November 27, 1943
Introduction to the content
The Nazis don’t kill their enemies; they just take them “out of circulation.” To Curt Bloch, this euphemism for murder by a leading NSB member is cynical. Lies have replaced truth; human rights are trampled upon. “This is the reign of evil.” But their time will come: “Each of them will, wherever they are found, be immediately taken out of circulation.”
In Twilight of Dictators, Curt Bloch describes the critical situation in which Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler find themselves. While the powerless Italian presents himself as a “sawn-off Hirohito” in civilian clothing, the Führer has also lost his luster long ago. Their successes belong to the past; they sense the approach of freedom – and their imminent death.
With the satirical poem Good Care, Bloch describes how Reichskommissar Seyß-Inquart advocates for the Dutch people. For everything that is no longer obtainable in the current era of scarcity, a replacement is provided. Thus, one receives “Groenen” (referring to members of the Ordnungspolizei in their green uniforms) instead of the no-longer-available vegetables. Legumes are called “blue beans” (referring to a bullet). And if you can’t find a taxi, that’s also not a problem – “because with the police car, you get a free ride.”
In Breakthroughs Sealed Off, Curt Bloch comments on the propaganda reports about progress on the Eastern Front. Some thought the Russians were defeated, then the front line was described as “elastic,” and ultimately, the Germans must “run home.” However, these defeats are not mentioned, and Russian successes are concealed, just like the Nazis’ fear of death.
This OWC (Occupied Western Countries) edition appears in November 1944, as the Germans prepare for a third harsh winter of war in the battle against Russian troops. Curt Bloch discovers a newspaper photo of a Wehrmacht soldier cheerfully showing off his wonder boots, which, like seven-league boots, are said to enable a rapid advance. When Josef Stalin saw the photo, he remained entirely unimpressed.
Kyiv was retaken by Soviet troops under the leadership of Marshal Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov on November 6, 1943. The Red Army drove the German occupation force out of the Ukrainian capital and liberated the city. This was a crucial step toward liberation of large parts of Ukraine and contributed to pushing back the German Wehrmacht in Eastern Europe. In Tricked!, Curt Bloch reports that Joseph Goebbels, the Reich Minister of Propaganda, attempted to conceal this defeat. He claimed that the Russians had actually been “tricked,” the recapture of Kyiv was a failure, and Germany had not been defeated. Bloch says Goebbels’ speeches are mere blabber, and he observes that fortunately liars don’t suffer when they lie. If they did, “Doctor Goebbels would suffer great pain.”
