Posted on 03/23/2009 11:00:32 PM PDT by PRePublic
Nazi: Fritz Grobba & the Arabs
Doctor Fritz Konrad Ferdinand Grobba (1886-1973) was born Arthur Borg (and as a boy was prophetically nicknamed "the Turk," because he looked like one), a German politician under the Nazi system.
As a soldier in World War I he was assigned to the Turkish Front, was wounded, and, as a convalescent, fell in love with a Syrian Arab girl. He took her back to the mountains of Bavaria; but her lungs were not fit, and she died. Borg became a Mohammedan, studied Orientology, and eventually was persuaded by General Erich Ludendorff to undertake military intrigues in the Middle East. He disguised his name by spelling his signature, A. Borg, backwards and adding a euphonious b. [1]
Speaking often the Turk and the Arab, he incited the leaders of the Reich to lean on the Arabic nationalism to oust the British of the Near East.
Was appointed ambassador of the Nazi Reich to Baghdad from October 1932, it assures an important mission of publicity with the Iraqi elite and succeeded developing the feeling Anti-english and Anti-Jewish feeling in the population.
In 1933 he bought the Iraqi Newspaper Al Alim Al Arabi, that publishes the translation in Arabic of Hitler's Mein Kampf and that old infamous Anti semitic made up Protocols of the elders of Zion [2]. [3].
Under his influence was created, the fascist pan -Arab movement of youth Al Futuwwa (Futuwa), comparable to the Hitlerjugend, which counted 63 000 members in 1939.
Gmee Years: Berlin was to come under pressure from German diplomats in the Arab World, who were witnessing the increasing radicalization of the Arab political scene and what appeared as an opportunity for Germany to acquire a foothold in a region totally dominated by the British and the French. One highly active member of the German diplomatic corps in the Arab East was Fritz Grobba, the emissary in Baghdad. An Arabic-speaking career diplomat with "Lawrencian dreams", Grobba was posted to Iraq in 1932. After a short recall to Germany in 1935, Grobba returned to Iraq brain-washed, with apparent commitment to the Nazi enterprise. His egalitarian demeanor, fondness of the Arab East, together with the dedicated support of a charming and energetic wife, attracted to his receptions Iraqis of various backgrounds - politicians, journalists, bureaucrats and army officers.
In January 1937, an Arab- Palestinian delegation including 'Izzat Darwaza, Mu'in al-Madi and 'Awni 'Abd al-Hadi met with Grobba in Baghdad asking his support against the wave of Jewish immigration. [4]
Grobba showed up in Baghdad. He persuaded the then King, Ghazi I, to send some young officers to military war games in Germany. They returned to Iraq amazed. In 1938 he had 50 German officers invited to Iraqi war games. They stayed in Iraq. Next he arranged to have some "research expeditions" sent from Germany to Iraq. They stayed in Iraq. In October 1938, some Arabs attacked and fired the main British pipelines from the Iraq fields; when this was found to be a Grobba job, he had to flee to Saudi Arabia.
He spent millions of English pounds (reportedly counterfeit) softening up Iraqi officers. He met some of them in Damascus, until evolving into a thoroughly pro-Nazi native organization in the Iraqi Army. [1b]
From the book: 'The modern history of Iraq' (Phebe Marr - 2003) pg. 52: Pan-Arab sentiments were strongly influenced by German ideas of nationalism and were encouraged by Fritz Grobba, German minister in Baghdad until 1939 [5]
In March 31 1941[1]. Following the fight of the brief British-Iraqi war, leaves Baghdad May 30 and passed over to Syria.
He survived the war.
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