Hitler's Jack Russell

[Tobi]

In the first world war, a little white Jack Russell who was chasing a rat across "no man's land" ended up in the same trench as Adolf Hitler.
Hitler adopted this dog, named him "Fuchsl" (which is German for "little fox") And became very fond of him. They were inseparable.

He had to travel by train with his Unit, quite some time later, and a station guard offered to buy the Jack Russell for 200 marks. Hitler replied that he wouldn't sell his dog for even 200, 000 marks!

Yet when they all got off the train, and continued, the little dog had disappeared. Hitler was convinced the station guard had stolen him, but there was nothing apparently that he could do. He was inconsolable.

http://terriermandotcom.blogspot.co.uk/2...ssell.html

Strange -eh?

Who knows what might have happened if Hitler and the little white dog had stayed together? It might even have altered the course of history for all we know....

[Catherine]

I did not know about the dog. You are right, if Hitler had not lost his dog, who knows how he would have been different. Dogs make people feel loved and accepted. They bring out the best in us. Would he have been less bitter and hateful. Would the dog have taught him to be kind.

Who ever stole the dog bears a big burden of responsibility for the direction  things went. I wonder if he ever thought about it.

[Tobi]

Well, Hitler had at least one other dog after, and at the end had a German Shepherd, "Blondi" whom he was very fond of apparently. How much his dog was a symbol to him, and how much was genuine love....who can say?
But those dogs however much they may have loved him, and however much he loved them, didn't change his ways much.

Maybe that station master felt he was rescung the dog from a 'bad vibe' with Hitler....again -who knows?

[LPC]

Very interesting. I didn't know about the dog, either. It is strange how one tiny event in history can occasionally change the world (for better or worse). Perhaps this was one of them.

In a thread some while ago, I seem to remember that we discussed how Nazi Germany, despite the terrible atrocities and the gas chambers, had incredibly strong animal protection laws.

[Tobi]

That's true LPC, they did. That is a peculiar and intriguing fact considering the cruelty which was given to people or "untermensch".

We can never know how or if, that little dog might have set Adolf Hitler on a different course.
Sometimes relationships in our lives do exactly that. And sometimes there is one animal in a person's life which completely alters them forever.

[Catherine]

Quote:In a thread some while ago, I seem to remember that we discussed how Nazi Germany, despite the terrible atrocities and the gas chambers, had incredibly strong animal protection laws.

I remember that thread. It confirms my belief that nothing is all good or all bad. Even Nazi Germany had a good point in their animal protection laws. If we look at some good thing or good person we will find that they have flaws.

I wonder how many turning points there have been in history where something was changed by one small action.