ISBN: 978-5-04-165934-9
Author: Aleksandr Zvyagintsev
Table of Contents
The State of Nature: From Hobbes to Globalism
What stops our neighbors from attacking us and stealing our possessions? This question troubled Thomas Hobbes, who rejected purely moral explanations. Instead, he proposed a practical, observable truth: Even the weakest person can kill the strongest through cunning or surprise. In this system, which Hobbes called the “state of nature”, everyone is both predator and prey. It’s a bleak and chaotic existence.
Can we escape this condition? Hobbes argued that we can do that by granting absolute power to a sovereign (a ruler or government) to enforce laws and prevent perpetual conflict. The trade-off? We sacrifice some freedoms but gain security.
Yet this solution has a flaw: The state of nature never truly disappears. It merely shifts from individuals to sovereign states themselves. With no higher authority to restrain them, nations operate in a lawless arena where power alone dictates outcomes. The Nazis exploited this loophole, annexing territories until a stronger force stopped them.
World War II spurred efforts to transcend this chaos through globalism, but the core dilemma remains. For international laws to work, states must surrender sovereignty, and a supreme enforcer must exist to punish violators. But no such enforcer exists. Even the Nuremberg Trials, while groundbreaking, were arguably victors’ justice disguised as legal precedent. They inspired hopes for a rules-based world order, but in reality, the state of nature endures.
Operation Unthinkable: When Allies Become Enemies
For the reasons I’ve mentioned, I wasn’t particularly interested in the Nuremberg Trials. I bought this book on impulse, mostly because of its impressive size and the author’s reputation, but it turned out to be a great way to see a cohesive narrative rather than scattered facts and anecdotes.
One of the most striking revelations was Operation Unthinkable, a perfect illustration of the state of nature hypothesis. Shockingly, the British government planned to betray their Soviet allies as early as July 1, 1945, barely two months after Germany’s surrender. The plan even included 12 rearmed German divisions, trained and funded by the British, to fight alongside Western forces against the USSR.
Equally telling was Operation Pincer, a similar contingency plan. Together, these schemes prove a harsh truth: Sovereign states can never truly be friends. Trust is a luxury; the state of nature is a paranoid game where survival demands eternal vigilance.
Alfred Rosenberg: The Nazi Architect of Divide and Rule
This book provides detailed profiles of each defendant, so there is no need to rehash summaries. Instead, I’ll focus on Alfred Rosenberg, because I found his story the most striking one.
Born in the Russian Empire and educated in Moscow, Rosenberg became one of the chief ideologues of Nazism. His most sinister role? Overseeing the political restructuring of the Soviet Union’s corpse. His strategy was classic divide-and-conquer.
Rosenberg planned to split the Slavic population into rival states:
- “Ukraine” and “Muscovy” (a deliberately diminished Russia).
- These puppet regimes would weaken each other through perpetual conflict, ensuring neither could challenge German dominance.
This wasn’t just administrative tinkering, it was the Nazi empire’s blueprint: fracture conquered peoples, exploit their divisions, and rule eternally.
Greed as Policy: The Nazi Betrayal of Romania and Finland
Nazi Germany didn’t act alone, it relied on a network of allies, each sharing a similar authoritarian governance structure and offering strategic resources. But what’s most revealing about these partnerships is the sheer greed and duplicity of the Nazi regime.
Take Romania, Hitler’s most important Eastern Front ally. The Nuremberg trials exposed Germany’s internal documents, proving Hitler never intended to honor his promises to Romania. Instead, his long-term plan was outright subjugation. Romania was a tool - first for oil and troops, later for subjugation.
The same pattern held with Finland. Despite pledges of support, Hitler saw the Finns as expendable. Once their usefulness waned, so did Germany’s loyalty.
This is the state of nature in action: no trust, only ruthless self-interest. Alliances are temporary and betrayal is inevitable.
Nazis 2.0: From War Criminals to Cold War Assets
Many Nazis evaded prosecution through various strategies. While top captured officials faced harsh treatement, even they gambled on the Cold War’s outbreak. Their logic? Time was on their side. As World War II’s allies turned against each other, these Nazis, already anti-communist and embittered by their failure to crush the USSR, saw the West as potential new partners.
But the more systemic escape route was knowledge. Skilled Nazis such as scientists, spies, and bureaucrats traded their expertise and secrets for immunity. Their value was clear and their crimes didn’t concern their new sovereigns.
This isn’t just history, it’s a lesson in ruthless pragmatism. When power is at stake, morality becomes negotiable. Assume your enemies will weaponize every advantage - because they will.
Conclusion: The Unmasking of Power
States rarely reveal their true nature - their machinery is perpetually shrouded in myth and manufactured morality. The Nuremberg Trials tore back this veil, exposing shocking realities that would otherwise have remained hidden. Some dismiss these revelations as unique to Nazi Germany, but the trials laid bare a vast, amoral network of global power politics that defies any ethical standard.
The bitter irony? The very nations presiding at Nuremberg were simultaneously scheming against each other, even as they prosecuted others for similar acts of realpolitik. The trials confirmed what history whispers but rarely shouts: “Might makes right” remains the law of nations.
For those seeking to explore further, here are some linked works I found worth exploring: