during that time, yet the Polish language remained strong. Native Africans still have their own languages after over 200 years of colonization and cultural suppression. It would take a very long time for the Germans to convert all of their territorial possessions to the German language.

It would come down to which language would become culturally stronger. Before the war the 'universal' language was French. In the current state of the world, English is the 'universal' language, followed closely by French. I think because of its involvement in the Far East and the innovative nature of American industry, America would have become the same cultural behemoth that it is today. As such, the English language would have ascended to the 'universal' level, with German following in a strong, but distant second.

Answer 2

I don't think it would be "Universal". Look at English. While the United states is, and has been a predominant superpower since WWII, the language has not become the "Universal" language. Now, if you rephrase the question a little, I think you will have a little more to work with. If the Germans had won WWII, then German would most certainly be the international language of business, diplomacy, and a number of other things, but to think that all other languages would just die out, unlikely.

Answer 3

Probably not. My guesstimate from their POV is that German would have become a "high language" for humans, which only the Master Race would be allowed to speak, with the undermench in each part of the Nazi empire having to use its own 'low' language, not being genetically fit to speak Human.

Answer 4

I do not believe Germany could have beaten the USA due to the distances involved and there being no staging areas between us. I think it would have ended up a cold war between the USA and Germany instead of the USA and USSR.

Answer 5

I'm sure they'd attempt to make it such, but that was only 60 years ago. It would probably take a little more time until the world was speaking fluent German.

Answer 6

Yes, it is a reasonable assumption. It is historical events that have determined that French is not the universal language - something that France has never forgiven America for.

Answer 7

most likely yes, by taking over Russia, America was the only threat, Britain couldnt do much besides defend themselves, but Japanese would've took care of that, so yeah, Hitler would be a world wide dictator. But the cold weather in Russia helped, lucky humanity >.<

Answer 8

maybe a second language

Answer 9

possibly

Answer 10

Likely I'd say.