"Tzintzuntzan" wrote:
>Another odd thing, which I just discovered, is that Hitler actually
>supplied the Ethiopians under the table in OTL.
AIUI, there was nothing "under-the-table": the
Ethiopian Ambassador appealed for help (as did
his colleagues elsewhere) and Hitler was moved
to respond by the pugnacious patriotism displayed.
Hitler was a sentimentalist. Recall his devotion
to the "Wild West" novels of Karl May, with their
Red Indian hero Winnetou. May depicted the Indians
as noble warriors and victims of settler aggression,
an obvious parallel to Ethiopia.
So, when the ambassador came calling, Hitler
directed that the Army send Ethiopia some
37mm guns (24 IIRC) and also gave Ethiopia
5 million (IIRC) Reichsmarks in credits to buy
more arms.
--
| He had a shorter, more scraggly, and even less |
| flattering beard than Yassir Arafat, and Escalante |
| never conceived that such a thing was possible. |
| -- William Goldman, _Heat_ | |
