Part 3 of Reading PCG's Booklet, Germany's Conquest of the Balkans

Let us now continue this reading of Gerald Flurry's booklet, Germany 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.

Chapter 1 condemned Germany's recognition of Slovenia and Croatia in December 1991 and (quite inaccurately as shall be seen later) condemns this act as causing the Yugoslav Wars of 1991-2001.

Chapter 2 discusses the Kosovo War (1998-9) and portrays the secession of Kosovo from Yugoslavia as a wicked act of betrayal against "the Serbs" (his words) by the West duped by Germany into unwittingly advancing Germany's interests.

We now continue.

 
Chapter 3 of this booklet is largely based on Gerald Flurry's March-April 2003 article, German-Led EU Conquers Yugoslavia. Therefore it would appear that this chapter was added in the 2003 version and was not present in the original 1999 version of this booklet.

On page 29 there is an insert article entitled "A Nice Gift from the U.S." which claims that Germany has gained access to "a warm water port" in the Balkans, namely Durrës. Intriguingly this insert article is clearly based on an insert article from the June 1999 issue of The Philadelphia Trumpet, page 10.

However that insert article was not credited to anyone, and it accompanied an article by the late Ron Fraser which was entitled "Divided We Fall". Also that insert article did not talk about Durrës, it was about Tirana. No doubt this was partly due to the fact that someone must have later discovered that Tirana is not a port as the 1999 article incorrectly stated. The insert article is clearly related to the one in the booklet.

We now begin with Chapter 3 proper.

State by state, the country of Yugoslavia has been conquered. Even the name Yugoslavia has been discarded. Most of this conquering was accomplished with U.S. military power. But it is Germany and the European Union that are taking control of the former Yugoslavia. And Germany is giving the U.S. no credit, though it does often blame America for many of the problems that have developed. (p. 30.)

The above words show once again how Flurry blames Germany for the disillusion of Yugoslavia. He notes that actually the West did intervene militarily it was largely U.S. forces that intervened. Most would conclude from this fact that the U.S. conducted and directed the West's military invention. But Flurry gets around that problem by insisting that somehow Germany was the mastermind and Flurry insists contrary to this evidence that the U.S. are unwitting dupes of the Germans.

After this Flurry quotes Churchill (out of context) to claim that the Germany of today is just like Nazi Germany, just waiting to destroy America and Britain at any moment.

Then Flurry fear mongers that the European Union is expanding to the east and Flurry claims that this is really bad and you should be scared.

What ambition! The EU is already planning to reach into the Mediterranean and Africa, and across to Cyprus and the Middle East. It has a dangerous global ambition. Such ambition is leading to unparalleled violence and terror in this world. But very few people seem to understand. (p. 32.)

The EU is trying to expand into Africa and the Middle East? What nonsense. Flurry seems to be confusing the maintenance of diplomatic links with gaining membership within the EU. What is Flurry even saying here?

After this Flurry cites Herbert W. Armstrong and (misleadingly) claims that his prophecies have been fulfilled. Flurry then quotes HWA. Note that here Flurry is actually quoting from HWA's booklet, 1975 in Prophecy, pp. 9-10, which is dated June, 1956. Why would Gerald Flurry hide this fact?

Notice what Herbert W. Armstrong wrote in June 1956: “Perhaps even this coming military-political leader does not yet know how many, or precisely which, European nations will join in this United Nazi Fascist Europe. But you and I can know the number—for God Almighty wrote it down for us 1,900 years ago, in Revelation 17! There will be 10 dictatorships, exerting iron rule over 10 European nations. These 10 will give all their military power to the central over-all leader—pictured under the prophetic symbol, ‘the beast.’ …

“The strong indication of these prophecies, then, is that some of the Balkan nations are going to tear away from behind the Iron Curtain.”

Remember, that was written in 1956—over 50 years ago!

Are we too groggy to comprehend how dramatically Mr. Armstrong’s prophecy was fulfilled? Only God could have revealed to him the future fate of nations!

These prophecies have been and are being fulfilled before our eyes. Only the blind fail to see! We must awaken out of our sleep. (p. 33.)

Maybe Flurry should mention that in 1956 HWA was preaching that Christ would return in 1975, as he had been preaching since 1953.

Maybe Flurry should mention that in the booklet he cited above HWA admitted that he had (incorrectly) speculated that Tito could be the great European dictator who would destroy America and Britain as mentioned in Part 2 of this reading.

Flurry then quotes some co-worker letters of HWA's from 1980.

Here is what Mr. Armstrong wrote February 18, 1980: “There will now be an effort to bring Yugoslavia into the Holy Roman Empire alliance! There will be strong pressure from the Vatican, in view of the pope’s visit to his native Poland, to bring Poland into the new United States of Europe. [That has now happened!] If Yugoslavia and Poland go in, then expect at least Romania also to go in. [Romania is also now an EU member.] ...

On August 27, 1980, Mr. Armstrong wrote this comment in a member and co-worker letter: “Will Poland free itself from Soviet domination and join with Yugoslavia, Romania and possibly Czechoslovakia—and with Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Portugal and Austria—in a resurrected medieval ‘Holy Roman Empire’ to dominate Europe and equal the USSR and the U.S. in world power?” (pp. 33, 35.)

Doesn't Flurry notice that these letters show that HWA did not anticipate that Yugoslavia would break apart? Yugoslavia did not join this European Beast Power as HWA speculated, instead it broke apart.

How could Mr. Armstrong have prophesied these events so accurately? Because he had a deep understanding of Bible prophecy.

These prophecies should strike fear in the minds of our peoples! Soon these prophetic events will be fulfilled with a sledgehammer impact! Nothing can stop them. (p. 36.)

HWA thought Yugoslavia would maintain itself long enough to join the European Beast Power. Instead it split apart. HWA was wrong.

Around here (pp. 33-38.) Flurry brings up some doctrines that he claims are from the Bible (Daniel 2 and Revelation 13) but actually they derive from the teachings of the Millerites of the 1830s-1840s, a movement that culminated with the Great Disappointment of 1844. It was from the remnants of the Millerites that the Seventh Day Adventist Church emerged. Some Adventists chose to stay out of that organization and formed the Church of God (Seventh Day). It was from the Millerites that HWA and then Flurry gained these ideas.

Page 34 contains an illustration of the image of Daniel 2 made by one Gary Donning. In the 2003 version a different illustration is used. That one was made by Steve Wilkins, the same man who illustrated the covers of The Little Book and Hosea and God's Adulterous Wife. Wilkins' illustration is also used in the 2006 version.

After that Flurry fear mongers that the Papacy will play a major role in bringing about the European Beast Power (pp. 38-40). Armstrongites have been hysterically proclaiming that this European Beast Power is on the verge of rising up to plunge the world into darkness since the 1930s. All such predictions have completely failed.

On page 41 is an insert article concerning the (supposed) role of the Germans in Biblical (actually Armstrongite) prophecy. It is largely taken from Gerald Flurry's May 1999 article, The Unseen Danger in Kosovo. As mentioned in a previous post regarding PCG's booklet, Germany and the Holy Roman Empire.

On pages 40 and 42 Flurry cites a biography of Churchill mentioning that many Germans in the Weimar Republic brutally suppressed the attempts of people who talked of Germany's involvement in World War I negatively. Flurry seems to imply the same thing is happening today. That is complete nonsense.

Flurry again quotes some news reports in a highly selective manner in order to portray the disillusion of Yugoslavia as the result of some kind of German plot against "the Serbs" (his words) (pp. 42-45). Flurry then states that the EU (which Flurry portrays as a puppet of the Germans) is taking over from NATO in (he claims) controlling what used to be Yugoslavia.

The NATO attack on Belgrade in 1999 succeeded in forcing the Yugoslav government to make peace with the Kosovo separatists, after which the United Nations took over administration of Kosovo. But Europe’s offensive into the Balkans continued. This past decade, it has cemented its control over this region step by step.

Remember, it was Germany and the Vatican that backed the succession of Croatia and Slovenia in 1991 that helped dismantle Yugoslavia. After the Kosovo war, NATO, and particularly the United States, wanted to get out of the region and transfer responsibility for military operations in the Balkans over to the Europeans. NATO began its withdrawal in 2002. The EU began its own policing missions in Bosnia in 2003. (p. 43.)

Once again the Germans are nonsensically demonized as causing the disintegration of Yugoslavia.

Slovenia became a member of the European Union, as well as a member of NATO, in 2004. It joined the eurozone in 2007 and even held the presidency of the EU Council for the first six months of 2008. (p. 44.)

Every EU member gets a turn to hold the EU Presidency. Of course Slovenia, once it became a member of the EU, got its turn. That is its right as a member of the EU. Flurry sure is desperate to scare his readers here.

In 2006, Montenegro causing the collapse of its state union with Serbia by declaring independence. (p. 44.)

Is that grammatical? Shouldn't that be "cause" instead of "causing"? That is the whole sentence.

Then Flurry proceeds to assert that all of the Balkans is firmly under the control of Germany.

Then in 2008, Kosovo also formally declared independence. Oversight of the administration of Kosovo was transferred to the EU that year, yet in spite of Kosovo’s declaration of independence, the EU decided to extend its mission in Kosovo through mid-2012. ... Not longer after that, Serbia itself began looking to Germany for help in applying as a member of the European Union. Albania also made its official request to join. (p. 44.)

After this Flurry asserts that the U.S. are dupes letting the Germans become powerful and that this will end with Germany destroying America and Britain (pp. 45-46).

Then at the very end Flurry promises that there is a way of escape from these terrible that supposedly are about to occur any moment now.

God is saying that if His people are loyal to what they have learned from Him, they can be hidden from the horrors that are soon to come upon this Earth! What is the key to being protected? We must seek God before the Tribulation strikes (Matthew 24:21-22). (p. 46.)

It is taught by Gerald Flurry and his collaborators that PCG members will be taken to a place of safety (usually said to be Petra, Jordan) in which they shall escape the horrors of the Great Tribulation. It is taught that all others are doomed to be left behind to suffer the Great Tribulation. It is also taught that if one leaves PCG he or she will be cast out into the Great Tribulation. That is a major reason why so many PCG members remain in it despite the numerous problems within it.

Flurry ends this booklet with these words.

But look at the good news—the best news we could ever receive!

This evil and profoundly deceitful political, 10-nation superpower will attempt to fight the returning Jesus Christ! (Revelation 17:12-14).

Of course, Christ and His army will win. They will usher in a new civilization that will last forever. There will be peace, joy and abundance forever.

This is the most important news we could ever hear! (p. 47.)

And so Flurry's booklet comes to an end.

 
Now we have seen what Flurry has to say I am prepared to say that this booklet is just a lot of huffing and puffing with very little facts behind it. It is little more then a nasty, horror fantasy very much divorced from reality. It is not an honest investigation of what actually happened, rather Flurry simply exploits the terrible suffering of the peoples of the former Yugoslavia in order to claim that the great Armstrongite delusion that the Germans are coming very soon to conquer America and Britain.

It is striking how in this booklet there is almost no mention of the Bosnian War (1992-6), which was the very worst of the Yugoslav Wars in terms of lives lost and scale of brutality and suffering. Perhaps Flurry worries that readers would not be so sympathetic to "the Serbs" (his words) if they knew what really happened in that terrible war.

The current 2011 version appears to be very similar to the 2003 version. One small difference is under the heading 'America the Target' in Chapter 3. On pages 43-4 of the current 2011 version a few news articles are cited to support Flurry's fear mongering about Germany. The same section appears on pages 42 and 44 of the 2003 version. There the articles selected are different and are simply presented as a collection of quotes. 

I feel sorry for any Serb reader who makes contact with PCG's pro-Serbia writings and think they have found a friend. Gerald Flurry is not their friend. Rather Flurry exploits the terrible suffering caused by the Yugoslav Wars in order to demonize Germany in order to reinforce Armstrongism's induce phobic fear that the Germans will soon conquer America and Britain.

PCG's superficial support for Serbia is most succinctly expressed in these words from Stephen Flurry, as mentioned in a previous post.

Germany stood against the whole world in 1991 by recognizing Croatia. That, not Slobodan Milosevic, is the reason civil war has erupted in Yugoslavia. That point cannot be overemphasized. (Stephen Flurry, NATO: Why Bomb Serbia?, The Philadelphia Trumpet, May 1999.)

Actually by the time Germany recognized Slovenia and Croatia in December 1991 war had long since erupted.

Slovenia had already repulsed the forces of the Belgrade government in the Ten-Day War back in June-July 1991. By October 1991 the last federal army soldier left Slovenia. Also the battle of Vukovar, the most terrible battle of the Croatian War of Independence in which about 3000 died, raged from August 25-November 18, 1991. All that occurred before Germany recognized Slovenia and Croatia as independent states in December 1991. (See Timeline of the Yugoslav Wars.)

So we see that Stephen Flurry is woefully wrong.

Alas, Flurry's booklet is not going to help anyone in dealing with the terrible events of the Yugoslav Wars, not even the Serbs he pretends to support.