The Nazi Conspiracy summary

Two years previously, when the Germans unexpectedly invaded the Soviet Union in 1941, the Russians wasted no time in securing neighboring countries. One country was particularly important to get on their side: Iran. It had a pro-German government and also had a railway line that would be the best way for the US and Britain to get supplies to the Soviets.

When Russia promptly marched its troops into Tehran and installed a sympathetic government, Franz Mayr – a Nazi spy – and his partner Roman Gamotha suddenly found themselves surrounded by enemies, with no instructions, and no way to communicate with Germany.

It’s unclear how or when exactly the Nazis found out about the planned meeting of the “big three.” They’d completely missed the Morocco conference with Roosevelt and Churchill. When they intercepted information that the meeting would be in Casablanca, they erroneously translated it as two words in Spanish: casa – white, and blanca – house. They assumed the meeting would be at the White House in Washington.

Needless to say, the Germans were determined not to make the same mistake twice.

The presidential motorcade snakes its way through the streets of Tehran on its way to one of the most important meetings since the war began. In the center, in a long dark sedan, sits Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Or, at least, someone who looks like him.

While the conference has been underway, the Soviet intelligence agency has tracked down the six remaining Nazi spies. They were holed up in a nearby safe house, using a radio to send messages to Berlin, coordinating the real commandos who were to come, led by Otto “the most dangerous man in Europe” Skorzeny.

But the Soviets have been holding back. Instead of immediately taking down the radio operators, they’ve been considering letting the mission proceed to a point where they can capture or kill Skorzeny. Such a prize is more than tempting for the young Soviet spies.

The rest – as they say – is history. As a direct consequence of that meeting, on June 6, 1944, Allied forces led a five-point full-scale assault on the beaches of Normandy. The biggest combined-arms operation in the history of warfare. It involved over 5,300 ships, 1,500 tanks, 12,000 aircraft, and 150,000 soldiers. Despite thousands of casualties, the Allies established footholds along the beaches and advanced from there.

Meanwhile, in the East, the Soviet army began its push into Germany. The Nazi Army was divided and, despite long and bloody battles ahead, the end was in sight. Hitler, driven to his underground bunker in Berlin, eventually realized that there was no way out, and shot himself in the head with a pistol.