80 years ago, how a very different Schindler’s ‘list’ helped ignite WWII

Controlling up to two dozen German spies, Oskar Schindler helped stage the false-flag ‘Gleiwitz Incident’ to justify Germany’s invasion of Poland

30 August 2019

KRAKOW, Poland — Oskar Schindler shielded 1,200 Jewish factory workers during the Holocaust and a Hollywood movie about the heroic rescue has turned his name into the archetype for a Righteous Among the Nations. However, the Nazi-turned-savior also played less altruistic roles during Hitler’s rule.

Ignored by the book and film bearing his name, Schindler helped Germany lay groundwork for its invasion of Poland 80 years ago. Leading up to the blitzkrieg attack launched on September 1, 1939, Schindler led a network of 25 spies and prepared an infamous false-flag attack called the “Gleiwitz Incident.”

By all accounts, Schindler during the mid-30s was “unemployed and frustrated,” not to mention an alcoholic who owed many debts. He racked up criminal charges and prison stints, including for brawling, dangerous threats, and swindling. Schindler’s failed gigs ranged from poultry farming to banking, and he was known as “Schindler Swindler.”

During a series of high-society parties, Schindler impressed the right Nazi spy masters. One of them recruited him into Germany’s Abwehr (military intelligence), and Schindler was sent to Ostrava in today’s Czech Republic. Located near the border with Poland, the city was a hotbed of agents and double-agents.

Contrary to the suave manipulator portrayed in the film “Schindler’s List,” the 30 year old’s first stint as a spy was comical. People in Ostrava knew Schindler by name and he did not bother to change his address, all while gathering information on Czech military defenses. This carelessness led to Schindler’s arrest with the charge of capital offenses against the Czech state.

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Read more at https://www.timesofisrael.com/80-years-ago-how-a-very-different-schindlers-list-helped-ignite-wwii/