The most important history lesson of the 20th century

Nazi propganda photo of Adolf Hitler (The National WWII Museu, gift from Mr. Mac Evans)

There are two exceptional essays that have appeared on Substack over the past few days that I implore you to read. The first is by

Steven Beschloss

called “The Numbing Effect.” The second is written by Professor

Timothy Snyder

called “The Strongman Fantasy,” and it focuses on the strong man lie, and what happens to those who fall for the seduction. 

There is a lazy tradition in American politics where politicians have been quick to throw the Nazi or fascist epithet at a political opponent over some matter of trivia. In fact, this is not limited to America. Putin has justified his invasion of Ukraine as being necessary because Ukraine is where the Nazis are. What this has produced in total is the erasure of what Nazism and fascism were. 

Most people look at Adolf Hitler and his thousand-year Reich and  remember the genocide, war crimes and immolation of Europe as his legacy. He fills a space as the greatest evil of the 20th century — a monster beyond comparison who unleashed a wickedness on the world that has not lost its capacity to instil horror 80 years later. 

What Hitler did is something much better known than how he did it. How did it happen? Perhaps, it is the most important question of any age to be asked because knowing the answer — and recognizing the signs — may turn out to be the key to survival for humanity. 

The most important history lesson of the 20th century is the following: Hitler was elected. He was chosen, and that choice was a final one. After it, there was no more need for Germans to choose. Everything was decided for them. 

Today marks an important anniversary. On March 19, 1945, Hitler prepared the “Nero Decree.” The plan called for the destruction of all of Germany so that nothing of value could fall into the hands of the Allies, who were closing in from all sides. It was a death sentence and a punishment inflicted on the nation by Hitler for losing. Everything was to be destroyed.

The decree was mostly ignored as untrained boys and old men were sent to the front to die for the Führer even though by then the Reich was rubble, and the cause was lost. By the end, the only promise left for Hitler to make was to take away one last possibility from a complicit people who allowed the madness to fester. General Dietrich von Choltitz was the commander of occupied France, who refused Hitler’s order to burn Paris down to ashes. He was later recorded saying the following:

We all share the guilt. We went along with everything, and we half-took the Nazis seriously, instead of saying "to Hell with you and your stupid nonsense". I misled my soldiers into believing this rubbish. I feel utterly ashamed of myself. Perhaps we bear even more guilt than these uneducated animals (an apparent reference to Hitler and his supporting Nazi Party members)

Listen to what Trump is saying. It is not new. It is deranged, unhinged and dangerous. What evidence is there that he doesn’t mean it? How are we to know?

Unraveling the greatest lies ever told takes a ferocious commitment and a complete understanding of what they are. Too many people don’t listen to Trump anymore. Some days it seems like the high command of the Biden campaign falls in that category. 

Trump is a threat that needs to be confronted, not ignored. Wishing him away and pretending he isn’t saying what he is saying is as delusional as what comes out of Trump’s mouth. 

There are 231 days to go until voting day.

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