Djoser wrote: ... "As it is the topic is so broad as to be of little value."
Speak for yourself. I find the possibilities fascinating, and of great entertainment value.
The problem is if the topic is too broad it fractures into multiple discussions and rapidly becomes quite difficult for people to tell just what line is being discussed in any one post. Better to have a series of well defined "what ifs" than to have one huge one.
Or they would be, if we could move past this obstinate insistence that no 'H' class could ever have been built, when in fact an 'H' class could very well have been built, had Hitler had different priorities.
That's a bit of a straw man though isn't it? No one here has suggested the H class couldn't have been built. As you suggest it's a matter of priorities but how these change effects how the H class would/could have been used and also impacts the priorities of other nations based on thier knowledge and assesesment of German intentions and their own positon.
Suppose Speer had been given control of the war industry much earlier? The guy actually improved industrial production during the heavy bombardment of '44.
I believe Tooze raises some serioius questions about this. I haven't got to that chapter yet in
Wages of Destruction but from comments by others and some of his online works he seems to make a good case.
Or if a different leader than Hitler had come to power in a Depression-free Germany, and a conflict arisen (or potential conflict been foreseen) that led the naval architects to work with similar criteria.
But we need to have some sort of background to work from for this to be any sort or reasonable exchange. It could make quite an interesting what if in and of itself if a well defined POD was posted. For instance if there's no Depression there's a very good chance that many of the more objectionable treaty of Versailes provisions are eliminated by mutual agreement. In such a world who ends up being th emajor opponent of Germany? The Soviets are a likely one but aren't a naval power.
For that matter, it is quite possible that Hitler could have risen to power even in a Depression-free Germany--though he would no doubt have taken a different approach to it, and behaved differently once he attained it. He (unfortunately) possessed tremendous charisma and had one of the most powerful speaking voices in history, combined with ruthless ambition. Such men tend to rise to positions of authority no matter what the circumstances.
In essence you are saying he wouldn't have been the Hitler we know today. Certainly he was one of the master oratores of the century but the Nazi party was loosing ground when he was invited to become chancelor and had gained ground msotly due to the Depression. By that thime HItler had made his political and racial philosphies pretty clear.
As far as opponents goes, by all means go ahead, spend some time postulating the likely reaction of the Allies, or alternate Allied nations if you would like.
Come up with a well defined what if in which to make them and I will. I do suggest a sseperate thread though.
And please..."alien space bats"??? This isn't Star Trek, we aren't discussing a Klingon battlecruiser here. We're simply talking about a bigger, better Bismarck, which could well have been built had Hitler been more disposed to developing a powerful surface fleet.
But without a well defined back ground it might as well be.