ANNOUNCEMENTS

(notes provided by the erudite Mary Hodson)

The club voted to accept Michelle Barbey as anew member.

Rod reminded everyone that the Veteran’s One on One event will be held on November 11.

Rod announced the beginning of the club’s annual fruit sale.   He asked each member to sell at least 17-18 cases.   The price is $25 per case.   Orders are due before Thanksgiving and you will be able to pick up the fruit around December 6-7.   Proceeds will go to The Times Center and other CU Rotary Foundation charities.

Josh Whitman will be our guest on January 26.   Please bring a guest.

November bucket money will be donated to Shelterbox.

PROGRAM

Phyllis introduced Dr  Karl-Heinz Schoeps.   He was born in Germany in 1935.   He emigrated  to the USA in the 1960’s and obtained a PhD from the University of Wisconsin.   He taught at the University of Illinois from 1971 to 2000.

Dr Schoeps gave us a synopsis of his OLLI course on the subject of German Resistance during WW II.

In 1933 when Hitler became Chancellor of Germany, he was welcomed as a savior from the economic disaster that Germany experienced in the 1920’s.  The conservatives who helped him come to power wrongly thought that they would be able to control him.  The Communists and Socialists fought each other instead of joining forces to oppose Hitler.

Initially, Hitler created jobs by rearming the military and building the Autobahn.

But he soon booted out the conservatives and killed tens of thousands of German civilians and military personnel who opposed him.   By the mid-1930’s, people already realized their mistake.

Goebbels controlled the media.   You could buy a very cheap radio which had one station controlled by him.  Professor Schoep’s parents listened to the BBC, which was prohibited.

Berliners had opposed Hitler’s rise to power and during the war.  Berliners helped thousands of Jews to survive, sharing their ration cards.

Most people have heard of the July 20, 1944, failed attempt to kill Hitler, but there were many other attempts.

In August, 1938, Ludwig Beck, Chief of the General Staff, resigned in protest of Hitler’s war plans.  He failed to persuade the other generals to resign.   Beck was part of the resistance, but to be effective, you had to stay in the military.

With the exception of the SS, most of the military despised Hitler.   Top generals planned a coup in 1938.  But they dropped their plot when Chamberlain  signed the Munich Agreement.   They could not succeed without Allied help.

In November, 1939, Erich Kordat, a German diplomat, tried to kill Hitler.

George Elser wanted to prevent war and came up with an elaborate plan to assassinate Hitler and Himmler.   He worked in a quarry to obtain explosives and a clock factory to obtain clockworks.   He fed the guard dog at a building where Hitler was scheduled to speak.   This enabled him to go undetected when he stayed in the building at night.  He hollowed out a pillar and planted his bomb inside.

Hitler gave the speech on November 8, 1939.   He usually spoke for two hours but on this day, he was given a message that due to fog, he would have to leave by train rather than by plane.  The bomb went off 13 minutes after Hitler left and eight people were killed.

Elser had been detained when he tried to cross the Swiss border.  Parts of a detonator were found in his pocket.  The police questioned him and were convinced that he acted alone.  But the SS were convinced that the British Secret Service were involved.  They tortured Elser until he agreed and eventually executed him.

His generals tried to dissuade Hitler from attacking France.   After 1940, the Colonels  took over where the Generals had failed.  The Generals had wanted to avoid war.  The Colonels were now outraged by Nazi atrocities.

Professor Schoeps discussed other failed plots, including two that involved hiding a bomb in displays of new uniforms.

Arvid Harnack was a German student at the University of Wisconsin.  He married Mildred Fisch.  They went back to Join the German resistance.   Mildred was the only American woman to be executed by the Nazis.   Her goddaughter Antia Kolodjie lives in Champaign today.

 

Nov 10th Nov 17th Nov 24th Dec 1st
Introductions Barb Lintner BJ Lytle No Ben Mast
Invocation Jeff Van Buren Cary Woolard meeting Laura Auteberry
Greeters Barb Lintner BJ Lytle on Ben Mast
Ed Perry  Turkey
Song Leader Robb Patton Allan Penwell Day Ed Perry
Notetaker Lintner Conforti Perry

 

UPCOMING SCHEDULE (with program committee member responsible listed in parentheses)

November 10th – Maureen Reagan, the Associate Director for Marketing at the Krannert Center for Performing Arts (Tod)

November 17th – Mike Hirschi, Champaign West, will discuss the Foundation (Allan Penwell)

November 24th – Thanksgiving, no AM meeting

December 1st – Club Assembly

December 8th – Janice Jayes, Instructional Assistant Professor, Illinois State University, will discuss the state of ISIS today (Bob)

December 15th – Isak Griffiths, Executive Director, Courage Connections (Laura)

December 22nd – Mitch Davis, Muscular Dystrophy Association (Mary)

December 29th – No AM meeting; evening social instead?

January 5th – Family Meeting? (Phyllis)

January 12th – TBD (Tod)

January 19th – TBD (Tom)

January 26th – Josh Whitman, Athletic Director, UIUC (Bob)

February 2nd – TBD (Laura)

February 9th – TBD (Mary)

February 16th- Nick Osborne, Director, Center for Wounded Veterans in Higher Education, UIUC (Phyllis)

February 23rd – TBD (Tod)