Valkyrie

My family doesn't understand why I am always so interested in any film/documentary about Hitler. They are convinced that I must be one of the SS in my earlier lives. I would like to believe that I was Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg or at least one of those who helped him in the July, 1944 plot to eliminate Hitler. Never heard of Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg? I hadn't either - till I saw the movie Valkyrie which is based on true events.

After the attempt to blow up Hitler's plane with a bomb hidden in a wine case fails, General Trescow advises his fellow conspirator General Olbricht to contact Colonel Stauffenberg as a replacement for a member of their secret committee who was recently arrested. Colonel Stauffenberg has recently lost one of his eyes, his right hand, and two fingers from his left hand in an Allied forces' attack.

At the meeting, Stauffenberg mentions that Operation Valkyrie - a plan by Hitler to deploy Reserve Army to maintain order in Germany in the event of his death - can be used to eliminate him.Stauffenberg rewrites the order to prevent the dreaded SS from taking control, thus leaving General Fromm - the head of the Reserve Army - in charge of Germany. The conspirators' attempt to turn General Fromm to their side fails though he doesn't report them to his superiors.Stauffenberg, however, along with his assistant Lieutenant Haeften, manages to get the order signed by Hitler at the Berghof.

According to the plan, Stauffenberg and Lieutenant Haeften will go to Hitler's bunker, the Wolf's Lair, to attend a military meeting. There Stauffenberg will ignite one of the pencil detonators given to him by a Colonel Quirnheim and then escape with the help of General Fellgiebel, who controls communications at the Wolf's Lair.The only condition by the secret committee is that both Hitler and head of the SS - Himmler be present when Stauffenberg sets the detonator off.
Valkyrie tells us how this plan went wrong.

The thing about this movie is that though all of us (or at least those who opened their history textbooks!) know that Hitler didn't die in any assassination but committed suicide in his bunker, that doesn't stop us from wishing that this movie were a fiction and we would see bits of the Fuehrer flying in every direction! We feel anger of those who know that Hitler is taking Germany to the brink of destruction. We feel the dread of those who cannot muster the courage to oppose him even though they know they should. And we feel sad when the plan fails.

For years I wondered how the Germans feel about this era of their nation's past. But after watching this movie, I feel as proud of Stauffenberg, Quirnheim, Witzleben, Goerdeler,Trescow, Olbricht, Haeften, and Beck as any German would feel because the heroes who dare oppose a tyrant are so rare that no one nation can claim them as solely its own!

Wikipedia tells me that the Bendlerblock now houses the Memorial to the German Resistance. If I ever get a chance to go to Germany, I am sure going to visit it.

Stauffenberg's words - "The portrait will be unhung and the man will be hung" - are a warning all budding dictators should keep in mind!

I was waiting for the 2nd part of "Color of War - Adolf Hitler".But when I watched it on the History Channel, I wished I hadn't. The faces of the hungry children lying listlessly by the side of the road and the dead bodies piled on unceremoniously at the Buchenwald concentration camp would have seemed unreal if we didn't already know that the Nazis actually committed these crimes. The sight of 16-year old German boys being sent to the front was disturbing enough but what churned my stomach to the point of nausea was the narration of a German woman of how the Russian army raped German women after the fall of Germany.

Why do women and children always pay the heftiest price in any war? :-(

Joke of the day:

“Pakistan is fighting terrorists not only for its own sake but for the entire region.”

“China is an anchor of stability and peace not only in Asia but the world.”

- Asif Ali Zardari, President, Pakistan

I have always been fascinated by Adolf Hitler. I mean, why in the God's name did the world take so long in figuring out that the dude was a fruitcake? So it was in the hope of getting some answers that I watched the first part of the program "Color of War - Adolf Hitler" on the History Channel. And I must say that I am dying to watch the next part. They have got hold of some new colored footage from that era and it is amazing to watch the events as they unfolded in the 30s.

If you get a chance to watch this program, don't miss it for anything in the world! :-)

P.S. I couldn't help it but feel that if such films had been used when I was learning History in school, it would have been a lot more interesting subject. :-(

Politics is a Fishy Business!

The politicians seem to have run out of animals dwelling on terra-firma as they call each other names. Now they have turned to the ocean world - what with Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi calling Rahul Gandhi "Fish" and the Congress returning the favor by linking Mr. Modi to a "Piranha"! I guess Sharks, Stingrays and Crocodiles will be next.

Last heard, the animal kingdom is planning big bashes all over India's national parks - finally, they are rid of the slimy lot!