Nazi teenagers were primed for an invasion of the UK with a textbook that portrayed Britain as evil and Hitler as a man of peace, it has been revealed.
The book, written in English, was intended to prepare German school children for a role as rulers of the UK after a successful Nazi take-over.
It makes a variety of bold claims, accusing Jews of running the British press, and says that English people secretly support Fascism.
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Hitler is portrayed as a ‘great peacemaker’ while English ‘atrocities’ against India and Ireland are described in gory detail – with no mention of Nazi death camps.
And the gulf between the upper and working classes is greatly exaggerated, with whole chapters dedicated to the Victorian slums of London.
Sections have titles like ‘A Document of Misery’, ‘Decline and Fall of the British Empire’ and ‘England and the Jews’.
But the textbook also celebrates various aspects of British culture, including the countryside and the works of Shakespeare.
A picture of the Bard’s birthplace, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Warks., is even splashed across the front cover.
Hitler, a notorious fan of the playwright, even dedicated a section of the text to his role as a British cultural icon.
The book, which was designed to be distributed among German teens ahead of a planned invasion, celebrates Hitler as a man of peace.
One section reads: “He [Hitler] made before the German people and the world several offers of peace, in words which were unequivocal, emotional and idealistic.
“He was called a liar in the world press. He offered France friendship saying that there was no further cause of quarrel between their two peoples.
“The French press spat on his outstretched hand and increased their military strength.”
The 1942 book was entitled ‘Hirts Englandkundliches Lesebuch fur die Oberstufe an Oberschulen’ [‘English Textbook theory for Colleges and High Schools’], and was written at the height of Nazi expansion across Europe.
Richard Westwood-Brookes, of Mullock’s Auctioneers in Ludlow, Shrops., said the textbook gave a ‘comic-book’ interpretation of 1940s British life.
He said: “This is a chilling reminder of what the Nazis had in store for us had they successfully invaded in 1940.
“They were clearly preparing their students and their troops for occupation of the UK – training them in the culture and history of our country so that they knew what to expect when they took over.
“It is particularly frightening to see the chapters on our Jewish heritage and our relationships with the Jews in the UK.”
The book has been put up for sale by a private collector and is expected to fetch £250 when it goes up for auction this week
