Valkyrie

I enjoyed the film, and was pleasantly surprised by Tom Cruise's intense, yet restrained portrayal of von Stauffenberg. (No hint of the brash "Top Gun" Maverick.) I had seen previous accounts of the plot, notably in the excellent "The Desert Fox," and more recently on The Military Channel's "Hitler's Bodyguards." None of these conveyed the depth and intricacy of the plot, revealed to perfection by "Valkyrie."

The other accounts left one with the impression that Stauffenberg's plot simply aimed to decapitate the Nazi regime without much thought given to what would follow. "Valkyrie" made it clear that the plotters had an elaborate post-assassination scheme to depose the rest of the regime through the use of the regime's own troops, duped into cooperating with the plotters, and to administer the government thereafter.

The one fact that comes through clearly in the film, was the awesome personal power wielded by Hitler himself, resonating from the top to the very bottom of the state's military and law enforcement apparatus. The failure of the plot hinged simply on news that Hitler lived, despite the successful deployment of a formidable military detachment to seize the reins of government. One wonders how things might have turned out if Stauffenberg's plotters had had the foresight to have a gun at the back of the head of the Valkyrie forces. The whole venture went south when he realized "We are the coup."

The fact of Hitler's unquestioned authority, right down to the bitter end of Nazi Germany itself, is an object lesson to us all of the dangers of a) allowing constitutional checks and balances -- particularly from the judiciary, the legislature and the press -- to be overridden in the name of a crisis, giving the head of government unrestrained command of governmental force and b) demanding oaths of personal loyalty to the leader from those in a position to exert such force. Having had no previous exposure to constitutional democracy prior to the Weimar Republic, and having experienced the economic and social chaos attending that early exercise in the democratic form of government in the shambles after World War I, the Germans in the 1930s understandably were disenchanted with the "mob rule" element of democracy and eager to embrace the strong man who promised and delivered social stability, economic progress, unity, military strength and the restoration of German pride. If democracy had to be sacrificed on the altar of "good order," so be it; no great loss, so the Germans reasoned in the 1930s. To those non-Germans puzzled by the willingness of the German military to carry out unspeakable predations and fight to the last man in a losing cause for a megalomaniacal, drug-addled, yet sometimes malevolently brilliant lunatic, this insight explains much. The rest is explained by understanding of the German character, particularly in its discipline: the propensity to respect and obey authority, fulfill oaths of honor, accomplish assigned tasks on time with meticulous attention to detail without asking why -- all laudable traits, but dangerous when co-opted by unscrupulous leaders. Summarizing German character, cynics say "they are either at your throat or your feet." Nowhere is the destructive potential of absolute power corrupting absolutely better demonstrated than in the Nazi regime.

In recent years, we in America have witnessed the dangerous erosion of constitutional checks and balances, only partially through decree (as in executive orders and signing statements), like Nazi Germany, but mostly through either acquiescence or willing cooperation by the malleable judiciary, legislature and press. Fortunately, Americans, with more than 200 years of experience with democracy, have the independence of mind not to go the second step and render oaths of loyalty to the man rather than the Constitution. There is no mention of the leader in the Pledge of Allegiance. So while Americans will stand for "Hail to the Chief," thankfully we don't go so far as to salute while uttering "Hail Bush." For that single, undisciplined trait of American character coupled with the genius of our Founding Fathers in framing the Constitution, we can be thankful today that, after amassing unprecedented power, the present incumbent is meekly slouching off to Texas while the reins of government pass to a new regime without a shot being fired. Long may it so remain.