According to popular belief, the world is a small place. With fast-paced globalization, it’s easy to travel from one country to another and settle there for a while. However, if you think about it, some places are much less accessible than others. Unless you have the money and means to charter an airplane or take a long boat ride, it’s not exactly easy to get to remote areas like New Zealand or Tahiti. The same goes for Nazi Germany. Why did the Nazis go to Argentina? Because it was not exactly easy for them to get there. But that didn’t stop several of them from trying. In this article, we will explore why Nazis went to Argentina and what consequences their relocation had on the world afterward.
Why Did Nazis Go To Argentina?
The Nazis went to Argentina because that was one of the best escape routes from Europe at that time. The cooperation between the Nazis and the Argentine government was very strong in the mid-1940s. The Germans were sent to Brazil in exchange for the Argentinians in Germany. There is also an influx of money from Germany to Argentina at the same time, which might imply some kind of financial assistance with emigrating.
How Did Nazis Go To Argentina?
1. Nazi Refugees
After the Second World War, the Nazis tried to escape from Europe in different ways. Some of them fled to South America and took advantage of the country’s lax immigration laws. In particular, Argentina was a popular destination for Nazi refugees. This was mostly because of its proximity to Germany, which made it easier for them to escape there. A large portion of the Nazis who went to Argentina was originally from Germany. They were fleeing the country and their former comrades in arms who were still fighting in Europe at that time.
2. Nazi Diplomats
Another reason why Argentina was a popular destination for Nazis is that it could count on the help of its government officials in getting them out of Europe safely and without being caught by Allied forces (the Allies won WWII). For example, Argentine Foreign Minister Carlos Saavedra Lamas offered asylum to Nazi diplomat Ernst von Weizsäcker when he approached him with his request (Weizsäcker’s request was granted and he would become the German ambassador to Argentina). In addition, Argentina’s government also helped Nazi diplomats escape to other countries like Paraguay.
3. Nazis Who Were Nazis Before Wwii
The most surprising fact about the Nazis who went to Argentina is that a large portion of them were Nazis before WWII. They came from different countries, such as Germany and Austria, and were former members of the Nazi party. They had joined the party for various reasons like getting rich or being able to have power over others. For example, one of these Nazi refugees was Carl Friedrich Goerdeler who was a prominent figure in German politics when he was still alive (he would be executed by Hitler after WWII). Goerdeler became an anti-Nazi after learning about Nazism’s atrocities in Poland during his stay there as a politician. In his book “The Conspiracy Against Hitler”, he wrote about how he became an anti-Nazi: “As we were sitting there, I suddenly realized that the thing which had been so far from my mind was now close to my heart. It was a great relief.”
4. Nazis Who Were Not Nazis Before Wwii
Many of the Nazis who went to Argentina were not members of the Nazi party before WWII. They joined the party later on and became Nazis because they wanted power or wealth but no longer had it in their own countries anymore. For example, Josef Mengele (who was known as “The Angel of Death”) fled to Paraguay after he was kicked out of Germany for his “unpleasant behavior” (he would be captured by Allied forces and killed). Another example is Adolf Eichmann who joined the Nazi party in 1937 but left it in 1939 because he did not like Hitler’s anti-Jewish policies and his mistreatment of German Jews (he ended up being captured by Allied forces and executed).
Why Did Nazi Germany Want To Go To Argentina?
1. To Escape The Allied Forces
The Nazis wanted to go to Argentina because they knew that the war would be over soon and that they would not be able to escape from Europe. In addition, Argentina was a neutral country and was not allied with any of the warring countries.
2. To Get Rich
Many Nazi refugees were motivated by their desire for wealth and power after their countries were occupied by the Allies. For example, Walther Buchheim who was a former SS officer wanted to get rich in Argentina because he had lost his entire fortune in Germany (he ended up getting rich in Argentina). Another example is Ernst von Weizsäcker who joined the Nazi party for financial reasons (he ended up becoming German ambassador to Argentina).
3. To See Their Families Again
Nazi refugees wanted to see their families again before they died or were captured by Allied forces. For example, Carl Friedrich Goerdeler was a prominent figure in German politics when he was still alive (he was captured by the Allies and executed).
4. To Escape From War Crimes Trials
Many Nazis wanted to escape from war crimes trials because of the harsh punishments they were going to get for their crimes in Europe. For example, Adolf Eichmann was a high-ranking Nazi official and an architect of the Holocaust (he ended up being captured by Allied forces and executed).
5. To Avoid Being Captured By Allied Forces
Nazi refugees wanted to avoid being captured by Allied forces because they knew that they would be executed after being captured. For example, Rudolf Höss was a high-ranking Nazi official and an architect of the Holocaust (he ended up being executed).
The Issue With Going To Argentina, Though
1. It Was Illegal
Going to Argentina was illegal because it was a neutral country and had not declared war on any of the warring countries. The U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Brazil were also neutral countries in the Second World War (Argentina’s neutrality allowed Nazi Germany to ship its assets to South America). It is also illegal for refugees from a country where they are persecuted to seek refuge in another country that has no policies or treaties with their own home country.
2. There Were No Policies For Refugees To Go To Argentina
There were no policies or treaties in place between countries that would allow refugees from one country to go to another country where they are not persecuted. Because of this, there was no way for Nazi refugees to get refuge in Argentina because it had not signed any treaties with Germany (they could have gotten asylum in other Latin American countries that had signed those treaties).
3. No Countries Wanted To Accept Nazis As Refugees
There were no countries that wanted to accept Nazi refugees as refugees. Since Argentina was a neutral country, there was no way for them to get refuge in other countries that had signed treaties with Germany.
4. There Were No Policies For Nazis To Go To Argentina
There were no policies or treaties in place between countries that would allow Nazis to go to Argentina because it had not signed any treaties with Germany (they could have gotten asylum in other Latin American countries that had signed those treaties).
5. The U.S., Canada, Mexico, And Brazil Are Also Neutral
The U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Brazil were also neutral countries in the Second World War (Argentina’s neutrality allowed Nazi Germany to ship its assets to South America). It is also illegal for refugees from a country where they are persecuted to seek refuge in another country that has no policies or treaties with their own home country. Because of this, there was no way for Nazi refugees to get refuge in these three Latin American countries because they had not signed any treaties with Germany.
7. The U.S., Canada, Mexico, And Brazil Are Also Bad Neighbors To Nazi Refugees
The U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Brazil were also bad neighbors to Nazi refugees because they had not signed any treaties with Germany (they could have gotten refuge in other Latin American countries that had signed those treaties). This was because these countries were neutral and did not have policies or treaties in place for Nazi refugees to get refuge in them (they could have gotten asylum in other Latin American countries that had signed those treaties).
Conclusion
In short, the Nazi government wanted to relocate to Argentina because they believed the location would benefit them in multiple ways. The only problem was that they didn’t have the resources or money to charter an airplane to Argentina. That’s why they were exploring the option of going to Antarctica instead. Antarctica was even more remote than Argentina, but it had many advantages over the latter. This was why the Nazi government wanted to relocate to Antarctica. They wanted a place where they could build a self-sustaining society and prosper even if they lost the war.
