Recently released documents from the British National Archives have unearthed the role of an astrologist called
Louis de Wohl. His claim was that, since Hitler consulted an astrologer to determine what to do, he could look at the same star signs and predict what Hitler's actions would be. The Intelligence services apparently did not believe this - but
British Security Coordination, a secret propaganda organisation designed to influence Americans to join the war, did see a possibility in this and sent him on a US tour where he foretold Hitler's imminent downfall. He may also have been asked to leak some information which had previously been decrypted from Enigma messages. A
BBC Radio 4 interview with historian
Christopher Andrew and writer
William Boyd (starting 18min 50 sec in) provides more details.
posted by rongorongo
on Mar 4, 2008 -
8 comments
Trading with the Enemy (Prescott Bush was a bad man) - The mainstream press
decides to bring up the Bush/Nazi connection - Newly declassified documents shed new light on the shady beginnings of the Bush family's dynastic wealth: through GW Bush's grandfather Prescott Bush's work as a director of a US bank which was both controlled by the German industrialist Thyssen (who played a key role in bankrolling Hitler's rise to power) and which continued to launder Thyssen Group profits after the US declaration of war against Germany. But if you've been reading Metafilter closely,
you would have known the facts almost a year ago.
( * executes clannish, self/Metafilter congratulatory victory jig * ). Will the mainstream press pick up the trail of the story, to the US government secret importation of
Nazi scientists immediately after WW2? (don't hold yr. breath)
posted by troutfishing
on Oct 18, 2003 -
60 comments
What do you do with an eyesore built by a madman? [Geocities site, caress lovingly before clicking] During WWII, Hitler built several Flakbunkers around the city of Hamburg, to act as self-contained civilian shelters and defensive posts. After the war, the British tried to blow them up. And failed, on two accounts. The buildings still stand today, squat and romanesque remnants of a horrible period in the city's history. So, in a show of Hanseatic League moxie, the citizens of Hamburg have converted one of them into a
disco. [warning: Flash, and starts with music]. There are better pictures of the truly hideous exterior
here and
here. A timely reminder, this Tuesday morning, that poor decisions can have long-reaching and unintended consequences. What will your grandchildren have to turn into a disco?
posted by condour75
on Nov 5, 2002 -
40 comments