What a *beep* moron he was. Yes; I understand why he didn't want to abandon his villa. But; for God's sake; Italy was part of the Axis!! So; when the USA was finally drawn into the war, what the hell do you think would happen?!!? You should have listened to all your friends; and got the heLL out in 1939!!! *beep*
shareHindsight is 20/20.
All Aaron had to go on was known history. Before World War 2, the mass extermination of 11 million people was almost unheard of. He was prepared for exile, being denied certain rights, etc. The idea that Germany would execute him for a difference of theology was incomprehensible to him.
Hell, even with the evidence we have of the atrocities, there are still many who do not believe the Holocaust ever happened.
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Listen to them—the children of the night. What music they make!
I agree, and I would also add that Aaron had officially converted to Catholicism, so he felt that would be enough to save himself in case anything should ever happen. Plus, he was in Italy, which wasn't a full ally of Germany until 1940.
To be sure, Aaron did try to leave early on, but was held up by passport problems originating from the US State Department, which led to his being placed under house arrest as a "stateless person of Polish origin" at a time when Poland was under Nazi occupation.
I think his biggest mistake was in leaving the Redeemer and trusting Werner Beck. I don't know if there were any Italian authorities he could have gone to for protection; I think he had a friend at the Vatican. But that may have been the better bet.