Adolf was seven years old when he looked through his father’s collection of books. He went through things that he was not supposed to touch but he was seven and the curiosity got the best of him. He came upon a picture book about militaries and wars. He was fascinated by all the variety of uniforms, medals, and weapons. He got lost in the fantasies of imagining himself in a uniform and fighting heroically on the battlefields. He was so into the book that he didn’t hear his father walk in on him.

            “Adolf,” his father yelled with a shattering voice

He turned around and saw the mountain of his father tower over him. He cast a dark shadow over the boy.

“Father, I…”

 Adolf’s father slapped him hard on the cheek.

Little Adolf dropped the book on the floor and tried to run away to his room but his father grabbed him by the hair. He twisted little Adolf down onto the floor.

“Pick up the book and put it back in the exact place where you took it from!”

Adolf did as he was told. He wanted the sanctuary of his room urgently but feared another slap from his father as he passed him on the way to the room. Father raised his hand but Adolf bolted into the room and shut the door behind him.

That night in bed, Adolf fantasised about shooting his father on a battlefield.

            Adolf was twelve years old when his father walked into the room on one bright summer day

            “I have made a decision for you my son. I’ve enrolled you and soon you will be attending a Technical high school.”

            “I told you I want to attend Classical high school. I want to become an artist. I will be an artist.”

His father turned around and struck him on the head.

Adolf started attending the technical high school and purposely failed his first year in the hopes that his father will relent and let him pursue his dream. His father never relented and Adolf’s artistic dream remained just that, a daydream.  As the years went by, the dream was replaced by a nightmare.

*

            The fates of the first and second dictator were intertwined well before they started meeting to negotiate a pact of cooperation. King Paul, unlike Hitler, had a very sheltered upbringing. His father would often tell him stories about their ancestor Black George. They were Paul’s favourite stories.

            Paul was ten years old when he ran over to his father and sat in his lap.

            “Tell me about Grandpa George again papa!”

            “Black George was actually my great-grandfather. He was the bravest of our people. George led our people out of slavery. He defeated thousands of Ottomans. His sword was mighty and it was known to bring luck in battle. All our people wanted the honour of fighting alongside him. Swords, arrows, and spears could not pierce him no matter how hard his enemies tried. He had an iron spirit which made his body strong as a rock.”

            “What about you papa? Are you also strong and brave like Black George?”

            “Of course my son. I’m his great-grandson.”

            “And what about me? Will I grow up to be like you and George?

            “You most certainly will. You are my son. We are both made out of the iron will that Black George possessed.”

            Paul was a secure little prince who fantasized of becoming a brave and honourable King.

King Paul’s father was assassinated shortly after Paul came of legal age. His father was murdered in the same year that Hitler became the Chancellor of Germany. Paul’s father had been targeted by a pro-fascist group that was secretly sponsored and supplied by the Nazi party itself.

There were several attempts on his life but on the last one the assassin did not miss as he got up close and fired several shots into the reigning monarch who was attending a public procession. The mounted policemen reacted and cut down the assassin with swords while he tried to run away. Members of the crowd also jumped the assassin and started beating him. The assassin was dead a couple minutes after his target succumbed to the bullet wounds.

Paul was devastated and was not in a festive mood during his coronation. All he could think about was his father’s funeral, how he stood there looking at his dead father in disbelief. Paul grew up viewing his father as the greatest, as untouchable, as the most powerful man in the world. As his father lied in the casket, Paul realized that the title of a King does not make a one an immortal, that you are still very much subject to death, still prone to injuries, bullets and blades can still pierce your body. Everything else is myth, fantasy, and legends.

            It was soon established that the assassin had been a member of a local fascist underground group after an investigation into his identity. The group mostly consisted of former members of a right wing political party that used to hold seats in the parliament. Paul’s father had the party legally banned a few years prior along with the communist party. The reason given was that both parties were unruly and hindered the democratic process of the parliament. Paul was furious when he found out and saw that his father’s actions weren’t enough, that it wasn’t just enough to ban them, to outlaw them. He felt his father made a mistake by being too lenient.

Paul then decided that country was in a dire situation with these various extremist groups running around. He passed an emergency law dissolving the parliament as a governing body and made himself a de facto dictator. An Autocratic King came into being with a stroke of a pen. He was resolved in his stance that there will be no negotiations with these extremists. Paul would always remind everybody that these terrorists murdered his father when there was any mention of a possible diplomatic solution by any of the royal advisors.

            Communists organized demonstrations against the banning of the parliament. The police under Paul’s direct orders viciously suppressed these protests. Paul would say that if blood had to be spilled then so be it but there will be order in the kingdom as long as he lived. The King ordered the police to hunt down the communists and jail them while he ordered the army to hunt down the members of the fascist group and kill them on the spot. No fascist was to be arrested and tried. This group was an imminent threat as they have already resorted to violence while the communists were sticking to issuing propaganda pamphlets, organizing labour unions and protests.

A Colonel Alexander excelled in the hunt for the terrorists and inflicted great losses upon them during the clashes. There were immediate results and soon the fascists were on the run. They got a direct order from Germany to disband and to scatter around Europe. They were told to cease further actions against King Paul’s kingdom and to wait for future opportunities that might eventually arise.

During the military campaign, the Royal Army found hard evidence that the fascists were being supported by German Nazis and Italian Fascists. This evidence was presented to the King but he immediately knew that nothing could be done about it. The anger caused by the death of his father still burned inside his heart but he wasn’t delusional. He knew his kingdom didn’t have the military might to fight the Italians and the Germans at the same time. He was realistic even though he did wish to kill everybody that had anything to do with his father’s assassination. The King had Colonel Alexander promoted to a rank of a General for his excellent work.

            The King didn’t give up his power once the fascist terrorists were driven out of the country. He witnessed how effective the campaign was and saw no need to reinstitute the parliament. The parliament would only slow down the decision making process and these were dangerous times that required swift decisions and sharp actions.

He needed new enemies to justify the retention of his power so he chose the communists. They weren’t dangerous but they could be become dangerous just like the fascists did. He ordered the military and the police to search and destroy any communist propaganda materials, to break up any unions that were organized by the communist party, and to actively search for and jail any known members of communist party. He also ordered that any protest or a demonstration that had any communist flags or symbols displayed would immediately be considered an illegal assembly.

            The communist party leader was a pacifist and soon decreased the activities of the party explaining that the storm has to pass over before the party can continue its work. He explained that the King is reacting extremely to the assassination of his father but his fury will quiet down eventually and then they can resume their activities with the same intensity as before the current crisis. This stance cost him his life.

He was summoned to Moscow for talks with the Soviet leaders and was poisoned during dinner. A certain unknown, mysterious man called Joseph was installed by the Soviets as his successor. Joseph was unknown to most of the members of the party and appeared to come out of nowhere. Joseph was very militaristic and immediately asked the Soviets for help to begin organizing an armed uprising against the King. Joseph announced to the party that the power will not be won in an election or by a popular uprising but be taken by force. The Soviets advised him that it wasn’t the right time to strike but that he should slowly do everything in his power to recruit more members, especially the low ranking soldiers in the army.

            The King basked in his victorious glory with the fascists driven out and with the communists ceasing their activities, or so it appeared.  A few stable years passed by as the new and strong Germany started to rise to prominence. Hitler invited King Paul for an official visit in Berlin. Paul was initially against the idea but after discussing it with his advisors he agreed that diplomacy would have to come first before his personal feelings if he is to be a good leader and a good King. General Alexander was concerned for the Kings safety and offered to accompany him to Berlin. Paul refused the offer and said that the Germans would never dare to harm a head of a country out in the open and risk the outrage from the rest of Europe.

            Paul and his entourage arrived to Berlin on a train. They were cordially greeted by Hitler and the rest of the Nazi leadership. Bouquets of flowers were showered down upon him as he shook hands with everybody. Most of the German leadership also offered the Nazi salute as a form of respect to Paul who only responded with the classical military salute by raising his right hand to the brow. He was greeted by the Nazi salute repeatedly during his visit but he never budged to greet them back in the exact same manner.

Hitler organized a military parade in the honour of Paul’s visit. The King was surprised as there was no prior mention of this. The Germany military was on display in full force. The navy, army, and air force were paraded in all their glory with plenty of Nazi flags and salutes. It was a military spectacle, a remarkable sight.

            The King then proceeded to Hitler’s private quarters where the talks were generally geared towards cooperation in all spheres of life including economy, culture, or military. The talks ended amicably as both leaders made it clear that their respective countries do not have any issues on which they oppose each other. On train ride back home, the King pondered the point of that military parade. Hitler was displaying his powerful German army to him as a warning, as something to keep in mind before they sat down to hold their talks.

The King navigated the diplomatic talk with calm even though he initially felt like brining up the issue of the Nazi support for the fascist group that killed his father. He wanted to request an official apology from Hitler and the rest of Nazi leadership for the grief they caused him and his country but the King changed his mind shortly after the parade concluded.

            Upon arrival to his homeland, the King called a meeting with all the admirals, field marshals, and generals. The King informed them about his visit to Berlin and he particularly focused on the military aspect of it.

            “When it came to light that it was the German Nazi party that supported our home-grown fascists, I for one immediately knew that any declaration of war upon Germany was not possible due to their unofficial alliance with Fascist Italy. Now after seeing their rebuilt military, I’m not sure we could defeat Germany even if it had no allies in the entire world,” the King said.

            “We fought them and defeated them before, during the Great War” General Alexander spoke up. “I was just a Lieutenant then and fighting under the leadership of your valiant father.”

            “I know that General but you seem to forget that our country lost to the onslaught of the Germans in the first year of the conflict. We were occupied and we had to retreat. We were only victorious in the last year of the war and due to the help of our allies.”

            “Yes, I remember. Your father carried us to many victories that year but I also remember that we managed the first major Allied victory of the Great War when we beat back the first invading wave and dashed all the hopes that Germans had for a swift victory over us. We eventually had to retreat because they outnumbered us but once our allies evened the numbers then they stood no chance against us.”

            “I just hope it doesn’t come to that again. I hope that war can be avoided between our two countries and I will not be the one to provoke it. I just wanted to inform you all of what I witnessed. There is no immediate threat but I was definitely sent a message that I need to share with all of you here. The German army is rebuilt and it is a force to be reckoned with.”

            Just a few months later, Germany invaded Poland thus starting World War 2. King’s allies, France and England, were easily overrun. France was occupied, the British troops had retreated to the British Isles and the aerial bombing of England had commenced. Soviet Union had signed a non-aggression pact with Germany in which Paul’s mistrust towards Soviets was confirmed.

Prior to the war, a Soviet ambassador to the kingdom expressed his concerns to King Paul about the Kings visit to Hitler. He said that whole of Soviet Union hoped that the King hadn’t joined or is planning to join Germany. If it comes to war, he hoped that the King will fight against Germany.

            “What hypocrites” the King thought aloud. “The ambassador knew the entire time that they would sign a non aggression pact while preaching to us about the heroic need to stand up to Germany.”

            “That’s not a surprise” General Alexander spoke and startled the King who thought he was alone in his quarters. “The communists staunchly oppose monarchies. They don’t wish you well your highness and they never will.

            “I know that General but diplomacy is diplomacy. I am obliged to talk to all sides to see where our country stands in the grand schemes of world powers.”

            “Are you ready for the emergency staff meeting sir” the General inquired. “The advisors and the other generals are becoming impatient and starting discussions without your presence which is something I am highly opposed to.”

            “I find myself in a precarious situation General. The circumstances could not be more complicated. France is occupied and England, like Soviet Union did before, is requesting that we do not betray our honourable heritage and to declare war on Germany. They are demanding that of me while not promising any kind of military aid whatsoever.”

            “These are things that should be discussed at the meeting so why don’t we proceed to there now.”

            “General...I need to talk to you alone. Please, have a seat.”

            The General hesitated for a moment and was about to protest against another delay but he decided to honour the request when he noticed the Kings melancholic eyes, almost on the verge of tears. 

            “I have to confess to you that I am very nervous about this meeting. I feel intimidated by everyone there. I know that my advisors and the military leaders have always looked at me as young and inexperienced. I will be the youngest person sitting at that table. There is a significant generational gap between the royal cabinet and me.”

            General Alexander sat down and the King continued.

            “I know that the popular opinion in the Kingdom is against joining the Germans, as there are still fresh scars since the days of World War 1 but that is precisely why we need to join them,” the King started to open up. “We need to avoid further scars, new scars because we will not emerge unscathed from this new fight. I fear that the price we will pay for fighting them will be far greater than before, the casualties will be much higher than before.”

            “But if we don’t then the honour that your ancestors fought to defend will be thrown into mud, discarded out of fear, out of convenience,” the General said. “If we give up our freedom without a fight...”

            “That is not what I am suggesting. I will negotiate with Germany to make sure that signing any agreement with them does not compromise our Kingdoms neutrality in this war. I will demand that our sovereignty is respected, that our army will not assist them in any military campaigns, and that they will not transport their troops and equipment through our country.”

            “Well that would effectively make us neutral just as we are now. Why are they insisting on signing an agreement then?”

            “They want us to guarantee that we will not change our neutrality for aggression or for our country to be used as a front for the Allies to attack from.”

            “Are you sure that you can achieve such an agreement with them? That would give us a status and a privilege of a Switzerland.”

            “I met Hitler in person. I shook his hand and looked into his eyes. The man is cold and his eyes betray a menacing nature that is coiling within him like a snake ready to strangle. That being said, he can be negotiated with, a deal can be struck. When I met him, he was well aware that he was going to attack Poland but he made no overt threats or harsh demands towards me. He mostly talked about the economic cooperation of our two countries. He doesn’t want to fight us but he will if we don’t at least sign a written promise that we won’t meddle with his war plans. That’s why he paraded his troops in front of me, to show that we must show some respect towards him and his country.”

            “I don’t mean to bring up a soft spot, it might seem cheap of me to ask but what would your father think of all this? Should we really show respect to Hitler and Mussolini, men who were behind your father’s death? How would signing an agreement with them honour the memory of your father?”

            The King broke away eye contact and turned his head to stare through the window, fixing his gaze deep into the greyish sky. He sighed heavily. The General continued.

            “I was really proud of you after you fathers assassination. You really responded like a true man even though you only turned of legal age a few months before the unfortunate event. You had to carry a burden of sorrow and huge responsibility as soon as you became an adult. It is true that many people believed that you were not ready for such a responsible position. Many believed that your power should’ve been limited and that certain matters of the country should’ve been left in the hands of more experienced, wiser men. I was never of that belief your highness and never will be.”

            “I thank you for that General and I always sensed that from you. I always sensed that even if you didn’t agree with a King’s policies, whether it was my father, grandfather or me, you performed your duties to the utmost of you your abilities. That is why I trust you and why I am consulting with you in private. You rose rapidly through the ranks for a reason. You stayed out of politics, a trait that some high-ranking military men tend to forget. ”

            “I took an oath and I intend to honour it. I firmly believe that we have to remain united even with disagreements. We have so many external and internal enemies that we simply cannot afford to allow minor details to weaken a unified front.”

            “That is exactly what I want too but this war is not our fight to win or lose. It is a fight to avoid at all costs. We have nothing to prove. It does not concern us. We are a small kingdom, a little country that’s in the way of big powers, which will crush us if they feel like it. We have fought many, many wars with the Great War being the last one but this war, this Hitler’s war is where we should stop and rest. We should allow the storm to pass and stay indoors for the duration of it. All I am proposing is neutrality because we have nothing to gain from this conflict.”

            The General looked at the King and it was now his turn to sigh. He leaned forward in his chair towards the King who in turn instinctively leaned forward towards the General. General Alexander then spoke in a low tone of voice.

            “Your highness, I was thinking and re-thinking if I should tell you this but I realized that it would be very hypocritical of me if I didn’t mention it especially after bringing up the oath that I took to defend the country and the monarchy. Your instinct was right about the gap between you and some senior royal advisors and other generals. I just don’t think you understand how wide that gap actually is.”

            The King’s eyes grew with concern as he heard these words. He was expecting the worst now as thoughts flooded through his head. The General paused for a brief moment and then continued.

            “Some of the other generals have openly been discussing the possibility of orchestrating a coup against you.”

            The King froze in his seat. It was another blow to his illusion of an all-powerful King. He was also now a subject to mutiny from his own people, men that serve him. The men who are supposed to protect him can turn their weapons on him. He could end up imprisoned, exiled, or murdered. The General noticed how the King’s face froze and his eyes filled with terror so he continued his revelation.

            “This is just a theoretical plan, an idea; nothing has been done about it. I was approached and asked if I would support the coup even though they suspected my negative answer. I told the messenger that my stance is unconditional unity in the ranks and told him to tell the conspirators that an attempted coup could lead to a civil war. Like I said, no steps have been taken but they were feeling out everybody’s mood by presenting the idea. I heard that some royal advisors were also for the idea.”

            “But why,” the King pleaded. “Why would they want to do that to me, why would they go so far to overthrow me from power?”

            “It’s not as complex as you might think. There are small disagreements or personal vendettas involved but the main point now is that they don’t like the approach you have developed towards Germany. The Germans have never been our allies, they are our historic enemies so your generals and advisors see you as a traitor rather than a political tactician. It won’t be hard to convince the populace of such a viewpoint because as your highness had pointed out, the population still remembers the horrors that the German army put them through during the Great War.”

            “What is you stance General? What is your true opinion of me?”

            “Even though I always stayed away from politics I do understand your stance. By avoiding the war, we save our people from devastation. I joined the army to protect our nation and if neutrality prevents the loss of our people’s lives than that is a reasonable stance.”

            “Exactly, that is the whole point. You have to help me make that case in front of the cabinet. It’s the lives of hardworking peasants, of regular citizens that is at stake here even if they don’t realize that themselves. They have to understand that and you can agree with me in front of them and back my point up.”

            “It could play out like that but I am also afraid that if we give them that speech, the idea of a coup will become an actual plan and the plan will be put into action.”

            “What do we do then? I should seek out the conspirators and put them to trial for treason.”

            “I do not know how many there are or who is exactly for this idea. We would be hunting in the dark and it would show a divided front to our enemies.”

            “These conspirators are our enemies now too. How can we have a united front with declared enemies of the monarchy?”

            “That is the problem; they haven’t declared anything yet so if we go looking for them it will turn into a witch hunt in which innocent people will suffer also.”

            “Then what can we do General, what do you propose?”

            The General stopped talking and looked down at the floor. He was stunned to realize that the King had turned him into his personal advisor over a course of a fifteen-minute discussion. The General could’ve abused the trust that he was shown but he was not motivated to do so, he truly did not have a political card to play or a self-interest card. The General assessed the situation as objectively as he could and then looked back up at the King.

            “I must say your highness, that it is an extremely difficult choice you face, a choice I wouldn’t wish upon any man especially one as young as yourself. That being said I must use my experiences with our people to make my argument. If a pact with Germany is signed, majority of our people will be against it. I know this because I have been posted all over our country and I know the pulse of our people. Many student groups have already announced demonstrations and protests in case of an agreement with Germany. If the pact is signed, majority of the military leadership will be against it and probably half of your royal advisors. I know this because I have heard rumours and have my own sources. It will be a divisive move even though it actually might be the most diplomatic move. This move could preserve lives but it will damage our unity, it will also damage your popularity among the people and what are you without that? Without support, you are no longer a King but just another tyrant. You will be a traitor whose overthrow by the military would be welcomed by the public.”

            “The public is exactly who I am trying to protect from the destruction of war, from the loss of their own innocent lives.”

            “But our people have very strong myths about good and evil your highness. Our national lore contains numerous legends on the exploits of heroes who rose against the minions of evil.  Hitler has been branded as evil, which he is, and your highness agrees with me on that point too. Hitler is trying to conquer Europe. He has attacked and invaded free countries and now he is at our door. If we join him in any way then we become evil too. It is a basic philosophy but nevertheless a potent one.”

            “But I already made it clear and would make it clear to everybody that we are not joining but formalizing our neutrality from all sides.”

            “That will be interpreted as fear of fighting against evil and not standing up for good. The only choice that makes sense through the mythical lenses is to fight evil head on. If we rise up to him then we are good and are fighting for not just our freedom but freedom for other parts of Europe as well.”

            “They are not threatening to invade us and to take our freedom away.”

            “But they have done so with other countries have they not? Who’s to say that they won’t ask for alterations to the agreement as the war goes on? Give them an inch and they’ll take a mile.”

            “I do not see any other country volunteering to take on Germany after they ran through France so why should it be us? Why should we be the ones to foolishly stand up to them?”

            “Well it is said that there is a fine line between foolishness and bravery and the line is quite blurry with the choice we are facing. However, to answer your question as to why us, why should we stand up to evil? I will simply answer with another question just as the classical Greek philosophers used to do. If not us then who will? If everybody asks the question you just did then nobody will and Hitler’s Germany will occupy all of Europe.”

            Dead silence ensued for a couple of minutes while the King and the General both shifted uncomfortably in their chairs. The General realized that the King was deep in his thoughts and that he wasn’t going to be one to break the silence.

            “Your highness, you should look at the situation like this. If you truly care about the opinion of your people and the men that serve you then you shouldn’t have a problem making a choice that the majority wants. It might be unwise but it is democratic.”

“Well it is a tyranny of democracy then because the majority is not necessarily right just because it is a majority,” countered the King.

            “Neither can one King be right on a matter of such grave importance. Many people have been calling you a dictator behind your back. Don’t give the conspirators the excuse they need to accuse you to the people as such.”

            “So we should just give in to the desires of these conspirators, to the wishes of these war- mongers.”

            “It’s not just their opinion you highness, it is the quiet but popular opinion. If you sign the pact they will brand you as a Nazi collaborator at which point they will have every right to topple you and the people will celebrate them as heroes.”

            The King stood up and the General stood up right after him. The King slowly walked over to the window and mournfully looked through the bare branches of a tree and further towards the horizon. He spoke to the General while still looking out into the distance.

            “So the popular opinion will make the mass graves for the populace itself. How ironic. Either I let my own people imprison me or execute me or I let the Germans do the exact same thing. What choice do I really have then General? I do not even have an heir to the throne so it seems that my family’s dynasty is in its twilight.”

            “I would not look at it so despairingly your highness. The Germans will not overrun us as easily as you fear. We might not have the most modern equipment but we have always had the greatest strategists and an unbreakable fighting spirit. We will never capitulate to the Germans and the fighting against them will never cease even if we have to retreat. You will be safe in the military bunker and if the Germans gain ground you will be the first to retreat with everybody else following behind you.”

            “No matter what occurs, it seems that fate has dealt me an unfair hand again. First, my father was murdered right in front of my eyes, and then I had to become a leader of a country just a couple of months after turning eighteen which effectively ended my care free youth, then my wife has not been able to conceive for quite some time now, and now this. Facing treasonous conspirators and warring Germans.”

            The King turned away from the window and smiled sadly at the General. The King then fixed his official uniform and the General did the same.

            “Let us proceed to the meeting General. The royal cabinet is probably getting very impatient by now. Maybe they have all already agreed to oust me as soon as I show up,” the King joked which made the General smile. “We have a meeting with destiny my friend. Let’s not make the future wait any longer.”

            They walked out of the King’s quarters and right there in those quarters the past ended. The world they knew up to that point had ended and a period of peace had ended. The future was waiting to be born in the cabinet room. The King and the General walked into the meeting in which a decision was made that forever changed both of their lives and the destiny of a nation.

*

            Hitler’s closest men were surprised that he was willing to sign a pact with a small kingdom without asking for any assistance from the kingdom in the war effort. Hitler went into a furious rage when he was informed that the King had decided against the signing of a formal pact. He immediately went into organizing the military attack on the kingdom. No formal declaration of war was announced and the first wave of bombing began in the military operation that Hitler nicknamed Punishment. The Kingdom was entirely occupied in less than two weeks.

            When the royalist guerrillas under the leadership of General Alexander started gaining ground, it was Hitler himself who personally came up with the method of reprisals. A hundred civilians were to be executed for every dead German soldier, fifty civilians for a wounded one. At one point in the war, Marshal Joseph sent an agent of his to make contact with a high-ranking Nazi official stationed in the country. Joseph offered a truce between his partisans and Germans so he could focus on fighting the royalists. Upon hearing this, Hitler refused any such agreements saying that he doesn’t make deals with bandits.

            Hitler authoritarian rule of my country was the shortest of all the other dictators but the most brutal and vicious.

*

            If Hitler were never born, would the fascists have still assassinated the King’s father? If Paul’s father hadn’t been assassinated, would he have signed the agreement with Nazi Germany? He commanded more respect than his son did and the military would have never challenged his decisions. His son was viewed as too young to lead a country and lost respect because he never reinstated democracy. Maybe signing a non-aggression agreement with the Nazis would have been the right thing to do.

If the Nazis hadn’t attacked the country, the Communists wouldn’t have gotten a chance to take over, Freeman wouldn’t have had a chance to rise through the ranks of the communist party and become a despotic dictator, and the Military Alliance wouldn’t have had a reason to bomb tonight. Therefore, in retrospect singing the non-aggression pact with Nazis would have prevented the present time bombing campaign but not signing it caused our country to be bombed by the Nazis and by the Military Alliance.

The simple view was that opposing the Nazis was the right thing because they were evil which is hard to argue but the cost has been so high for our country for doing the right thing. Why did standing up to the Nazis create a domino effect that decades later led to a teenage boy facing a mushroom cloud and the inevitable death lurking behind it? How is that fair? How is that just?

            I look up at the screens on the tunnel walls and they are switching to what look like scenes from the numerous WW2 movies that I have seen during my short life. There is a young man standing on guard in a German uniform. That’s Peter...my grandfather.