Part 2 of Reading PCG's Booklet, Germany's Conquest of the Balkans

Let us now continue this reading of Gerald Flurry's booklet, Germany's Conquest of the Balkans. This booklet was first published in 1999 as The Rising Beast. It portrays the breakup of Yugoslavia as being engineered by Germany and thus is taken as a sign that Germany will soon arise to be an unstoppable superpower which will destroy America and Britain. It was subsequently revised in 2003, 2006 and 2011. You can read the current version of this booklet on their website. That is the same version read here.

We now continue from Part 1, which discussed Chapter 1 which condemned Croatia's secession from Yugoslavia, more specifically Germany's recognition of Croatia and Slovenia in December 1991 which are inaccurately portrayed as the cause of the Yugoslav Wars. (Fighting had started long before then.)

We now head into Chapter 2 which discusses the Kosovo War (1998-9) and presents it as a wicked betrayal of "the Serbs" (his words) by America and Western Europe which foolishly advanced Germany's interests. This supposedly sets Germany on the path to conquering America and Britain.

This chapter is largely based on Gerald Flurry's article, The Unseen Danger in Kosovo, from the May 1999 issue of The Philadelphia Trumpet.

Chapter 2

This chapter largely focuses on the Kosovo War which saw Kosovo secede from Serbia after military intervention by NATO, which Flurry here portrays as a puppet for the Germans. The Kosovo War is portrayed as a cruel betrayal by the West against Serbia in order to allow Germany to dominate the region. America is portrayed as witless dupes easily manipulated by the Germans into waging war against Serbia for Germany's benefit.

The simple truth is, Serbia is no threat to Europe or America. But Germany has routinely been a dangerous threat to Europe and the world! And whether we realize it or not, it still is today—far more so than in the past.

The only real winners in 1999’s war in Yugoslavia were Germany and the Vatican. Time will show that America and Britain were the great losers. The Kosovo conflict made them weaker as Germany grew in power.

It has often been said that truth is the first casualty of war. That probably has never been more true than in that war. (p. 12.)

"The simple truth is, Serbia is no threat to Europe or America." Was that the issue in regards to NATO intervening over the Kosovo War?

"The only real winners in 1999’s war in Yugoslavia were Germany and the Vatican." More anti-German and anti-Catholic hysteria from the pen of Gerald Flurry.

"Time will show that America and Britain were the great losers. The Kosovo conflict made them weaker as Germany grew in power." How did the Kosovo War make them weaker? It is now fifteen years (5475 days) since this booklet was published. America and Britain have now endured the Iraq War and soldiers are still at war in Afghanistan against the Taliban. Thousands of soldiers from the West died in these wars, and many more local people have died as well. These are far more taxing endeavors for the West then NATO's intervention in 1999. It is absurd to fear monger that the Kosovo War made America and Britain weaker when these other wars are going on.

Yugoslavia lost the states of Croatia and Slovenia because of Germany. In the last chapter I showed how Germany recognized these breakaway republics and then supported them with troops and armaments. America (and almost the whole world) strongly opposed Germany’s undemocratic plans in the beginning. But the U.S. weakened and then even decided to support Germany in its war to control the Balkans! Europe and the United Nations meekly followed along. (pp. 12-13.)

Flurry claims that Germany recognizing Slovenia and Croatia's independence was undemocratic, but these declarations of independence were both made after referendums in those territories that voted for independence. How can Germany be blamed for Slovenia and Croatia becoming independent when so many within Slovenia (88.5%) and Croatia (93.24%) voted for independence from Yugoslavia?

You would never know any of this reading Flurry's booklet. 

We now continue.

Then Flurry talks about the Kosovo War. In 1998 an armed insurgency arose among the Kosovo Albanians seeking to create an independent Kosovo. The insurgency was waged by the Kosovo Liberation Army.

Flurry asserts that the Kosovo Liberation Army was created by Germany.

In 1997, the Serbs saw Germany supporting a guerrilla army of Albanians. ... The KLA guerrillas didn’t just happen. They were essentially raised up and directly supported by Germany—the powerhouse of Europe. (pp. 13-14.)

While bemoaning the Germans' supposed support for the KLA he writes this paragraph. Intriguing not so much for what it says but how he says it.

There was also direct support of these guerrillas coming from Germany. There are some 600,000 Albanians in Germany. Many of the KLA guerrillas left their families behind in Germany to fight against the Serbs in a civil war that the German-supported Albanians started. Is that German democracy, or German fascism? (p. 13.)

This is classic bait and switch rhetoric. How many of these 600,000 Albanians in Germany chose to fight for the KLA? One news article reported a spokesman for the KLA mentioned that "the KLA included in its ranks volunteers from Sweden, Belgium, the UK, Germany and the US." Shouldn't Flurry fear monger about foreign volunteers from America too? Like a magician misdirecting the viewers' attention Flurry presents these pieces of information one after the other in order to demonize the German government in order to keep PCG members in fear of the future, not as a honest discussion of what happened.

After this Flurry talks about the war and claims that the German Defense Minister used alarmist language to justify NATO's attack on Serbia.

We see today that most of those claims were built on a foundation of ignorance, deceit and lies. (p. 15.)

It is noticeable that Flurry never bothers to actually disprove these things in this booklet. He does not discuss any specific detail of what "the Serbs" (his words) are alleged to have done and proves the accusation untrue. He does not do this. He just huffs and puffs that the Germans are behind the disintegration of Yugoslavia and therefore we should be scared and run to him for safety and pay him and his collaborators three tithes in order to get to the place of safety.

It is true that after a powerful NATO air attack, the Serbs responded violently to save what remained of their country. But there was little mentioned about refugees before the NATO attacks. In fact, NATO’s initial purpose in the war was to protect the Kosovar people in their homeland. That purpose shamefully failed.

Why? Because that was not what Germany wanted! Now this province too dances to Germany’s tune. (pp. 15-16.)

Careful Flurry. Are you justifying shameful conduct?

After that Flurry quotes a journalist in order to insinuate that Nazism is deeply embedded within modern Germany and is just waiting to be enacted out once they gain sufficient power (pp. 16-18). As mentioned regarding Stephen Flurry's writings in the booklet, Germany and the Holy Roman Empire, in the early 1990s there was a frightening wave of violence by right wing extremists in Germany. However this wave of violence later dissipated into history. That is never mentioned in this booklet. It is not building up getting bigger and bigger, it simply dissipated because the vast majority of Germans are not interested in such extremism.

Also when the Global Financial Crisis hit it was Greece, not Germany, that witnessed the most dramatic rise of right wing with the rise of Golden Dawn.

Then Flurry brings up Margaret Thatcher and a Euroskeptic author, then says this.

Is it so hard to understand why the Serbs were enraged? Their country has been systematically destroyed—primarily by Germany. What country would not fight against such an outrage? Does any nation really see the Serbs’ point of view? (p. 19.)

Be careful, Flurry. Make sure you are not giving justification for atrocities.

There is an editorial error on pages 14-16. In this section Flurry begins to quote from a 1998 Stratfor report. Then on page 15 he quotes from a news report from The Australian. Then on page 16 he again quotes from the Stratfor report but it is simply listed as "ibid.", confusingly making it appear that he is still quoting from The Australian. Looking at the original May 1999 it may be seen there that only the Stratfor report was mentioned then. This report from The Australian was added later but the later quotes from Stratfor are still simply listed as "ibid."

We now continue. 

The German master plan is very similar to what the country has done in the past. The only real difference is, it has been much more subtle this time around—so far. ... The Germans inherently dislike democracy. And we did almost nothing to change that attitude after World War II. (p. 19.)

How can anyone "inherently dislike democracy"?  Also the Germans (well, the people of the former West Germany) have been having democratic elections on schedule with no problems in holding for only about 65 years (23,765 days).

Flurry then cites a letter from a reader of his magazine.

The Serbs have good reason to fear, since they were victims of the German and Croatian Nazis of World War II. One Trumpet reader from Indiana wrote to us, “After reading your article ‘Croatia Reveals the Rising Beast’ in the January 1999 issue … I would like to … express my deepest gratitude to you for what you have done for me as a human being by publishing that article so that millions of other human beings in the world can understand the Serbs.

“As an American of Serbian descent and a survivor of the horrible Croatian holocaust during World War II, I would like to tell you, my dear friend, how much I appreciate your personal involvement and effort, and how immensely I am grateful to you for your courage, humanity and patriotism for publishing that article in your magazine. I can assure you that from now on, you’ll be my dear friend as long as I live.” (p. 20.)

First of all I will say that it is well known that the so-called Independent State of Croatia treated ethnic minorities within its territory, including Serbs, Jews and Gypsies, in a atrocious manner, even waging a campaign of mass murder to ethnically cleanse their territory. It is good this person survived.

Does this letter writer know that the organization behind The Philadelphia Trumpet orders PCG members to shun the members of rival COG groups, even if they are close family members?

After this Flurry then cites a document (which is presented on pages 21-24) dating from 1944 which states that during World War II some Nazi German officials met up to discuss what to do should the Allies win. This document is presented in an alarmist way as proof that the Nazis had simply gone underground and they are still among us. It is strongly implied that the German government is still unreformed from the Nazi era.

How alarming! Why was so little written about this in 1996? Why did it take so long for it to be declassified? America and Britain have fallen asleep—our people don’t understand what is happening behind the scenes! That is why we feel compelled to return to these issues again and again. Hardly anyone else will! (p. 26.)

"Why did it take so long for it to be declassified?" Maybe the authorities were protecting the brave French agent who revealed this information to intelligence. That is certainly far more believable then insinuating it was somehow covered up.

After this Flurry then cites a "report" by Herbert Armstrong from May 9, 1945, in which HWA fear mongers that the Germans, instead of being decisively defeated, were simply planning to rebuild and avenge themselves in World War III.

What is not mentioned in Flurry's booklet is that from at least 1934 onwards HWA confidently preached that the troubles in Europe would lead to the conquest of America and Britain by Mussolini, who would only be stopped by the return of Christ. Later HWA decided that Hitler would be the European dictator who would conquer America and Britain and would only be stopped with the return of Christ.

However HWA's prophecy proved to be a miserable and total failure. Naturally HWA would be fearful that Radio Church of God members and non-member "co-workers" would stop listening to him or sending him money after this spectacular failure. So in the same way that he changed from Mussolini to Hitler so he simply claimed that his prophecy that Germany would conquer America and Britain would simply be fulfilled later after the Germans had rebuilt their nation and avenge themselves. HWA even claimed that Hitler had survived and was simply biding his time to return. Even as late as 1965 his collaborator, Roderick C. Meredith, fear mongered that Hitler was alive and well, waiting to revive the Germans' empire. Flurry never mentions that HWA said Hitler had survived in 1945.

That is the real reason HWA claimed the Germans would revive and conquer America and Britain later. He was desperately updating his prophecy to take account of the decisive victory over Nazi Germany, which proved HWA's previous prophecies false.

Nazism is far from being dead in Germany! Today, right-wing extremism continues to increase dramatically—even in German elections! Should that surprise us? (p. 27.)

Alas, there will probably always be a minority that chooses to embrace extremist positions, but to claim that they will somehow seize power in Germany is nothing but the most absurd fear mongering.This booklet was first published in 1999, fifteen years ago. The German right wing extremists are still just a minority with little power.

What Herbert Armstrong prophesied for over 50 years has now come to pass in frightening detail! The Philadelphia Church of God continues to proclaim the same message. (p. 28.)

In fact HWA often changed his prophesies to cover up his numerous failed predictions. What HWA prophesied often changed over the years. In 1953 he decided that Christ had to return in 1975, partly inspired by The World Tomorrow's first broadcast on Radio Luxembourg in January 1953. Here is some of what he wrote in his booklet, 1975 in Prophecy, which was written during the time in which he predicted that Christ would return in 1975.

While America has been focusing its sole attention on its clumsy effort to meet psychological cold-war with antiquated diplomacy and military might, the real number one enemy has been perfecting its plans SECRETLY, UNDER COVER, IN EUROPE! These plans were laid by Adolph Hitler, during World War II. The methodical Germans took into consideration the possibility they might lose, even as they had lost World War I. This time their plans for coming back and launching World War III were carefully laid before the close of World War II. The day that war ended, the Nazi organization went underground! Their plans for coming back have been proceeding, under cover, since 1945! Already Nazis are in many key positions-in German industry - in German education-in the new German ARMY! ... Instead of exhausting their own strength by holding European nations as captives at the expense of vital Gestapo man-power, they plan to head and dominate a UNITED STATES OF EUROPE-and add the man-power of those nations to their own military divisions. And secondly, they plan to strike their first blow, NOT at France or Poland in Europe, but with hydrogen bombs by surprise attack on the centers of AMERICAN INDUSTRY! (HWA, 1975 in Prophecy, 1956, pp. 5-7.)

Even to this day some Armstrongites continue to deny that was what HWA taught but other sources from the time, such as Herman Hoeh's booklet, A True History of the True Church, show this was indeed what was taught.

Also this booklet reveals that at some point HWA speculated that Yugoslavia's leader, Tito, might be the fearsome leader who would conquer America and Britain.

I have warned the radio audiences to watch TITO. Of course, Tito is not identified personally in prophecy-nor is any other man. Only the major EVENTS are revealed. But I have pointed out that the difference between Communism and Nazism is simply that one is national socialism, the other international socialism. The term "Nazi is merely a contraction of the two words "national socialism." On the other hand what the Communists have set up is called the "UNION of Soviet Socialist Republics." The Kremlin fosters international socialism, while Tito stands for National Socialism. That just about makes Tito a NAZI! I have even suggested the possibility that Tito might be the man to lead the new Nazi-Fascist Europe-though that possibility has appeared most slight. Remember again, prophecy does not identity the MAN. More probably he will be a German. We shall not have to wait much longer to know! IT'S LATER THAN YOU THINK! (HWA, 1975 in Prophecy, 1956, p. 10.)

Later then you think? It is now 39 years since Christ was supposed to return.

So HWA at one time thought Yugoslavia's Tito might be the world dictator he had constantly preached about. How ironic that today HWA's would be successor, Gerald Flurry, would claim that the disillusion of Yugoslavia was a wicked plot by the Germans which heralded the rise of the European Beast Power and express sympathy for "the Serbs" (his words).

We now continue with Flurry's booklet.

Once the U.S. released and then supported this fascist beast in Croatia and Slovenia, there was no stopping it. It didn’t cease until all of Yugoslavia was under its strong influence or control. Now if we think the beast will return to its cage, we are very naive. This world is headed for a nightmare unparalleled in the history of man. And the beast is going to lead us there! (p. 28.)

If Germany (and the Pope for that matter) are really so powerful then why is it the US disregarded their objections to invading Iraq in 2003? Why is Germany not a permanent member of the UN Security Council alongside America, Britain, France, Russia and China?

Kosovo was a turning point in the Yugoslav war. After this state essentially came under German influence and control, the rest of Yugoslavia was certain to fall. When Germany’s oppressive influence moved beyond Croatia and Slovenia, the careful observer could see that Germany’s ambition was to control all of Yugoslavia. (p. 28.)

Actually by the time the Kosovar insurgency began in 1998 Slovenia, Croatia, Macedonia (which broke away without a war with Belgrade) and Bosnia-Herzegovina had already broken away from Yugoslavia. So Yugoslavia had already lost much of its territory by the time this particular war began. So one could well argue that Flurry is wrong about the Kosovo War being the turning point. However one thing the Kosovo War did do that none of the other Yugoslav wars did was to bring the war within the land of Serbia itself.

This chapter also contains two side articles.

On pages 21-24 the previously classified document made in 1944 is presented in full. This document is used to insinuate that the Nazis simply went underground. It is implied that Germany is still controlled by unreformed Nazis. The May 1999 Philadelphia Trumpet article also presented this document.

Page 25 contains a quote from a 1945 broadcast by HWA. This is presented as proof that HWA was a prophet sent by God who remarkably predicted that Germany would arise from the ashes to become an unstoppable military power that only the returning Christ will stop. As shown above this is nonsense which hides a lot of facts regarding HWA, such as his prediction that Christ would return in 1975 and that at one time he insinuated that Tito would be the military leader who would conquer America and Britain. The May 1999 Philadelphia Trumpet article also presented this quote.

Chapter 3 will be covered in a future post.

To be continued...

[Update (July 19, 2014): This post is a continuation from Part 1 and is continued in Part 3.]