How did the Germans keep fighting the Allies after WW2?

Simple History
18 Dec 202011:57
EducationalLearning
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TLDRThe video script discusses the historical context and details of the Nazi contingency plan known as Operation Werewolf during World War II. As the Allies advanced, the Nazi leadership sought to maintain their ideology through a covert resistance force. The plan involved training volunteers in guerrilla warfare, sabotage, and assassination, with specialized equipment. However, the plan was largely ineffective due to disorganization, equipment shortages, and the crumbling state of Nazi Germany. The script also touches on the psychological impact of the Werewolves on the Allies and German civilians, with propaganda efforts creating an illusion of a widespread resistance that led to strict occupation policies and civilian reprisals. The Werewolves' legacy was more propaganda than actual resistance, with their threat fading as the real danger shifted to the Soviet Union.

Takeaways
  • 🎬 Magellan TV is offering a buy one get one free gift card for those who want to share the gift of knowledge with others.
  • 📺 Purchasing a Magellan TV gift card at any time of the year gives an additional month of service for free, even for existing members.
  • 📚 The documentary 'Operation Foxley: Mission Liquidate Hitler' explores the Special Operations Executive (SOE) plan to assassinate Hitler, including specialized weapons and the reasons for the plan's failure.
  • 🌟 Magellan TV provides a rich variety of over 3,000 documentary movies, series, and exclusive playlists, many in 4K, covering a wide range of subjects from history to true crime.
  • 📱 Content on Magellan TV can be watched on various devices including TVs, laptops, and mobile devices without commercial interruptions.
  • 🆓 Simple History viewers can get a one-month free trial membership by visiting try.magellantv.com/simplehistory.
  • 🐺 'Operation Werewolf' was a Nazi contingency plan to create a covert resistance force to continue the Nazi struggle as the Allies advanced through Germany.
  • 🔫 The Werewolves were to be equipped with specialized equipment like suppressed pistols and high-tech sniper rifles for guerrilla warfare, sabotage, and assassination.
  • 🇩🇪 The Werewolves were a symbol of German strength against those seeking to destroy them, and the movement was designed to be decentralized to operate independently under regional security officials.
  • 🎓 Many Werewolf recruits were drawn from the Hitler Youth, and they were trained in tactics such as guerrilla warfare and sabotage at medieval Holecraft Castle.
  • 🇬🇧 Operation Carnival was a mission by Werewolves to assassinate the Allied-appointed mayor of Akin, Franz Oppenhoff, which was successful but led to the unit's discovery and subsequent escape.
  • 📰 The propaganda value of the Werewolves was significant, with German newspapers running sensational headlines that created an illusion of a large-scale, organized resistance.
Q & A

  • What is the name of the documentary streaming service mentioned in the transcript?

    -Magellan TV

  • What special offer is Magellan TV currently providing for new subscribers?

    -A buy one get one free gift card for the people in your life, and an additional month of Magellan TV for free with the purchase of a gift card.

  • What is the name of the documentary recommended for viewers interested in World War II history?

    -Operation Foxley: Mission Liquidate Hitler

  • What was the goal of the British SOE's Operation Foxley?

    -To assassinate Adolf Hitler using specialized weapons, gadgets, and strategic planning.

  • Why did the plan to assassinate Hitler ultimately fail?

    -The plan failed because it was never executed, and the war ended before it could be carried out.

  • What was the name of the Nazi contingency plan to create a covert resistance force?

    -Operation Werewolves

  • What was the primary strategy of the Werewolves?

    -To engage in guerrilla warfare, sabotage, and acts of terrorism to hold out long enough for a political settlement more favorable to Germany.

  • Who was responsible for setting up, training, and coordinating the Werewolves?

    -Heinrich Himmler, head of the Waffen SS, and Hans Erdoff, a senior Nazi officer.

  • What was the Werewolves' training camp located at?

    -The medieval Höhenberg Castle near Airkelen, Germany.

  • What was the name of the mission carried out by the Werewolves that resulted in the assassination of the Allied-appointed mayor of Aachen?

    -Operation Carnival

  • How did the Werewolves use propaganda to their advantage?

    -They created the illusion of a large, organized secret resistance through sensational headlines and radio broadcasts, which had a significant psychological impact on the Allies and German civilians.

  • What was the ultimate outcome of the Werewolves' efforts?

    -The Werewolves' propaganda value far outweighed their actual achievements, and the threat they posed faded away as the danger of Nazi armed struggle never materialized.

Outlines
00:00
🎥 Magellan TV Promotion and Historical Insight

This paragraph introduces the sponsorship of the episode by Magellan TV, a documentary streaming service offering a buy one get one free gift card deal. It also provides a brief overview of the documentary 'Operation Foxley: Mission Liquidate Hitler', which explores the British SOE's plan to assassinate Hitler using declassified documents, specialized weapons, and the reasons for the mission's failure. The paragraph further discusses the content variety on Magellan TV, including history, science, and true crime documentaries, available in 4K and free from commercials. It concludes with a special offer for Simple History viewers to enjoy a one-month free trial membership.

05:00
🐺 The Werewolves of Nazi Germany

This section delves into the historical narrative of the Nazi's 'Operation Werewolves', a contingency plan to create a covert resistance force to prolong the Nazi struggle as the Allies advanced through Germany during World War II. It describes the decentralized structure of the Werewolves, their training in guerrilla warfare, and the specialized equipment they were to use. The narrative highlights the failed realization of the Werewolves due to the disarray of Nazi Germany and equipment shortages. It also covers the assassination attempt on the Allied-appointed mayor of Aachen, Franz Oppenhoff, by a Werewolf unit, and the subsequent escape and defeat of the unit. The paragraph further discusses the propaganda value of the Werewolves, the involvement of high-ranking Nazis in their development, and the psychological impact on both the Allies and German civilians. It concludes with the aftermath of the war, where the threat of the Werewolves was taken seriously, leading to strict policies and reprisals by the Allies.

10:01
🇩🇪 Post-War Germany and the Eradication of Nazi Symbols

The final paragraph discusses the aftermath of World War II, focusing on the damage caused by the Werewolves to German civilians and the Allied efforts to eradicate Nazi symbols and culture from German society. It mentions the shift in focus from fighting the occupying forces to dealing with the emerging threat of the Soviet Union. The narrative outlines the new symbols and organizations created to deter a Soviet attack, such as 'leopards', 'lynxes', and 'cobras'. It concludes with the lasting impact of the Werewolves' propaganda, which had a greater effect than their actual military achievements, and the gradual fading away of the Werewolves threat as the Allies realized the Nazi resistance had not materialized.

Mindmap
Keywords
💡Magellan TV
Magellan TV is a documentary streaming membership service founded by filmmakers, offering premium content on various subjects. It is mentioned in the video as a platform with a rich and varied content library, including over 3,000 documentary movies, series, and exclusive playlists. The service is highlighted for its educational value and is being promoted with a special offer for viewers.
💡Operation Foxley
Operation Foxley was a plan by the British Special Operations Executive (SOE) to assassinate Adolf Hitler during World War II. The video discusses the use of declassified documents to reveal the specialized weapons, gadgets, strategy, and ideal locations for carrying out the mission, as well as the reasons for its ultimate failure.
💡Werewolves
In the context of the video, 'Werewolves' refers to a Nazi Germany contingency plan known as Operation Werewolf. This plan aimed to create a covert resistance force to continue the Nazi struggle as the Allies advanced through Germany. The term 'Werewolves' symbolizes German strength against those seeking to destroy them and is used to describe the decentralized units trained in guerrilla warfare tactics.
💡Decentralization
Decentralization, as mentioned in the video, was a strategy employed by the Nazis to allow groups to operate independently in case any part of their network failed. This approach was a reaction to the military bombardment faced by Germany, ensuring that if one part of the operation was compromised, others could continue to function.
💡Hitler Youth
The Hitler Youth was a Nazi organization that indoctrinated and trained young people for Nazi ideology. In the video, it is noted that most of the recruits for the Werewolf units were drawn from the Hitler Youth, indicating the organization's role in preparing young individuals for the Nazi cause.
💡Operation Carnival
Operation Carnival was a mission carried out by members of the Werewolf organization during which they assassinated the Allied-appointed mayor of Aachen, Franz Oppenhoff, who was considered a traitor by the Nazis. The video describes how the Werewolves used intelligence to locate Oppenhoff and successfully carried out the assassination.
💡Propaganda
Propaganda is a form of communication that aims to influence the attitudes and beliefs of a population. In the video, it is discussed how the Nazis used propaganda to create the illusion of a strong and organized Werewolves resistance, which had a significant psychological impact on both the Allies and German civilians.
💡Non-fraternization Policy
The non-fraternization policy, as mentioned in the video, was a strict regulation imposed by the Allies during the initial months of the occupation in Germany. It prohibited interaction between Allied soldiers and German civilians, stemming from the fear of Werewolves and the potential for a widespread German insurgency.
💡Ratlines
Ratlines were escape routes used by Nazis to flee, particularly SS officers, after the fall of Germany. The video explains how the efforts of Operation Werewolf were redirected towards establishing these underground railroads, which facilitated the escape of thousands of SS officers.
💡Radio Werewolf
Radio Werewolf was a broadcasting station that transmitted messages encouraging resistance against the Allied invaders. The video describes how the radio station used a howling wolf sound and songs to inspire and motivate the German population to continue fighting, despite the war's conclusion.
💡De-Nazification
De-Nazification refers to the process of removing Nazi symbols, political organizations, and figureheads from German society. The video discusses how the Allies carried out a successful policy of de-nazification to eradicate Nazi culture from Germany, shifting the focus from the defeated Nazi threat to the emerging threat of the Soviet Union and its allies.
Highlights

Magellan TV offers a buy one get one free gift card for spreading the gift of knowledge.

Purchasers of a Magellan TV gift card receive an additional month of service for free, even for existing members.

Magellan TV features a documentary on Operation Foxley, detailing the plan to assassinate Hitler using declassified documents.

Magellan TV provides a wide range of documentary content, including history, science, space, and true crime, available in 4K.

Subscribers can enjoy uninterrupted shows without commercial breaks.

Simple History viewers can get a one-month free trial membership by visiting try.magellantv.com/simplehistory.

Operation Werewolf was a Nazi contingency plan to create a covert resistance force in case of an Allied invasion.

The Werewolves were to be trained in guerrilla warfare, sabotage, and assassination.

Despite training, the Werewolf units never fully materialized due to the disarray of Nazi Germany and equipment shortages.

Operation Carnival was a mission by Werewolves to assassinate the Allied-appointed mayor of Akin, Franz Oppenhoff.

Issa Hirsch, a member of the League of German Maidens, participated in Operation Carnival due to being less likely to arouse suspicion.

After the war, the Werewolves' propaganda had a significant psychological impact on both the Allies and German civilians.

The Allies took the Werewolves' threat seriously, leading to strict policies and reprisals against the German population.

The Werewolves' actual achievements were minimal, with most damage done to German citizens who welcomed the Allies.

The Allies' denotification policy aimed to eradicate Nazi symbols and organizations from German society.

The German people shifted their focus from fighting the Allies to dealing with the impending threat of the Soviet Union.

The Werewolves' legacy was mostly limited to acts of sabotage and slogan painting after the war.

Transcripts

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WWII HistoryAssassination PlotNazi ResistanceOperation FoxleyWerewolvesHitlerDeclassified DocsGuerrilla TacticsPropagandaGerman InsurgencyAllied InvasionDocumentary Streaming