That’s exactly why when they pivoted to “final solution” they hid it. A lot of Germans just legitimately didn’t know until the very end or even after.

But even past Americans invading, people were being forced on trains.

I learned German from someone whose earliest memory was Americans ambushing her train to a concentration camp. She doesn’t remember being forced on, because it was bleak but peaceful. No overt violence. But when they were liberated and had to run into the woods, it was absolute chaos with explosions and gunfire.

It’s always stuck with me because it highlights how fascism succeeds; when people only plan for the moment and not the future.

The French culturally learned how to fight; go to the streets at the drop of a hat and you’ll never have to choose between protest or death. They drew a line in the sand well away from fascism and repeatedly shown they’ll burn it all down before shit gets that far again. So the wealthy don’t risk fascism there anymore.

If people had burnt down Tesla factories a decade ago, we would be where we are today, that’s a hard truth.