The Berlin Baghdad Express by Sean Mc Meekin 2010

 Germany adventurism in Turkey and the Middle East before WW1   15 /9 /15

This book covers the whole story of Germany's relationship to the Ottoman Empire and later Turkey.

von Oppenheimer of the German Jewish banking firm.  A "free-lance" diplomat in Egypt, amateur archeologist, and agent provocateur stirring up jihadist sentiments against the British in Cairo. Converted to Christianity.  Took to himself the title of "von."  Removed lots of Iraqi antiquities to his private collection, which have recently been put on display in a Berlin Museum - major archeological specimens. 

 1871 Germany became a united country, by which time most other European countries had colonised the "Third World".  Germany saw an opportunity in building a railway to Baghdad and the port of Basra to be able to trade directly over land with terretories that the British ships traded with by sea.

She also tried to encourage jihad of Islam against Britian and France in their colonies that had large Moslem populations to undermine them.  This reminds us of the cold war where the USA supported the Mujadin against Russia.  This attitude of your enemy is my friend has consequences which we are now seeing in Afghanistan. We also see organizations at present like Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza that exist because they get money from Iran.

The interesting aspect that Turkey remained neutral and tried to manipulate both sides in WW1 until she eventually joined Germany, thinking it was joining the winner.

The whole story of the Young Turks also that  France was considered the protector of  Christian in the Moslem world. The German realpolitik was at the expense of the Armenians.

The fact that the Bosphorus was closed to Russian shipping for 2 years during WW1 was another reason causing the Russian Revolution is not mentioned in the texts books.

Barbara Tuchman at the time travelled by ship to visit her grandfather Henry Morgenthau in Istambul and was witnes to a sea battle between  British and German ships,  The Groeben and Breslau 2 German ship got away and took shelter in Turkey.

Through Turkey the Germans were hoping to gain control of Suez, had there tunnels through the Taurus and Amana mountains  been completed at the start of WW1, German influence would have been greater.

The German's who encouraged a jihad against the Entente found themselves victim and ended up paying more and more for the war.  The railway was not commercially viable because it was incomplete and most Germans including long time railway workers and residents were leaving Turkey because of the anti-German sentiment violence and lynch mobs against them.  Deuschebank wanted  to cut its losses on the railway but the Turks said they could nationalize it once it was complete.

Gallipoli was won without a jihad attitude as you had a capable officer in charge Mustafa Kemal  (Attaturk)

The Tsarist Caucasus army was beating the Turks and marching into Turkey from the east  when Germany allowed Lenin to go to Moscow and called for peace, as the Tsarist army was losing on the western front..  Lenin told soldiers to return home where land would be divided up to give them. Then Turkey was able to regain her territory and Germany attempted to get Baku oil fields and gave Georgia independence.

Britain occupied Mesopotamia and joined with the new Russian revolutionry regime to keep the Turks off the oil of Baku. 1917

 

The book discusses that Zionism was very strong in Germany and one of Britian reasons for supporting the Belfour Declaration was to get Jewish support before Germany did? Antisemitism in the middle East in WW2 was the result of this with the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem going to Berlin.Von Oppenheimer became a Hitler supporter.

This book is well researched and covers every detail, is fascinating but not easy reading.

A higher Call : An incredible true story of Combat and Chivalry in the WW2 skies by Adam Makos 2012 371pg

 Brilliant biography of 2 fighter pilots especially from the German side. 7/6/2020

Because the writers grandfather was an American Pilot in WW2 and told great stories he met others who flew and got their stories. He also went to airshows and started a magazine and Tom Brakow who wrote "The Greatest Generation" wrote to him to encourage his good work,

 1996 TWA flight 800 crashed on take off and 230 people were lost 16 kids from his school were on it going to do a French course in Paris, he should have been with this group.

He met a fighter pilot Charlie Brown who told him to speak to Franz Stigler who lives today in Canada a German fighter pilot who was involved in a battle against the Americans. Stigler was working as a truck mechanic for loggers in Vancouver. 

1946 March, Franz was looking  for work as a labourer at Staubing, Bavaria in brick making at a time, this was a place where US bombers tried to hit the train yard and wiped out a third of the city .  7 million Germans were homeless.  Of 28000 German fighter pilots 1200 survived the WW2

4 million German soldiers died and over a million civilians.

His father was a reconnaissance pilot in WW1 and devout Catholic and with a friend build a glider and he and brother learned to glide. Because Germany was not allowed to have an Airforce,the government via Lufthansa gave free flying lessons to capable people. He worked as a navigator and created flight plans for all over Europe including Spain during the Civil War.

A letter in 1937 "With Burning Concern" by Munich Cardinal Von Faulhaber and Pope Pius XI explained what Nazism was evil and the letter was banned and people were scared of the Nazis and made very aware of  Dachau which opened in 1933.

German Airforce was based in Caen, France and was not supposed to bomb civilians but an oil depo in East London. This resulted in the British bombing civilians in return. The black cross on Nazi planes was a Teutonic knight symbol. Franz was a flying instructor. Pilots were worried that a political spy would check who was loyal as the airforce had a tradition of separation of military from politics. Their officer said shoot the machine not the man. Franz read the Bible and Lives of Catholic saints.

In north Africa at this stage enemy planes were flown by Brits or S. Africans. British treated captures airman well so that their airmen would be treated well. German pilots listened to a phonograph of ramba music that was banned in Germany. German pilots spoke English more than other foreign  languages.

Their first base in Libya was Martuba later Tmimi and then Sidi Barrani, then Quotafiya in Egypt all these had been British airforce bases.  Their work was escorting Stukas.

Lale Anderson sang Lily Marlene from a Hans Liep WW1 poem.

British ships brought fresh pilots and planes to Alexandre while the Germans flogged the same planes and pilots. Once the Americans landed in Casablanca, Nov 1942 many Germans knew Germany would loose the war.

They were now based in Trapani, Sicily keeping the supply line that they escorted to the doomed Afrika Korps. General Alfred Gallant was in charge of this.Over 30 Ju52 transport planes were being shot down every week. Goering was in charge in Berlin and the airforce men hated him. Goering had been the one in 1933 who led thugs intimidating voters.

1942 June till Feb 1943 White Rose resistance to the Nazi's in Munich by poster, leaflets and graffiti, their arrests and executions by the Gestapo led to a witch hunt in the airforce.

1943 May. The Cape Bon Peninsula was the last German stand in Africa. The remaining 40 JG-77s fighter arrived in Sicily. Leaving most of their mechanic and pilots behind, The Afrika Korps surrendered with 275000 becoming  POWs.

1943 July they set up in San Vito, on the Adriatic Sea.

         July Hamburg was firebombed in an extremely dry summer it became a firestorm 350,000 civilians killed and 580 big industries destroyed.

1944 July the Claus van Stoffenburg failed attempt to assassinate Hitler resulted in 5000 arrests and 200 executions including  Generals Rommel, Ernst Uder and Hans Jeschonnek. The Nazi salute was mandated in the Luftwaffe till then the normal salute was used.

Goering wanted German fighter to keep attacking till they ran out of fuel and ammunition, reservice and keep attacking till the bombers left.

Charley Brown and the Americans.  US B17 flying fortresses could not be attacked at the back and the Germans  had to figure out how to  attacked it from in front.

1943 Oct The US Eigth Airforces lost 60 bombers and 600 men over Schweinfurt, Germany.

They bombed  Bremen Submarine pens, later the port of Kiel, Ludwigshafen and Brunswick. US flyers were all volunteers and preferred Europe to fighting in the Pacific.

US fighter went in front of bombers and destroyed most German fighters and  pilots. German aviation fuel production was down from 175000 to 5000  tons a month.

A British pilot began combat with 450 flight hours experience, American with 600. New German pilots  than 150 hours at this stage and few survived the first sortie.

1944 October Johanes Trauloft an Airforce General heard that 168 Allied airmen were in Buchenwald and had them transferred to a POW camp saving their lives. They had been all captured in France and were trying to get to England.

1945 March last Luftwaffe stand. Germany had Messersmiths 262 which was the earliest form of jet and could move at 575 mph but they were build with scarce material available in German and were dangerous for the pilot. JV44 at Lechfeld near Munich had 50 pilots 25 planes but in reality only managed to have a proper sortie with 15 planes each with the potential of getting 4 allied planes. (Note, I saw 262s at the Johannesburg War Museum)   At this stage US planes destroyed all airfields and 1697 parked German planes.

Of 12000 American B-17s (flying fortresses) build 5000 were destroyed during the war.

1950 Allies encouraged German Generals to form a Bundeswehr (army) and became  part of NATO in 1955

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKlZg1fEepY

The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Alex Haley 1964 520pg

Malcolm X a self educated man became a powerful black leader 6/6/20

This is a very well written about his childhood but when it gets onto the religious dogma I lost interest, but his background experience is the most significant part of the story.

No man aroused fear and hatred in the white man as Malcolm, but inspired self respect of downtrodden blacks. Marcus Garvey wanted blacks to leave the US and set up in Africa. The Adventist were the friendliest whites.

1937Joe Louis knocked out James Bradock to become the heavyweight champ of the world.

Living  in Lansing Minnesota he was in a school with few blacks and the only black in his class and he got the highest grades. The English teacher helped him a lot but when he sat with him and discussed his future carreer he said that he would like to be a doctor or lawyer. The teacher said for a Negro he should be realistic, he was good at wood work and perhaps should become a carpenter. White kids were encouraged to go ahead with the courses they had chosen. This so upset him and destroyed his joiu de vive that he wrote to his half sister Ella asking if he could come to Boston and arrived at the back of a Greyhound bus in 1940. He arrived in Waumbeck, Boston snooty blacks lived doing menial work and had to rent out rooms to make ends meet.

1770  Boston Massacre'. Crispus Attacks. A statue stands in Boston Common of this  man who was the first to fall and was a negro.

He manages to get a job as a shoe shine boy and janitor in the men's toilet of the Roseland State Ballroom and manages to hear live Glen Miller. Benny Goodman band, Duke Ellington, Count Basie band, Lionel Hampton, Cootie Williams, Jimmie Luceford.There were nights for blacks 

  Peggy Lee was discovered by Mrs. Benny Goodman.

 After Pearl harbour there was plenty of work on trains, in the kitchen and selling sandwiches, this way he could travel from Boston  and saw how big and poor the black neighbourhood in Washington was. In New York he is able to go to Harlem and hear Dizzy Gillespie, Billie Eckstine ,Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Washington. 

The Teresa hotel Harlem for blacks was where Fidel Castro stayed when he visited the UN and was restricted to NY and achieved a psychological coup over the State Dept. Harlem was officially of limits to white servicemen during the war. 

1935 There were riots in Harlem and this left only a trickle of income coming. The great Harlem days were between 1920 and 1935 Criminals, the law and politicians were inseparable partners.

Malcolm was successful in every kind of hustle, drugs, prostitution and the burglary. The problem in burglary was fencing the stolen loot. A very good watch he took to have repaired and when he came for it was arrested.

1946 at the age of 21 he was given 8 years sentence because he had been working with white girls who acted as "finders" checked out the rich homes. First sent to Charlestown prison built 1805 In 1948 his sister got him transferred to Norfolk Mas. where a millionaire Parhurst had donated his book collection and he was able to spend long hours every day reading and in a debating club and  got a proper eductaion. He also became a member of the Nation of Islam under Elijah Muhammad.

1831 in Virginia .Nat Turner a slave who set up an gang of 70 slaves who killed 57 whites and it took 2 months to hunt him down. 

Schopenhauer, Kant and Nietzsche he says set up the groundwork for Nazi philosophy.

Books he read  included HG Wells, Will Durant and Pierre van Paassens "Days of Our Years". Loom of Language by Frederich Bodner

1951When he got out he went to Detroit. Became a Muslim minister.  Married had 6 children.

1957 Hinton Johnson tried to stop police beating a black man and was he beaten by NY police, Macolm  X arrived and a big group went into the police station and insisted that a ambulance be called. In the end the NYPD were forced to pay $70000 damages.

Malcolm discovered that Elijah Mahomed had raped and had children from a number of women and so broke with him He and a large group who felt this way opened his other Mosques.

He initially called all whites devils but over the years his outlook matured especially after his visit to Mecca. Africa, France and the UK when he saw the black situation in a different perspective.

1965 assasinated. At Audubon Ballroom Harlem. A nation of Islam member was jailed but there are dozens of conspiracy theories that the police wanted him dead as he was too powerful a figure.   

The buffalo Creek disaster by Gerald M. Stern 1976 303pp

 Mining Disaster , negligence and the legal aspects  read 17/4/17

I was interested in reading this as in South Africa we were aware of many mine accidents with people trapped,(Coalbrook 1960 with 437 workers trapped and died.) we understood them as Acts of God and it was always claimed that there were high safety standards? This book was suggested reading for law school students at the time.

This is the story of Feb 1972 when a dam used by the mining company to store dirty water used to wash coal burst killing 125 people and destroying the entire homes in its wake leaving over 100 families who had lost all possessions and were put up in trailers by the Federal government. The “piercing the corporate veil", which merely refers to the rare legal opportunity to cut through a corporation's legal armour. This took place during the Nixon,Watergate period

This lawyer discusses claiming against the company in East Virginia or its stockholder in NY. Was the negligence or an "act of God" A ruling of a district court is not published but a previous case had been upheld on appeal and this was published. The concept of custom and usage was challenged i.e. it was common accepted practice for coal mines to create dams from their dumps to store dirty water. 1966 Abarfam Disaster Wales is better known and that killed 144 people. 

There are a number of reported cases of dams collapsing and the mining company was asked by its insurer if they had owned any dams. Replied that they had water purification systems but did not call them dams and the insurer was not prepared to pay out. The original owners of Buffalo had sold out, as the 1970 new regulation came into force and they did not have the money or staff to modernize and reach the safety standards. 

The concept of survive syndrome was newly established and claims for mental rehab and depression were made. In 1955 at Fort Lick, Pittson had paid out one family who were washed away with their house but survived so they had experience of these matters. Anne Fraud (Sigmund Frauds daughter) - children were more upset by the instability of their mothers as a result of WW2 bombing than the bombing itself.

The East Virginia Bar Association did a check on why an out of state law firm was used and discovered that they had not solicited clients or been ambulance chasers.

In the state of Maine, Pittson wanted to set up an oil port but the state was worried they would not have money to pay out compensation as they had impending liabilities over Buffalo Creek. So they need to get this trial over.

In conclusion the mining company paid out $13.5 million as they realized that they were guilty, worse than negligence and the bad publicity would not help. The plaintiff lawyer felt that a dragged out court case could not achieve much more.  $3 million was legal cost and of the 600 plaintiffs that was more than enough to restore their material losses  233 were children that funds were opened in their names.