Nazi Germany was finished. Nevertheless, despite peace feelers put out by Heinrich Himmler, despite the death throes of Berlin, despite revolution in Munich, cradle city of Naziism, despite the U.S.-Russian linkup, which cut the mortally wounded monster in two, some thousands of German fanatics stared blindly ahead and still had the will to fire another useless shot or two.
On the other side of the world, Japan’s war lords could watch these events with profound and somber interest. They might or might not reflect that less than six months ago Germany had still owned the strength to inflict cruel setbacks on her foes at the Roer and in the Ardennes forest. They might or might not see that some breaking point had been reached, after which the German catastrophe had gathered volume and speed like an Alpine avalanche. And they might or might not wonder when the breaking point would come for Japan.
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