See Paris and Die

POD : Hitler Assassinated in 1941

Timeline 1941 Field Marshal Erwin von Witzleben planned 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.	Comments - There were something like seventeen assassination attempts or plots against Hitler. Many of the plots failed because Hitler was constantly changing his plans. Field Marshal Witzleben's plot failed OTL because Hitler cancelled at the last minute.
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.	- I just tossed this in to help avoid the “Final Solution”.
There is a short power struggle in Berlin but Göring comes out on top as the new Führer. Göring reaffirms his pacts with Italy, Russia and Japan. At this time Germany has not yet made the more serious blunders of the OTL but has met with unprecedented success. Germany has taken Austria, Czechoslovakia, Belgium, Luxembourg, Norway, Denmark, and most of France and Poland. 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 Greece continues much as in OTL but is delayed slightly due to the change of leadership. Göring decides to put off attacking Russia for now; he does plan on attacking in the summer of 1942.	- If anyone has a good argument for Himmler or some one else to become the Second Führer, let’s hear it. Also the “short power struggle” could be long or could be some sort of governmental collapse. Any strong opinions?
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. Russia and Britain do not declare war officially but any possibility of an alliance is eliminated. “Final Solution” does not take place as in OTL because Reinhard Heydrich is no longer in power, Göring is otherwise occupied being Führer, and Hitler is dead. 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. Göring, however, decides NOT to declare war on the US. 1942	- The UK actually planned on doing these sort of air attacks on Russian oil field for these very reason OTL. Reconnaissance flights were flown, but just before the attacks were to take place Germany invaded Russia. The UK called the attacks off,
The US is not at war in Europe so she focuses almost all her efforts on the War of the Pacific. Stalin comes to believe that Japan will quickly fall, so he makes an effort to grab as much land as possible in the East. Stalin moves the forces of the Far Eastern front to the Asian front. As the US progresses through the Pacific, Stalin captures parts of Mongolia, Manchuria, China, and several outlying islands. The conflict in North Africa begins as in OTL but is better supplied and supported (in part because Barbarossa has been delayed). Rommel is able to make more gains in Egypt in July 1942 but is being held up by supply problems.	- Stalin did make a similar land grab OTL after the war with Germany was done and Japan looked primed to fall. Also Russia had a large number of units in the East at this time. ATL the land grab happens before Russia is at war with Germany.
Göring figures that Russia's forces are balanced toward Asia so the time is ripe for the belated Operation Barbarossa. However the German army soon realises that the Soviets are a foe to be reckoned with after the offensive grinds to a halt in the first weeks after the Germans seize Minsk in a bloody street battle. The entire front breaks into bloody stalemate with Minsk being the main focus the stalemate continues until the beginning of Winter when the Soviets launch a massive counter offensive. Göring allows units to retreat unlike Hitler in OTL but this quickly leads to panic from different commanders and as a result Army Group Centre barely avoids collapse with a general retreat order by January the Soviets are near Lvov. 1943
With losses in the Eastern Front staggering, the Germans lose confidence in the Führer Göring and in February of 1943 there is another coup. Rommel becomes the new Führer. Rommel executes brilliant defensive techniques on the Russian front. Later he begins negotiating separate peace with Russia and Britain. Peace with Britain is established first, in Treaty of Paris. Churchill is willing to negotiate in part because he believes that the German-Russian war will continue: as he says they are "two dogs, at each other's throats". Also the Terms Rommel offers are surprisingly generous. The terms were so generous that there were riots in Munich and violent protests in many other cities. German hardliners considered removing Rommel and his followers, but these plans never materialized. Reaching a peace agreement with Russia is much more difficult. The Soviets by this point have launched a second offensive this one trumping the offensive of '42. German losses are in the hundreds of thousands and although peace with Britain has been achieved, defeat seems certain but Von Manstein's brilliant defense of the Vistula in August persuades Stalin to go to the negotiating table. Again the terms were very generous. History remembers Hitler as a military genius and great leader, Göring as depraved criminal and bumbling failure and Rommel as a great peacemaker and healer. 1944 Japan surrenders in the War of the Pacific.
Post War World What is the post war world like with a strong Germany, a Russia which is shifted to the East, a very weak France and an unused US atomic bomb? About Some comments About "See Paris and Die"