Wehrmacht veterans. How German Veterans Help the Russians. When will people become interested in this event?

Hans Schmidt.
(died May 30, 2010)
His letter to Saving Private Ryan director Steven Spielberg:

Dear Mr. Spielberg,

let me, a twice wounded veteran of the Waffen SS and a participant in three campaigns (battles for Belgium, Hungary and Austria) comment on your picture "Saving Private Ryan".

After reading a lot of good reviews for this successful and let's say "impressive" film, I hope you don't mind some criticism from a German and a German-American point of view.

Other than the massacre at the very beginning of the story, during the invasion of Omaha Beach (which I can't comment on as I wasn't there), many of the battle scenes seemed unreal. Yes, you have made a very commendable effort to ensure the authenticity of what is happening with the help of original German equipment and weapons. (Schützenpanzerwagen (SPW), 42 MG and Kettenkrad) And, while the appearance of German infantry regular army in the bunkers of Normandy was not well depicted, the Waffen SS involved in urban combat, at the end of the film, were quite properly depicted. My comment about the unrealistic battle scenes is based on the fact that the Waffen SS did not act as you portrayed them in the film. We were accustomed to the sight of American and Russian infantry gathering around their tanks, but the Waffen SS themselves acted in this way very rarely. (The first Americans I met during the fighting in Belgium were a dozen G.I. who died next to a self-propelled gun destroyed by a howitzer) Also, almost all the German soldiers in the film either have very short haircuts or shaved heads, which is not true. It is possible that you confused the German soldiers with the Russians. Or, to put it differently, the fact that you are a Jew played a role, and you simply wanted to draw a parallel from modern skinheads to the Waffen SS and other soldiers of the Third Reich.

Also, you had to use 18 or 19 year old boys for filming, not older guys. Average age military personnel of the heroic division "Hitlerjugend", including officers, in the battles for Cannes was 19 years old!

The scene where G.I. showing his "Star of David" to German prisoners of war with the words: "I am a Jew, I am a Jew" is so outrageous that it is even ridiculous. I can tell you that if such an incident actually happened, the German soldiers would say to each other: "This guy is an idiot!" What you don't seem to know is that to the average WW2 German soldier, regardless of branch of service, the enemy's race, color, or religion made absolutely no difference. It didn't matter to him. In addition, you made a serious mistake: in the film, the movie camera moves from one Jewish grave with a Star of David to all the other graves with Christian crosses. I know what you wanted to say by this, but I am sure that I was not the only one who tried to find at least one more star of David among hundreds of grave crosses. I'm sure you know she wasn't there. In fact, you produced the exact opposite effect of what you intended. This scene makes false statements by Jewish organizations that the number of Jewish volunteers in World War II was huge and that their contribution to the victory was also great. I visited the Luxembourg military cemetery where General Patton is buried and tried to count the Jewish stars on the graves. Was surprised by their absence.
After World War I, some leaders of the German Jews used the following trick: they declared then and now they declare that "12,000 Jews gave their lives for the Fatherland", which, in theory, should emphasize their role in that war, but in reality this was not the case. Perhaps they are exploiting this "12,000" as some kind of symbol that "from our point of view, we have done enough."

During the Second World War, as now, a quarter of the population of America can be considered American Germans. Knowing the patriotism of American Germans, we can verify that their numbers in the armed forces were equal to or even higher than their official percentage of the total population. And in this film, we do not hear a single German name among Americans. Have you forgotten Nimitz, Arnold, Spaez or even Eisenhower? Well, maybe Captain Miller from Pennsylvania was a German with an English-sounding name. Perhaps one thinks that the abundance of German names such as Goldberg, Rosenthal, Silverstein and Spielberg satisfy the need for a "German-American" presentation.

My final comment concerns the description of the shooting of German prisoners of war. A study of American World War II literature shows that such incidents were numerous and such violations of the laws of war were usually forgiven "because some G.I. got angry with the Germans who had just killed one of his dearest comrades." In other words, the anger and the war crime were understandable and forgivable. In the film, you seem to agree with this position, since you allow only one of the soldiers, namely the admitted coward, to say that no one dares to shoot at enemy soldiers who have laid down their arms.
As a former German soldier, I can assure you that we did not have what I call a non-Aryan mindset. I well remember when, in January 1945, we sat with ten captured Americans after a fierce battle, and G.I. were genuinely surprised that we treated them almost like friends, without malice. If you want to know why, I will answer you. We have not been exposed to many years of propaganda, unlike the American and British soldiers, who have seen too many anti-German war films, usually made by your brethren.

(FYI: I have never seen an anti-American war film - there were no Jewish directors at UFA.)

I read it, leafed through all these fables in the answers ... Again, another herd of liberals, spreading over a bowl of rice in front of the lousy west and telling the old perestroika bullshit about how supposedly everyone is happy in Germany and how supposedly everyone is "downtrodden and forgotten" in our country. Bullshit! And it's long outdated. Of course, it was like that in Yeltsin's 1990s, but times are different now.
Now, about the attitude towards Wehrmacht veterans in Germany itself - I lived in Germany for a long time and talked on this topic with the Germans. Many frankly did not want to talk about this topic, but there were those who spoke directly. There has never been any honoring of war veterans in Germany, as in Russia, and there is not now. They lost and that says it all. The Germans generally try not to advertise that their grandfathers fought and God forbid that they were in the SS. For the Germans, kinship with the Ssovtsy is a shame. They don’t like to talk about the war, and this is understandable why - IN EVERY German family there are dead or missing in Russia. For them, this is a crossed out page, which they try to forget and not think about. In German society itself, their army has long been treated very mediocrely. The reason is banal - "We feed you, and you screwed up two wars." My father told me about this a long time ago when he served in the Pacific Fleet, and cadets from the GDR came to them for an internship. They also said that in Germany they do not like the army because of the defeats in World War 1 and 2. In some families, their grandfathers are remembered and honored, but in the majority, the page of the war and war veterans for the Germans is crossed out once and for all. The memory of the defeat in the war sits very deep in them, it is still felt when communicating behind all these rubber masks, and it will always weigh on them.
Now for their standard of living. Many sub-Western liberals and Russophobes are trumpeting with might and main about the "heavenly life" of Wehrmacht veterans, although this is absolutely not true. Unlike our veterans, German veterans DO NOT RECEIVE ANY benefits, additional payments, or additional allowances for participating in the war. This was told to me by the German veterans themselves, with whom I had a chance to talk. They receive the usual pension, like ordinary old people. On average, about 1-2 thousand euros. And it depends not on participation in the war, not on awards, not on titles and regalia - all this has nothing to do with pensions - but on seniority, age, social status, disability and many other reasons. Another question is that they still have enough ordinary pension for a normal normal life. No heavenly - but quite ordinary. And they do not go on any round-the-world tours for these pensions. This is all bullshit. Only the rich, who have a strong business, go. And there are not many of them. Moreover, now they complain that life has become much worse than before, in the same 90s or 80s.
I emphasize once again - unlike our veterans, who are loved, honored and remembered - I have not seen anything like this in Germany. The attitude is usually neutral. No special sentimentality or love for them on the part of ordinary German society or the state - I did not see anywhere.
And now about our veterans. - In the liberal 90s, when the pro-Western Yeltsin shobla ruled the ball in Russia - yes, our veterans lived in wild poverty and sold awards, and barely made ends meet to somehow feed themselves. And now - heaven and earth compared to what it was. My great-uncle is a participant in the war, he is already 94 years old, lives in the Moscow region. There are children and grandchildren. Veteran's pension is about 40 thousand rubles. He came from the front as an invalid, 5 years ago he received an apartment in Tver. All benefits and sanatorium treatment - he has everything and is present. He says that he gives everything to his children and grandchildren and that there was no such attention to him as now - even in years Soviet power, not to mention the lousy Yeltsin times of general chaos and collapse.
Therefore, leave all these korostovye tales about the "heavenly life" of the Germans and the alleged "poverty" of our veterans to your Yeltsin fosterlings, who brought the people to the handle in the 90s. It's been a different time!
I'm tired of listening to all this lousy lies and all these deceitful monotonous Russophobic nonsense of dumb-headed bots on American allowance.

"The main German TV channel CDF showed the TV series Our Mothers, Our Fathers about the Second World War, which angered people in the countries of Eastern Europe. Poland was accused of anti-Semitism, the peoples of the USSR - of complicity with the Nazis and atrocities on their territory and the lands of Germany. The true victims of World War II Wehrmacht soldiers defending their homeland, soldiers who fought against Polish anti-Semitism and Soviet barbarism are presented.

Well, it seems that the EU needs its own version of history that suits, first of all, main country Greater European Union - Germany. Satellites like Greece or Cyprus should not be allowed to throw in the face a reminder of a recent bloody past. This threatens the existence of the legitimacy of German domination.

History has long been tried to be used as the wheel of a propaganda machine. It is doubtful that SS marches in the Baltics would be possible without the blessing of the "elder brothers" in the European Union. The Germans themselves cannot yet afford this, but the format of the feature tape seems to have been chosen as optimal for the formation public opinion.

After watching - thanks to the Internet! - you understand that the film aims to achieve several goals: the rehabilitation of the Germans who fought in World War II, the instillation of an inferiority complex in the new EU members, in particular Poland, as well as the depiction of the victims of fascism - the peoples of the USSR, as a stupid biomass hostile to European civilization.

The latter task is simplified by the fact that in the years cold war the image of the Soviet barbarian was successfully formed in the minds of the layman. Therefore, it is only necessary to throw up another myth in order for the Europeans to clearly see the threat from the East.

What myth? The most accessible, already voiced by European historians more than once: the rape of German women by Soviet soldiers. The figure has been named: over two million German women.

Tens of thousands of children born to Soviet soldiers are often cited as evidence. To the question of how this could happen, there is a legitimate answer: they were raped. Let's leave for now stories about supposedly raped German women. Where did children come from? More on that below.

Let's get back to the movie. Frames flicker. Soviet soldiers break into a German hospital. Cold-bloodedly, in passing, they finish off the wounded. They grab a nurse and immediately try to rape German soldiers among the dead bodies. Such is the modern reading of history.

In general, a film shot, as it were, through the eyes of German soldiers, those who see the horrors of the war imposed on them, can evoke sympathy. Clever, intelligent Germans are witnessing how Polish partisans are expelled from the detachment, almost to certain death, a refugee who turned out to be a Jew. Ukrainian punishers exterminate people in front of the taken aback Germans. Russian rapists kill and destroy every living thing in their path.

Such a picture appears before the European audience. The Germans are trying with their last strength to protect their homeland, read - European civilization. And of course, these people could not be to blame for starting the war. A certain top of the Wehrmacht is to blame, which the bulk of the German soldiers, according to the authors of the tape, did not support, and the wild Slavic tribes that forced Europe to defend themselves from them.

But are ordinary soldiers so innocent? So were they in opposition to their commanders? Let's take excerpts from the letters of soldiers from the Eastern Front:

“Only a Jew can be a Bolshevik; nothing better for these bloodsuckers if there is no one to stop them. Wherever you spit, there are only Jews around, whether in the city or in the countryside.”

“Some will be interested that there were theaters, operas and so on, there were even large buildings, but only for the rich, and the rich are bloodsuckers and their hangers-on.”

“Everyone who observes this gloomy poverty understands exactly what these Bolshevik animals wanted to bring to us, hardworking, pure and creative Germans. This is God's blessing! How fair that the Fuehrer is called to lead Europe!”

“I see the Fuhrer in front of me. He saved the enslaved and raped humanity, giving them again divine freedom and the blessing of a worthy existence. The true and deepest reason for this war is to restore the natural and godly order. This is a battle against slavery, against Bolshevik madness.”

“I am proud, extremely proud, that I can fight against this Bolshevik monster, again fighting the enemy against whom I fought to annihilation during the difficult years of struggle in Germany. I am proud of the wounds I received in these battles, and I am proud of my new wounds and the medal that I now wear.”

“Our successes so far have been great, and we will not stop until we destroy the roots and branches of this infection, which will be a boon for European culture and humanity.”

“I am proud to belong to the German nation and to be in the ranks of our great army. Say hello to everyone at home. I am far away. Tell them that Germany is the most beautiful, cultured country in the entire world. Anyone should be happy to be a German and serve a Fuehrer like Adolf Hitler."

“For what it's worth, it's great that the Fuhrer saw the danger in time. The battle had to take place. Germany, what would happen to you if this stupid animal horde came to our native land? We all took an oath of allegiance to Adolf Hitler, and we must fulfill it for our own good, wherever we are.”

“Courage is courage inspired by spirituality. The stubbornness with which the Bolsheviks defended themselves in their pillboxes in Sevastopol is akin to some kind of animal instinct, and it would be a deep mistake to consider it the result of Bolshevik convictions or upbringing. The Russians have always been like this and, most likely, always will remain so.

As you can see, there is not a word of remorse. Around the Jewish Bolsheviks, who need to be destroyed. True, there is sincere amazement that there are theaters and large buildings here. And even the valor of warriors for them is bestial, inhuman. There is no reason not to trust these testimonies. It was written by those whom today they are trying to present as victims of the Second World War.

And yet, what about the raped German women? Surely this question will arise in the attentive reader. War is war, but were there mass rapes and bastards? Perhaps you should also look at the evidence.

The famous director Grigory Chukhrai recalled the entry of troops into Romania: “Under the influence of Russian vodka, they relaxed and admitted that they were hiding their daughter in the attic.” Soviet officers were indignant: “Who do you take us for? We are not fascists! “The hosts were ashamed, and soon a lean girl named Mariyka appeared at the table, who greedily began to eat. Then, having got used to it, she began to flirt and even ask us questions... By the end of the dinner, everyone was friendly and drank to "borotshaz" (friendship). Mariyka understood this toast too straightforwardly. When we went to bed, she appeared in my room in one undershirt. As a Soviet officer, I immediately realized that a provocation was being prepared. “They expect that I will be tempted by the charms of Mariyka, and they will raise a fuss. But I will not succumb to provocation,” I thought. Yes, and the charms of Mariyka did not appeal to me - I showed her the door.

The next morning, the hostess, putting food on the table, rattled the dishes. "Nervous. The provocation failed!“ I thought. I shared this thought with our Hungarian translator. He laughed.

This is not a provocation! You were shown a friendly disposition, but you neglected it. Now you are not considered a person in this house. You need to move to another apartment!

Why did they hide their daughter in the attic?

They were afraid of violence. We have accepted that a girl, before entering into marriage, with the approval of her parents, can experience intimacy with many men. We are told: they don’t buy a cat in a tied bag ... "

And here is the story of the mortar man N.A. Orlov, who was, to put it mildly, surprised by the behavior of German women in 1945. “Regarding violence against German women. It seems to me that some, when talking about such a phenomenon, “exaggerate” a little. I have a different kind of example. We went to some german city settled in houses. A "frau", about 45 years old, appears and asks for "herr commandant". They brought her to Marchenko. She declares that she is responsible for the quarter, and has gathered 20 German women for sexual (!!!) service to Russian soldiers. Marchenko German understood, and to the political officer Dolgoborodov, who was standing next to me, I translated the meaning of what the German woman said. The reaction of our officers was angry and obscene. The German woman was driven away, along with her "detachment" ready for service. In general, German obedience stunned us. Expected from the Germans guerrilla war, sabotage. But for this nation, order - "Ordnung" - is above all. If you are a winner, then they are “on their hind legs”, moreover, consciously and not under duress. That's the psychology...

Herr Commissar,” Frau Friedrich told me benevolently (I wore a leather jacket). We understand that soldiers have small needs. They are ready,” continued Frau Friedrich, “to give them a few younger women for ... I did not continue the conversation with Frau Friedrich.”

The front-line poet Boris Slutsky recalled: “It was not ethics at all that served as restraining motives, but the fear of infection, the fear of publicity, of pregnancy” ... “universal depravity covered and hid the special female depravity, made her invisible and shameful.”

And it was not at all the fear of syphilis that was the reason for the rather chaste behavior of the Soviet troops. Sergeant Alexander Rodin left notes after visiting a brothel, which happened after the end of the war. “... After leaving, a disgusting, shameful feeling of lies and falsehood arose, a picture of a woman’s obvious, frank pretense did not go out of my head ... on principles like “don’t give a kiss without love, but also with most of our soldiers with whom I had to talk ... Around the same days I had to talk with one beautiful Magyar woman (she knew Russian from somewhere). To her question, did I like it in Budapest, I answered that I liked it, only brothels are embarrassing. “But why?” the girl asked. Because it is unnatural, wild, - I explained: - a woman takes money and after that, immediately begins to “love!” The girl thought for a while, then nodded in agreement and said: “You are right: it is ugly to take money in advance.” ..”

The difference in the mentality of Europeans and Soviet soldiers, as we see, is striking. So talking about mass rape, probably, should not be. If there were cases, then they were either isolated, out of the ordinary, or they were quite free relations, which the Germans themselves allowed. Hence the offspring.

But all this, in fact, is not decisive. How irrelevant are the objections of the Poles to the television series. Who, after all, in Europe took into account the opinion of the Polish public. The creators of the film claiming, according to the European press, were not guided by the search for historical truth as the main cinematic event of the year in Germany. Ideological stamps do not require thoughtful artistic solutions. Europe has not changed.

William Shearer once wrote that he had two liberal friends in Germany in the thirties. They both became rabid Nazis. So, is history repeating itself?"

Alexander Rzheshevsky. April 2013

There are unions of veterans in almost all countries. And in Germany, after the defeat of Nazism in 1945, all traditions of honoring and perpetuating the memory of veterans broke off. In the words of Herfried Münkler, professor of political theory at Humboldt University, Germany is a "post-heroic society." If memory is commemorated in Germany, it is not heroes, but victims of the First and Second World Wars. At the same time, the Bundeswehr, within the framework of NATO and UN peacekeeping missions, participates in military operations abroad. Therefore, a discussion began among the military and politicians: who should be considered veterans?

Veterans of the Bundeswehr

After the war, until 1955, in Germany - both in East and West - there was no army at all. Veterans unions were banned. What is the glorification of heroism when the German soldiers participated in the criminal war of conquest? But even in the Bundeswehr, founded in 1955, no veteran traditions emerged during the Cold War. The functions of the army were limited to the defense of their own territory, there were no hostilities.

context

IN last years the Bundeswehr is involved in operations abroad, for example, in the former Yugoslavia, in Afghanistan. In total, according to estimates, about 300 thousand soldiers and officers completed such service. Until very recently, these operations were not even called "war" or "combat actions" directly. It was about "assistance in establishing a peaceful order", humanitarian actions and other euphemisms.

Now decided to call a spade a spade. German Defense Minister Thomas de Maiziere (ThomasdeMaiziere) in September last year returned to use the word "veteran". Speaking in the Bundestag, he said that "if there are veterans in other countries, then in Germany he has the right to talk about" veterans of the Bundeswehr ".

This discussion was unleashed by the soldiers themselves - those who returned from Afghanistan with wounds or mental trauma. In 2010 they founded the "Union of German Veterans". Critics say that the very term "veteran" has been discredited by German history and is therefore unacceptable.

But who is considered a "veteran"? Everyone who wore the uniform of the Bundeswehr for some time, or only those who served abroad? Or maybe only those who participated in real hostilities? The "Union of German Veterans" has already decided: whoever served abroad is a veteran.

Defense Minister Thomas de Maizière, for his part, is trying to avoid a split on the issue. Many military men believe that military service during the Cold War was also risky, so it would be wrong to assign the status of "veteran" exclusively to those who had a chance to sniff gunpowder in Afghanistan.

Will there be a Veteran's Day?

For soldiers of the Bundeswehr who have been in combat, special awards have been established - the Cross of Honor for Courage and the medal "For participation in combat. However, many military officers believe that society does not appreciate their willingness to risk their lives highly enough. After all, decisions on participation in operations abroad, the Bundestag, that is, the elected representatives of the people, takes over. Consequently, the soldiers also participate in dangerous operations at the will of the people. So why doesn't society give them the respect they deserve?

Now the possibility of establishing a special "Veteran's Day" is being discussed. This idea is also supported by the influential Union of Bundeswehr Servicemen, which unites about 200,000 active and retired military personnel. But there is also a proposal to honor on this day the work of not only soldiers, but also rescuers, police officers and employees of development aid organizations.

Secretary of Defense de Maizières is also considering establishing a special commissioner for veterans' affairs and, following the American example, special homes for veterans. But there is no increase in benefits for veterans. The Minister of Defense believes that in Germany the social security of active and retired soldiers is already at a fairly high level.

The other day I visited the offspring of the famous noble family Stakhovichi - Mikhail Mikhailovich. Four years ago, having lived all his life in Austria and the USA, he returned to his family nest, which his parents left during the October Revolution - the village of Palna-Mikhailovka, Stanovlyansky district of the Lipetsk region.

I will not hide, despite the conflicting feelings that some facts of his biography evoke, such as, for example, service in the ranks of the German Wehrmacht from 1939 to 1945, it is interesting for me to communicate with this old man.

Not always, however, the tongue turns to call him an old man, because at 88 years old, Mikhail Stakhovich looks great - fit, athletic and, most importantly, in his right mind and memory.

Stakhovich never ceases to amaze. During our last meeting, he stunned me by the fact that he had just returned from a road trip through Europe, having wound ten and a half thousand kilometers on the speedometer of his Renault minivan. I went by car to Austria, visited my daughter in Sweden, rested with my young wife in Croatia, and transited half of Europe. At 88 years old!

To my surprise, he said that it was very convenient for him to travel behind the wheel. “I can drive for 12 hours and never get tired,” Stakhovich says.

And I look at his Russian peers and just marvel. Comparisons are not in our favor. And very few of us live to that age. Moreover, “this age” protected our country from the Nazis, the war for the most part wiped them out.

Once I told his wife Tatyana, who is half his age, about this, and she told me one interesting detail.

When we registered the marriage in Salzburg, during our honeymoon, I got to a meeting of Mikhail's classmates, Tatiana said. - Can you imagine, all his classmates are alive. And they feel great. They danced for so long! At the same time, all the guys from his class, as well as Mikhail, served in the Nazi army. There are those who survived near Stalingrad ...

Frankly, I asked Mikhail Mikhailovich different questions. And uncomfortable for him, it seems to me, including. Somehow I reproached that it was difficult for our country to recover after what the brave soldiers of Adolf Hitler had done here. So I tried to justify the whole disorder of our country. Of course, he agrees with this, but ... He once said, as if by chance, while trying not to offend me: “Berlin was destroyed Soviet troops almost to the ground. Dresden too. And such a fate befell 60 German cities. The Germans restored everything almost from scratch in 12 years. And then there was only development, and you know what Germany has become ... ".

Mikhail Stakhovich does not try to make excuses for his past, service in the Wehrmacht. It is not his fault that the Revolution of 1917 forced his father, a tsarist diplomat, to stay in Europe, where Mikhail Stakhovich was already born in 1921. And how could he, an 18-year-old boy, an Austrian citizen, know when he volunteered for the Nazi army what the Fuhrer had in mind and what fate he was preparing for his historical homeland. Stakhovich was driven by another interest - the volunteers had the advantage of choosing a place of service and a branch of service. If he had entered the army a little later, on conscription, it is not known how his fate would have turned. However, I will not repeat myself, about this in ...

Austrians aspired to the Third Reich with great desire

This time I asked Mikhail Mikhailovich about what I forgot to ask before: “Have you seen Hitler?”

One single time, - Stakhovich began his story. - It was in 1938, during the Anschluss of Austria by Germany. On March 13, our entire class was brought from Salzburg to Vienna, where the Reich Chancellor was to come. I remember we were led to some kind of bridge under which he had to pass. The people gathered on the streets of Vienna - darkness. All with flowers, flags with a swastika. And at some point, a real hysteria began, my ears were filled with an enthusiastic cry - a car appeared on which Hitler stood to his full height and waved his hand to the crowns that met him. I saw him...

It was the famous, triumphal entry of Adolf Hitler into Vienna, accompanied by the chief of the Supreme High Command armed forces Germany Wilhelm Keitel. On the same day, the law "On the reunification of Austria with the German Empire" was published, according to which Austria was declared "one of the lands of the German Empire" and became known as "Ostmark".

It must be said that the absolute majority of Austrians, and this is confirmed by the witness of those events, Mikhail Stakhovich, accepted the Anschluss with approval. As Stakhovich said, and this is confirmed by history, during the so-called plebiscite on the Anschluss, which took place after the fact, on April 12, 1938, the vast majority of Austrian citizens supported him (official data - 99.75%).

But there were those who opposed the Anschluss and Hitler. There were very few of them, and after the reunification their fate was unenviable. The concentration camp was waiting for them.

The plebiscite was not secret, the Austrians voted by name, and the opponents, as they say, everyone knew by sight. Real repressions began against such people. Two Austrians, persecuted for their convictions, hid in the attic of the Stakhovich house. Mikhail Mikhailovich himself learned about this from his mother only many years later.

Of course, if the police knew about it, the fate of my family could have changed dramatically,” he says now. - I think that we, the Russians, who sheltered the opponents of the annexation of Austria to Germany, would hardly have been able to avoid reprisals.

But, the vast majority of Austrians really wanted to reunite with Germany, - recalls Mikhail Stakhovich. - The Austrians then lived very poorly, there was a terrible unemployment. And nearby was Germany, which had already grown rich, where there was no unemployment and the Germans lived very decently. Austria simply longed for reunification with Germany. It really was.

How can one not believe the old man Stakhovich? These are well known facts. The Germans, who lost in the First World War, whose national pride was trampled under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles and subsequent events, with the advent of Hitler greatly perked up and under him Germany gained unprecedented economic power.

Admittedly, the evil genius of Adolf Aloizovich Shiklgruber did the impossible.
That is why Germany idolized him so much, and the people followed him on all his adventures. The average German did not need to know that the entire economic power of the country rose mainly on loans from American and British banks. And in order to pay off the bills, and at the same time try to win world domination, Hitler plunged the world into the most terrible meat grinder in the history of mankind.

It seemed to me that in the four years of my acquaintance with Stakhovich, I already know the biography of this living witness of the terrible events of the past 20th century quite well. It was stupid to think so. Nobody knows his life better than himself. And apparently there is still a lot of unknown in it. During my recent visit to Stanovoe, Mikhail Mikhailovich again showed his photo archive. Some of the photos I have already seen, and there was an opportunity to retake them. This time, among a pile of photos, one card flashed, which seemed very interesting to me and promised new pages in the history of the life of Mikhail Stakhovich. On it, Mikhail Mikhailovich stands next to American soldiers. He himself, noticing my interest in this photo, explained: “This is me after the war, in the USA, at an American military base. There I taught the Americans lessons in radio communications and encryption ... ".

Hell! It looks like another "series" of the story is brewing. We'll have to "torture" him about the soldiers of the Nazi army, who ended up in the hands of the Americans after the war, and, apparently, brought considerable benefits to their military.