Hero in a Vacuum of Hope
Between WWI and WWII, Germans proudly sang their patriotic anthem Die Wacht am Rhein translated as "The Watch on the Rhine." It contains the famous line, Lieb Vaterland, magst ruhig sein (seen in picture above) meaning "Dear Fatherland, be at peace." That is, Germans believed that despite the loss of WWI, they could find the right captain to lead them to peace and victory. Everything was going to be fine... at all costs. Alhough there is much debate to this day on how many Germans actually believed Hitler's initial threats to the Jews, the fact is that it didn't matter to most German gentiles. They were ready for a win, [...]