Führer of the Greater German Reich

"Führer" (sometimes rendered Fuehrer) was the title granted by German Chancellor Adolf Hitler to himself by law in 1934. The new position, fully named Führer und Reichskanzler ("Leader and Chancellor of the Reich"), unified the offices of President and Chancellor, formally making Hitler Germany's Head of State as well as Head of Government respectively; in practice, the Dictator of the Nazi German Reich.

For military matters, Hitler used the style Führer und Oberster Befehlshaber der Wehrmacht ("Leader and Supreme Commander of the Wehrmacht"), until that addition was dropped by decree of the Führer. The style of the Head of State for use in foreign affairs was Führer und Reichskanzler ("Leader and National Chancellor") until it was changed to Führer des Grossdeutschen Reichs ("Leader of the Greater German Nation").

The title fell into disuse immediately upon Hitler's death in 1945.

In some of Harry Turtledove's fictional timelines, Hitler lives well beyond 1945, and the title Führer remains in use even after the end of his extended life. In Worldwar, Hitler's successors used the title Führer und Reichskanzler. In In the Presence of Mine Enemies, Hitler's successors used the title Führer des Grossdeutschen Reichs or simply, Führer, and the office of chancellor seems to have fallen out of use.

In the Presence of Mine Enemies
Between 1934 and 2011, the Greater German Reich was ruled by four different Führers. Otto von Bismarck was given honorary status posthumously.

In 2011, the reform-minded Heinz Buckliger was temporarily overthrown during a Putsch launched by Reichsführer-SS Lothar Prützmann. Odilo Globocnik held the position of Acting Führer for about 24 hours until the Putsch was defeated and Buckliger was reinstalled.

Worldwar
Between 1934 and 1966, four men are known to have held the office of Führer and Chancellor of Germany.

Heinrich Himmler died unexpectedly in 1964, while in the midst of planning an attack on Race-controlled Poland. After a brief regency by the Committee of Eight, his successor Ernst Kaltenbrunner initiated Himmler's plan, leading to the brief and catastrophic Race-German War of 1965, which saw the death of Kaltenbrunner, and the ascension of the moderate Walter Dornberger, essentially the last senior official still alive.

Under Dornberger and his successors, Germany rebuilt in secret, away from the watchful eyes of the Race. By 2031, the Reich had become a space-faring power once again, and the Race respected it as a potential rival once more.

Other Führers
Adolf Hitler is or was the Führer of the Greater German Reich in the vast majority of Harry Turtledove works involving the Nazis and/or World War II, including "Cayos in the Stream", the Days of Infamy series, "The Eighth-Grade History Class Visits the Hebrew Home for the Aging", Joe Steele (both novel and short story), "The Last Article", The Man With the Iron Heart, "Must and Shall," "News From the Front", "The Phantom Tolbukhin", and "Zigeuner". His role in these stories is usually limited to references.

In "Shtetl Days," which is set in a 2030s where the Third Reich still exists, Hitler is referred to as the *first* Führer, but none of his successors are named.

In The War That Came Early, Hitler is the only Führer of Germany, and is assassinated in a military coup in April 1944. The Nazi Party is overthrown and replaced by the Committee for the Salvation of the German Nation, which does not use the Nazi titles.

In "Ready for the Fatherland", Hitler is Führer until 1943. He is succeeded as head of Germany by Erich von Manstein, who kills Hitler in a brief coup. He was still in power in 1953, but his final fate is not revealed. While the Nazi regime seems to have continued under Manstein, it is unclear what title he used.

In The Case of the Toxic Spell Dump, "Leader of Alemania," a literal translation of the title, threatened the world during the Second Sorcerous War. Circumstantial evidence suggests that this character was in fact Adolf Hitler.

In The House of Daniel, "that noisy fella on the far side of the ocean" is referenced contemporarily. In the novel's fantasy context, this unnamed character is an analog of Hitler, and seems to occupy an office similar to Führer.