THE NEW FEDERALIST

April 29, 1988

American TV Hits New Depths: 'The Nazi He Loved'

Viewpoint by Marianna Wertz and Molly ronber!

The D"#e and D"chess o$ Windsor $awn all over Adol$ Hitler%

American television escen e to a ne! lo! on S"n a#, April $, !it% &'S( T)*s presentation o+ t%e ,love stor# o+ t%e cent"r#,-t%e star(crosse love o+ a cro!ne .in/ an a ivorce commoner0 To parap%rase Winston &%"rc%ill, ,Never %ave so man# 1een lie to a1o"t so m"c% 1# so +e!,, as in t%is tele( rama0 ,T%e Woman He Love ,, as t%e pro/ram !as title , !as one more retellin/ o+ t%e stor# o+ t%e 19$2 a1 ication 1# En/lan *s 3in/ E !ar )III, to marr# American 1ea"t# 4rs0 Wallis Simpson, a t!o(time ivorcee0 5n er t%e la! o+ 'ritain an t%e An/lican &%"rc%, t%e 3in/ o+ En/lan ma# not marr# a ivorcee an remain on t%e t%rone0 '"t, in %is +amo"s a1 ication speec% o+ Dec0 9, 19$2, E !ar eclare %e co"l not r"le !it%o"t t%e ,%elp an s"p( port o+ t%e !oman I love,-%ence, t%e title o+ t%e s%o!0 I+ t%e April $ T) s%o! !ere t%e sole 1asis o+ t%e vie!er*s .no!le /e o+ %istor#, t%en all t%at ever %appene !as6 7o%n met 7ane, t%e# +ell in love, s%e

itc%e %er %"s1an , %e itc%e %is t%rone, an t%e# live %appil# ever a+ter0 En o+ stor#0 Ironicall#, or per%aps, +or reasons o+ nat"ral la!, t%e pro/ram*s attempt to e8cise all %istorical conte8t, to cover "p t%e tr"t% a1o"t E !ar *s Na9i connections, to /loss over t%e "tter immoralit# o+ t%e :et(settin/ 4rs0 Simp( son, le to complete +ail"re o+ even t%e ,love stor#, per se0 T%e c%aracteri( 9ations o+ E !ar an Wallis !ere sti++, 1orin/, an "n1elieva1l# col 0 ;T%is, %o!ever, ma# %ave 1een one o+ t%e +e! acc"rate aspects o+ t%e s%o!0< In +act, !%at came across in t%e 1roa cast !as t%at Wallis Simpson !as a +ort"ne(%"ntin/ 1itc%, an %er princel# %"s1an an inc"ra1le !imp0 It*s o"1t+"l t%at t%e pro "cer meant to conve# t%is impression o+ t%e co"ple= !%at is more li.el# is, t%at t%e tr"t% :"st sort o+ seepe o"t0 Tr"t% oes %ave a !a# o+ assertin/ itsel+, espite attempts to cover it "p0 T%e 1roa cast opene !it% a 1ol statement on t%e screen, in 1lac. an !%ite6 ,'e+ore t%ere !as &%arles an Di, t%ere !as E !ar an Wallis0, T%e tr"t% in t%is comparison is eeper t%an t%e &'S >0R0 men .no!0 7"st as to a# t%e scan al(ri en ,/reat love, o+ &%arles >rince o+ Wales an >rincess Di is mar.ete +or t%e entertainment an paci+ication o+ t%e /"lli1le American %o"se!i+e, so &%arles an Di*s 19$?s co"nterparts +ille t%e /os( sip col"mns in pre(!ar America0 To a#, t%ese oli/arc%s p"rs"e t%eir /eno( ci al pro/rams-&%arles is a lea in/ a vocate in t%e !orl o+ ne/ative pop"lation /ro!t% an ,environmentalism0, So too, in t%e 19$?s0 T%en E !ar >rince o+ Wales !as a pivot o+ t%e pro(Na9i +action o+ t%e 'ritis% oli/arc%#0 '"t, no! as t%en, t%e people o+ America an 'ritain are meant to 1elieve t%at t%ese c%aracters are :"st +"n(lovin/ pla#1o#s, or at !orst, t%e "n+ort"nate pro "ct o+ too m"c% in1ree in/0 T%e eeper tr"t%, t%e political 1ac./ro"n , !as all" e to on onl# t!o occasions in t%e &'S 1roa cast(scenes in !%ic% %istor# 1ro.e into t%is +air#tale +or /ro!n("ps0 T%e +irst s"c% scene occ"rre near t%e 1e/innin/ o+ t%e s%o!0 E !ar ;%is intimates calle %im Davi < %as :"st met 4rs0 Simp( son, an t%e# are en/a/e in a +lirtation in +ront o+ %er %"s1an 0 T%e >rince ,1ares %is %eart, to %er, !%imperin/ t%at ,t%ere are so man# poor people in m# .in/ om, so man# mot%ers an c%il ren !it%o"t +oo to eat0, 4rs0 Simpson coos, ,@%, I*m so concerne a1o"t t%at, Davi 0, Later, at a inner part# a+ter E !ar is 3in/, 'ritis% >rime 4inister Stanle# 'al !in is %ear commentin/ on t%e +act t%at Hitler %as ac%ieve over(

!%elmin/ air s"periorit#6 ,Well, t%at is a pro1lem t%at m# s"ccessor !ill %ave to eal !it%0, E !ar !as an "na1as%e a mirer o+ Hitler, li.e t%e appeasers ma.in/ "p m"c% o+ t%e lea ers%ip o+ t%e Tor# >art# an 'ritain*s r"lin/ classes0 The Tr"e &tory Let*s loo. at t%e recor 0 W%en E !ar a1 icate , t%ere !as one /overnment, 1esi es 'ritain*s, !%ic% .ne! !%#0 It !asn*t Was%in/ton6 T%ere, t%e 1elie+ !as t%at E !ar :"st !ante to marr# a /al +rom 'altimore0 4ost En/lis%men t%o"/%t so, too= t%at &%ristmas, En/lis% .i s san/ a variant o+ t%e ol carol6 ,Har. t%e Heral An/els Sin/, 4rs0 Simpson Stole @"r 3in/0, '"t 'erlin .ne! more0 A ol+ Hitler +"me t%at E !ar %a 1een +orce o"t +or %is Na9i s#mpat%ies0 ,It*s a co"pA, Hitler 1ello!e 0 He telep%one 7oac%im von Ri11entrop ;%is am1assa or to En/lan an a +rien o+ 4rs0 Simpson< to sa#6 ,No! t%e 3in/ %as 1een et%rone , t%ere is certainl# no ot%er person in En/lan !%o is BsoC rea # to pla# 1all !it% "s0, A Nazi in!'

Det man# %i/%(place , in+l"ential 'ritons !ere !il l# p"1lic in t%eir s#mpat%ies +or +ascism0 Re/"larl#, title lor s, o++icials, Forei/n Service 1"rea"crats e8presse pro(Na9i o"tloo.s0 T%e polic# o+ t%e Tor# /overn( ment o+ 'ritain "n er Stanle# 'al !in !as appeasement in an# case, an , as t%e a/in/ 'al !in +aile , %is ca1inet !as r"n 1# %is c%ancellor o+ t%e e8c%eE"er ;later %is s"ccessor as prime minister<, Neville &%am1erlain0 '"t to %ave t%e %eir to t%e t%rone or t%e cro!ne 3in/, sin/ Hitler*s praises !as i++erent0 T%e 3in/ !as s"ppose to em1o # t%e !ill o+ 'ritain*s people, t%e nation*s inte/rit#0 It seeme in 1a taste +or %im to s"pport t%e Na9is openl#0 No matter !%at t%is tele( rama claims, or !%at c%eap 1oo.s sa#, t%e +act is t%at even i+ Wallis Simpson %a n*t set %er cap +or %im, E !ar co"l not %ave .ept %is cro!n0 T%e Simpson a++air !as a prete8t +or "mpin/ %im, an t%e pro1lem o+ %o! to o it a1sor1e 'al !in*s attention in %is last mont%s in o++ice0 W%en t%e 3in/ a1 icate , 'al !in con+i e to Sir Harol Nic%olson6 ,I %a a /reat s"ccess, m# ear Nic%olson, at t%e moment I nee e it most,-namel#, o"stin/ t%e 3in/0

Even 1e+ore %e ascen e t%e t%rone, E !ar scan ali9e millions !it% %is pro(Na9i prono"ncements0 @n Armistice Da# 19$F, 1e+ore a cro! o+ 'ritis% veterans, %e /ave a speec% intensel# +avora1le to Na9i German#0 His +at%er t%e 3in/ !as alarme , an a monis%e %im6 ,Ho! o+ten %ave I tol #o", m# ear 1o#, never to mi8 in politics, especiall# !%ere +orei/n matters are concerne 0 T%e vie!s #o" e8presse #ester a# 0 0 0 are, I %appen to .no!, contrar# to t%ose o+ t%e Forei/n @++ice0, '"t E !ar !as irrepressi1le0 A+ter E !ar !as 3in/, German#*s D".e o+ &o1"r/ reporte a tal. !it% %im6 ,To m# E"estion !%et%er a isc"ssion 1et!een 'al !in an Hitler !o"l 1e esira1le +or +"t"re German('ritis% relations, BE !ar C replie , *W%o is 3in/ %ereH 'al !in or IH I m#sel+ !is% to tal. to Hitler, an !ill o so %ere or in German#0 Tell %im t%at please0* , (il!rima!e to )erchtes!aden @nce E !ar le+t t%e t%rone, man# 'ritis% oli/arc%s %ope t%e scan al !as over0 '"t E !ar *s :" /ment !as as !retc%e as ever0 In +all 19$I, E !ar ;no! D".e o+ Win sor< an Wallis Simpson arrive in Na9i German#, to meet in person t%e man t%e# so a mire 0 @stensi1l# t%ere to st" # la1or con itions ;"nions %a 1een cr"s%e in Na9i German#<, t%e D".e an Wallis lo"n/e at Hermann Goerin/*s %"ntin/ lo /e0 T%e# !ere sE"ire aro"n 1# Na9i La1or Front c%ie+tain Ro1ert Le#0 T%e D".e ma e speec%es sal"tin/ Na9i ,miracles,, "r/in/ on %is co"ntr#( men a similar economic an militar# approac%0 T%e %i/%(point o+ t%e to"r !as a tre. to t%e tin# mar.et villa/e o+ 'erc%tes( /a en, nestle in t%e 'avarian Alps0 T%e# rove "p @1ersal91er/ mo"ntain to Hitler*s %ome, t%e 'er/%o+0 T%e F"e%rer .isse 4rs0 Simpson*s %an , A"strian(st#le0 E !ar an Wallis !ere t%rille 0 A tea part# !as /otten "p-a memora1le moment, e8cept +or Hitler*s mistress, Eva 'ra"n0 S%e !as or ere to remain "pstairs in t%e %o"se, o"t o+ si/%t o+ t%e visitors0 S%e po"te over t%is= s%e !ante to meet 4rs0 Simpson, s%e tol Hitler0 S%e t%o"/%t t%e# %a m"c% in common0 W%en E !ar an Hitler !it% re! +or cons"ltation, E !ar ma e o iplomatic overt"res6 He o++ere A"stralia as lebensraum ;livin/ space< +or German#0 In 19J$ Hitler tol %is inner circle t%at E !ar %a in+orme %im

A"stralia !o"l 1e opene to "nlimite German emi/ration, an t%at %e, E !ar , !o"l /"arantee German ominance t%ere0 Hitler sai no0 He .ne!, %e sai in *J$, t%at i+ !ar came 'ritain !o"l not let A"stralia /o= %e !as not intereste , %e a e , in "sin/ German en/ineer( in/ an scienti+ic talent to 1"il "p 'ritis% ominions, onl# to lose t%e area in !artime0 Finall#, A"stralia*s location !as impossi1le0 Hitler !ante %is colonies in E"rasia0 So E !ar *s ream o+ 1rin/in/ Hitler in as a partner in t%e 'ritis% Empire +aile 0 '"t t%e o++er itsel+ ma.es plain t%e D".e*s real a/en a0 In 19J?, as t%e Na9is planne to .noc. o"t En/lan , t%e# premise t%e political si e o+ t%e !ar on t%is6 T%e 'lit9 !o"l so "n o t%e 'ritis% t%at Winston &%"rc%ill*s ne! !ar /overnment !o"l +all0 T%e Na9is !o"l install instea t%e D".e o+ Win sor0 T%e D".e o+ Win sor !as a!are o+ t%is mission0 S"nnin/ %imsel+ in Spain in s"mmer 19J?, %e con+i e to Spanis% iplomats an German spies t%at %e 1elieve ,contin"e severe 1om1in/s !o"l ma.e En/lan rea # +or peace0, He promise t%e Germans, t%ro"/% Spanis% interme iaries, to ,%ol %imsel+ in rea iness, +or %is tas.0 '"t &%"rc%ill intervene , appointin/ E !ar Governor o+ t%e 'a%amas-as +ar +rom E"rope as possi1le0 E !ar ra//e %is +eet0 Accor in/ to secret Spanis% ispatc%es to Hitler, &%"rc%ill acte a/ain0 I+ t%e D".e i not leave instantl# +or t%e 'a%amas, &%"rc%ill !arne , %e !o"l %ave His E8(Ro#al Hi/%ness ,co"rt(martiale 0, At len/t% E !ar an Wallis le+t, isappointe -E !ar %a partic"larl# !ante to ,come into contact !it% Hitler, a/ain, %e tol t%e Spanis%0 Dears later, E !ar enie all t%is0 'ritain*s Forei/n @++ice eclare t%e D".e %a never 1een a traitor in t%e !ar0 Not so0 To a#*s >rince &%arles is no more a %armless, apolitical +ool, t%an !as %is /reat("ncle0 Fools, #es-1"t an/ero"s ones0 Not t%e st"++ o+ stor#1oo. romance0 &'S(T) lie t%ro"/% its teet% !%en it pro "ce t%is s%o!0