Real Reason Why Hitler Was Scared of X Troops

Lt. Aldo Raine's most striking lines in Quentin Tarantino's "Inglourious Basterds" perhaps articulated the vision of the viewers, but in fact the life histories of the soldiers who gave birth to the film are way more interesting. In World War II, the Allies put together teams of Jewish soldiers with missions to perform covert operations against Nazi Germany. These heroic men went against the odds, from landing on shore of Normandy to sneaking in enemy lines, all the time facing the cruelties of war and the agony of losing a fellow soldier.

Among them there was Max Dobriner, a German-born refugee who enlisted in the British Army after escaping the oppression from Nazi persecution through the Kindertransport program. Renamed Max Dickson, he took part in reconnaissance missions in France and became familiar with the brutal carnage of the war instead. However, Max, who had experienced war firsthand, made it clear that movies shouldn't glorify violence, like in the film "Inglourious Basterds", the actors are merely portraying the real harshness of combat.

Colin Anson, aka Claus Ascher, also dismissed the absurd violence description. Colin, just like Max, was involved in secret actions away from the battlefield, in the face of danger with an iron will and grit. The stories of these brave heroes accurately depict the sheer indomitable spirit of men who fought for freedom.

A very notable person here was Peter Arany, a Jewish refugee from Vienna who eventually became a target of both the Nazis and British authorities during the war in England. Never mind dealing with discrimination as an “enemy alien,” Peter enlisted in the British Army and got prepared to fight the Nazis to the end. In "X Troop," a unit of European Jewish refugees, Peter took on the identity of Private Peter Masters and received brutal preparation for undercover operations.

Under Winston Churchill directive, X troop used to operate anonymously, their true identities concealed behind a new British identity. They were trained in combat, reconnaissance, and interrogation and formed an integral part of Allied operations, who carried out missions behind enemy lines mostly by themselves.

On the D-Day it was the turn of Peter Arany to show his braveryiest, as he was facing enemy forces, drawing fire to reveal their position. Despite all the odds, it was Peter's fast thinking and bravery that saved lives, and he did so showing the spirit of resistance against the Nazi oppression.

As a linguist, another member of X troop, George Lane plied his trade in France before D-Day, aiding the Allied strategy for the Normandy landing as well. Being captured and taken to the office of Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, Lane kept his identity undisclosed, making an important contribution to the Allies.

Manfred Ganz, who was later known as Freddy Gray, showed astonishing perseverance when he was wounded multiple times in the Invasion of Normandy. Nevertheless, he was able to rescue his family from a concentration camp at the end of the war. Such rescue mission of his illustrates the bravery of those who battled the Nazi regime by all means.

Operation Greenup, led by Frederick Mayer, Hans Wijinberg and Franz Weber, provided one of the most convincing examples of the Allied determination to conquer Hitler's army. Running missions of parachuting in the enemy territory in Austria, these guys risked their own lives for collecting intelligence and disrupting the enemy operations. With capture and torture by the Gestapo against him, Mayer was determined not to break, and eventually, he was the one who negotiated the peaceful surrender of Innsbruck.

Post-war, people like them were back in society, the epitome of heroism, but stateless. Though, Hollywood exaggerates some parts of historical events to make movie more enjoyable, in fact, real history is more fascinating than movies can display. From the coasts of Normandy to the theater of action of Nazis-occupied land, the historical Inglourious Basterds personified the spirit of resistance and sacrifice which was the war defining mark of World War II. They shaped the all-conquering symbol of the victory of courage over the tyranny and the immortality of a human spirit.