Donovan Sent Us

Publication(s)

  • First publication
    • Other Earths, ed Nick Gevers, Jay Lake

Summary

The story is part of an anthology about alternate worlds. Here, the Germans are going to win WWII. An American disguised as German SS officer arrives in London. He is looking for Winston Churchill who is kept prisoner somewhere.

Analysis

  • Lenny Spencer knows the correct rank of von Steigerwald (the driver in the car does not)
  • Lenny Spencer assumes that von Steigerwald understands English
    • Does he see through the disguise at this early stage already?
  • There really was a William "Wild Bill" Donovan who was head of an Office of Strategic Services, appointed by Roosevelt.
  • In our history, Roosevelt enforced a restrictive immigration policy against European Jewish refugees. He took no political consequences and was re-elected three times.
  • Fritz Kuhn was an American Nazi leader in our history, who was prosecuted for embezzlement by Thomas Dewey in 1939, crippling Kuhn's "German American Bund" organization. He was interned as an enemy agent during WW II and eventually deported to Germany.
  • Lenny Spencer is the name of a character played by Burt Reynolds in "Meet Wally Sparks." This is probably a coincidence.

Translation of German words

Herr
Mister
ja
yes
macht schnell
hurry up
mein Herr
Sir, mister
nein
no
Reichsführer
see wiki entry. The highest rank of the SS.
riecht wie höllisches...
smells like hellish...
Schutzstaffel
abbrev. SS, see wiki entry.
Standarteführer
the rank of von Steigerwald, similar to a colonel in the army.

Unresolved Questions

(none)

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