The Trial Of Adolf Hitler

[Tim]

BOOK: The Trial Of Adolf Hitler
AUTHOR Philippe Van Rjndt
Year of publication: 1978

This premise of this book is such.  Adolf Hitler managed to escape from the bunker in Berlin, in 1945,  and, with the help of an SS man, makes it to Bavaria.  Once there, he assumed a new identity (Werner Busse) and lives there for the next thirty years.

Finally, with age catching up to him, Hitler decides to reveal himself to the world.  He wants an international trial so he can go out in a blaze of glory.

I must sat that this is an excellent book and showed us just what might have happened, had Hitler turned up alive (still possible at the time of the books publication).   I could see such a trial (it happens at the U.N.) taking place.

In the novel, Hitler is totally unrepentant.  In fact, he's darn proud of what he did.  The fact that millions perished is no skin under his nose.  He knows that he is likely to lose this trial, but that is beside the point.  He wants to get his messages of Nazi glory out there, and this is his best way of doing it.  He says that there is a whole new generation out there quite willing to pick up where he left off.  And sadly, that is very true.

Another figure is this book is Marshall Georgi Zhukov, who commanded the Soviet forces that took Berlin in 1945.  One can see why he'd want to be at that trial. 

For those of you that like What If? History, this is a book for you.

10/10.

[ladyfiaran22]

The idea of the book sounds interesting since I love AU historical fiction, I did wonder if Hitler actually believed his own nonsense or was he mentally ill. Sadly there’s idiots who still think this way.

[Tim]

I'm sure sure about the real guy, but, in the book, Hitler truly believes that he was right.  He shows no regrets for what happened under his rule.

And, also in the book, there are many in Germany that feel the same way (which is true in real life, unfortunately).   And they do take a great interest in this trial.

Of course, if such a trial had happened in real life, I'm sure the whole world would have been watching.

[Squad 51]

Oh yeah, that's true. Many still believe that a great leader would be better than a democracy. Well, we see now many countries where only democracy is there apparently, yet the President longs for autocracy. See Trump, Erdogan, Putin and so on.

[Tim]

And when this book was published, Hitler could still have been alive. 

He would have been getting up in years, but there is certainly no Statute Of Limitations on his crimes.

[Squad 51]

Yeah, because of the Cold War and the Soviet Union didn't tell the truth about Hitler's bones and all. Many conspiracy theories were around. That he survived in South America and many more.

[Tim]

Turns out those bones the Russians had were female, most likely Eva Braun.  Oops!

[Squad 51]

If I remember correctly, I think they found Hitler's teeth, no bones. They were from Eva Braun, obviously.

[Tim]

Actually, it was  a piece of skull.

However, at the time this novel was published, no one was quite sure, so the scenario of the novel could have happened.