Nazi England

Klaus only listened half-heartedly to Luke. He watched him glance at Alexandra in fear, but he showed no emotion other than a friendly smile of greeting to her. Beneath the surface, however, he was putting together a puzzle which he only now had the pieces to solve. The girl had always seemed to hate him. He had had no idea why for a long time, but after finding his great grandfather's diary, he now understood. She suspected him as a potential traitor, which was natural, considering her job. He had heard rumors of the SS and their secrets. His Great Grandfather alluded to a "Final Solution" to the "Jewish Problem" in his journal entries. He suspected something dire, something that would be hidden by SS secrecy. He wondered how much she knew.

He watched the servant enter the room. She was Slavic by the looks of her. Her name was Oren Kovalenko if he recalled correctly. He had detected the looks of hatred she gave him and the others and it made him slightly uncomfortable, though he understood it. At the professor's question, he could not help but smile slightly. He raised his hand and proceeded to answer dutifully.

"Sir. Army Group Vistula was first proposed by General Heinz Guderian. The new Army Group Vistula was duly formed from an assortment of rebuilt, new and existing units. Guderian intended to propose Field-Marshal Maximilian von Weichs as commander. However, the Führer appointed Heinrich Himmler. Himmler, an administrator and organizer who lacked any real military knowledge, proved inadequate to the task; General Gotthard Heinrici replaced Himmler as commander of Army Group Vistula on 20 March, subsequent to its participation in the German offensive codenamed Operation Solstice. Command shifted from Heinrici to Kurt von Tippelskirch as acting commander for Kurt Student who would later take commander of the Army Group near the end of the war.

However, Kurt von Tippelskirch was awarded and decorated, not Kurt Student, for his successful leadership. So, while it would be correct to say Kurt Student was in command when the army group was decorated, its success was mostly due to Kurt von Tippelskirch according to historical records. The previous two commanders failed: Heinrici for retreating in batte against the Führer's orders, and Himmler thanks to his military inexperience. After the end of the war, the Wehrmacht retained its autonomy within the Reich."

He paused for a moment and asked, almost to himself.

"Was the Führer mistaken and misused Heinrich Himmler, who was proven to be quite skilled as the leader of the SS and known for good organisational skills and for selecting highly competent subordinates, but not military leadership? Or did the Führer see something in Himmler which he failed to live up to? I confess that I have a hard time figuring it out. What is your opinion, Professor? Could the Führer ever be mistaken or could the Reichsführer have failed?"

Katherina, often called Kate by the native English-speakers at the school or Katrin by the German majority, rushed quickly into class. By her rather disheveled appearance and the fact that her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, it was obvious she had just come from early morning flight practice.

Her uniform was a cross between Alexandra's and Darren's. Like Alexandra's, it was fitted and had the two components of the shorter pencil skirt, white blouse, and black heels. On her upper right arm was the customary red swastika armband and on her head was a sidecap. Fortunately the fabric that all parts of the dress uniform were made out of were much lighter and breathable material than the older wool used.

She took her seat quickly, refusing to make eye contact with Kalvis for fear of bursting out in laughter. Oddly enough, he'd probably be the only on not laughing. The Black Eagle looked up at the teacher, shrugging as an excuse. Most of her instructors knew that she would often be at least a few minutes late when she had their class first. She gave a quick nod to Darren at the back of the classroom and a smirk to Alexandra. The two came from influential and high families in the Reich.

She spared a glance and Klaus and Luke. Neither she particularly cared for. Klaus because he was just... strange, and Luke just wasn't her taste.

Viktor managed to keep his face impassive for Professor Kalvis's answer in regards to his tardiness. He kept this stone visage as he searched for a seat relatively out of the way yet not interfere with what learning should be talking place in class. On the inside however, Vladimir felt his heart pumping like crazy. Had he made a mistake in his judgement call, and if so what other mistakes had he made due to his assumptions on the basic precepts of Nazi society? The worries were swiftly put to rest when a woman quite similar to those back home stepped in. Unsurprisingly her own excuse was promptly dismissed in a fashion he found rather insulting then ordered to fetch books for her fellow students.

A slight tensing in his own jaw was all he could allow as expression at this difference in treatment. But for the sake of his cover, he had to let this one slide. This did little to change the fact that he was rather close to a set of the books himself. To that end he merely grabbed the nearby pile before venturing towards a seat rather close to the back. As 'Viktor' he justified the action as accelerating the process of the learning environment. After all the SS were known for their loyalty to ruler and nation, what better way to express this-right now- than attempting to optimize the time spent in class? To further that end, he passed down portions of the pile he'd grabbed on the trip to his own seat before sitting himself down.

Kalvis wasted no time in asking a question he couldn't answer. Such matters hadn't been deemed worth covering at any point in his rather focused education. Luckily, the brainy looking student from before stepped in and provided an answer. This ultimately meant he wouldn't have to be called on to answer. One thing he didn't expect though was the kids question at the end...was he seriously questioning Nazi leadership foundation? If he had to guess based off the reaction of some of his fellow students, this was a sensitive topic. In regards to it, he knew as an SS he could endorse neither Hitler nor Himmler being at fault even though he knew Hitler was not Aryan and thus should be the more likely candidate in the 'genetic sense'.

Viktor felt himself standing, and he couldn't keep himself from shaking. From here on out he was flying blind and scared, even though he kept his face neutral. "If I may," Viktor kept his voiced crisp and short. Something of an attempt to disguise nerves while utilizing the occasional quiver in his voice.

"In regards to the Führer und the Reichsführer," at this point the uncertainty in his voice gave way to an iron hard tone. In a way those two were 'the enemy' more than anyone else. After all his years fighting hatred could only be the expected reaction towards their names. 'Vladimir' was forced to gulp down his feelings, 'Viktor' even swallowed to mirror that statement.

"Attempting to say one or the other was insufficient or wrong is clearly not the instance. After all even if a leader is completely optimal, the past seventy years being the herald of that genius. A sub-par subordinate could make a mistake and said mistake is then blamed upon the leader since the incompetence of a lesser resulted in the leader responding perfectly to the wrong circumstance. Furthermore regardless of the excellence of an order, a subordinate can easily make a mistake in execution...something a civilian would also mistake as the fault of the leader. Also one needs to account for the fact being underestimated is the greatest asset in war, and given the excellence of our Intelligence Division the whole matter could have been a facade."

At this point Viktor forced himself into his seat again, jaw locked closed. In all honesty having to defend people like Hitler and Himmler went against everything he was taught. But from a military standpoint, he knew first hand that his points would be valid to those from an outside perspective. Despite his own opinion: Hitler was incompetent at best in matters military and Himmler while talented was too ambitious and self-absorbed for his own good.

Andrius had been poised with his pen against the whiteboard waiting for a short answer. When Klaus began to speak he paused, and turned slowly, fixing the young man with an enigmatic glare, compelling him to complete his contribution. When Klaus seemed to pause Andrius opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the students continued out-loud musings.

With a mixture of indignation and confusion he weighed up how to respond to Klaus, when almost without delay someone else spoke up in riposte, and Andrius was surprised to notice it was the new student, Viktor. His brow slowly raised in curiosity as the newcomer's analysis unfolded, and he nodded slightly in approval, taking a moment only to make brief, unassuming eye contact with Katherina who walked in late, for acceptable reasons Andrius was well aware of.

"Very interesting." Andrius said when Viktor concluded. "That any of Hitler's decisions could have been a facade - a feign - is a fascinating and plausible conjecture. That the merit of any decision is weighed by the longstanding results, this is a certainty. For example, we know from Himmler's later writings that he would have happily united with the British and Americans to go to war against Russia and crush communism forever. We know also that the invasion of Russia was, on the bare face of the matter, well and truly routed. Yet we consider what may have happened if there had been no invasion. Would the Wermacht have been so at liberty to drive the allies west into the sea with Ivan clawing at our backs? So do we owe the Nazi victory in Europe to the Nazi defeat in Russia? If so, is this a matter of luck rather than judgement?

The question is academic. Charles Darwin teaches us that as many varied ways there are to be alive, there are far many more ways to be dead. Why do all gazelle's run from lions? No doubt many gazelles have been born who did not run from lions, but those gazelles did not live to propogate their genes. Is there a scenario where the Nazis did not invade Russia and ten million German lives were not lost in that campaign? Yes, but that scenario is not the one which prevailed to propogate it's legacy. In the same way, I promise you that ten generations from now, people may ask 'Why is there no society which is no Nazi?', and the answer shall be..."

He paused, looking upwards in pride, a smile crossing his face. "...there were such societies, but they did not survive to pass on their weakness."

A few seconds of silence passed and Andrius Kalvis was lost in his thoughts, before his gaze fell and he cleared his throat, turning back to the whiteboard.

"In any case," he said, "the answer to my question was 'Heinrich Himmler', one of the heroes we will be hearing much about this week."

He turned and looked down at Alexandria with a soft smile. "Such modesty, my dear, that you were not first to extoll you're honoured Grandfather's name. He would be proud that you are not so modest in your achievements as you are with your silence in class."

"You are correct, both of you, Professor and... Viktor. I apologize for any disrespect that might be found within my question. I have a love for paradoxes. I find them stimulating," Klaus spoke, the very model of the obedient student. Inwardly, he was a little disappointed that that Alexandria didn't rise to his bait and more than a little annoyed that Himmler was given credit for the victory of Army Group Vistula. The fool had spent most of the time in his fancy train, unable to coordinate the war. It was only thanks to political favoritism and revisionism that he was given credit for the victory.

Privately, he also felt that opening up a second front in Russia was a bad idea, a repeat of the First World War. It was only luck which hindered Russia from invading from the East while at the same time, England and America invaded from the West and South. He glanced at Viktor with interest. He wondered who he was.

Darren sat at the back of the classroom trying hid best to stay awake. None of this really interested him. He didn't want to know about the past. The past had been decided. Anything he learned here would do him no good. At least that was the attitude he was taking. Darren felt he was wasting his time here, he could be out on the tarmac, breathing in the air stained with the smell of burning jet fuel. Not sitting in a classroom learning history from this Hitler wannabee.

Darren sometimes got the feeling that his instructors didn't want him to pass. He needed to complete a certain number of hours just to qualify for the next term. With his current schedule filled with civilian classes he was going to struggle to find enough time to get one or two flights a week at this rate. It all felt rather unfair, but what else had Darren ever known other than the feeling of being treated less than the rest.

Darren shook his head and looked around the classroom again. He noticed that Katherina had entered the room. He gave her a short nod back and an awkward smile. She was one of the best pilots in the school, if not the best. She always seemed to get one up on everyone, but this year Darren was going to try give her a run for her money. He needed to pull out everything he knew to compete with her. He knew he could do it, even if very few others did.

Alexandra found herself with a small smile on her face. To others, it would have appeared as though she were happy with the memory of her grandfather's achievements. To Klaus, however, it might have seemed much more triumphant rather than happy. In their country, she was more powerful. She was the granddaughter of Heinrich Himmler, daughter of the leader of the SS and one of the few most powerful men in the entire Reich. He couldn't even begin to think of touching her.

"Danke, Professor. I've often been told that he would be proud of me," She said, her expression and voice completely flawless in their message. She adjusted herself in her seat and flashed Klaus a challenging look.

Klaus smiled politely at Alexandra. While she may have known the truth about his great grandfather, or at least, what he was blamed for, he knew for a fact that Himmler was a glorified bureaucrat whose only contribution to history was ensuring the State ran smoothly without internal dissent along with his role in making the Final Solution a reality, a waste in military resources in his opinion.

"She takes after him, Professor," he stated diplomatically. At face value, it was a compliment, but truthfully, he had a role opinion of Himmler and the SS as a whole. They had no business interfering with the Wermacht. It was their blunders and interference that allowed Russia to remain a threat to the Reich.

Vladimir's head was beginning to throb at the class activity and was fairly certain something of a grudge might have been thrown around. That or he'd imagined lightning shoot from Alexandra's eyes when the Klaus boy began talking. The female pilot only made things worse, oh god no...another one the dreading thought quickly flickered across his mind. Something about the pilot from before and her mannerisms gave him the sinking feeling that he was looking at a more specialized version of Alexandra. Wait, could a princess even specialize...well maybe it was more of a I'm the best damn pilot here and have the pedigree to back it upfeeling. A bit more searching brought the word confidence to mind, whereas Alexandra definitely felt more spoiled. He had to keep from gripping his head and sighing, things were looking impossibly difficult already.

The fact that he had such an extended thought at "Vladimir" however was not good for the mission, he needed some time to refocus. The biggest question was how to do so when he felt like a landmine was under every step...he began missing the front line. Bullets and explosions were easy since they clearly gave you an enemy but here he was a fish out of water. He felt himself unconsciously swallow, his breathing was hastened and shallow and his hear rate elevated. But "Viktor" was not holding much longer, but "Vladimir" had finally gotten an idea...some of his artificial scars from "surgery" hadn't fully closed yet.

The tricky part was he needed one to go and look bad while not actually risking his own health. Sadly, there weren't any like that he'd be able to readily and stealthily rupture. Sweat began beading on his forehead at this point due to the only apparent option...he'd have to rupture the one on his left side that ended all to close to his liver. The issue was he didn't know how deep the cut was thus making bleeding out a possibility but fortunately today left plenty of chances for him to move "unnaturally" and explain the incident.

He moved his left hand over the stitch in question, trying to keep to motion small and avoid suspicion. When the hand felt the area under his coat,he quickly pulsed the fingers out with utmost force. He felt a series of little pops,success and a patch of moisture began forming near immediately. He clenched his hand at this point,both to act as a staunch and simulate real panic...something he didn't need to pretend at this point. This razor thin wire brought about new focus, and "Vladimir" once more became "Viktor".

"Apologies," Viktor winced with his attempt to stand a motion the was mostly leaning up to his feet while on the desk held his weight. "It would appear I-," the room suddenly spun as vertigo messed with his senses,"-I have blown a stitch." He shifted his shaking left hand to make the growing patch on his jacket more visible. Experience told him at this point that his life was in no immediate danger (the cut went deep but was very precise and avoided being serious), but he was still unofficially recovering. Ultimately, he knew his action was incredibly stupid but short of praiseworthy incompetence in the class's response he'd be well within safe limits.