Introduction
The terrible consequences of World War II are felt less nowadays, but the traces of the genocide are passed along to the generation of Holocaust survivors. According to Gerhard Weinberg, if the Nazis won the war, they would engage in the subsequent military conflicts, but already with their allies, until the entire global territory was possessed by Germany (Grimsley, 2018). Hitler had a worldwide killing program in his mind that initially targeted all Jews and Gypsies (Weinberg, 2020). Therefore, by the summer of 1941, Germany managed to build an industrialized system of mass murder of people of Jewish descent (Weinberg, 2020). Historians’ views on the world if Germany won coincide, but Weinberg takes this view further by discussing the world order from the perspective of Hitler compared to his allies.
Hitler’s Designs for the German Empire After a Victory
The two goals Hitler had for the German Empire were to conquer more territory for the people of Germany and ultimately destroy the non-Aryan race. Weinberg believed that although Hitler promised Italy and Japan that they would have sufficient lands for their countries’ successful development, they were also planned to be devoured by the Nazis’ killing machine (Grimsley, 2018). Weinberg believed that the post-war outcomes for Germany’s allies were predetermined because the priority of this war was the global Holocaust. The latter was well-understood inside the system and “occasionally interfered with technical military needs” (Weinberg, 2020, p. 359). Fortunately for the entire globe and the Nazis’ associates, their military and antisemitic program failed, preventing antiutopian scenarios.
Regarding other parts of the world, the same fate might follow for other races, but Hitler initially promised that the Holocaust would only apply to Jews. The fact that the Nazis attacked the Soviet Union despite earlier agreements suggested that a similar philosophy could be implemented in an alternative future for other nations (Weinberg, 2020). Similar methods were planned for the domestic opponents of Hitler’s regime (Weinberg, 2020). However, if the Nazis started murdering protesters in Germany, it would further escalate internal resistance to Hitler’s plans.
Comparison with Japanese Plans of Conquest and Exploitation
The German Empire’s plan appears to radically differ from that of one of its associates, Japan. The latter understood that their alliance with Germany was temporary and that they would soon have to engage in war with the Nazis since they realized the extent of Hitler’s chauvinistic ideas (Grimsley, 2018). Japan’s initial goal was to conquer territories; however, it later remained at war with China and the United States only due to formal obligations of the agreement with their Western allies.
Conclusion
If it were not for the immense global resistance to the Nazis in World War II, Hitler’s plan for the German Empire would have become a reality. He wished to establish absolute power for the Aryan people worldwide by acquiring all other countries’ territories and destroying non-Nordic races. Specifically, his primary targets for mass killing were Jews and Gypsies. As Weinberg stated, although Hitler promised his allies, Italy and Japan, that they would receive significant benefits, he would start new wars with his former associates after achieving his original goals.
References
Grimsley, Mark. 2018. “What If Hitler Had Won World War II?” HistoryNet. Web.
Weinberg, Gerhard L. 2020. “The Global ‘Final Solution’ and Nazi Imperialism.” In A Companion to the Holocaust, edited by Simone Gigliotti and Hilary Earl, 349-361. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.