Resisting tyranny is a noble tradition to be celebrated wherever it is found. Historian Terry Parssinen has uncovered a previously unknown conspiracy to avert World War Two by removing Hitler from power in 1938. Dr. Parssinen writes about previously unsung heroes in The Oster Conspiracy of 1938, a conspiracy which included highly placed individuals at the very top of the German military, aristocrats both inside the military and in civilian life. He also describes heroic actions of ordinary Germans who defied Hitler in spite of the terrors of the Nazi regime.

Dr. Parssinen has become convinced from his studies that if it hadn't been for Hitler, there would have been no World War Two, what he calls the "hinge" of the 20th century. A specialist in European history, Dr. Parssinen was in for several big surprises. The first was that no one "blew the whistle" on Oster and his fellow conspirators, even from among high ranking military people who had been asked but declined to participate in it. From 1938 to 1944, they not only maintained their secrecy, they also continued to plot against Hitler.

Then, contrary to some historians' assertions, Dr. Parssinen thinks it is important to understand that not all Germans followed Hitler blindly, though many did. He has found stories of significant numbers of Germans actively resisting Hitler and his imperialist/colonialist vision for a "Greater Germany," in the face of great personal danger. In fact, Dr. Parssinen is convinced that the Berliners who literally turned their backs on Hitler and his troops on September 27, 1938, were the decisive factor in Hitler's decision to delay his planned 1938 invasion of the strong and democratic Czechoslovakia, which was later tragically sacrificed.

Oddly enough, it was in British documents that Dr. Parssinen came upon this previously unknown conspiracy at the very highest levels of the German society. He found traces of German emissaries from the conspiracy meeting with the British Foreign Service. While the conspirators' messengers eventually made their way as far as Ten Downing Street, preconceived and inflexible commitments to policy positions obscured first hand information coming from within the Third Reich.

Today's moral of the story? Be open to available information. People making themselves heard do make a difference. And, yes, it is useful to have history as one of the elements when current policy is debated, but it's only one element, says Dr. Parssinen. Unlike some of his historian colleagues, Dr. Parssinen believes that it's worth considering what would have been different had Hitler not stayed in power, particularly as the United States stands on the precipice of a new era in its history, when Americans would do well to learn from others who have pursued empire.

[This Program was recorded May 12, 2003 in Atlanta, Georgia, US.]