Armageddon Option

The Nazis manage to produce an atomic bomb in October 1942. However such an achievement is hampered by Hitler who wastes the bombs on the Russian front. As a result not only is the idea of the atomic bomb as a war winner nixed but the weapon is viewed as just a bigger bomb.There is a video of a US general who, in the early 1950s, portrays the atomic bomb in this light. This results in most of Europe being reduced to a post apocalypse wasteland.
In such a world Hitler would use what nuclear weapons are still available to the Third Reich in a 'take them down with me' move and if the German rocket program is similarly improved launch he could possible devastate the planet.
==Notes==
Realistically this is unlikely as "From the start of the war until the late fall of 1941, the German 'lightning war' had marched from one victory to another, subjugating most of Europe. During this period, the Germans needed no wonder weapons. After the Soviet counterattack, Pearl Harbor, and the German declaration of war against the United States, the war had become one of attrition. For the first time, German Army Ordnance asked its scientists when it could expect nuclear weapons."NOVA: Nazis and the bomb
"From the start of the war until the late fall of 1941, the German 'lightning war' had marched from one victory to another, subjugating most of Europe. During this period, the Germans needed no wonder weapons. After the Soviet counterattack, Pearl Harbor, and the German declaration of war against the United States, the war had become one of attrition. For the first time, German Army Ordnance asked its scientists when it could expect nuclear weapons."NOVA: Nazis and the bomb
Because Germany only started looking at atom bombs in 1942 they were three years behind the US program which had started in 1939 and they never caught up--they only got to an early part the 1942 stage of Manhattan project in 1945. From what we can put together the best Germany could have produced in 1946 was a conventionally powered "dirty bomb" : "At best this would have been far less destructive than the atomic bombs dropped on Japan. Rather it is an example of scientists trying to make any sort of weapon they could in order to help stave off defeat."NOVA: Nazis and the bomb
Another problem is the V2. In OTL when Hitler was first shown the plans for the V2 in late 1941 he was dismissive of the V2 as essentially an artillery shell with a longer range and much higher cost.Irons, Roy. Hitler's terror weapons: The price of vengeance. p. 181 It was not until 1944 with German morale waning in the face of defeat after defeat that Hitler decided on building the V2.
==Reverences==
* Weird War II pg 13
Category:Apocalypse Settings
Category:Divergent History Suggestions
Category:WWII