It feels like we are in the beginning of the cycle of madness but as with everything in the modern era, it will move more quickly. I like to keep in mind that the thousand year Reich lasted barely over 12 years.
It is somewhat harder to hide in these times with 24/7 scrutiny. Let's hope this “reich” is gone in under four years. He has already committed multiple impeachable offenses. And midterms are coming soon.
My comment might be a bit eerie, but I'll post it anyway, as we are long-standing friends, Julie. My grandfather was Commanding General of the XIV Panzercorps of the German Army in Italy between 1943-45, some 100,000 men, making up about one-third of all German troops in Italy at the time. Although he was clearly an Anti-Nazi and hoped for his own country to lose the war, he certainly was a professional soldier in the best tradition, and did everything he could to hold up the American and other Allied Forces from advancing north. When Italy suddenly left the Axis in September 1943, Hitler ordered to shoot all Italian officers taken captive by the Wehrmacht. My grandfather held about a 1,000 Italian officers in Sardinia at the time, but certainly did not have them shot but organized their quick evacuation and dispersion to the mainland. When retreating to the north - after having successfully held up the Allied Forces for about 6 months at Monte Casino, he made a point that his troops circumvent important cultural cities like Orvieto or Bologna, to safeguard them from Allied bombardment. In his book about WW2 (Frido von Senger und Etterlin, Neither Fear nor Hope, 1960), he describes in much detail how difficult the situation was at the time in Italy to "behave" according to the Geneva Convention. There were the Italian Black Shirts, trying to keep power, there were communist and anarchic partisans, fighting not only the German Army but also Italian fascists and collaborators. Almost a civil war, next to the real one. There were SS-troops next to the German Army which committed horrendous crimes.
What happened is terrible and the main guilt lies with us Germans. There is no excuse, and - as my grandfather wrote - the shame will be on us for at least 100 years. But at least some of us tried to keep it as "shivalrous" a war as possible. (I don't think, there are any Russians trying to do that in Ukraine right now.)
I was (not so secretly) hoping that you would post a comment here. As I was reading Iris Origo's diary I was mindful of your complex family history during WW2. I read your grandfather's book while researching my second book even though my subject was Austria, not Italy. Everything is connected and so, having spent some time in this area I come away with a deeper understanding of all the forces at work in Italy. It is amazing that Italy as a nation held together. It has been a privilege to know you all these years and I believe that our friendship is a model for how deep conversation and genuine human caring can heal wounds of the past.
It feels like we are in the beginning of the cycle of madness but as with everything in the modern era, it will move more quickly. I like to keep in mind that the thousand year Reich lasted barely over 12 years.
It is somewhat harder to hide in these times with 24/7 scrutiny. Let's hope this “reich” is gone in under four years. He has already committed multiple impeachable offenses. And midterms are coming soon.
My comment might be a bit eerie, but I'll post it anyway, as we are long-standing friends, Julie. My grandfather was Commanding General of the XIV Panzercorps of the German Army in Italy between 1943-45, some 100,000 men, making up about one-third of all German troops in Italy at the time. Although he was clearly an Anti-Nazi and hoped for his own country to lose the war, he certainly was a professional soldier in the best tradition, and did everything he could to hold up the American and other Allied Forces from advancing north. When Italy suddenly left the Axis in September 1943, Hitler ordered to shoot all Italian officers taken captive by the Wehrmacht. My grandfather held about a 1,000 Italian officers in Sardinia at the time, but certainly did not have them shot but organized their quick evacuation and dispersion to the mainland. When retreating to the north - after having successfully held up the Allied Forces for about 6 months at Monte Casino, he made a point that his troops circumvent important cultural cities like Orvieto or Bologna, to safeguard them from Allied bombardment. In his book about WW2 (Frido von Senger und Etterlin, Neither Fear nor Hope, 1960), he describes in much detail how difficult the situation was at the time in Italy to "behave" according to the Geneva Convention. There were the Italian Black Shirts, trying to keep power, there were communist and anarchic partisans, fighting not only the German Army but also Italian fascists and collaborators. Almost a civil war, next to the real one. There were SS-troops next to the German Army which committed horrendous crimes.
What happened is terrible and the main guilt lies with us Germans. There is no excuse, and - as my grandfather wrote - the shame will be on us for at least 100 years. But at least some of us tried to keep it as "shivalrous" a war as possible. (I don't think, there are any Russians trying to do that in Ukraine right now.)
Stefan:
I was (not so secretly) hoping that you would post a comment here. As I was reading Iris Origo's diary I was mindful of your complex family history during WW2. I read your grandfather's book while researching my second book even though my subject was Austria, not Italy. Everything is connected and so, having spent some time in this area I come away with a deeper understanding of all the forces at work in Italy. It is amazing that Italy as a nation held together. It has been a privilege to know you all these years and I believe that our friendship is a model for how deep conversation and genuine human caring can heal wounds of the past.
Excellent post! So true: “Beware leaders who force their citizens to fight and die for false promises of glory and expanded empire.”
Hi Margot! Hope all is well.
Thank you, and I completely agree with you. Your ability for forgiveness (within totally understandable limits) and differentiation humbles me.
I so loved that book and then was able to visit. Such beauty and underneath it all, such a story.
Fm p.147, “A Chill…”: “They are prepared to yield in principle, where they can gain in practice.” (June 9, 1940)