Читать книгу A Jewish Story - Sheldon Cohen - Страница 7

“Ben, I have some interesting news for you,” said Mikhail via phone call in February 1937.

“What is it, Mikhail?”

“I have a full translation of the Hitler speech that he gave before the Reichstag on the fourth anniversary of his taking over Germany. I’d like to share it with you sometime.”

“Oh, I’d love to see that. Where did you get it?”

“At work. Don’t forget, I’m pretty close with all the people who I work with. The government officials share things with me all the time even though I have nothing to do with politics. I know you would be interested in what Hitler has to say. Who knows better than you what can happen to people he considers enemies? I’ll tell you the truth, the people I work with are worrying more and more about this madman.”

“Come over to my house, Mikhail, anytime some evening that’s handy for you, and, if you don’t mind, I’d like my wife to be involved. She’s really the one who’s followed what’s going on a lot better than me. In fact, I rely on her to keep me up to date.”

“That’s great. Would Thursday evening about 7:00 be okay?”

“We’ll see you then, Mikhail, and thank you so much.”

Mikhail arrived on time, and together with Ben and Leah sat down at the dining room table that Leah had prepared with some delicacies. Mikhail passed copies to each one and said, “I thought that we would start reading from page one. I’m curious to hear what you think. After all, you were one of his subjects, so to speak.”

“And what a nightmare it was,” said Ben with a shudder.

They started reading in silence together. Leah was the first one to comment. “The first thing that strikes me is that he says he will be speaking about his ‘successes’ for the German people. What one has to understand is that he has defined who the German people are. We Jews are not included even though many Jews, including my husband, fought for Germany during the Great War, and most of the Jews have been born in Germany and have been citizens all their lives. People of color—black or yellow—are not included in his definition; neither are gypsies, or mental and physical defectives and anyone not pure white or not descended from Aryans, whatever that means.”

“He extends that out to the world,” said Ben. “He doesn’t just deal with those that live in Germany. Look what he thinks about Slavs.”

Mikhail asked, “Do you think that, in the future, if a Slav moved to Germany they could ever become a citizen?”

“I would doubt it,” said Ben.

“Why do you think he has this fixation on Slavs?” asked Mikhail.

“Because they live in territory he’s interested in for his lebensraum, or living space for the German people. Mikhail, you’d just have to serve him as a slave if he had his way,” said Leah

“He’d be in for a surprise, if he tried to implement that policy. Is he so stupid that he thinks anyone would sit still for that?” asked Mikhail.

“No, not stupid, just blinded by ambition and by his own belief in Aryan superiority and the Aryan’s destiny as the world leaders,” added Leah. “Also if we go on to the next page he explains how he answered the question from some people about why a revolution was necessary and why there was no collaboration with parties in Germany that were already in existence,” said Leah; his answer is lame and makes me sick.”

“What do you mean?” asked Mikhail.

“He says that the old ways never helped the people. This comes back to his hatred for parliamentary democracy, which in his mind is a sure recipe for paralysis in government. Never mind that it works in many countries. It can’t work in Germany because it counters his own thoughts and beliefs that only a strong man can run countries…period. Nothing else can work. Look what he says here. ‘It doesn’t work…and it must be eradicated.’ And, believe me, that’s just what he did. In his mind only a revolution can change it, and that is a revolution patterned only after his thoughts.”

Mikhail added, “He and Stalin think alike. We have a megalomaniac here just like the Germans do.”

Ben added, “He also says that during a parliamentary democracy, the people are not considered, because the politicians jockey for position for their own benefit. On the other hand, he’s quick to point out that he considers what’s best for the people in all his decisions. What a joke.”

Leah said, “If we go on further in his speech, he states that the old government is incapable of making changes that benefit the people. It will take a radical transformation, a revolution as he keeps calling it, and one that will sacrifice life and blood. He’s proven that to be the case because that’s just what he’s done—shed blood to cement his power. It’s all justified to bring him into control. Only he knows what’s best for the people. God knows how many will have to die to keep this maniac in power.”

“To me, everything he says is to justify his grab for power. Such people who live to control others will bring ruin to the world,” said Ben.

Leah added, “Further in his speech he also justifies everything on the basis of…and let me read this,‘that this is probably the first time and this is the first country in which people are being taught to realize that, of all the tasks which we have to face, the noblest and most sacred for mankind is that each racial species must preserve the purity of the blood which God has given it.’ That’s what it’s all about…his obsession with racial purity. With that one statement, he damns everybody and everything that could pollute the super race…ugh. He goes so far as to say that anyone who is not interested in preserving racial purity is going against God’s gift and God’s handiwork.”

“Quite a way with words, huh? It’s amazing what crazies will do and say to justify their own warped thinking,” said Mikhail.

“Amen,” added Ben. Leah, do you think that, in his blaming the Jews for everything, it would be possible for a man like that to be talked out of such folly?”

“That’s an easy one. Not a chance. When you have a crazy man whose whole belief rests upon a conspiracy theory, such as the Jews are out to take over the world, anyone trying to talk him out of it would run up against total and blind opposition.”

“What do you mean?” asked Ben.

“I can think of two reasons,” said Leah. “First because a believer such as Hitler, and I suppose Stalin too, have to believe that any contradictory evidence against their way of thinking has been placed there by the conspirators themselves to mislead the world. That’s how they explain any opposing thought away. They have to think of such contradictory evidence as nonsense. Second, and even if others besides Jews try to debunk Hitler’s conspiracy theories…their thoughts are explained away by saying they are secretly allies of the conspirators, the Jews.”

“That’s good thinking, Leah, I’m sure you’re right,” said Mikhail.

“You were talking about Hitler’s ideas of racial purity, Leah,” said Ben.

“Yes, back to that,” said Leah, “On the next page he states that Germany is now doing research justifying the doctrine of racial purity. And further, he says that the whole world needs to adopt this creed, so as to prevent the Jews from their destructive attempts to control the world by destroying racial purity,” said Leah.

Ben smiled, turned to Mikhail, and said, “This is all so beyond common sense that one almost can only make a joke out of such folly. I pledge to you, Mikhail that I have no desire to abolish the concept of racial purity in order to take over the world.”

“I’m glad, Ben, and I am pretty confident that my grandfather and grandmother also were not part of such a plot,” said a smiling Mikhail shaking his head.

“We just have to pray that the power that Hitler now has will not lead the world to ruin,” said Leah, “also, I like the way he says that since he came from the people, the future leaders of Germany will also come from the people. Never mind that the selection depends on their adherence to his way of thinking. This is racial purity at its best. There will be no room for diversity among those who hold any position of power in his Third Reich. They will have to adopt Hitler’s thoughts. If not, they will be lucky to be allowed to resign rather than getting a bullet or a knife in their hearts, just like the Night of the Long Knives when he had his best friend Roehm and his followers killed.”

“No doubt,” said Ben. “Look at the next part. It’s is a bit confusing to me. It speaks to what I believe is his concept of the law and the judiciary. “It looks like he’s saying that the system has led only to confusion in Germany since it didn’t reflect German character. Translated into Hitler-speak, I think he means it didn’t reflect his way of thinking.”

“Like everything else in his brain,” added Mikhail.

“Right,” said Leah. “I think I get what he’s saying. Whereas, in the past, the law has been set up to protect individual rights and property, under his realm, that thesis is inconsistent with Nazi philosophy, and now that he is in power, he will place the nation above persons and property. And to ensure that is the case, there will be one legislator and one executive. Does that mean that he is taking on the responsibility for the legal system himself? Sometimes I think he deliberately engages in double talk to confuse everyone.”

“Here’s the sentence that maybe clears it up,” said Ben. “I’ll read it. ‘In the German penal code, which has been drawn up with this wide general perspective in view, German justice will be placed for the first time on a basis which ensures that for all time to come its duty will be to serve in maintaining the German race.’”

“There we go again. That’s his underlying theme,” said Mikhail.

“I think he has another one,” said Leah.

“What is that?”

“His anti-bolshevism, his hatred of what he calls the Jewish-Communist, or Jewish-Bolshevik menace. For him, the word Jewish and Communist is the same. He doesn’t separate them at all. His hatred of Communism is a nebulous one in the minds of his people, but his hatred of Jews puts a face on it for his subjects, the German people, to see and touch. Dictators need that to focus their people. The Czar of Russia was no different. He did the same. Hatred killed my husband’s father. We know it first hand,” said Leah.

Ben added, “Yes, that’s why I worry about his relationship with Russia. After World War I, the control of Germany was a battle between Hitler’s fascism and German Communism. There was blood in the streets as both of these forces tried to take over the Weimar Republic formed after the war. Hitler won that battle as you can see. What is the feeling here in Byelorussia, Mikhail?”

“We’re a little country never strong enough to have its own independence. Neighboring powers control us with their whims and battles all throughout our history. Right now, we’re a member of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics with all the strings pulled in Moscow. That’s the reality of it. In Byelorussia though, the people have differing views. We have Byelorussian nationalists who want their independence from any foreign powers and we have Byelorussians that have no problem working and living under the Communist system. My family is not Communistic and if I could have my wish, I guess I would prefer that we could live under our own system, but realism takes over. That is not possible now. We do what we have to do to survive and raise our family. I’m not political and always have been that way. It is the safest course. So far, my position is secure and I am able to raise a family in peace. I am fortunate to have such good friends at work.

“I do worry though because I’m afraid that Hitler has ambitions far beyond his borders, and that is the greatest threat to us. As I said before, Litvinov, the foreign minister, insists that Hitler is a serious threat. While Molotov believes that Russia can contain him. I hope we never find out who’s right.”

Ben added, “As you can see by Hitler’s speech, he spends a lot of time discussing the Bolshevik menace, as he calls it, and contrasts Germany’s personal experience with it as opposed to Britain that has no experience with it and thinks of it only as a Russian phenomenon. In fact, Hitler thinks that his fight against Bolshevism is saving all of Europe and maybe the world.”

“You’re right,” added Leah. He says that Bolshevism is a terror no one can tolerate. What can that possibly mean for any German-Russian relationship in the future?”

“We can only hope it will not lead to war. Hitler would be crazy. It would unify the entire Soviet Union and spell doom for Hitler,” said Mikhail.

Leah added, “Well I don’t think we’ve solved the world’s problems here today, but I sure enjoyed our discussion. Thank you so much, Mikhail for sharing his speech with us.”

“It was my pleasure and thanks for your hospitality. We must get together soon. There is a gymnastics meet coming up next week and I hope we can all attend so we can go watch our two prospective Olympians: Val and David.”

They all laughed. “We’ll be there, you can be sure, Mikhail,” said Ben.

The gymnastics competition took place at the University where the gym was much larger and had the ability to accommodate thousands of spectators. There were representatives from a dozen teams who had made the finals. Val qualified as one of the top ten all-around, and David, one of the youngest competitors, placed within the top ten in the pommel horse, his favorite event. Ely, Leah and Emily felt great pride in their son and brother’s accomplishment at such a young age. The Olympics took place in Berlin in 1936 and Val was in the running to represent The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in the 1940 Olympics. However, the war to come would cancel it and have a devastating personal impact on the two families.

The Parliaments of Europe were all concerned about Hitler’s intentions. In France, in an effort to prevent German aggression, they constructed the Maginot Line. This “impregnable defense,” built in five years in the early thirties at a cost of seven billion Francs, and stretching between Luxembourg and Switzerland along France’s border with Germany, would prevent any attack along the border. Three fortified lines with anti-tank emplacements and pillboxes were considered impervious to tank warfare and impenetrable by the German army. Such thinking was to become folly and a monument to the idea that fixed emplacements could deter any would-be modern aggressor. When Hitler embarked upon his western offensive in 1940, he swept into France through the Ardennes, north of the Maginot Line. In one fell swoop, he destroyed the concept of fixed defensive emplacements and proved the French wrong when they found it unnecessary to include the Ardennes forests, because, as they maintained, ‘tanks would find it impenetrable.’ This bold sweep, led by Generals Heinz Guderian and Erwin Rommel, reached the Meuse River at Dinant and caused the French to abandon Paris. Warfare would never be the Same.

In late 1937, Italy joined the Anti-Commintern pact. This was the third nation, along with Germany and Japan, to join. There were now two factions competing for world control: the extreme right and left of the political spectrum.

In early 1938, the pressure on Austria to merge with Germany had reached its climax. For years there had been many Austrians, both Nazi and non-Nazi, who pursued a “Heim Ins Reich” (home in Germany) movement. German Nazis had provided support for the Austrian Nazi Party by lobbying for German-Austrian unification. The pressure on Austria’s Chancellor, Kurt Schuschnig was rising. Although he was committed to remaining independent, he tried to hold a referendum to ask the Austrian people what they preferred: independence or merge with Germany. His expectation was that the Austrians would vote to remain independent, but they cancelled the vote when the Austrian Nazis staged a coup d’etat on 11 March, 1938. With power transferred to Germany, German troops entered the country and took control. Austrian citizens had awakened to an Anschluss (union) with Germany.

The treaty of Versailles had prohibited the union of Germany and Austria, but there was no reaction of the World War I allies. Hitler was being progressively emboldened.

Under the Treaty of Versailles, Britain and France governed the Saar region for a period of 15 years, and its coalfields ceded to France. At the end of that time, a plebiscite was to determine the Saar's future status. The plebiscite took place and the great majority of the citizens of the Saar voted to return to Germany. This was the first peaceful result for Germany in regards to the Versailles Treaty. The next, of course, was Hitler’s success in remilitarizing the Rhineland, and now the take over of Austria. His Mein Kampf predictions played out one at a time, albeit in an increasing order of difficulty.

Ben arrived home from work one evening and Leah greeted him with a Russian newspaper that had written a full report on the Austrian situation. “They’re a full part of Germany now, and it all happened without Hitler firing a shot,” she said. He’s gobbling up Europe and what’s interesting is the reaction of England.”

“What do they say about it all?” asked Ben.

“Well, they start out by registering a strong protest against the Nazis for their…let me see…yes, ‘their use of coercion, backed by force, against an independent State in order to create a situation incompatible with its national independence.’”

“Wow, how tough can they get?” said Ben with biting sarcasm. “What else do they say?”

“Well, then they add that 200 years ago Scotland joined with England and that wasn’t much different than Germany and Austria now.”

“Now the appeasement starts,” said Ben.

“Chamberlain says that there was not much they can do unless they were prepared to use force, which they were not. But then he says that they will review their state of defense preparedness,” said Leah.

“Oh, that’ll make Hitler quake in his boots, won’t it.”

“We just have to pray that he will eat enough to give him a full belly.”

“Well, I hope he gets that full belly long before he decides to act on his lebensraum in the east. That is my worst nightmare,” said Ben.

Another Hitler target in 1938 was the Sudetenland. This area, along the Northern border of Czechoslovakia had been a part of Germany in the 1800’s, and after the First World War, it became part of Czechoslovakia. Hitler, with an eye to restoring the Greater German Reich, wanted the Sudetenland back in Germany even though most Sudetan Nazis had been content to remain part of Czechoslovakia.

When Leah heard the news, she said to Ben, “It looks like his belly hasn’t been filled yet.”

A Sudetan-German Nazi-like political party, formed in 1935 and financed by Nazi Germany, began to complain of discrimination by the Czechs. That was enough of a pretext for Hitler who wanted to invade Czechoslovakia, but his generals resisted pointing out that Czechoslovakia’s powerful army could offer formidable mountain defenses in the Sudetenland, and if Britain, France, or the Soviet Union came to Czechoslovakia’s defense, Germany would not prevail. One group of generals made plans to overthrow Hitler should he ignore their advice. The Czechoslovakian situation set in motion a four-nation great power conclave.

In a hoped for resolution of the Sudetenland question, the British Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain, met with Hitler at his Berchtesgaden home. Hitler was looking for British support in his planned takeover of the Sudetenland, going so far as to tell Chamberlain that Germany would invade Czechoslovakia if they did not receive British approval to return the Sudetenland to Germany. After discussing the situation with Edouard Daladier of France and Eduard Benes of Czechoslovakia, Chamberlain told Hitler that Britain could not accept his proposals.

Hitler felt that Chamberlain’s refusal was a bluff, because he knew that neither Britain nor France were willing to go to war over the Sudetenland. Nor were they willing to make an alliance with Russia since both democracies hated Communism and viewed it as an international threat.

Mussolini came to Hitler’s rescue when he suggested a four-power conference on Czechoslovakia to include Germany, Italy, Britain and France and not including Russia or Czechoslovakia. In Mussolini’s mind, this would enhance the possibility of an agreement over the Sudetenland and undermine opposition to Germany.

The meeting took place in Munich on 29 September 1938. Britain and France agreed that for the promise of no further territorial demands in Europe, Hitler could have the Sudetenland. Two days later, Hitler marched in and took over the Sudetenland, which included all of Czechoslovakia’s mountainous defenses. Czechoslavakia now found itself defenseless against any further aggression.

Ben and Leah remained keen observers of the geopolitical chess game played out for the world to ponder. Who would make what move and what were the ramifications? Leah was fearful while Ben prayed that, by some miracle, Hitler had reached the end of the line as far as his ambitions were concerned.

“He would have to have a death wish to try and go any further. You can only spit in the face of your enemies so long, before they spit back,” said Ben.

“If you’re talking about Chamberlain, I doubt if he’d spit. I rather think that he’d continue to appease while Hitler takes over Europe,” answered Leah.

“You get no help from newspapers,” said Ben. One day you read that an unimpeachable source says that Hitler has made up his mind to invade the rest of Czechoslovakia while another source says the opposite.”

“I can only wonder how Stalin feels about being left out of these deliberations over the fate of Czechoslovakia. If this doesn’t make him worry about Hitler’s intentions, I don’t know what will,” said Leah

“Hitler’s view of what he’s done is that he’s Germany’s new Bismarck. If he had a brain in his body, he’d rest on his laurels now, resolve the issue of Czechoslovskia without using his military and be content to leave the rest of Europe alone. That’s what I’d like to believe, but every time I think of his Mein Kampf, and see how fanatical he is, an inner voice tells me that a man like that, once he has put in writing what he believes, will not rest until his writings have been proven providential and he has all of Europe and the world. It is very depressing because you and I and our children are our world,” said Ben.

“So far,” said Leah, I believe England and France are giving him slack, because all he has asked for is the return of those areas that used to be German or where there is a German majority. I mean like the Saar, the Rhineland and the Sudetanland. He got what he wanted because neither Britain nor France was willing to go to war over those territories. Even though the Sudetenland has become part of Czechoslovakia, it does have a German majority and used to be part of Germany, you see.”

Ben countered, “I believe you can never forget what he said in his Mein Kampf about his master Aryan race and their need for lebensraum. He’s gained plenty and if he would stop now the world could breathe a sigh of relief. Taking Czechoslavakia would be the first time that he would set out to conquer non-German lands. What’s the world to think then?”

“Don’t you see the contradiction?” asked Leah.

“What do you mean?”

Leah answered. “You yourself have said that in his book he always makes the point that racial purity is the ultimate goal for his superior Nazis. Jews and Slavs just defile Nazis so they should never be a part of Germany.”

“Not exactly,” said Ben. “Yes, he makes that claim all the time, but that does not mean, as far as Slavs are concerned, that they can’t be used as slaves of the German masters once he has taken all their lands for his so-called lebensraum. And maybe he means the same fate for the Jews.”

It would not take long for Ben’s words to become prophetic. In late autumn on November 7, 1938 a German Jewish refugee by the name of Herschel Grynszpan shot and killed an employee of the German Embassy in Paris named Ernst Vom Rath. He did this in retaliation for the Nazis deporting ten thousand Jews, including Grynszpan’s father, to Poland. The Poles refused them. Grynzpan had meant to kill the ambassador, but shot a third secretary sent out to see what he wanted.

Goebbels wasted no time issuing instructions that “spontaneous” demonstrations should break out all over Germany. The true organizer was Reinhard Heydrich, the number two man after Heinrich Himmler, of the SS. His instructions were specific:

Burn down Synagogues only if certain there would be no fire danger to adjacent property

Destroy Jewish businesses and Jewish residences, but do not loot.

Police will not interfere

Jews, especially the rich, are to be confined to concentration camps

These crimes took place all throughout Germany and Austria.

They arrested twenty-thousand Jews, looted 7,500 shops, burned or destroyed 195 synagogues, killed thirty-six Jews and wounded thirty-six. This “night of the broken glass” resulted in a backlash from a world horrified by what had taken place.

“And what do you think Hitler said about the fact that the world was shocked at this all-out pogrom against the Jews?” asked Ben.

“I don’t know. What did he say?” answered Leah.

“Can you guess?”

“Hmm…not a clue really…probably he said something about the damn Jews and their ability to get sympathy from the world?”

“Well, that’s logical thinking, but no, he said that the sympathy of the world was proof of the scope of the Jewish world conspiracy.”

“Oh, I see, The Jews have the whole world in their pockets…and all for the purpose of being against Hitler and Germany and world control You’re right…paranoia to the extreme. It means to me that he is determined to act against Jews in one way or another. We were lucky to leave when we did,” said Leah.

“Yes, but I live with the feeling that he’s trying to get us…you, me and our children,” said Ben.