See Paris and Die

Field Marshal Erwin von Witzelen planed to use four shooters to assassinate Hitler on May 21st 1941 during a military parade in Paris. Hitler cancels the appointment at the last minute but he then unexpectedly shows up anyway. Because of Hitler's unexpected change in plans, only one shooter is prepared...but it is enough. Hitler is shot at close range in the neck and stomach in front of hundreds of witnesses. Hitler dies. The shooter is quickly killed by the SS.

The failure of security is a major embarrassment to the SS and Reinhard Heydrich (Himmler's second in command of the SS) is blamed for the security breach and is forced to resign.

There is a short power struggle in Berlin but Goering(?) comes out on top as the new Fuhrer. Goering reaffirms his pacts with Italy, Russia, and Japan.

At this time Germany has not yet made the more serious blunders of the OTL. Germany has taken Austria, Checklosovakia, Belgium, Luxembourg, Norway, Denmark, and most of France. Everywhere (with the exception of the Battle of Britain) Germany has met with unprecedented success. America is still neutral (although the Lend-Lease with Britain has just begun). And German-Russia relations are still good, Germany is still buying much of its oil from Russia.

The conflict in North Africa and Greece continue much as in OTL but are delayed slightly due to the change of leadership. Goering decides to put off attacking Russia for now; he does plan on attacking in the summer of 1942.

The Allies are deeply concerned by what appears to be a solid German-Russian partnership. In July of 1941 Britain starts aerial attacks on Russian oil fields. Russian and Britain do not declare war officially but any possibility of an alliance is eliminated.

Because Hitler is dead, Goering is busy and Reinhard Heydrich is no longer in the SS, the "Final Solution" doesn't not take place as in OTL. Jews are still sent to concentration camps and used as slave labor, but they are not killed wholesale.

Japan attacks Pearl Harbor as in OTL. Goering, however, decides NOT to declare war on the US as his agreement with Japan requires.

The US is not at war in Europe so she focuses almost all her efforts against Japan. Stalin comes to belive that Japan will quickly fall, so he makes an effort to grab as much land as possible in the East. Stalin moves as many resources as possible and some of his best generals to the Asian front. As the US progresses through the Pacific, Stalin captures Mongolia, Manchuria, parts of China, and several outlying islands.

Goering figures that Russia's forces are balanced toward Asia so the time is ripe for the belated Operation Barbarossa. At first Germany makes stunning progress: Moscow falls in a matter of weeks. But Russia then starts pushing the Nazis back. The Germans lose confidence in the Fuhrer Goering and in November of 1942 there is another coup. xxxxx becomes the new Fuhrer. xxxx begins negotiating separate peace with Russia and Britain.