Otto Skorzeny-The Scar-Faced Commando
Few in the Third Reich cut as colorful a figure as Otto Skorzeny, Hitler's favorite commando. At one time considered "the most dangerous man in Europe," by the Allies, Skorzeny was responsible for rescuing Benito Mussolini from a mountaintop resort in Italy, kidnaping the son of Hungarian regent Miklos Horthy, wreaking havoc at the Battle of the Bulge, and preventing Supreme Allied Commander Dwight D Eisenhower from leaving his headquarters in Versailles during Christmas week of 1944 for fear of an alleged assassination plot.
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Otto Skorzeny: The Scar-Faced Commando
Rob Vest Few in the Third Reich cut as colorful a figure as Otto Skorzeny, Hitler's favorite co ando! "t one ti e considered #the ost dangerous an in $uro%e,# by the "llies, Skorzeny was res%onsible for rescuing &enito 'ussolini fro a ountainto% resort in (taly, kidna%ing the son of Hungarian regent 'iklos Horthy, wreaking havoc at the &attle of the &ulge, and %reventing Su%re e "llied )o ander *wight * $isenhower fro leaving his head+uarters in Versailles during )hrist as week of ,-.. for fear of an alleged assassination %lot! "t the end of the war, Skorzeny surrendered to the "llies, but was only interned for a few years before anaging to esca%e! Skorzeny's %ost/war e0%loits rivaled, and in any ways, sur%assed his acco %lish ents during warti e! He was courted during the )old 1ar by both the " ericans and the Soviets, served as an advisor in the 2eron govern ent in "rgentina, and hel%ed to relocate and %rotect several of his fellow 3azis! Skorzeny also develo%ed terrorist tactics used to this day by organizations as diverse as the (R", 24O, and the Sy bionese 4iberation "r y! This %a%er will %rovide a brief overview of Otto Skorzeny's life before, during, and after 1orld 1ar ((! The 'aking of Scarface The an who would one day be celebrated as the greatest adventurer of the Third Reich ca e fro a rather une0ce%tional background! Otto Skorzeny was born 5une ,6, ,-78, in Vienna, "ustria! Otto's father owned a successful engineering fir , and the fa ily lived +uite co fortably until the de%ression that ravished "ustria at the end of 1orld 1ar (! 1hen the teenaged Otto once co %lained that he'd never tasted real butter, his father's res%onse was %ro%hetic9 #There is no har in doing without things! (t ight even be good for you not to get used to a soft life!# :,; Otto entered the <niversity of Vienna on his eighteenth birthday, and graduated in ,-=, with an engineering degree, after which he started his own fir ! Though Skorzeny's skill as an engineer would later %rove +uite useful in %lanning his issions of terroris and sabotage, his ti e in the Schlagende Verbindungen :dueling society; would %rove the ost influential %art of his college e0%erience! :6; Skorzeny fought his first duel during his fresh an year, and in ,-68 earned the coveted Sch isse/the #scars of honor,# which would earn hi the nickna e of #Scarface# a ong the " ericans during 1orld 1ar ((! Skorzeny would later credit his success in war to his e0%eriences in the dueling society9 #'y knowledge of %ain, learned with the sabre, taught e not to be afraid! "nd >ust as in dueling when you ust concentrate on your ene y's cheek, so, too, in war! ?ou cannot waste ti e on feinting and sideste%%ing! ?ou ust decide on your target and go in!# :=; (n ,-=7, Skorzeny >oined the "ustrian 3azi 2arty and strongly advocated union with @er any! &y ,-=8 he was very active in the %arty and was a e ber of both the SS and the @esta%o! Skorzeny even %layed a inor role during the "nschluss, the @er an takeover of "ustria on 'arch ,6, ,-=8! (n order to %revent a bloodbath, Skorzeny was ordered by "rtur Seyss/(n+uart, "ustria's leading 3azi and its newly/a%%ointed chancellor, to interce%t several ar ed 3azis deter ined to take the "ustrian %alace by force! Skorzeny arrived >ust in ti e to %revent a shoot/out between the 3azis and "ustrian guards, and +uite likely saved the life of "ustrian 2resident 1ilhel 'iklas!
Skorzeny the Soldier 1orld 1ar (( broke out in Se%te ber of ,-=-! Skorzeny volunteered for the 4uftwaffe, but at A',.# and thirty/ one years of age, was considered too tall and too old for flight training! (nstead, Skorzeny's su%eriors assigned hi to train as a co unications e0%ert, an assign ent he hated! Five onths later, Skorzeny transferred to the 1affen SS, the ilitary ar of the SS, where he ho%ed to beco e an officer! He was classified as an officer/cadet, and would be co issioned if he %roved hi self! Skorzeny was %ut in charge of kee%ing his division's :*ivision Reich; tanks and other e+ui% ent o%erational! He was successful, but his unorthodo0 ethods often got hi into trouble! Skorzeny was not above stealing e+ui% ent fro other divisions, and once even took tires fro a de%ot at gun%oint! His chances for a co ission were tabled indefinitely when he shot down a %ortrait of 2rince &ernhard of the 3etherlands :who had denounced Hitler; fro the wall of a *utch cafB after the owner refused to re ove it! Skorzeny's fortunes turned in "%ril ,-., when his regi ent was sent to ?ugoslavia to +uell a revolt! The rebellion was engineered by ?ugoslav ilitary officers who overthrew the govern ent of 2rince/Regent 2aul on 'arch 6A/6C because they felt their ruler was getting too close to Hitler! Three days after the invasion, Skorzeny and his en anaged to ca%ture fifty/four ?ugoslav soldiers and three officers! Skorzeny arched his %risoners to his regi ent's head+uarters and was co issioned on the s%ot! &ut fortune would again turn her back on Otto! (n 5une of ,-.,, *ivision Reich %artici%ated in the invasion of the Soviet <nion, where it suffered heavy casualties! One day in early winter of that year, Skorzeny was hit in the back of the head by shra%nel when a Soviet artillery shell struck near his %osition so e 677 yards fro the front line! Taken to a nearby aid station, he refused all treat ent e0ce%t for a few as%irin, a bandage, and a glass of schna%%s! " few hours later, Skorzeny re>oined his regi ent, but his health only deteriorated! &y 5anuary ,-.6, he was headed back to @er any on a hos%ital train, %ro ising to return in a few weeks! &y the ti e he recovered, however, the Third Reich would have other %lans for Skorzeny! )o ando *ays
"fter recovering for a few onths in an ar y hos%ital, Skorzeny was su oned to &erlin in "%ril of ,-.= to eet with 1alter Schellenberg, head of the S* :the SS foreign intelligence service;! Schellenberg needed so eone to take charge of the schools being organized to train s%ecial agents in sabotage, es%ionage, and %ara ilitary skills! Skorzeny, though relatively unknown at the ti e, had been reco ended for the %osition by $rnst Daltenbrunner, chief of the RSH" :Reich )entral Security Office;, who Otto had known since his early days in the "ustrian 3azi 2arty! Skorzeny readily acce%ted the %osition, and training co enced! The en of what would beco e known as 5agdverbande :Hunting @rou%; E76 were culled fro the best of the best of the Reich's various ilitary units! $ach e ber was e0%ected to have a basic knowledge of firear s, grenades, and artillery! They also had to know how to o%erate auto obiles, otorcycles, watercraft, and loco otives! They had to be e0%ert swi ers and be able to %arachute fro aircraft! 'any were also trained in foreign languages, such as $nglish, (talian, Russian, and 2ersian! Skorzeny, for his %art, studied the techni+ues found in ca%tured &ritish co ando docu ents, and learned even ore fro ca%tured &ritish co andos who were willing to switch sides! He also attended a course on es%ionage taught by an "bwehr :ar y intelligence; officer! 5agdverbande E76's first ission, #O%eration Francois,# took %lace in the su er of ,-.=! The grou% %arachuted into (ran, where they ade contact with the dissident ountain tribes! These insurgent forces were used to sabotage <S and &ritish su%%lies of ateriel bound for the Soviet <nion! However, within a few onths, interest waned a ong the rebel tribes! Skorzeny, who re ained behind to train ore recruits,
characterized O%eration Francois as #a failure,# :.; due needed for the ission!
ainly to inade+uate reinforce ents and su%%lies
Though 5agdverbande E76 had gotten off to a shaky start, greater things lay in store! 1hile his co andos were i %le enting O%eration Francois in (ran, Skorzeny was ordered to a%%ear before the Fuhrer hi self! The Rescue of (l *uce Skorzeny a%%eared before "dolf Hitler on 5uly 6A, ,-.=! The Fuhrer had a s%ecial ission for the scar/faced co ando9 a day earlier, (talian dictator &enito 'ussolini had been forced to resign and arrested by his own %eo%le! Skorzeny's new ission would be to find 'ussolini and rescue hi before the new (talian govern ent surrendered and offered u% 'ussolini to the "llies! The following day, Skorzeny was in (taly, where he and his en s%ent over a onth trying to locate their +uarry! On Se%te ber 8, Skorzeny learned that 'ussolini was being held %risoner in a resort hotel sitting so e A777 feet ato% the @ran Sasso, the highest %eak of the "%%enine ountain range, so e eighty iles northeast of Ro e! "fter reconnoitering @ran Sasso by %lane, Skorzeny realized that assaulting the %eak by glider was his best o%tion! The 4uftwaffe e0%erts consulted by Skorzeny warned that such a feat was #technically i %ossible,# :E; due to the high altitude and bad landing conditions, but Skorzeny ignored their advice! On Se%te ber ,6, ,-.=, Skorzeny kidna%ed (talian general Ferdinando Soleti in Ro e! The co ando leader feared that 'ussolini would be killed by his ca%tors should the (talian guards delay Skorzeny's en for too long! The big "ustrian ho%ed Soleti's %resence would ensure that the guards coo%erated! That afternoon, the twelve gliders left for @ran Sasso, with Skorzeny's the first to reach its destination! "fter a rough landing, Skorzeny, followed by his en and Soleti, rushed into the hotel! They first entered the radio roo , where Skorzeny s ashed the radio with the butt of his %istol! Soon they were confronted by several ar ed guards! Seeing Soleti a ong the invaders, the guard ca%tain ordered his en to hold their fire! 1ithin inutes, Skorzeny had located 'ussolini! #*uce, the Fuhrer has sent e to set you free,# :A; he said! #( knew y friend "dolf Hitler would not abandon e,# re%lied 'ussolini, e bracing Skorzeny! :C; " s all s%otter %lane was called in and the fascist dictator was evacuated fro the ountain! Skorzeny had %ulled off the i %ossible/without firing a shot! The success of the @ran Sasso raid earned the scar/faced "ustrian the eternal gratitude his Fuhrer, who %honed Skorzeny early the ne0t orning9 #?ou have %erfor ed a ilitary feat which will beco e %art of history! ?ou have given e back y friend 'ussolini!# :8; For his rescue of 'ussolini, Skorzeny was awarded the %restigious Dnight's )ross and %ro oted to a>or! 2ractically overnight, Skorzeny's re%utation reached near/legendary %ro%ortions, and any regarded hi as a national hero! The o%eration also brought Skorzeny to the attention of the "llies! 1inston )hurchill hi self described the ission as #one of great daring!# :-; O%eration 'ickey 'ouse Skorzeny's ne0t a>or success would take %lace in Hungary on October ,E, ,-..! <%on hearing that 'iklos Horthy, the Hungarian regent, was negotiating an ar istice with the Soviets, Hitler sent his favorite co ando to Hungary to resolve the %roble ! Skorzeny's solution was #O%eration 'ickey 'ouse,# na ed after Horthy's son, 'iki, who any believed to be influencing his father to side with the <SSR! Skorzeny entered 'iki's a%art ent, shot hi in the ar and, ins%ired by @eorge &ernard Shaw's )aesar and )leo%atra, rolled hi u% in a rug and %ut hi on a %lane to &erlin!
The elder Horthy, des%ite the kidna%ing of his son, refused to coo%erate! Two days after the kidna%ing, Skorzeny stor ed the citadel where the regent resided! Skorzeny had a tank, twenty/five en, and a truck! The citadel was guarded by an entire %arachute battalion! 1ithin one hour, the Hungarians had surrendered, with a total of seven lives lost! O%eration @reif Skorzeny's last ission of note ca e during the last @er an offensive on the western front! Occurring on the borders of @er any and 4u0e burg, the &attle of the &ulge was the Third Reich's last gas%, lasting fro *ece ber ,A, ,-.. to 5an 6E, ,-.E! Skorzeny would %lay a s%ecial role in this offensive! (n late October, Hitler %ut Skorzeny in charge of #O%eration @reif!# Skorzeny would co and the ,E7th 2anzer &rigade, whose ission would be to ca%ture one or ore bridges on a stretch of the 'euse River in &elgiu , after the First 2anzer *ivision broke through the " erican defense! "dditionally, Skorzeny would co and a force of co andos ade u% of $nglish/s%eaking soldiers with " erican e+ui% ent and unifor s! The co andos were to sli% behind ene y lines and wreak havoc while the ,E7th 2anzer &rigade would secure the bridges! O%eration @reif initially et with so e success! On *ece ber ,C, ,-.., <S Third "r y co ander @eneral @eorge S 2atton described the situation to Su%re e "llied )o ander @eneral *wight * $isenhower9 #Drauts ! ! ! s%eaking %erfect $nglish ! ! ! raising hell, cutting wires, turning road signs around, s%ooking whole divisions, and shoving a bulge into our defenses!# :,7; 2atton also notified $isenhower that a ca%tured @er an officer had revealed a %lot to assassinate $isenhower, engineered by Skorzeny! Though after the war Skorzeny characterized the %lot as erely a ru or, $isenhower and the "llies took it seriously and the Su%re e )o ander was forced to s%end the holidays under a0i u security in Versailles! $isenhower res%onded with a no/holds/barred anhunt for Skorzeny, and #wanted# %osters featuring the 3azi co ando's likeness were distributed throughout the western front! Though O%eration @reif was initially so ewhat successful, it was a failure in the long run! "s *ece ber wore on, fewer and fewer of Skorzeny's co andos were able to bluff their way %ast security check%oints! 3or did his ,E7th 2anzer &rigade ever reach the 'euse, as the First 2anzer *ivision failed to break through " erican lines! &y *ece ber 68, Skorzeny knew the &attle of the &ulge was lost and left the front! 1erewolves and &uried Treasure Skorzeny saw little action after the &attle of the &ulge! For a few weeks in 5anuary and February, he held off the advancing Soviet ar y with a ragtag force at Schwedt on the Odur River, but eventually had to fall back! Skorzeny also received orders to blow u% a bridge on the Rhine at Re agen, but his frog en failed due to the icy waters! Dnowing, like any other 3azi leaders, that the war was lost, Skorzeny s%ent ost of his ti e %re%aring for the future! <ntil 'arch of ,-.E he hel%ed train several recruits for the underground resistance grou% known as the #1erewolves,# who were to ake occu%ation by the "llies difficult, if not i %ossible! Skorzeny soon discovered that the nu ber of 1erewolf cells had been greatly e0aggerated, and would be rather ineffective as a fighting force! (nstead, the 1erewolves would be used as %art of a 3azi #underground railroad,# facilitating travel along esca%e routes called #ratlines# that allowed thousands of SS officers and other 3azis to flee @er any after the fall of the Third Reich!
Since "ugust of ,-.., Skorzeny had been e %loyed by various high/ranking 3azis and wealthy @er an industrialists to transfer and hide large +uantities of oney, looted %ro%erty, docu ents, and other assets! So e of these were buried in the ountains of &avaria, while other stashes were shi%%ed overseas! Finally, in 'ay, Skorzeny decided to give hi self u% to the " ericans! Reluctant to go into hiding, Skorzeny felt he could %otentially be of use to the " ericans in the forthco ing )old 1ar! On 'ay ,A, ,-.E, Otto Skorzeny e erged fro the "ustrian woods near Salzburg and surrendered to a lieutenant of the <S Thirtieth (nfantry Regi ent! The Trial "fter two years in various intern ent ca %s, Skorzeny was to face charges of war cri es for his actions in the &attle of the &ulge! )haracterized at his arraign ent as #the ost dangerous an in $uro%e,# :,,; Skorzeny was brought before a <S ilitary court in *achau on "ugust ,8, ,-.C! He and nine fellow officers of the ,E7th 2anzer &rigade would face charges of i %ro%er use of ilitary insignia, theft of <S unifor s, and theft of Red )ross %arcels fro " erican %risoners of war! The trial lasted over three weeks! The charge of stealing Red )ross %arcels was dro%%ed for lack of evidence, but Skorzeny did ad it to ordering his en to wear " erican unifor s, and a conviction by the " erican court see ed e inent! &ut on Se%te ber -, the last day of the trial, a &ritish officer testified that he and his en had engaged in si ilar tactics during the war! Realizing that to convict Skorzeny would be hy%ocrisy, the tribunal ac+uitted the ten defendants! The $sca%e *es%ite his ac+uittal by the " ericans, Skorzeny re ained a %risoner, as other nations wished to try hi for war cri es! *uring his intern ent, both before and after the *achau trial, Skorzeny continued his clandestine activities! "n infor ant for "r y )ounterintelligence discovered a vast underground network known as O*$SS", :,6; which hel%ed 3azi %risoners esca%e and secure false identity %a%ers! Otto Skorzeny was identified as a leader of this ove ent, though very little concrete evidence e0isted! 'eanwhile, while in %rison, Skorzeny received offers of e %loy ent fro the Soviets! He refused all of these, but said nothing of such overtures until early ,-.8, when he told his " erican ca%tors, %erha%s to %revent his e0tradition for another trial! (n fact, the <S had been blocking his e0tradition to Soviet/controlled )zechoslovakia since his ac+uittal! <nfortunately, by idsu er of ,-.8 it looked like the )zechs would succeed, as they were now working through the <nited 3ations! &y that ti e, both the <S and Skorzeny knew so ething had to be done to kee% hi out of Soviet hands! On 5uly 6C, ,-.8, a car bearing " erican ilitary license %lates arrived at the *ar stadt intern ent ca % where the infa ous co ando was being held! Three <S "r y %olice/one ca%tain and two enlisted en/ e0ited the vehicle and entered the detention center! #1e are here to take %risoner Otto Skorzeny to 3ure burg for his scheduled hearing to orrow,# :,=; the ca%tain announced! 1ithin inutes, Skorzeny was handed over to the #%olice#/who were actually SS veterans/and vanished fro the ca % forever! 1hen +uestioned years later about the esca%e, Skorzeny clai ed that the license %lates and unifor s were su%%lied by the " ericans! Otto and $vita Shortly after his esca%e fro *ar stadt, Skorzeny established a base of o%erations in 'adrid, S%ain, under the fascist regi e of Francisco Franco! Here Skorzeny started a successful engineering fir , but also engaged in less scru%ulous ventures, such as the international ar s trade! He also continued to oversee the activities of O*$SS" and other 3azi organizations!
(n ,-.-, Skorzeny was known to be in "rgentina, where any of his fellow 3azis had fled to the safety of the fascist 2eron govern ent! Skorzeny went to "rgentina because he was concerned about the &or ann treasure/a vast a ount of wealth accu ulated by Hitler's right/hand an, 'artin &or ann, who for years had been e bezzling oney fro a secret 3azi fund in the Reichsbank in &erlin! This secret fund was derived fro the currency, gold, >ewels, and other assets taken fro the victi s of the death ca %s! Skorzeny had hel%ed &or ann transfer %art of this fortune before the war ended! 'artin &or ann had entrusted 5uan 2eron as caretaker of the 3azi fortune before the end of the war! (n ,-.E, 2eron arried the social/cli bing te %tress $vita *uarte, and before long she had arranged to have the entire a ount of the fortune de%osited in her na e in several &uenos "ires banks! The &or ann treasure at the end of ,-.E was esti ated at over F877 illion in bank de%osits, 6E77 kilogra s of gold, -7 kilogra s of %latinu , and .A77 carats of dia onds and other %recious stones! 1hen &or ann failed to a%%ear after the war ended, the 2erons acted as if the fortune were theirs alone! 5uan 2eron had ad ired Skorzeny ever since the 'ussolini rescue, and welco ed the big "ustrian %ersonally u%on his arrival in "rgentina! 1ishing to develo% a good relationshi% with the "rgentine %resident, Skorzeny gave no hint that he even knew the treasure e0isted! "rgentina was a %lace of great unrest at the ti e, and 2eron readily acce%ted Skorzeny's offer to hel% aintain order in the country! One result of Skorzeny's #hel%# was that the "rgentine %olice beca e +uite versed in 3azi torture and interrogation ethods! $vita's trust had to be won in a ore clever fashion! (n 5uly, ,-.-, Skorzeny received word that two navy officers were %lanning to urder the first lady! The big co ando led a %olice raid on the en's a%art ent, where he found guns, a o, and details of the hit! Skorzeny rushed to the $vita's office and warned her of the %lot! She did not take the %lot seriously, but did invite Skorzeny to acco %any her on a visit to one of her charities! On the way, Skorzeny ordered the driver to sto%! He >u %ed out of the li ousine and ran into a nearby building! Skorzeny e erged o ents later, holding the two would/be assassins at gun%oint! (n truth, the two en had been ca%tured and %laced in the building earlier by for er SS e bers Skorzeny had dis%atched after the a%art ent raid! He never told $vita that the rescue was staged, however, for he had now gained her trust! $vita and Skorzeny beca e lovers, and by early ,-E7 he had reclai ed roughly one/forth of the &or ann treasure, which he funneled back to O*$SS" and other 3azi grou%s! 1hen $vita died fro cancer in ,-E6, the re ainder of the &or ann treasure was inherited by 5uan 2eron! Skorzeny finally recovered the re ainder of the fortune in ,-EE, when 2eron's govern ent fell! Skorzeny hel%ed 2eron esca%e "rgentina and arranged for hi to live in e0ile in S%ain! Skorzeny received the re ainder of the &or ann treasure in return! Fascists and Funda entalists Skorzeny had also been s%ending ti e in $gy%t! (n ,-E6 the country had been taken over by the )("/backed @eneral 'oha ed 3aguib, who was effectively a %u%%et of $gy%tian )olonel @a al "bdel 3asser! Skorzeny was sent to $gy%t the following year by for er 3azi @eneral Reinhard @ehlen, who was now working for the )(", to act as 3aguib's ilitary advisor! Skorzeny recruited a staff ade u% of for er SS officers to train the $gy%tian ar y! " ong these die/hard 3azis were @eneral Oskar *irlewanger, the #&utcher of 1arsaw,# and "dolf $ich ann, the an who engineered the Final Solution! 'any other 3azis >oined Skorzeny in $gy%t, attracted to the 3aguibG3asser govern ent's tolerance for fascis and their shared hatred for the newly created state of (srael! The 3azis further fueled "rab antise itis with translated co%ies of 'ein Da %f and The 2rotocols of the $lders of Hion! (n addition to training the ar y, Skorzeny also trained "rab volunteers in co ando tactics for %ossible use against &ritish troo%s stationed in the Suez )anal zone! Several 2alestinian refugees also received co ando
training, and Skorzeny %lanned their initial strikes into (srael via the @aza Stri% in ,-E=/,-E.! One of these 2alestinians was a young ?asser "rafat, who for ed a long/lasting friendshi% with the 3azi co ando! Skorzeny and the 3azi Hunters <nlike any of his fellow 3azis, Skorzeny never denounced Hitler or 3ational Socialis , and re ained una%ologetic for his actions during the war! For nearly thirty years, he devoted uch ti e to thwarting 3azi hunters, though Skorzeny was rarely a target hi self! (n ,-A., fa ed 3azi hunter Si on 1iesenthal located Franz 2aul Stangl, for er co ander of the Treblinka death ca %, in &razil! However, the &razilian %olice refuse to arrest hi and "ustrian authorities refused to e0tradite hi ! For three years, Skorzeny bribed %olice and "ustrian officials until an anti/3azi governor was elected in Stangl's state, and 1iesenthal was finally able to arrange the war cri inal's arrest and e0tradition! Skorzeny also used long trial delays as a tactic to %revent his co rades fro facing >ustice! *elays of ten years were not unco on, due to bribes doled out to >udges and %rosecutors! He was also very good at hiding his fellow 3azis! 1hen "dolf $ich an was ca%tured by (sraeli agents in &uenos "ires in ,-A7, Skorzeny sent word to other 3azis in the city to seek safer locations i ediately! One of these was 5osef 'engele, "uschwitz's #"ngel of *eath,# who was res%onsible for sending tens of thousands to their deaths in the gas cha bers, and thanks to Skorzeny and O*$SS", never %aid for his cri es! 2rotecting his fellow 3azis also involved killing any who atte %ted to s+ueal! (n ,-AE Hubert )urkers, the #'onster of Riga# who hel%ed assacre =6,777 4atvian 5ews in ,-.,, offered to reveal 'engele's location to 5ewish agents for F,E7,777 and a guarantee of his own safety! " few days later )urkers' body was found in 'ontevideo, <ruguay with his skull crushed! *eath and 4egacy (n ,-C7, a tu or was discovered on Skorzeny's s%ine! The co ando leader underwent back surgery in Ha burg, while fellow O*$SS" e bers stood guard! Two cancerous tu ors were re oved, leaving hi %aralyzed fro the waist down! Vowing to walk again, Skorzeny s%ent long hours with a %hysical thera%ist, and within si0 onths was back on his feet! The years following thera%y were hard for Skorzeny, as the cancer was ravaging his body! So e days he felt well, other days the cancer re inded hi that his final days were fast a%%roaching! Still he continued his work with O*$SS", though he was not as active as before! Otto Skorzeny finally succu bed to the cancer on 5uly C, ,-CE in 'adrid! Over E77 3azi diehards fro all over the world attended his e orial service! Though dead for nearly thirty years, Skorzeny's legacy re ains with us today! His %ioneering terrorist tactics live on in the likes of ?assir "rafat and Osa a &in/4aden! His una%ologetic fascis and antise itis live on in %oliticians like 5org Haider and 5ean/'arie 4e 2en! Skorzeny's ost %owerful legacy of all, however, would be O*$SS"! Saving the lives and %reventing the ca%ture of so any 3azis certainly ensured the continued survival of fascis ! 1ho knows what fascist, neo/3azi, and antise itic enter%rises the &or ann treasure has funded and continues to fundI )ertainly the esca%e and survival of so any 3azis :,.; served as an ins%iration for any of today's fascist, antise itic, and neo/3azi organizations, and any of these war cri inals beca e %ersonally involved in cultivating subse+uent generations of hate!
$ndnotes ,! @lenn & (nfield, Skorzeny9 Hitler's )o ando :3ew ?ork9 St 'artin's 2ress, ,-8,;, ,,!
6! *ueling societies were %o%ular in universities throughout the @er an/s%eaking world u% until the ,-=7s, when they were banned by the 3azis! Revived after 1orld 1ar ((, dueling societies e0ist to this day in @er an and "ustrian universities! =! )harles 1hiting, Skorzeny :3ew ?ork9 &allantine &ooks, ,-C6;, ,C! .! Otto Skorzeny, Skorzeny's Secret 'issions :3ew ?ork9 $2 *utton and )o %any, (nc, ,-E7;, ,A! E! (bid, 8E! A! (nfield, .=! C! (bid! 8! 5ohn Toland, "dolf Hitler :3ew ?ork9 &allatine &ooks, ,-CA;, ,7==! -! 1hiting, A.! ,7! (nfield, C8! ,,! 'artin " 4ee, The &east Reawakens :3ew ?ork9 Routledge, 6777;, ==! ,6! Organisation der $he aligen SS/"ngehorigen, or Organization of For er SS 'e bers! ,=! (nfield, ,E,! ,.! @er any's list of wanted war cri inals contains over -7,777 na es, with only a s all fraction of the have ever faced >ustice! &ibliogra%hy $ncyclo%aedia &ritannica Online! Jhtt%9GGwww!search!eb!co GK L"ccessed October ,E, 6776M! (nfield, @lenn &! Skorzeny9 Hitler's )o ando! 3ew ?ork 9 St! 'artin's 2ress, ,-8,!
4ee, 'artin "! The &east Reawakens! 3ew ?ork9 Routledge, 6777! Skorzeny, Otto! Skorzey's S%ecial 'issions! 4ondon9 R Hale, ,-EC! Toland, 5ohn! "dolf Hitler! 3ew ?ork9 &allantine &ooks, ,-CA! / / / ! #4iving History!# The 5ournal of Historical Review! Vol ,,, no , :s%ring ,--,;9 E/6.! "vailable online Jhtt%9GGwww!ihr!orgG>hrGv,,Gv,,%//ENToland!ht lK 1hiting, )harles! Skorzeny! 3ew ?ork9 &allantine &ooks, ,-C6!
Rob Vest Few in the Third Reich cut as colorful a figure as Otto Skorzeny, Hitler's favorite co ando! "t one ti e considered #the ost dangerous an in $uro%e,# by the "llies, Skorzeny was res%onsible for rescuing &enito 'ussolini fro a ountainto% resort in (taly, kidna%ing the son of Hungarian regent 'iklos Horthy, wreaking havoc at the &attle of the &ulge, and %reventing Su%re e "llied )o ander *wight * $isenhower fro leaving his head+uarters in Versailles during )hrist as week of ,-.. for fear of an alleged assassination %lot! "t the end of the war, Skorzeny surrendered to the "llies, but was only interned for a few years before anaging to esca%e! Skorzeny's %ost/war e0%loits rivaled, and in any ways, sur%assed his acco %lish ents during warti e! He was courted during the )old 1ar by both the " ericans and the Soviets, served as an advisor in the 2eron govern ent in "rgentina, and hel%ed to relocate and %rotect several of his fellow 3azis! Skorzeny also develo%ed terrorist tactics used to this day by organizations as diverse as the (R", 24O, and the Sy bionese 4iberation "r y! This %a%er will %rovide a brief overview of Otto Skorzeny's life before, during, and after 1orld 1ar ((! The 'aking of Scarface The an who would one day be celebrated as the greatest adventurer of the Third Reich ca e fro a rather une0ce%tional background! Otto Skorzeny was born 5une ,6, ,-78, in Vienna, "ustria! Otto's father owned a successful engineering fir , and the fa ily lived +uite co fortably until the de%ression that ravished "ustria at the end of 1orld 1ar (! 1hen the teenaged Otto once co %lained that he'd never tasted real butter, his father's res%onse was %ro%hetic9 #There is no har in doing without things! (t ight even be good for you not to get used to a soft life!# :,; Otto entered the <niversity of Vienna on his eighteenth birthday, and graduated in ,-=, with an engineering degree, after which he started his own fir ! Though Skorzeny's skill as an engineer would later %rove +uite useful in %lanning his issions of terroris and sabotage, his ti e in the Schlagende Verbindungen :dueling society; would %rove the ost influential %art of his college e0%erience! :6; Skorzeny fought his first duel during his fresh an year, and in ,-68 earned the coveted Sch isse/the #scars of honor,# which would earn hi the nickna e of #Scarface# a ong the " ericans during 1orld 1ar ((! Skorzeny would later credit his success in war to his e0%eriences in the dueling society9 #'y knowledge of %ain, learned with the sabre, taught e not to be afraid! "nd >ust as in dueling when you ust concentrate on your ene y's cheek, so, too, in war! ?ou cannot waste ti e on feinting and sideste%%ing! ?ou ust decide on your target and go in!# :=; (n ,-=7, Skorzeny >oined the "ustrian 3azi 2arty and strongly advocated union with @er any! &y ,-=8 he was very active in the %arty and was a e ber of both the SS and the @esta%o! Skorzeny even %layed a inor role during the "nschluss, the @er an takeover of "ustria on 'arch ,6, ,-=8! (n order to %revent a bloodbath, Skorzeny was ordered by "rtur Seyss/(n+uart, "ustria's leading 3azi and its newly/a%%ointed chancellor, to interce%t several ar ed 3azis deter ined to take the "ustrian %alace by force! Skorzeny arrived >ust in ti e to %revent a shoot/out between the 3azis and "ustrian guards, and +uite likely saved the life of "ustrian 2resident 1ilhel 'iklas!
Skorzeny the Soldier 1orld 1ar (( broke out in Se%te ber of ,-=-! Skorzeny volunteered for the 4uftwaffe, but at A',.# and thirty/ one years of age, was considered too tall and too old for flight training! (nstead, Skorzeny's su%eriors assigned hi to train as a co unications e0%ert, an assign ent he hated! Five onths later, Skorzeny transferred to the 1affen SS, the ilitary ar of the SS, where he ho%ed to beco e an officer! He was classified as an officer/cadet, and would be co issioned if he %roved hi self! Skorzeny was %ut in charge of kee%ing his division's :*ivision Reich; tanks and other e+ui% ent o%erational! He was successful, but his unorthodo0 ethods often got hi into trouble! Skorzeny was not above stealing e+ui% ent fro other divisions, and once even took tires fro a de%ot at gun%oint! His chances for a co ission were tabled indefinitely when he shot down a %ortrait of 2rince &ernhard of the 3etherlands :who had denounced Hitler; fro the wall of a *utch cafB after the owner refused to re ove it! Skorzeny's fortunes turned in "%ril ,-., when his regi ent was sent to ?ugoslavia to +uell a revolt! The rebellion was engineered by ?ugoslav ilitary officers who overthrew the govern ent of 2rince/Regent 2aul on 'arch 6A/6C because they felt their ruler was getting too close to Hitler! Three days after the invasion, Skorzeny and his en anaged to ca%ture fifty/four ?ugoslav soldiers and three officers! Skorzeny arched his %risoners to his regi ent's head+uarters and was co issioned on the s%ot! &ut fortune would again turn her back on Otto! (n 5une of ,-.,, *ivision Reich %artici%ated in the invasion of the Soviet <nion, where it suffered heavy casualties! One day in early winter of that year, Skorzeny was hit in the back of the head by shra%nel when a Soviet artillery shell struck near his %osition so e 677 yards fro the front line! Taken to a nearby aid station, he refused all treat ent e0ce%t for a few as%irin, a bandage, and a glass of schna%%s! " few hours later, Skorzeny re>oined his regi ent, but his health only deteriorated! &y 5anuary ,-.6, he was headed back to @er any on a hos%ital train, %ro ising to return in a few weeks! &y the ti e he recovered, however, the Third Reich would have other %lans for Skorzeny! )o ando *ays
"fter recovering for a few onths in an ar y hos%ital, Skorzeny was su oned to &erlin in "%ril of ,-.= to eet with 1alter Schellenberg, head of the S* :the SS foreign intelligence service;! Schellenberg needed so eone to take charge of the schools being organized to train s%ecial agents in sabotage, es%ionage, and %ara ilitary skills! Skorzeny, though relatively unknown at the ti e, had been reco ended for the %osition by $rnst Daltenbrunner, chief of the RSH" :Reich )entral Security Office;, who Otto had known since his early days in the "ustrian 3azi 2arty! Skorzeny readily acce%ted the %osition, and training co enced! The en of what would beco e known as 5agdverbande :Hunting @rou%; E76 were culled fro the best of the best of the Reich's various ilitary units! $ach e ber was e0%ected to have a basic knowledge of firear s, grenades, and artillery! They also had to know how to o%erate auto obiles, otorcycles, watercraft, and loco otives! They had to be e0%ert swi ers and be able to %arachute fro aircraft! 'any were also trained in foreign languages, such as $nglish, (talian, Russian, and 2ersian! Skorzeny, for his %art, studied the techni+ues found in ca%tured &ritish co ando docu ents, and learned even ore fro ca%tured &ritish co andos who were willing to switch sides! He also attended a course on es%ionage taught by an "bwehr :ar y intelligence; officer! 5agdverbande E76's first ission, #O%eration Francois,# took %lace in the su er of ,-.=! The grou% %arachuted into (ran, where they ade contact with the dissident ountain tribes! These insurgent forces were used to sabotage <S and &ritish su%%lies of ateriel bound for the Soviet <nion! However, within a few onths, interest waned a ong the rebel tribes! Skorzeny, who re ained behind to train ore recruits,
characterized O%eration Francois as #a failure,# :.; due needed for the ission!
ainly to inade+uate reinforce ents and su%%lies
Though 5agdverbande E76 had gotten off to a shaky start, greater things lay in store! 1hile his co andos were i %le enting O%eration Francois in (ran, Skorzeny was ordered to a%%ear before the Fuhrer hi self! The Rescue of (l *uce Skorzeny a%%eared before "dolf Hitler on 5uly 6A, ,-.=! The Fuhrer had a s%ecial ission for the scar/faced co ando9 a day earlier, (talian dictator &enito 'ussolini had been forced to resign and arrested by his own %eo%le! Skorzeny's new ission would be to find 'ussolini and rescue hi before the new (talian govern ent surrendered and offered u% 'ussolini to the "llies! The following day, Skorzeny was in (taly, where he and his en s%ent over a onth trying to locate their +uarry! On Se%te ber 8, Skorzeny learned that 'ussolini was being held %risoner in a resort hotel sitting so e A777 feet ato% the @ran Sasso, the highest %eak of the "%%enine ountain range, so e eighty iles northeast of Ro e! "fter reconnoitering @ran Sasso by %lane, Skorzeny realized that assaulting the %eak by glider was his best o%tion! The 4uftwaffe e0%erts consulted by Skorzeny warned that such a feat was #technically i %ossible,# :E; due to the high altitude and bad landing conditions, but Skorzeny ignored their advice! On Se%te ber ,6, ,-.=, Skorzeny kidna%ed (talian general Ferdinando Soleti in Ro e! The co ando leader feared that 'ussolini would be killed by his ca%tors should the (talian guards delay Skorzeny's en for too long! The big "ustrian ho%ed Soleti's %resence would ensure that the guards coo%erated! That afternoon, the twelve gliders left for @ran Sasso, with Skorzeny's the first to reach its destination! "fter a rough landing, Skorzeny, followed by his en and Soleti, rushed into the hotel! They first entered the radio roo , where Skorzeny s ashed the radio with the butt of his %istol! Soon they were confronted by several ar ed guards! Seeing Soleti a ong the invaders, the guard ca%tain ordered his en to hold their fire! 1ithin inutes, Skorzeny had located 'ussolini! #*uce, the Fuhrer has sent e to set you free,# :A; he said! #( knew y friend "dolf Hitler would not abandon e,# re%lied 'ussolini, e bracing Skorzeny! :C; " s all s%otter %lane was called in and the fascist dictator was evacuated fro the ountain! Skorzeny had %ulled off the i %ossible/without firing a shot! The success of the @ran Sasso raid earned the scar/faced "ustrian the eternal gratitude his Fuhrer, who %honed Skorzeny early the ne0t orning9 #?ou have %erfor ed a ilitary feat which will beco e %art of history! ?ou have given e back y friend 'ussolini!# :8; For his rescue of 'ussolini, Skorzeny was awarded the %restigious Dnight's )ross and %ro oted to a>or! 2ractically overnight, Skorzeny's re%utation reached near/legendary %ro%ortions, and any regarded hi as a national hero! The o%eration also brought Skorzeny to the attention of the "llies! 1inston )hurchill hi self described the ission as #one of great daring!# :-; O%eration 'ickey 'ouse Skorzeny's ne0t a>or success would take %lace in Hungary on October ,E, ,-..! <%on hearing that 'iklos Horthy, the Hungarian regent, was negotiating an ar istice with the Soviets, Hitler sent his favorite co ando to Hungary to resolve the %roble ! Skorzeny's solution was #O%eration 'ickey 'ouse,# na ed after Horthy's son, 'iki, who any believed to be influencing his father to side with the <SSR! Skorzeny entered 'iki's a%art ent, shot hi in the ar and, ins%ired by @eorge &ernard Shaw's )aesar and )leo%atra, rolled hi u% in a rug and %ut hi on a %lane to &erlin!
The elder Horthy, des%ite the kidna%ing of his son, refused to coo%erate! Two days after the kidna%ing, Skorzeny stor ed the citadel where the regent resided! Skorzeny had a tank, twenty/five en, and a truck! The citadel was guarded by an entire %arachute battalion! 1ithin one hour, the Hungarians had surrendered, with a total of seven lives lost! O%eration @reif Skorzeny's last ission of note ca e during the last @er an offensive on the western front! Occurring on the borders of @er any and 4u0e burg, the &attle of the &ulge was the Third Reich's last gas%, lasting fro *ece ber ,A, ,-.. to 5an 6E, ,-.E! Skorzeny would %lay a s%ecial role in this offensive! (n late October, Hitler %ut Skorzeny in charge of #O%eration @reif!# Skorzeny would co and the ,E7th 2anzer &rigade, whose ission would be to ca%ture one or ore bridges on a stretch of the 'euse River in &elgiu , after the First 2anzer *ivision broke through the " erican defense! "dditionally, Skorzeny would co and a force of co andos ade u% of $nglish/s%eaking soldiers with " erican e+ui% ent and unifor s! The co andos were to sli% behind ene y lines and wreak havoc while the ,E7th 2anzer &rigade would secure the bridges! O%eration @reif initially et with so e success! On *ece ber ,C, ,-.., <S Third "r y co ander @eneral @eorge S 2atton described the situation to Su%re e "llied )o ander @eneral *wight * $isenhower9 #Drauts ! ! ! s%eaking %erfect $nglish ! ! ! raising hell, cutting wires, turning road signs around, s%ooking whole divisions, and shoving a bulge into our defenses!# :,7; 2atton also notified $isenhower that a ca%tured @er an officer had revealed a %lot to assassinate $isenhower, engineered by Skorzeny! Though after the war Skorzeny characterized the %lot as erely a ru or, $isenhower and the "llies took it seriously and the Su%re e )o ander was forced to s%end the holidays under a0i u security in Versailles! $isenhower res%onded with a no/holds/barred anhunt for Skorzeny, and #wanted# %osters featuring the 3azi co ando's likeness were distributed throughout the western front! Though O%eration @reif was initially so ewhat successful, it was a failure in the long run! "s *ece ber wore on, fewer and fewer of Skorzeny's co andos were able to bluff their way %ast security check%oints! 3or did his ,E7th 2anzer &rigade ever reach the 'euse, as the First 2anzer *ivision failed to break through " erican lines! &y *ece ber 68, Skorzeny knew the &attle of the &ulge was lost and left the front! 1erewolves and &uried Treasure Skorzeny saw little action after the &attle of the &ulge! For a few weeks in 5anuary and February, he held off the advancing Soviet ar y with a ragtag force at Schwedt on the Odur River, but eventually had to fall back! Skorzeny also received orders to blow u% a bridge on the Rhine at Re agen, but his frog en failed due to the icy waters! Dnowing, like any other 3azi leaders, that the war was lost, Skorzeny s%ent ost of his ti e %re%aring for the future! <ntil 'arch of ,-.E he hel%ed train several recruits for the underground resistance grou% known as the #1erewolves,# who were to ake occu%ation by the "llies difficult, if not i %ossible! Skorzeny soon discovered that the nu ber of 1erewolf cells had been greatly e0aggerated, and would be rather ineffective as a fighting force! (nstead, the 1erewolves would be used as %art of a 3azi #underground railroad,# facilitating travel along esca%e routes called #ratlines# that allowed thousands of SS officers and other 3azis to flee @er any after the fall of the Third Reich!
Since "ugust of ,-.., Skorzeny had been e %loyed by various high/ranking 3azis and wealthy @er an industrialists to transfer and hide large +uantities of oney, looted %ro%erty, docu ents, and other assets! So e of these were buried in the ountains of &avaria, while other stashes were shi%%ed overseas! Finally, in 'ay, Skorzeny decided to give hi self u% to the " ericans! Reluctant to go into hiding, Skorzeny felt he could %otentially be of use to the " ericans in the forthco ing )old 1ar! On 'ay ,A, ,-.E, Otto Skorzeny e erged fro the "ustrian woods near Salzburg and surrendered to a lieutenant of the <S Thirtieth (nfantry Regi ent! The Trial "fter two years in various intern ent ca %s, Skorzeny was to face charges of war cri es for his actions in the &attle of the &ulge! )haracterized at his arraign ent as #the ost dangerous an in $uro%e,# :,,; Skorzeny was brought before a <S ilitary court in *achau on "ugust ,8, ,-.C! He and nine fellow officers of the ,E7th 2anzer &rigade would face charges of i %ro%er use of ilitary insignia, theft of <S unifor s, and theft of Red )ross %arcels fro " erican %risoners of war! The trial lasted over three weeks! The charge of stealing Red )ross %arcels was dro%%ed for lack of evidence, but Skorzeny did ad it to ordering his en to wear " erican unifor s, and a conviction by the " erican court see ed e inent! &ut on Se%te ber -, the last day of the trial, a &ritish officer testified that he and his en had engaged in si ilar tactics during the war! Realizing that to convict Skorzeny would be hy%ocrisy, the tribunal ac+uitted the ten defendants! The $sca%e *es%ite his ac+uittal by the " ericans, Skorzeny re ained a %risoner, as other nations wished to try hi for war cri es! *uring his intern ent, both before and after the *achau trial, Skorzeny continued his clandestine activities! "n infor ant for "r y )ounterintelligence discovered a vast underground network known as O*$SS", :,6; which hel%ed 3azi %risoners esca%e and secure false identity %a%ers! Otto Skorzeny was identified as a leader of this ove ent, though very little concrete evidence e0isted! 'eanwhile, while in %rison, Skorzeny received offers of e %loy ent fro the Soviets! He refused all of these, but said nothing of such overtures until early ,-.8, when he told his " erican ca%tors, %erha%s to %revent his e0tradition for another trial! (n fact, the <S had been blocking his e0tradition to Soviet/controlled )zechoslovakia since his ac+uittal! <nfortunately, by idsu er of ,-.8 it looked like the )zechs would succeed, as they were now working through the <nited 3ations! &y that ti e, both the <S and Skorzeny knew so ething had to be done to kee% hi out of Soviet hands! On 5uly 6C, ,-.8, a car bearing " erican ilitary license %lates arrived at the *ar stadt intern ent ca % where the infa ous co ando was being held! Three <S "r y %olice/one ca%tain and two enlisted en/ e0ited the vehicle and entered the detention center! #1e are here to take %risoner Otto Skorzeny to 3ure burg for his scheduled hearing to orrow,# :,=; the ca%tain announced! 1ithin inutes, Skorzeny was handed over to the #%olice#/who were actually SS veterans/and vanished fro the ca % forever! 1hen +uestioned years later about the esca%e, Skorzeny clai ed that the license %lates and unifor s were su%%lied by the " ericans! Otto and $vita Shortly after his esca%e fro *ar stadt, Skorzeny established a base of o%erations in 'adrid, S%ain, under the fascist regi e of Francisco Franco! Here Skorzeny started a successful engineering fir , but also engaged in less scru%ulous ventures, such as the international ar s trade! He also continued to oversee the activities of O*$SS" and other 3azi organizations!
(n ,-.-, Skorzeny was known to be in "rgentina, where any of his fellow 3azis had fled to the safety of the fascist 2eron govern ent! Skorzeny went to "rgentina because he was concerned about the &or ann treasure/a vast a ount of wealth accu ulated by Hitler's right/hand an, 'artin &or ann, who for years had been e bezzling oney fro a secret 3azi fund in the Reichsbank in &erlin! This secret fund was derived fro the currency, gold, >ewels, and other assets taken fro the victi s of the death ca %s! Skorzeny had hel%ed &or ann transfer %art of this fortune before the war ended! 'artin &or ann had entrusted 5uan 2eron as caretaker of the 3azi fortune before the end of the war! (n ,-.E, 2eron arried the social/cli bing te %tress $vita *uarte, and before long she had arranged to have the entire a ount of the fortune de%osited in her na e in several &uenos "ires banks! The &or ann treasure at the end of ,-.E was esti ated at over F877 illion in bank de%osits, 6E77 kilogra s of gold, -7 kilogra s of %latinu , and .A77 carats of dia onds and other %recious stones! 1hen &or ann failed to a%%ear after the war ended, the 2erons acted as if the fortune were theirs alone! 5uan 2eron had ad ired Skorzeny ever since the 'ussolini rescue, and welco ed the big "ustrian %ersonally u%on his arrival in "rgentina! 1ishing to develo% a good relationshi% with the "rgentine %resident, Skorzeny gave no hint that he even knew the treasure e0isted! "rgentina was a %lace of great unrest at the ti e, and 2eron readily acce%ted Skorzeny's offer to hel% aintain order in the country! One result of Skorzeny's #hel%# was that the "rgentine %olice beca e +uite versed in 3azi torture and interrogation ethods! $vita's trust had to be won in a ore clever fashion! (n 5uly, ,-.-, Skorzeny received word that two navy officers were %lanning to urder the first lady! The big co ando led a %olice raid on the en's a%art ent, where he found guns, a o, and details of the hit! Skorzeny rushed to the $vita's office and warned her of the %lot! She did not take the %lot seriously, but did invite Skorzeny to acco %any her on a visit to one of her charities! On the way, Skorzeny ordered the driver to sto%! He >u %ed out of the li ousine and ran into a nearby building! Skorzeny e erged o ents later, holding the two would/be assassins at gun%oint! (n truth, the two en had been ca%tured and %laced in the building earlier by for er SS e bers Skorzeny had dis%atched after the a%art ent raid! He never told $vita that the rescue was staged, however, for he had now gained her trust! $vita and Skorzeny beca e lovers, and by early ,-E7 he had reclai ed roughly one/forth of the &or ann treasure, which he funneled back to O*$SS" and other 3azi grou%s! 1hen $vita died fro cancer in ,-E6, the re ainder of the &or ann treasure was inherited by 5uan 2eron! Skorzeny finally recovered the re ainder of the fortune in ,-EE, when 2eron's govern ent fell! Skorzeny hel%ed 2eron esca%e "rgentina and arranged for hi to live in e0ile in S%ain! Skorzeny received the re ainder of the &or ann treasure in return! Fascists and Funda entalists Skorzeny had also been s%ending ti e in $gy%t! (n ,-E6 the country had been taken over by the )("/backed @eneral 'oha ed 3aguib, who was effectively a %u%%et of $gy%tian )olonel @a al "bdel 3asser! Skorzeny was sent to $gy%t the following year by for er 3azi @eneral Reinhard @ehlen, who was now working for the )(", to act as 3aguib's ilitary advisor! Skorzeny recruited a staff ade u% of for er SS officers to train the $gy%tian ar y! " ong these die/hard 3azis were @eneral Oskar *irlewanger, the #&utcher of 1arsaw,# and "dolf $ich ann, the an who engineered the Final Solution! 'any other 3azis >oined Skorzeny in $gy%t, attracted to the 3aguibG3asser govern ent's tolerance for fascis and their shared hatred for the newly created state of (srael! The 3azis further fueled "rab antise itis with translated co%ies of 'ein Da %f and The 2rotocols of the $lders of Hion! (n addition to training the ar y, Skorzeny also trained "rab volunteers in co ando tactics for %ossible use against &ritish troo%s stationed in the Suez )anal zone! Several 2alestinian refugees also received co ando
training, and Skorzeny %lanned their initial strikes into (srael via the @aza Stri% in ,-E=/,-E.! One of these 2alestinians was a young ?asser "rafat, who for ed a long/lasting friendshi% with the 3azi co ando! Skorzeny and the 3azi Hunters <nlike any of his fellow 3azis, Skorzeny never denounced Hitler or 3ational Socialis , and re ained una%ologetic for his actions during the war! For nearly thirty years, he devoted uch ti e to thwarting 3azi hunters, though Skorzeny was rarely a target hi self! (n ,-A., fa ed 3azi hunter Si on 1iesenthal located Franz 2aul Stangl, for er co ander of the Treblinka death ca %, in &razil! However, the &razilian %olice refuse to arrest hi and "ustrian authorities refused to e0tradite hi ! For three years, Skorzeny bribed %olice and "ustrian officials until an anti/3azi governor was elected in Stangl's state, and 1iesenthal was finally able to arrange the war cri inal's arrest and e0tradition! Skorzeny also used long trial delays as a tactic to %revent his co rades fro facing >ustice! *elays of ten years were not unco on, due to bribes doled out to >udges and %rosecutors! He was also very good at hiding his fellow 3azis! 1hen "dolf $ich an was ca%tured by (sraeli agents in &uenos "ires in ,-A7, Skorzeny sent word to other 3azis in the city to seek safer locations i ediately! One of these was 5osef 'engele, "uschwitz's #"ngel of *eath,# who was res%onsible for sending tens of thousands to their deaths in the gas cha bers, and thanks to Skorzeny and O*$SS", never %aid for his cri es! 2rotecting his fellow 3azis also involved killing any who atte %ted to s+ueal! (n ,-AE Hubert )urkers, the #'onster of Riga# who hel%ed assacre =6,777 4atvian 5ews in ,-.,, offered to reveal 'engele's location to 5ewish agents for F,E7,777 and a guarantee of his own safety! " few days later )urkers' body was found in 'ontevideo, <ruguay with his skull crushed! *eath and 4egacy (n ,-C7, a tu or was discovered on Skorzeny's s%ine! The co ando leader underwent back surgery in Ha burg, while fellow O*$SS" e bers stood guard! Two cancerous tu ors were re oved, leaving hi %aralyzed fro the waist down! Vowing to walk again, Skorzeny s%ent long hours with a %hysical thera%ist, and within si0 onths was back on his feet! The years following thera%y were hard for Skorzeny, as the cancer was ravaging his body! So e days he felt well, other days the cancer re inded hi that his final days were fast a%%roaching! Still he continued his work with O*$SS", though he was not as active as before! Otto Skorzeny finally succu bed to the cancer on 5uly C, ,-CE in 'adrid! Over E77 3azi diehards fro all over the world attended his e orial service! Though dead for nearly thirty years, Skorzeny's legacy re ains with us today! His %ioneering terrorist tactics live on in the likes of ?assir "rafat and Osa a &in/4aden! His una%ologetic fascis and antise itis live on in %oliticians like 5org Haider and 5ean/'arie 4e 2en! Skorzeny's ost %owerful legacy of all, however, would be O*$SS"! Saving the lives and %reventing the ca%ture of so any 3azis certainly ensured the continued survival of fascis ! 1ho knows what fascist, neo/3azi, and antise itic enter%rises the &or ann treasure has funded and continues to fundI )ertainly the esca%e and survival of so any 3azis :,.; served as an ins%iration for any of today's fascist, antise itic, and neo/3azi organizations, and any of these war cri inals beca e %ersonally involved in cultivating subse+uent generations of hate!
$ndnotes ,! @lenn & (nfield, Skorzeny9 Hitler's )o ando :3ew ?ork9 St 'artin's 2ress, ,-8,;, ,,!
6! *ueling societies were %o%ular in universities throughout the @er an/s%eaking world u% until the ,-=7s, when they were banned by the 3azis! Revived after 1orld 1ar ((, dueling societies e0ist to this day in @er an and "ustrian universities! =! )harles 1hiting, Skorzeny :3ew ?ork9 &allantine &ooks, ,-C6;, ,C! .! Otto Skorzeny, Skorzeny's Secret 'issions :3ew ?ork9 $2 *utton and )o %any, (nc, ,-E7;, ,A! E! (bid, 8E! A! (nfield, .=! C! (bid! 8! 5ohn Toland, "dolf Hitler :3ew ?ork9 &allatine &ooks, ,-CA;, ,7==! -! 1hiting, A.! ,7! (nfield, C8! ,,! 'artin " 4ee, The &east Reawakens :3ew ?ork9 Routledge, 6777;, ==! ,6! Organisation der $he aligen SS/"ngehorigen, or Organization of For er SS 'e bers! ,=! (nfield, ,E,! ,.! @er any's list of wanted war cri inals contains over -7,777 na es, with only a s all fraction of the have ever faced >ustice! &ibliogra%hy $ncyclo%aedia &ritannica Online! Jhtt%9GGwww!search!eb!co GK L"ccessed October ,E, 6776M! (nfield, @lenn &! Skorzeny9 Hitler's )o ando! 3ew ?ork 9 St! 'artin's 2ress, ,-8,!
4ee, 'artin "! The &east Reawakens! 3ew ?ork9 Routledge, 6777! Skorzeny, Otto! Skorzey's S%ecial 'issions! 4ondon9 R Hale, ,-EC! Toland, 5ohn! "dolf Hitler! 3ew ?ork9 &allantine &ooks, ,-CA! / / / ! #4iving History!# The 5ournal of Historical Review! Vol ,,, no , :s%ring ,--,;9 E/6.! "vailable online Jhtt%9GGwww!ihr!orgG>hrGv,,Gv,,%//ENToland!ht lK 1hiting, )harles! Skorzeny! 3ew ?ork9 &allantine &ooks, ,-C6!
