Save the Pope

Updated Sunday 15 May, 2011 12:18 PM

Save the Pope! by Steve Payne

Author says: what if Hitler had proceeded with a variant of his plan to kidnap the Pope, capture and loot the Vatican? Please note that the opinions expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the views of the author(s).

In 1943, from Liechtenstein where he was receiving the protection of the Third Reich, Pope Pius XII issued an offer to the Western Allies to serve as a peace mediator in forthcoming negotiations.

"It must be reasserted that Hitler, kept at bay by the Allies, like a beast of prey pursued by a pack of hunters, was capable of absolutely any hysterical act of crime" ~ Nazi Ambassador to PopeThe text of the declaration made it clear that Stalin rather than Hitler was the enemy of the Church, emphasising that the Holy Pontiff was understandably keen to prevent Europe falling into the hands of the Soviets after an Axis Defeat.

There was some logic to this position, because Rome itself was now in the hands of the Communists who had seized power when Marshall Badoglio and King Victor Immanual III had fled the city following the ouster of Mussolini.

A rather different story emerged after the war. Soldiers of the 8th Division of the SS Florian Geyer Cavalary had launched a night attack on the Vatican disguised in Italian uniforms. Troops of Herman Göring's panzer division had then surged into the Vatican to "rescue" the Pope. Various documents had also been seized, enabling the Füehrer to establish leverage over the Pope. One of those documents would cause the Vatican much trouble long after both Hitler and Stalin were both dead.

Author says original content has been repurposed to celebrate the author's genius © Kutzman, Dan. "A Special Mission: Hitlers Secret Plotto Seize the Vatican and Kidnap Pope Pius XII" (2006). The slogan "Save the Pope!" was the suggested of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. To view guest historian's comments on this post please visit the Today in Alternate History web site.