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Encyclopedia > Fatherland (novel)
Fatherland
First edition cover
First edition cover - pre publication copy
Author Robert Harris
Country United Kingdom
Language English
Genre(s) Thriller, Alternate history novel
Publisher Hutchinson
Publication date 7 May 1992
Media type Print (Hardback & Paperback)
Pages 372 pp (first edition, hardback)
ISBN ISBN 0-09-174827-5 (first edition, hardback)

Fatherland is a bestselling 1992 thriller novel by the English writer and journalist Robert Harris, which doubles as a work of alternate history. The novel is based on the premise of a world in which Nazi Germany was triumphant in World War II. Image File history File links RobertHarris_Fatherland. ... Robert Harris is an English TV reporter and author, born in 1957 in the city of Nottingham. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... The thriller is a broad genre of literature, film, and television. ... Alternative history or alternate history can be: A History told from an alternative viewpoint, rather than from the view of imperialist, conqueror, or explorer. ... A publisher is a person or entity which engages in the act of publishing. ... Hutchinson is a book publisher, and is a division of Random House. ... Hardcover books A hardcover (or hardback or hardbound) is a book bound with rigid protective covers (typically of cardboard covered with cloth, heavy paper, or sometimes leather). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... ISBN redirects here. ... The thriller is a broad genre of literature, film, and television. ... For other uses, see Novel (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... A writer is anyone who creates a written work, although the word more usually designates those who write creatively or professionally, or those who have written in many different forms. ... // Journalism is the discipline of gathering, writing and reporting news, and broadly it includes the process of editing and presenting the news articles. ... Robert Harris is an English TV reporter and author, born in 1957 in the city of Nottingham. ... Alternate history (fiction) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Nazi Germany, or the Third Reich, commonly refers to Germany in the years 1933–1945, when it was under the firm control of the totalitarian and fascist ideology of the Nazi Party, with the Führer Adolf Hitler as dictator. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000...

Contents

Plot summary

The story begins in Nazi Germany, the Third Reich in April 1964, in the week leading up to Adolf Hitler's 75th birthday. The plot follows detective Xavier March, an investigator working for the Kripo (Kriminalpolizei), as he investigates the suspicious death of a high-ranking Nazi (Josef Bühler) in the Havel, on the outskirts of Berlin. As March uncovers more details he realizes that he is caught up in a political scandal involving senior Nazi party officials, who are apparently being systematically murdered under staged circumstances. Nazi Germany, or the Third Reich, commonly refers to Germany in the years 1933–1945, when it was under the firm control of the totalitarian and fascist ideology of the Nazi Party, with the Führer Adolf Hitler as dictator. ... Hitler redirects here. ... Gumshoe redirects here. ... The Kriminalpolizei was the professional detective service of Germany between 1936 and 1945. ... The factual accuracy of this article is disputed. ... For other uses, see Havel (disambiguation). ... This article is about the capital of Germany. ... For other uses, see Politics (disambiguation). ... A scandal is a widely publicized incident involving allegations of wrong-doing, disgrace, or moral outrage. ... The Nazi Party, officially: National Socialist German Workers Party, (German: , abbreviated NSDAP), was a political party in Germany between 1919 and 1945. ... Murder is both a legal and a moral term, that are not always coincident. ...


March meets with Charlie Maguire, a female American journalist who works for the New York Times, who is also determined to investigate the case. They both travel to Zürich to investigate the private Swiss bank account of one of the murdered officials. Ultimately, the two uncover the horrific truth behind the staged murders. The Gestapo is eliminating the remaining officials who planned the Holocaust at the Wannsee Conference of 1942. This is being done in order to safeguard an upcoming meeting of Hitler and President Joseph P. Kennedy by ensuring that the crimes of the Nazi regime are not revealed. Maguire heads for neutral Switzerland with the evidence, hoping to publish it in the New York Times. March, however, is denounced by his ten year-old son and apprehended by the Gestapo. The New York Times is a daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed internationally. ... For other uses of Zurich, see Zurich (disambiguation). ... The   (contraction of Geheime Staatspolizei: “secret state police”) was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. ... For other uses, see Holocaust (disambiguation) and Shoah (disambiguation). ... The Wannsee Conference was a meeting of senior officials of the Nazi German regime, held in the Berlin suburb of Wannsee on 20 January 1942. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  US Government Portal      For other uses, see President of the United States (disambiguation). ... Joseph Joe Patrick Kennedy, Sr. ... The New York Times is an internationally known daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed in the United States and many other nations worldwide. ...


In the cellars of Gestapo headquarters at Prinz Albrechtstrasse, March is severely tortured but does not reveal the location of Maguire. Kripo Chief Arthur Nebe stages a rescue, intending to track March as he meets up with Maguire at their rendezvous in Waldshut-Tiengen on the Swiss / German border. March realizes what is happening and heads for Auschwitz, leading the authorities in the wrong direction. Abgeordneten Haus von Berlin Martin-Gropius-Bau Niederkirchnerstraße, formerly Prinz-Albrecht-Straße, is a street in Berlin, the capital of Germany. ... SS-Gruppenführer Artur Nebe (1894–21 March 1945) was Berlin Police Commissioner in the 1920s and an early member of both the Sturmabteilung (SA) and the Schutzstaffel (SS). ... Waldshut-Tiengen is a city in southwestern Baden-Württemberg right at the Swiss border. ... Auschwitz, in English, commonly refers to the Auschwitz concentration camp complex built near the town of Oświęcim, by Nazi Germany during World War II. Rarely, it may refer to the Polish town of Oświęcim (called by the Germans Auschwitz) itself. ...


The Gestapo catches up with March at the unmarked site of Auschwitz's completely dismantled extermination camp. Believing that Maguire has crossed the border into Switzerland, he searches for some sign that the death camp was real. As the Gestapo agents swarm around him, March uncovers bricks in the undergrowth. Extermination camps were two types of facilities that Nazi Germany built during World War II for the systematic killing of millions of people in what has become known as the Holocaust. ...


Characters

Fictional

  • Xavier March. A detective in the SS, March (nicknamed "Zavi" by his friends) is a 42-year-old divorcé living in Berlin. He has one son, Pili, who lives with March's ex-wife, Klara. Both of March's grandfathers died in the First World War, his father was mortally injured serving in the Kaiserliche Marine, the Imperial German Navy, and his mother was killed in a bombing raid in 1944. March served on a U-Boat in the war and became a U-Boat captain in 1946. After the war, his marriage ended quickly. By 1964, March is unknowingly being watched by the Gestapo.

In the German version of the book the English name of the main character is translated to "Xaver März", nicknamed "Xavi". SS redirects here. ... Ypres, 1917, in the vicinity of the Battle of Passchendaele. ... The Kaiserliche Marine or Imperial Navy was the German Navy created by the formation of the German Empire and existed between 1871 and 1919; it grew out of the Prussian Navy and the Norddeutsche Bundesmarine. ... U-boat is also a nickname for some diesel locomotives built by GE; see List of GE locomotives October 1939. ... The   (contraction of Geheime Staatspolizei: “secret state police”) was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. ...

  • Charlotte "Charlie" Maguire. A 25-year-old American woman, Maguire lives in Berlin reporting for The New York Times. Midway through the novel, she and March fall in love and begin a relationship.
  • Hermann Jost. A reluctant SS cadet, 19-year-old Jost discovers the corpse which triggers March's investigation. Midway through the novel, Jost disappears. The official explanation is that he has been sent to the Eastern Front.
  • Paul "Pili" March. The 10-year-old son of Xavier March, Pili lives with his mother and her partner in a bungalow in the suburbs of Berlin. Pili is a "Pimpf", a member of the Jungvolk — the junior section of the Hitler Youth for boys between the ages of 10 and 14. Later in the novel, Pili denounces his father to the Gestapo.
  • Max Jaeger. March's Kripo partner, Jaeger is 50 and lives with his wife and four daughters in Berlin. At the end of the novel, Jaeger drives the getaway car that rescues March, but it is revealed that Jaeger was the one who had betrayed March.
  • Walther Fiebes. Fiebes is a detective working in VB3, the sexual crimes division, along the corridor from March's office. Fiebes spends all of his time at work, investigating (Party-defined) sexual crimes cases including rape, adultery, and interracial relationships.
  • Rudolf "Rudi" Halder. March's wartime friend, Rudi is a historian working at the immense Central Archives, helping to compile an official history of the German military on the Eastern Front.
  • Karl Krebs. Krebs is a well-educated young officer in the SS.

The New York Times is a daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed internationally. ... Combatants Soviet Union,[1] Poland, Tannu Tuva (until 1944 incorporation with USSR), Mongolia Germany,[2] Italy (to 1943), Romania (to 1944), Finland (to 1944), Hungary, Slovakia, Croatia, Spain (to 1943, unofficial) Commanders Joseph Stalin, Aleksei Antonov, Ivan Konev, Rodion Malinovsky, Ivan Bagramyan, Kirill Meretskov, Ivan Petrov, Alexander Rodimtsev, Konstantin Rokossovsky... [Image:Bungalows. ... Nazism in history Nazi ideology Nazism and race Outside Germany Related subjects Lists Politics Portal         For the SS division with the nickname Hitlerjugend see; 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend The Hitler Youth (German:   , abbreviated HJ) was a paramilitary organization of the Nazi Party. ... Sex crimes are forms of human sexual behavior that are crimes. ... This article is about the act of adultery. ... Manifestations Slavery Racial profiling Lynching Hate speech Hate crime Genocide (examples) Ethnocide Ethnic cleansing Pogrom Race war Religious persecution Blood libel Paternalism Police brutality Movements Policies Discriminatory Race / Religion / Sex segregation Apartheid Redlining Internment Ethnocracy Anti-discriminatory Emancipation Civil rights Desegregation Integration Equal opportunity Counter-discriminatory Affirmative action Racial quota...

Historical personalities

  • Odilo Globocnik. A middle-aged, SS officer, Globocnik (nicknamed "Globus"). After March's apprehension by the Gestapo, Globus takes over March's interrogation and torture, administering several brutal beatings.
  • Artur Nebe. The chief of the German police force, Nebe by 1964 is an old man living in a sumptuous apartment in Berlin. Once Nebe ascertains the truth about what March has discovered, he quickly weaves a ruse to dupe March into revealing the whereabouts of the evidence.
  • Reinhard Heydrich. Having survived the assassination attempt in Prague during June 1942, which in reality led to his death, Heydrich has risen to become Reichsführer-SS and heir-apparent to Hitler. It is suggested that Heydrich arranged for the assassination of Heinrich Himmler in order to replace him as head of the SS.
  • Other historical characters referred to in the book include Adolf Hitler, the elderly Führer of the Greater German Reich; Hermann Goering, said to have died in 1951; Heinrich Himmler, said to have died in an airplane crash in 1962; Joseph Goebbels, who is still in charge of the Nazi Propaganda Ministry; Winston Churchill and Princess Elizabeth are living in exile in Canada; Edward VIII and his consort Wallis reign as Emperor and Empress of the British Empire; Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr. is the President of the United States; Karl Dönitz is Grand Admiral of the Kriegsmarine; and Charles Lindbergh is the U.S. Ambassador to Germany.

The attendees of the Wannsee Conference are central to the plot, although most of them are already dead at the time of the novel's events. Odilo Globocnik Odilo Globocnik (April 21, 1904 - May 31, 1945) was a prominent Austrian Nazi and later an SS leader. ... SS-Gruppenführer (General) Arthur Nebe (13 November 1894–21 March 1945) was Berlin Police Commissioner in the 1920s and an early member of both the Sturmabteilung (SA) and the Schutzstaffel (SS). ... Reinhard Tristan Eugen Heydrich (7 March 1904 – 4 June 1942) was an SS-Obergruppenführer, chief of the Reich Security Main Office (including the Gestapo, SD and Kripo Nazi police agencies) and Reichsprotektor (Reich Protector) of Bohemia and Moravia. ... Reinhard Heydrich, the target of Operation Anthropoid. ... For other uses, see Prague (disambiguation). ... Heinrich Himmler as the Reichsführer-SS Reichsführer-SS was a special SS rank that existed between the years of 1925 and 1945. ... Himmler redirects here. ... SS redirects here. ... Hitler redirects here. ... Hermann Göring Hermann Wilhelm Göring (also spelled Hermann Goering in English) (January 12, 1893–October 15, 1946) was a prominent and early member of the Nazi party, founder of the Gestapo, and one of the main architects of Nazi Germany. ... Himmler redirects here. ... Paul Joseph Goebbels (German pronunciation: IPA: ; English generally IPA: ) (October 29, 1897 – May 1, 1945) was a German politician and Minister for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda during the National Socialist regime from 1933 to 1945. ... Churchill redirects here. ... Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor; born 21 April 1926) is Queen of sixteen sovereign states, holding each crown and title equally. ... Exile (band) may refer to: Exile - The American country music band Exile - The Japanese pop music band Category: ... Edward VIII (Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David; later The Prince Edward, Duke of Windsor; 23 June 1894 – 28 May 1972) was King of Great Britain, Ireland, the British Dominions beyond the Seas, and Emperor of India from the death of his father, George V (1910–36), on 20... Wallis, Duchess of Windsor and the Duke of Windsor on their wedding day Bessie Wallis Warfield, more widely known as Wallis Simpson and later The Duchess of Windsor (June 19, 1896–April 24, 1986) was the wife of Prince Edward, Duke of Windsor, the former King Edward VIII of the... For a comprehensive list of the territories that formed the British Empire, see Evolution of the British Empire. ... For other persons named Joseph Kennedy, see Joseph Kennedy (disambiguation). ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  US Government Portal      For other uses, see President of the United States (disambiguation). ... Karl Dönitz (IPA pronunciation:  ) (born 16 September 1891; died 24 December 1980) was a German naval leader, who commanded the German Navy (Kriegsmarine) during the second half of World War II. Dönitz was also President of Germany for 23 days after Adolf Hitlers suicide. ... German Grand Admiral Sleeve Insignia Grand Admiral Shoulder Insignia In the German Navy the rank of Grand Admiral (Großadmiral) was considered the highest Naval rank. ... The Kriegsmarine (or War Navy) was the name of the German Navy between 1935 and 1945, during the Nazi regime, superseding the Reichsmarine. ... Charles Augustus Lindbergh (February 4, 1902 – August 26, 1974) (nicknamed Lucky Lindy and The Lone Eagle) was an American aviator, author, inventor, explorer, and peace activist who, on May 20–21, 1927, rose instantaneously from virtual obscurity to world fame as the result of his piloting of the first solo... For other uses, see Ambassador (disambiguation). ... The Wannsee Conference was a meeting of senior officials of the Nazi German regime, held in the Berlin suburb of Wannsee on 20 January 1942. ...


The world of Fatherland

History

Throughout the novel, Harris gradually explains the historical development of the society. According to the novel's version of history, the German armies on the Eastern Front are stopped at the gates of Moscow at the end of 1941, as in our history. Defeated in battle but not demoralized, they launch a second major offensive into the Caucasus in 1942, cutting the flow of oil to the Red Army. The first point of divergence is that this second offensive is far more successful. With its armies immobilised, the Soviet Union surrenders in 1943. Combatants Soviet Union,[1] Poland, Tannu Tuva (until 1944 incorporation with USSR), Mongolia Germany,[2] Italy (to 1943), Romania (to 1944), Finland (to 1944), Hungary, Slovakia, Croatia, Spain (to 1943, unofficial) Commanders Joseph Stalin, Aleksei Antonov, Ivan Konev, Rodion Malinovsky, Ivan Bagramyan, Kirill Meretskov, Ivan Petrov, Alexander Rodimtsev, Konstantin Rokossovsky... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Caucasus Mountains. ... For other organizations known as the Red Army, see Red Army (disambiguation). ... In discussion of counterfactual history, a point of divergence (POD) is a historical event, with two possible postulated outcomes. ...


The second major point of divergence is that around the same time, German intelligence (in a way never explained) learns the British have cracked the Enigma code, which is leading to the sinking of their submarines. They withdraw their submarines from the Atlantic temporarily and send false intelligence to lure the British fleet to destruction. The U-Boat campaign against the United Kingdom resumes, starving Britain into accepting a humiliating armistice in 1944. Winston Churchill, King George VI and other prominent British officials are forced into exile in Canada. Edward VIII regains the throne at the helm of a pro-German puppet government. For a discussion of how Enigma-derived intelligence was put to use, see Ultra (WWII intelligence). ... Battle of the Atlantic can refer to either of two naval campaigns, depending on context: World War I - First Battle of the Atlantic World War II - Second Battle of the Atlantic A Third Battle of the Atlantic was envisioned to be be part of any Third World War that arose... Churchill redirects here. ... George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions from 11 December 1936 until his death. ... Edward VIII (Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David; later The Prince Edward, Duke of Windsor; 23 June 1894 – 28 May 1972) was King of Great Britain, Ireland, the British Dominions beyond the Seas, and Emperor of India from the death of his father, George V (1910–36), on 20...


Germany tests its first atom bomb in 1946, and fires a "V-3" missile that explodes above New York City, to demonstrate Germany's ability to attack the continental United States with long-range missiles. Following this demonstration of power, the United States signs a peace treaty with Germany. This results in the Third Reich being one of the two superpowers of the world, along with the US, which defeated Japan, which reflects actual history of the war. The mushroom cloud of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan, in 1945 lifted nuclear fallout some 18 km (60,000 feet) above the epicenter. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... A peace treaty is an agreement (a peace treaty) between two hostile parties, usually countries or governments, that formally ends a war or armed conflict. ... Nazi Germany, or the Third Reich, commonly refers to Germany in the years 1933–1945, when it was under the firm control of the totalitarian and fascist ideology of the Nazi Party, with the Führer Adolf Hitler as dictator. ... Superpowers redirects here. ... The ensign of Imperial Japanese Navy was a prominent symbol of Imperial Japan. ...


Having achieved victory in Europe, Germany annexes Eastern Europe and most of the western Soviet Union into the Greater German Reich. Following the signing of the Treaty of Rome, Western Europe and Scandinavia are corralled into a pro-German trading bloc, the European Community. The surviving areas of the USSR become engaged in an endless guerrilla war with German forces in the Ural Mountains. Mounting casualties (at least 100,000 since 1960 stated in the novel and that the bodies have to be shipped back to Germany in the dead of night), have sapped the German military despite Hitler's earlier statement (quoted in the novel) about a perpetual war to keep the German people on their toes, like in the novel 1984. By 1964, the United States and the Greater German Reich are caught in a Cold War and an arms race to develop more sophisticated nuclear weapons and space technology. Eastern Europe is a concept that lacks one precise definition. ... The Treaty of Rome signing ceremony Signatures in the Treaty The Treaty of Rome, signed by France, West Germany, Italy and Benelux (Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg) on March 25, 1957, established the European Economic Community (EEC). ... A current understanding of Western Europe. ... For other uses, see Scandinavia (disambiguation). ... The European Community (EC) was originally founded on March 25, 1957 by the signing of the Treaty of Rome under the name of European Economic Community. ... Map of the Ural Mountains The Ural Mountains (Russian: , Uralskiye gory) (also known as the Urals, the Riphean Mountains in Greco-Roman antiquity, and known as the Stone Belt) are a mountain range that runs roughly north and south through western Russia. ... (Redirected from 1984 (novel)) Nineteen Eighty-Four (sometimes 1984) is a darkly satirical political novel by George Orwell. ... For other uses, see Cold War (disambiguation). ... The term arms race in its original usage, describes a competition between two or more parties for military supremacy. ... The mushroom cloud of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan, 1945, rose some 18 kilometers (11 mi) above the hypocenter A nuclear weapon derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions of fusion or fission. ... Space technology is a term that is often treated as a category. ...


The novel takes place from April 14 – 20, 1964, as Germany prepares for Hitler's 75th birthday celebrations. A visit by the President of the United States, Joseph P. Kennedy, is planned as part of a gradual détente between the United States and the Greater German Reich. The Nazi hierarchy are hinted at being desperate for peace because the German economy has been staggering since the end of the war and the cost of fighting the war against the Russians has led to a situation whereby German citizens are encouraged to contribute to "Winter Relief". The Holocaust has been explained away to the satisfaction of many as merely the relocation of most of the Jewish population to the East into areas where communication and travel are still very poor, explaining why it is impossible for most of their relatives in the West to contact them. Despite this, many Germans are aware — or suspect — the government has eliminated the Jews. Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  US Government Portal      For other uses, see President of the United States (disambiguation). ... Joseph Joe Patrick Kennedy, Sr. ... Détente is a French term, meaning a relaxing or easing; the term has been used in international politics since the early 1970s. ... For other uses, see Holocaust (disambiguation) and Shoah (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Jew (disambiguation). ...


Greater German Reich and international politics

Fatherland's 1964 Europe
Fatherland's 1964 Europe

The first few pages of Fatherland feature two maps; one of the city centre of Berlin, and another showing the extent of the massively expanded Greater German Reich. The map shows Germany stretching from Alsace-Lorraine (Westmark) in the west to the Ural Mountains and the lower Caucasus in the east. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1054x787, 120 KB) D. Nahaissi I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1054x787, 120 KB) D. Nahaissi I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... This article is about the capital of Germany. ... Nazi Germany, or the Third Reich, commonly refers to Germany in the years 1933–1945, when it was under the firm control of the totalitarian and fascist ideology of the Nazi Party, with the Führer Adolf Hitler as dictator. ... Imperial Province of Elsaß-Lothringen Alsace-Lorraine (German: , generally Elsass-Lothringen) was a territorial entity created by the German Empire in 1871 after the annexation of most of Alsace and parts of Lorraine in the Franco-Prussian War. ... Map of the Ural Mountains The Ural Mountains (Russian: , Uralskiye gory) (also known as the Urals, the Riphean Mountains in Greco-Roman antiquity, and known as the Stone Belt) are a mountain range that runs roughly north and south through western Russia. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Caucasus Mountains. ...


The Reich has retained Austria (now known as the "Ostmark"), the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia (formerly part of Czechoslovakia), and Luxembourg (now named "Moselland"). In the East, Germany has annexed Poland, and Russia west of the Urals has been divided into five Reichkommissariats: Ostland (Belarus and the Baltic states), Ukraine, Muscovy (from Moscow to the Urals), and Caucasus, along with Generalkommissariat Taurida (Southern Ukraine and the Crimea). Capital Prague Language(s) Czech, German Political structure Protectorate Reichsprotektor  - 1939-1941 Konstantin von Neurath  - 1941-1942 Reinhard Heydrich (acting)  - 1942-1943 Kurt Daluege (acting)  - 1943-1945 Wilhelm Frick Staatspräsident  - 1939-1945 Emil Hácha Historical era World War II  - Occupation March 15, 1939  - Fall of Prague May 13... Map of the Ural Mountains The Ural Mountains (Russian: , Uralskiye gory) (also known as the Urals, the Riphean Mountains in Greco-Roman antiquity, and known as the Stone Belt) are a mountain range that runs roughly north and south through western Russia. ... The three Baltic states: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. ... For other uses, see Moscow (disambiguation). ... Motto: ÐŸÑ€Ð¾Ñ†Ð²ÐµÑ‚ание в единстве(Russian) Protsvetanie v edinstve(transliteration) Prosperity in unity Anthem: ÐÐ¸Ð²Ñ‹ и горы твои волшебны, Родина(Russian) Nivy i gory tvoi volshebny, Rodina(transliteration) Your fields and mounts are wonderful, Motherland Location of Crimea (red) with respect to Ukraine (light blue). ...


Major cities in the expanded Reich include old German cities such as Hamburg, Danzig and Berlin (the largest city in the world, with a population of 10 million in 1964), but also include newly-annexed cities such as Moscow, Tiflis, Ufa, St. Petersburg, Kraków, Rovno, Riga, Melitopol, Gotenburg (Simferopol) and Theodorichshafen (former Sevastopol). For other uses, see Hamburg (disambiguation). ... For alternative meanings of Gdańsk and Danzig, see Gdansk (disambiguation) and Danzig (disambiguation) Motto: Nec temere, nec timide (Neither rashly nor timidly) Voivodship Pomeranian Municipal government Rada miasta Gdańska Mayor Paweł Adamowicz Area 262 km² Population  - city  - urban  - density 461 400 (2003) Ranked 6th 1 035 000 1761/km² Founded... This article is about the capital of Germany. ... For other uses, see Moscow (disambiguation). ... View of Tiflis from the Grounds of Saint David Church, ca. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Saint Petersburg (Russian: Санкт-Петербу́рг, English transliteration: Sankt-Peterburg), colloquially known as Питер (transliterated Piter), formerly known as Leningrad (Ленингра́д, 1924–1991) and Petrograd (Петрогра́д, 1914–1924), is a city located in Northwestern Russia on the delta of the river Neva at the east end of the Gulf of Finland... For other uses, see Krakow (disambiguation). ... Rivne (Ukrainian Рівне , Polish Równe) - city in Ukraine, capital of Rivnenska oblast, with 249,900 inhabitants (2004). ... For other uses, see Riga (disambiguation). ... Melitopol (Ukrainian: , translit. ... Simferopol (English pronunciation: /ËŒsɪm. ... Location Map of Ukraine with Sevastopol highlighted. ...


Berlin has been extensively remodelled as Hitler's "capital of capitals," designed according to the wishes of Hitler and his top architect, Albert Speer. By 1964, the city boasts gargantuan Nazi monuments; the Great Hall holds over 160,000 people at the highest Nazi ceremonies; the enormous Arch of Triumph is inscribed with the names of German soldiers killed in the two World Wars, and straddles the Grand Avenue, an immense boulevard lined with captured Soviet artillery and towering statues of Nazi eagles. The Reichstag and the Brandenburg Gate are dwarfed by the vast, severe, granite civil buildings which dominate Berlin's city centre; the Grand Plaza, the sprawling Berlin railway station, Hitler's mammoth palace, the headquarters of the German Army, and the parliament of the powerless European Union. For the son of Albert Speer, also an architect, see Albert Speer (the younger). ... Model of Volkshalle The Volkshalle was a huge monumental building planned, but never built, by Adolf Hitler and his architect Albert Speer. ... The Champs Elysees in Paris, France. ... Soviet redirects here. ... For other uses, see Artillery (disambiguation). ... The Reichstag building. ... The Brandenburg Gate The Brandenburg Gate (German: Brandenburger Tor) is a former city gate and one of the main symbols of Berlin, Germany. ... Passengers bustle around the typical grand edifice of Londons Broad Street Station in 1865. ... This article is about the legislative institution. ...


The rest of Western Europe, excluding Switzerland, has been corralled by Germany into a European Community, formed from twelve nations: Norway, Sweden (which has surrendered its policy of neutrality), Finland (which has absorbed Karelia from Russia), Denmark, Great Britain, Ireland (the listing suggests that Britain has annexed the Republic back into the United Kingdom), France, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, the Netherlands and Italy (it is unspecified if Mussolini is still in control). Other countries of Fatherland's Europe include Croatia, Greece, Romania (which has annexed Bessarabia from the old USSR, a greatly expanded Hungary (which has absorbed Transylvania from neighbouring Romania as well as the wartime puppet state of Slovakia), Bulgaria (which appears to have annexed Central Macedonia and East Macedonia and Thrace from Greece), Albania, Serbia, Iceland, and Turkey. The European Community (EC) was originally founded on March 25, 1957 by the signing of the Treaty of Rome under the name of European Economic Community. ... A neutral country takes no side in a war between other parties, and in return hopes to avoid being attacked by either of them. ... Map showing the parts Karelia is traditionally divided into. ... Motto: Je Maintiendrai (Dutch: Ik zal handhaven, English: I Shall Uphold) Anthem: Wilhelmus van Nassouwe Capital Amsterdam1 Largest city Amsterdam Official language(s) Dutch2 Government Parliamentary democracy Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Beatrix  - Prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende Independence Eighty Years War   - Declared July 26, 1581   - Recognised January 30, 1648 (by Spain... Mussolini redirects here. ... 1927 map of Bessarabia from Charles Upson Clarks book Bessarabia (Basarabia in Romanian, Бесарабія in Ukrainian, Бессарабия in Russian, Бесарабия in Bulgarian, Besarabya in Turkish) is a historical term for the geographic entity in Eastern Europe bounded by the Dniester River on the East and the Prut River on the West. ... This article is about the region in Romania. ... Central Macedonia is one of the thirteen peripheries of Greece, being the central part of Greek Macedonia. ... East Macedonia and Thrace is one of the thirteen peripheries of Greece, being the eastern part of Greek Macedonia along with Thrace. ... Anthem:  Serbia() on the European continent()  —  [] Capital (and largest city) Belgrade Official languages Serbian Recognised regional languages Hungarian, Slovak, Romanian, Croatian, Rusyn 1 Albanian 2 Demonym Serbian Government Parliamentary Democracy  -  President Boris Tadić  -  Prime Minister Vojislav KoÅ¡tunica    -  First state 7th century   -  Serbian Kingdom3 1217   -  Serbian Empire 1345   -  Independence lost...


A virtually powerless European Parliament is based in Berlin. At the European Parliament building, the flags of the member states are dwarfed by a swastika flag twice the size of the other flags. The nations of Fatherland's EC, despite being nominally free under their own governments and leaders (such as General Franco and Edward VIII), are closely watched by Germany. The military forces of the "free" nations of Europe are only just sufficient to police their own territory and their colonies. European nations are under constant surveillance by Berlin and are subordinate to Germany in all but name. Established 1952, as the Common Assembly President Hans-Gert Pöttering (EPP) Since 16 January 2007 Vice-Presidents 14 Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou (EPP) Alejo Vidal-Quadras (EPP) Gérard Onesta (Greens – EFA) Edward McMillan-Scott (ED) Mario Mauro (EPP) Miguel Angel Martínez Martínez (PES) Luigi Cocilovo (ALDE) Mechtild... This article is about the symbol. ... Francisco Paulino Hermenegildo Teódulo Franco y Bahamonde (December 4, 1892 - November 20, 1975), commonly known as Francisco Franco (pronounced ) or Francisco Franco y Bahamonde was leader of Spain from October 1936, as regent of Kingdom of Spain from 1947 until his death in 1975. ... Edward VIII (Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David; later The Prince Edward, Duke of Windsor; 23 June 1894 – 28 May 1972) was King of Great Britain, Ireland, the British Dominions beyond the Seas, and Emperor of India from the death of his father, George V (1910–36), on 20... This article refers to a colony in politics and history. ...


Switzerland has not been annexed by the Reich and is not a member of the European Community. By the time the Reich had turned its eyes to it, the stalemate of the Cold War was setting in, and Switzerland had become a convenient neutral spot for American and German intelligence agents to spy on each other. Consequently, Switzerland is the last free country in Europe.


The novel also makes many references to the world outside of Europe. The United States is locked in a Cold War with the Greater German Reich. Since the end of the war in 1946, both the US and Germany have been racing against each other to develop sophisticated military, nuclear, and space technologies. Japan is said to have been defeated by the U.S. after the United States detonated two atomic bombs on Japanese territory. Japan seems to have recovered quickly since its defeat and Tokyo is the host for the 1964 Olympic Games. The United States is said to have not participated in the Games since 1936, but is expected to in 1964. For other uses, see Cold War (disambiguation). ... The mushroom cloud of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan, 1945, rose some 18 km (11 mi) above the epicenter. ... For other uses, see Tokyo (disambiguation). ... The 1964 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVIII Olympiad, were held in 1964 in Tokyo, Japan. ...


China is a weak independent state — a passing reference hints at China being ruled by a harsh government — and Sino-German relations do not seem particularly strong. A greatly-reduced Russian rump state exists, with its capital at Omsk. The United States supplies Russia with weapons and funds, which are used by the Russians to wage an endless guerrilla war with German forces in the Ural Mountains. Although German propaganda plays down the war in the east, the death toll on the Eastern Front is severe. Africa and the rest of Asia are still controlled by the old European colonial empires. South America is not referred to in the novel. A rump state is the remnant of a once-larger government, left with limited powers or authority after a disaster, invasion or military occupation. ... Omsk (Russian: ) is a city in southwest Siberia in Russia, the administrative center of Omsk Oblast. ... Guerrilla (also called a partisan) is a term borrowed from Spanish (from guerra meaning war) used to describe small combat groups. ... Map of the Ural Mountains The Ural Mountains (Russian: , Uralskiye gory) (also known as the Urals, the Riphean Mountains in Greco-Roman antiquity, and known as the Stone Belt) are a mountain range that runs roughly north and south through western Russia. ... A world map showing the continent of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. ... For other uses, see Asia (disambiguation). ... South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ...

The world in 1964, according to the novel.
The world in 1964, according to the novel.

A point left unclear is whether the Holocaust was confined to Nazi-occupied Europe or was extended to the rest of the world, particularly Palestine. In the novel, the Nazis' Holocaust has never been revealed, and instead Stalin's Holodomor is known throughout the world as "Stalin's Holocaust". Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1357x628, 49 KB) The world in 1964, according to the alternate history of Robert Harriss novel Fatherland. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1357x628, 49 KB) The world in 1964, according to the alternate history of Robert Harriss novel Fatherland. ... “Shoah” redirects here. ... A 2003 satellite image of the region. ... Josef Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili (Georgian: , Ioseb Besarionis Dze Jughashvili; Russian: , Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili) (December 18 [O.S. December 6] 1878[1] – March 5, 1953), better known by his adopted name, Joseph Stalin (alternatively transliterated Josef Stalin), was General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Unions Central Committee from... Child victim of the Holodomor Map of Ukrainian SRR in 1932-1933 (7 Oblast`s (Regions) + Moldavian ASSR) administrative borders given in light grey The Ukrainian famine (1932-1933), or Holodomor (Ukrainian: Голодомор), was one of the largest national catastrophes of the Ukrainian nation in modern history with direct loss of...


The British Empire appears to be a strong entity and retains its territories in Africa and Asia, although Canada, Australia and New Zealand have split from the Empire and are closely allied to the United States. Winston Churchill and Elizabeth Windsor, who claims the British Crown from Edward VIII, reside in Canada, speaking out against the Greater German Reich, German-controlled Europe, and the puppet British regime. A world map showing the continent of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. ... For other uses, see Asia (disambiguation). ... Churchill redirects here. ... Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor; born 21 April 1926) is Queen of sixteen sovereign states, holding each crown and title equally. ... Edward VIII (Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David; later The Prince Edward, Duke of Windsor; 23 June 1894 – 28 May 1972) was King of Great Britain, Ireland, the British Dominions beyond the Seas, and Emperor of India from the death of his father, George V (1910–36), on 20...


The novel does not make references to the League of Nations or to a possible existence of the United Nations. The International Red Cross exists in the world of Fatherland. 1939–1941 semi-official emblem Anachronous world map in 1920–1945, showing the League of Nations and the world Capital Not applicable¹ Language(s) English, French and Spanish Political structure International organization Secretary-general  - 1920–1933 Sir James Eric Drummond  - 1933–1940 Joseph Avenol  - 1940–1946 Seán Lester Historical... UN redirects here. ... The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is the worlds largest group of humanitarian non-governmental organizations, often known simply as the Red Cross, after its original symbol. ...


The novel describes that since the end of the war between Germany and the United States in 1946, a nuclear stalemate has developed, which seems to overshadow international relations. Various references in the book suggest that Germany is paranoid of a nuclear war. New German buildings are constructed with mandatory fallout shelters; the Reichsarchiv claims to have been built to withstand a direct missile hit. Despite the catastrophically high death toll on the Eastern Front, the German military is afraid to use nuclear weapons in case they provoke an American nuclear attack on the Reich. It is not explicitly stated whether Germany and the United States are the only nuclear powers in the world of Fatherland. The Titan II ICBM carried a 9 Mt W53 warhead, making it one of the most powerful nuclear weapons fielded by the United States during the Cold War. ... A sign pointing to an old fallout shelter in New York City. ... The mushroom cloud of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan, 1945, rose some 18 kilometers (11 mi) above the hypocenter A nuclear weapon derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions of fusion or fission. ...


Nazi society

In the novel, Western Europe has been left relatively untouched by the Reich, as Germany concentrates on the conquest of what is left of the USSR. The United Kingdom has retained and enlarged its sprawling empire, and Germany relies on the British to keep the peace in Africa and Asia. Having answered the Jewish question, the Nazi Party finds itself without scapegoats to blame for Germany's problems — though these are few, as Germany has risen to become one of the two superpowers in the world. A world map showing the continent of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. ... For other uses, see Asia (disambiguation). ...


In the novel, the bedrock of Nazi ideology is still the policy of blaming subversives for social problems. Homosexuality, incest, and interracial relationships (particularly between "Aryans" and Slavs) have joined Jews (see anti-semitism) and communism to become the new scapegoats for the Nazi Party. The Nazi view of other peoples has also been forced to change. With Europe and Russia under German control, the Nazi Party appears to have spent the early 1960s blaming the United States for causing Germany's problems. Nazi propaganda has previously depicted America as a land of corruption, degeneracy and poverty. However, as the diplomatic meeting between Hitler and Kennedy nears, German propaganda is forced to change its image of America to a more positive view. In 1964, the Nazi Party no longer has any internal or external enemies left to fight and as a consequence, the very structure of Nazi society is starting to fall apart. Homosexuality refers to sexual interaction and / or romantic attraction between individuals of the same sex. ... Incest is defined as sexual relations between closely related persons (often within the immediate family) such that it is either illegal or socially taboo. ... Manifestations Slavery Racial profiling Lynching Hate speech Hate crime Genocide (examples) Ethnocide Ethnic cleansing Pogrom Race war Religious persecution Blood libel Paternalism Police brutality Movements Policies Discriminatory Race / Religion / Sex segregation Apartheid Redlining Internment Ethnocracy Anti-discriminatory Emancipation Civil rights Desegregation Integration Equal opportunity Counter-discriminatory Affirmative action Racial quota... Aryan (/eÉ™rjÉ™n/ or /ɑːrjÉ™n/, Sanskrit: ) is a Sanskrit and Avestan word meaning noble/spiritual one. ... Countries with dominating Slavic ethnicities  West Slavic  East Slavic  South Slavic Slav redirects here. ... The Eternal Jew: 1937 German poster. ... This article is about the form of society and political movement. ...


Despite its ideological and moral decline, Germany enjoys a very high standard of living, with its citizens living off the high-quality produce of their European satellite states and freed from physical labour by thousands of Polish, Czech and Ukrainian slaves. The European nations produce high-quality consumer goods for German citizens while also providing services, such as the SS academy at Oxford University and German holiday resorts in Spain, France, and Greece. Products from across Europe and their colonial empires flood into Germany, providing German citizens with a wide choice of high-quality goods. Hitler's crabbed, banal personal tastes in art and music have become the norm for society, creating a stagnant and boringly repetitive cultural atmosphere. You may also be looking for the plural of the word pole. ... Czechs (Czech: ÄŒeÅ¡i) are a western Slavic people of Central Europe, living predominantly in the Czech Republic. ... Ukraine (Україна, Ukrayina in Ukrainian; Украина in Russian) is a republic in eastern Europe which borders Russia to the east, Belarus to the north, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary to the west, Romania and Moldova to the southwest and the Black Sea to the south. ... SS redirects here. ... The University of Oxford, located in the city of Oxford in England, is the oldest university in the English-speaking world. ... Heroic art, or Nazi heroic realism is a style of propaganda art associated with Nazi Germany. ...


The social structure of Nazi Germany has changed considerably from the 1940s. Military service is still compulsory, but recruits have a choice of service. Eastern Europe has been colonised by German settlers (although local partisan resistance movements are very strong) and the German population has soared as a result of Nazi emphasis on childbirth. Increasing numbers of Nazi officials are university-educated bureaucrats. The SS serves as the country's police force, and concentration camps are still in existence for political dissidents, occasionally given staged inspections by the International Red Cross. Look up partisan in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... SS redirects here. ... It has been suggested that Internment be merged into this article or section. ... The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is the worlds largest group of humanitarian non-governmental organizations, often known simply as the Red Cross, after its original symbol. ...


According to the main characters, however, German society in the early 1960s is becoming more and more rebellious. Student protests, particularly against the war in the Urals, American and British cultural influence (including the rise of The Beatles' popularity, already denounced in the official German press), and growing pacifism are all found in Nazi society. Jazz music is still popular and Germany claims to have come up with a version which is free from "negro influence. In spite of the general repressiveness, the Beatles' real-life Hamburg engagements have happened here as well, suggesting that American and British cultural influence is undiminished even in this version of the world. Germany appears to be under constant attack by terrorist groups, with officials assassinated and civilian airliners bombed in-flight. Religion is still officially discouraged by the state, and the Hitler Youth is compulsory for all children. Universities, like in 1930s Germany[citation needed], are centres of student dissent, and the White Rose movement is once again active. The Nazis continue with their policies for women, encouraging women to remain in the home and bring up many children. Nazi organisations such as Kraft durch Freude still exist and fulfill their original roles. A sprawling transport network covers the entire Reich, including vast autobahnen and railways carrying immense trains. The White Album, see The Beatles (album). ... Pacifist redirects here. ... Negro is a term referring to people of Black African ancestry. ... Terrorist redirects here. ... Nazism in history Nazi ideology Nazism and race Outside Germany Related subjects Lists Politics Portal         For the SS division with the nickname Hitlerjugend see; 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend The Hitler Youth (German:   , abbreviated HJ) was a paramilitary organization of the Nazi Party. ... This article is about the German resistance movement. ... Kraft durch Freude (abbreviated KdF and meaning strength through joy), was a large state-controlled leisure organization in Nazi Germany, a part of the Deutsche Arbeitsfront (DAF), the national German labour organization. ... This article is about the German, Austrian and Swiss road system. ... This is the top-level page of WikiProject trains Rail tracks Rail transport refers to the land transport of passengers and goods along railways or railroads. ...


Technology

The level of technology in Fatherland is much the same as in the actual 1960s, and in some respects, is more advanced. The German military makes use of jet aircraft, nuclear submarines, and aircraft carriers, while civilian technology has also advanced considerably. Jet airliners, televisions, hair-dryers, modern cars, and even photocopiers are used in Germany. Jet aircraft are aircrafts with jet engines. ... For other uses, see Submarine (disambiguation). ... Four aircraft carriers, (bottom-to-top) Principe de Asturias, amphibious assault ship USS Wasp, USS Forrestal and light V/STOL carrier HMS Invincible, showing size differences of late 20th century carriers An aircraft carrier is a warship designed to deploy and recover aircraft, acting as a sea-going airbase. ... A small, much-used Xerox copier in a high school library. ...


The novel makes references to the space programmes of the United States and the Third Reich, both of whom appear to possess sophisticated space technology. Judging by a reference made by Maguire, both the United States and the Third Reich launched the first artificial satellites into orbit shortly after the war, from White Sands and Peenemünde respectively. The extent of space technology and exploration in the world of Fatherland is unknown. Edward White on a spacewalk during the Gemini 4 mission. ... Nazi Germany, or the Third Reich, commonly refers to Germany in the years 1933–1945, when it was under the firm control of the totalitarian and fascist ideology of the Nazi Party, with the Führer Adolf Hitler as dictator. ... For other uses, please see Satellite (disambiguation) A satellite is an object that orbits another object (known as its primary). ... White Sands is a 1992 movie directed by Roger Donaldson and written by Daniel Pyne for Warner Bros. ... Peenemündes position in Germany Peenemünde is a village in the northeast of the German (Western) part of the Usedom island. ...


Parallels

Gorky Park

Gorky Park, by Martin Cruz Smith, takes place in Moscow in the early 1980s. Both books begin with a detective in a totalitarian state being assigned to investigate a brutal murder in which a body has appeared in a park. In both books, the body is missing some parts. In each, the detective discovers that the murder is connected to a larger conspiracy tied into the moral rot at the heart of his system. With the help of a father-figure police chief and a beautiful young woman he meets, and with whom he falls in love, the detective uncovers the truth behind the conspiracy, which opens his eyes to the realities of his country. The resolution of the relationship with the woman is also similar in each. Gorky Park is a mystery novel written by Martin Cruz Smith set in the Soviet Union, primarily in Moscow. ... Martin Cruz Smith (né Martin William Smith, later changed his middle name to Cruz after his grandmothers surname) was born in Reading, Pennsylvania, USA in 1942. ...


Nineteen Eighty-Four

Fatherland contains many similarities with George Orwell's classic dystopic novel Nineteen Eighty-Four (which itself derived many of its historical revisionist themes from Katharine Burdekin's 1937 dystopia, Swastika Night). On a basic level, each of the male writers' novels posits a point of divergence directly related to the Second World War. (It should be noted, however, that Nineteen Eighty-Four, which was published in 1949, was intended as a prediction and warning of a possible future, and therefore qualifies as science fiction rather than alternate history. Swastika Night was published before the Second World War and so avoids positing any divergence point). George Orwell is the pen name of Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903[1][2] – 21 January 1950) who was an English writer and journalist well-noted as a novelist, critic, and commentator on politics and culture. ... This article is about the Orwell novel. ... Katharine Burdekin (born Katharine Penelope Cade) (1896-1963) was a British novelist who wrote speculative fiction dealing with political, social, and spiritual issues. ... Swastika Night is a futuristic novel published by Murray Constantine in 1937 and republished in 1940. ... In discussion of counterfactual history, a point of divergence (POD) is a historical event, with two possible postulated outcomes. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000...


The main protagonists of each novel (Xavier March and Winston Smith) are both disillusioned, middle-aged, middle-class members of society who work for the ruling political party and appear to adhere to the party's principles, but secretly despise their governments. March is divorced, whilst Smith and his wife were said to have had a separation (and moved apart) before the novel begins. In contrast to Smith, though, March still has a family, in the form of his son Pili. Both characters live in fairly rundown apartments (although Smith's apartment is substantially worse than March's). Both lived through the Second World War, and both characters lost their mothers during the war — March's mother was killed during a British bombing raid in 1944, whilst Smith's mother disappeared during a civil war in 1950s Britain. The two characters are also accompanied by similar colleagues. March's colleague Max Jaeger and Smith's neighbour Parsons are both large men of lower intelligence than their counterpart, have large families, and appear to be model citizens. Interestingly, both Jaeger and Parsons are actually opposed to the existing regime. This article is about the character in Nineteen Eighty-Four. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... This article is about the definition of the specific type of war. ...


A central common theme in both books is the hero's determination to dig into forbidden historical events which the regime wants kept secret. Smith encounters the Party's dictum that "The one who controls the past, controls the present", while the Nazi regime of March's time proclaims that "The right history is worth a hundred divisions". When March with his historian friend Halder makes a highly unauthorised expedition into the cellars of the Reichsarchiv, where "the wrong history" is kept, they furtively see a worker pushing a metal cart loaded with paper towards a burning furnace - which strongly recalls the Orwellian "Memory Hole" into which all "inconvenient" papers are thrown to be burned. The memory hole, as in the phrase Going down the memory hole, refers to George Orwells novel, 1984. ...


At a famous passage in Nineteen Eighty Four, Winston Smith - having for a moment in his hands an old paper clipping proving the regime's lies - muses that if only this information were to be widely publicised, it would be enough to cause the Party's downfall. But for Winston that is no more than an idle fantasy. No means of such publication exists in either Oceania itself or in the world's other two equally-oppressive regimes - and anyway Winston Smith has no channel of communications with the Eurasians or Eastasians. On the contrary, Xavier March lives in a world where rebellious youth groups actively spread anti-Nazi propaganda and a free press still exists in the United States to which Charlie attempting to pass on the evidence whose publication would at least severely damage the Nazi regime.


In this, as in other aspects, Fatherland might be said to be a rather more optimistic book than 1984. As is well-known, Orwell's book ends with the hero totally broken, having betrayed (and been betrayed by) his beloved Julia and finally learning to "love Big Brother". To the contrary, Fatherland ends with March throwing away his SS cap in an exuberant gesture of liberation and preparing to either fight to the death or end his life - the lesser evil of the alternatives at hand.


The ending is certainly personally liberating and offering a message of one man's salvation and/or redemption. Whether on a wider scale Fatherland should be considered an ultimately optimistic or pessimistic novel largely depends on the interpretation of a singular passage near the very end of the book, where March has a kind of vision of Charlie crossing the Swiss border safely, knows "for an absolute, certain fact" that she had gotten away, and also knows that somehow she could for a moment see him preparing for his last stand.


The ending of Fatherland might also be influenced by the ending of Hemingway's For Whom the Bell Tolls. In both cases, the book ends with the hero preparing for a single-handed battle with Fascists/Nazis in which he is bound to die, but the battle itself is not described - and in both cases, at the closing moment the hero is feeling a kind of exhilaration at needing to have no further worries and dilemmas, and at the knowledge that he is going to die for a cause he believes in and thereby also safeguard the escape of his beloved. Ernest Miller Hemingway (July 21, 1899 — July 2, 1961) was an American novelist, short-story writer, and journalist. ... For other uses, see For Whom the Bell Tolls (disambiguation). ...


An additional note is that even the Nazi Germany of Fatherland is a far more pleasant place to live in that the Oceania of Nineteen Eighty-Four - German citizens in the West, at least, have high standards of living and many modern conviences unlike the citizens of Oceania.


SS-GB

Fatherland also has some noteworthy similarities to Len Deighton's alternate history novel, SS-GB, though the latter is set at an earlier moment of the Nazi conquest (1941). There, too, the hero is a police detective trapped in a Nazi-dominated universe and the plot follows many of the conventions of the detective novel, and also there the hero has a love affair with an American journalist and discovers at the denouement the betrayal of a close and trusted colleague. And also SS-GB, despite the sombre tone inevitable for a book taking place in a Nazi-victorious world, ends on a note of cautious optimism: the killing of King George by the Germans would rally the British behind the Resistance, and the Americans would win the incipent nuclear arms race and hence the war which would eventually break out with Germany. Len Deighton (left) teaches Michael Caine how to break an egg on the set of The IPCRESS File. ... SS-GB (1979) is an alternative-history novel by Len Deighton, set in a United Kingdom fictionally conquered and occupied by Germany during World War II. // Spoiler warning: Douglas Archer is a British homicide detective assigned to Scotland Yard in November 1941, nine months after the British surrender. ... SS-GB (1979) is an alternative-history novel by Len Deighton, set in a United Kingdom fictionally conquered and occupied by Germany during World War II. // Spoiler warning: Douglas Archer is a British homicide detective assigned to Scotland Yard in November 1941, nine months after the British surrender. ...


The Man in the High Castle

Although Fatherland and Philip K. Dick's The Man in the High Castle have a similar premise (e.g., Germany winning World War II) there are more divergences than parallels between the two books. In The Man in the High Castle much of America is occupied by Germany and Japan leaving only a powerless rump state in the Midwest, whereas in Fatherland America has defeated Japan, avoided invasion, and is engaged in a 'Cold War' with Germany. The political background to The Man in the High Castle is a Germany preparing for a nuclear war with Japan; in Fatherland the background is German-American 'Détente'. The Man in the High Castle focuses on the consequences of losing the war for Americans whereas Fatherland focuses on the consequences of winning for Germans. There are however references to advanced German technology, particularly aerospace, in both books. Philip Kindred Dick (December 16, 1928 – March 2, 1982) was an American writer, mostly known for his works of science fiction. ... The Man in the High Castle is a 1962 alternate history novel by science fiction writer Philip K. Dick. ... A rump state is the remnant of a once-larger government, left with limited powers or authority after a disaster, invasion or military occupation. ...


Film, TV or theatrical adaptations

A TV movie of the book was made in 1994 by HBO, starring Rutger Hauer as March and Miranda Richardson as Maguire. The movie explicitly stated that the historical timeline diverged with the German defeat of the Allied D-Day invasion in June 1944. A television movie (also TV movie, TV-movie, made-for-TV movie, etc. ... HBO (Home Box Office) is a premium cable television network with headquarters in New York City. ... Rutger Oelsen Hauer (IPA: [rʏtxɛr ulsɛn hʌuɛr]) (born in Breukelen, January 23, 1944) is a Dutch film actor. ... Miranda Jane Richardson (born 3 March 1958) is an Academy Award nominated English actress. ... Land on Normandy In military parlance, D-Day is a term often used to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. ...


Eisenhower, it stated, retired in disgrace and the loss of life was so great that the American public turned its back on the war in Europe and focused on Japan, thus allowing Germany to regroup and defeat the United Kingdom. It also states that in 1964, Stalin is still alive and leading the Russian forces against Germany. Iosif (usually anglicized as Joseph) Vissarionovich Stalin (Russian: Иосиф Виссарионович Сталин), original name Ioseb Jughashvili (Georgian: იოსებ ჯუღაშვილი; see Other names section) (December 21, 1879[1] – March 5, 1953) was a Bolshevik revolutionary and leader of the Soviet Union. ...


It was also serialised on BBC radio, starring Anton Lesser as March and Angeline Ball as Charlie Maguire. It was dramatised, produced and directed by John Dryden and first broadcast on 9 July 1997. The ending is changed slightly to allow for the limitations of the medium: the entire Auschwitz death camp is discovered in an abandoned state, and Charlie Maguire's passage into Switzerland definitely occurs. For other uses, see BBC (disambiguation). ... Anton Lesser (b. ... Angeline Ball (born 1969) is an Irish actress. ... John Dryden John Dryden (August 19 {August 9 O.S.}, 1631 - May 12 {May 1 O.S.}, 1700) was an influential English poet, literary critic, translator and playwright, who dominated the literary life of Restoration England to such a point that the period came to be known in literary circles... is the 190th day of the year (191st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the band, see 1997 (band). ...


Differences between film and novel

There are numerous disparities between the book and the movie:

  • In the movie, Western Europe is also annexed by the Reich, and the Reich is now known as "Germania".
  • In a historical introduction set at the beginning, the movie sets an Allied defeat during the Normandy landings of 1944 as its point of departure from normal History. In the book there are three points of departure from the normal timeline: a successful German offensive against the Soviet oilfields of the Caucasus in 1942, the changing of the Enigma codes and the success of the U-boat offensive against Britain in 1944 and the launch of a long-range missile to explode over New York (with the implicit threat of a nuclear attack) in 1946. However, the appearance in the movie of Reinhard Heydrich as Reichsführer-SS implies that the attempt on his life that killed him in 1942 (in real History) has failed, thereby setting another point of departure.
  • The film starts out faithfully to the book with the discovery of the body of Joseph Buhler and then it breaks from the book's set-piece action. For example, the murder of Luther (changed in the film from "Martin Luther" to "Franz Luther," probably to avoid audience confusion with the religious reformer Martin Luther, or indeed, for U.S. audiences, Martin Luther King) in the book, which takes place on the steps of the Great Hall, is in the film reduced to a shoot-out in a subway station.
  • The section of the novel where March and Maguire travel to Switzerland to trace a bank account opened by Luther is absent from the film version.
  • SS-Cadet Jost is murdered in the film to ensure his silence, whereas in the book it is said that he was transferred to a combat unit on the frontlines with the Waffen-SS. Given the context in which Jost's "transfer" is described, however, most readers would assume that he was murdered by Globus to derail the investigation.
  • Charlie Maguire is just arriving in Germany in the film, but in the book she had been there for over six months.
  • A character not in the book (played by Jean Marsh) gives March and Maguire the documents that prove the existence of the Holocaust, rather than the two finding the papers hidden in a Berlin airport as in the book.
  • Instead of going to Switzerland with her pictures and information, Maguire is able to get her pictures to President Kennedy during his trip to Berlin (which in the book isn't scheduled until September). Upon seeing the pictures, Kennedy decides to cancel his meeting with the Führer and return home with knowledge of the Holocaust, which he will presumably publicize.
  • A grown-up Pili gives an epilogue as a voiceover, saying that the Nazi regime collapsed soon after the revelation of the Holocaust and other Nazi abuses. However, Charlotte Maguire does not survive in the movie. Pili's voice-over suggests that she was captured, waiting in vain for Xavier March, who is fatally shot in the film version.

Belligerents Western Allies Nazi Germany Commanders Dwight Eisenhower (Supreme Allied Commander) Arthur Tedder (Deputy Supreme Allied Commander) Bernard Montgomery (Ground Forces Commander in Chief) Trafford Leigh-Mallory (Air Commander in Chief) Bertram Ramsay (Naval Commander in Chief) Gerd von Rundstedt (OB WEST) Erwin Rommel (Heeresgruppe B) Strength 1,452,000... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Caucasus Mountains. ... Heinrich Himmler as the Reichsführer-SS Reichsführer-SS was a special SS rank that existed between the years of 1925 and 1945. ... For other people named Martin Luther see: Martin Luther (disambiguation). ... Martin Luther (November 10, 1483 – February 18, 1546) was a German monk,[1] priest, professor, theologian, and church reformer. ... “Martin Luther King” redirects here. ... Waffen-SS recruitment poster; Volunteer to the Waffen-SS The Waffen-SS was the armed wing of the Schutzstaffel. ... Jean Lyndsay Torren Marsh (born 1 July 1934) is a Golden Globe-nominated English actress and writer, who is best known for co-creating the British period drama Upstairs, Downstairs with Eileen Atkins. ... This article is about the capital of Germany. ...

Factual errors in the film

  • A signature on a photo of Hitler dedicated to one of his admirers does not even remotely resemble Hitler's actual signature.
  • Characters refer to Hitler simply as "Hitler" several times while deference to him in the Third Reich would have demanded them to refer to him as "the Führer".

Robert Harris himself was said to be very unhappy with the film's screenplay[citation needed]. The movie was filmed on location in Prague, Czech Republic. Nazi Germany, or the Third Reich, commonly refers to Germany in the years 1933–1945, when it was under the firm control of the totalitarian and fascist ideology of the Nazi Party, with the Führer Adolf Hitler as dictator. ...


Release details

  • 1992, UK, Hutchinson (ISBN 0-09-174827-5), Pub date 7 May 1992, hardback (First edition)
  • 1993, UK, Arrow (ISBN 0-09-926381-5), Pub date 12 May 1993, paperback

See also

There are several other novels that provide alternate histories centering on the premise that the Nazis won the war. Among them are the following.

It Happened Here is a 1966 British film set during World War II, about the possible effects of a successful German invasion of the United Kingdom. ... The Man in the High Castle is a 1962 alternate history novel by science fiction writer Philip K. Dick. ... ... Not to be confused with the novel of the same title by Robert Conroy 1945 is an alternate history co-authored by Newt Gingrich and William R. Forstchen in 1995, describing the period immediately after a World War II wherein the United States had fought only against Japan, allowing Nazi... SS-GB (1979) is an alternative-history novel by Len Deighton, set in a United Kingdom fictionally conquered and occupied by Germany during World War II. // Spoiler warning: Douglas Archer is a British homicide detective assigned to Scotland Yard in November 1941, nine months after the British surrender. ... This article is 45 kilobytes or more in size. ... Sidewise Award for Murray Daviess novel Collaborator Collaborator is an alternate history novel by Murray Davies, published in 2003. ... The Sound of His Horn is a 1952 dystopian time travel/alternative history novel by the senior British diplomat John William Wall, written under the pen name of Sarban. ... The Iron Dream is a metafictional 1972 alternate history novel by Norman Spinrad. ... The Proteus Operation is a science fiction novel which was written by James P. Hogan and published in 1985. ... Making History (1997) is the third novel by Stephen Fry. ... Swastika Night is a futuristic novel published by Murray Constantine in 1937 and republished in 1940. ... 48 is the name of a 1996 horror disaster novel by British horror writer James Herbert. ...

References

External links

For the in-memory database management system, see In-memory database. ... Robert Harris is an English TV reporter and author, born in 1957 in the city of Nottingham. ... Enigma is a novel by Robert Harris, about a young mathematician trying to break the Germans Enigma ciphers during World War II. It was adapted to film in 2001. ... Pompeii is a novel by author and journalist Robert Harris published by Random House in 2003. ... Imperium is a 2006 novel by Robert Harris. ... The Ghost is a 2007 political thriller by the English writer and journalist Robert Harris. ... Jeremy Dickson Paxman (born 11 May 1950) is an English BBC journalist, news presenter and author. ...

  Results from FactBites:
 
Gateway: Review of "Fatherland" (682 words)
Fatherland is an alternate history novel about that most popular of alternate history subjects - a Nazi victory in the Second World War.
I would, in fact, go so far as to say it is one of the best alternate history novels I have read (its success as a "mainstream" novel attests to the fact that it is good enough in terms of story to appeal to people who are not specifically fans of alternate history).
Fatherland doesn't spend too much time on the details of the victory, although it is mentioned that Germany developed both the atomic bomb, and rockets which could carry an atomic warhead to New York city, forcing a peace with the Americans.
Fatherland - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (358 words)
Drawing from the Nazis' usage of the term "Vaterland", the direct English translation "fatherland" featured in news reports associated with Nazi Germany and in domestic anti-Nazi propaganda during World War II.
Fatherland, an alternate history novel by Robert Harris.
For The Fatherland, a complation album by white nationalist duo Prussian Blue.
  More results at FactBites »


 
 

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