GERMANY: Cost of Defeat

U.S. and British intelligence officers had watched the plot develop for months. Under the direction of one-armed Arthur Axmann, once Reichsjugendführer, responsible only to Hitler, former Hitler Youth leaders were grouping themselves in innocent-looking business firms, preserving their organization, biding their time. Then, suddenly, the Allies struck. When a wild night of house raids and gun battles was over, 800 young Nazis were behind bars.

Next day ordinary Germans hardly mentioned the raids. They had greater troubles on their minds. Once they had thought Versailles' 34 billion reparations bill too tough. Now they knew that Potsdam's modest demand for five...