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On top of being one of the most evil people who ever lived, the Austrian fascist and failed artist Adolf Hitler was known for his wild hairbrained schemes, which ranged from the bonkers and reprehensible to downright insane.
Before he and the rest of Nazi Germany were defeated by the Allies in World War 2, Hitler thought the entire world would one day be in his hands.
On his days off from ordering invasions, wars, and genocide, Hitler loved to cook up his visions of a future Europe trapped in his maniacal grip.
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One idea which definitely veered into 'bonkers' territory was his dream of building a gigantic Snowpiercer-style railway spanning half the planet—an idea far too silly relative to how seriously Hitler took it.
In 1941 Hitler ordered a team of engineers to begin work on the Breitspurbahn, a 'mega-train' project capable of carrying 4000 passengers, a swimming pool, kennels, a 196-seat cinema, barbershops, a theatre, and of course, a lot of deadly high-caliber anti-aircraft weapons.
The Breitspurbahn was to carry trains the size of houses and the length of the Empire State Building across a massive transcontinental network with Germany at its centre. It would have had stations stretching from Paris to Madrid, Moscow, Afghanistan, Iran, Turkey, and Rotterdam.
Early concept sketches suggest the restaurant car would have been huge, with an ornate ceiling and chandeliers as well as a hot buffet and refreshment room. Hitler also wanted it to be full of kennels to house his bloodthirsty mutts.
Inside the 'Hilton Space Station' with luxury suites, amazing views, and cookies
The wide-gauge railway on which the trains would ride was meanwhile supposed to become the backbone of the Nazi empire, making it possible for the Germans to move huge amounts of resources over land at breakneck speeds.
The railway was meant to be so wide it could've transported tanks, weapons and aircraft across Hitler's huge land-based empire.
Albert Speer, Hitler's architect, reportedly said: "Hitler had become obsessed with the idea; he decided that it was even more important as a binding force in his empire than the autobahn system."
Unfortunately for Hitler, the idea was basically completely impractical. Not only would the train be too big for existing stations, it would mean having to build huge tunnels and bridges to accommodate the rails.
What's more, the carriages and windows would have been so big the whole thing could've fallen apart in minutes.
Another reason to be grateful that many of Hitler's ideas were too far-fetched to ever be fully realised.
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- Adolf Hitler
- World War 2
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