Chapter 3 Grindelwald Makes Germany A World Power; His failure to seize MACUSA
The next day Hugo continued his reading:
... Grindelwald had only to let the economic problems settle in and then he made his move. He allied himself with a little man with a mustache and his troublemakers.
In 1923 there was a failed attempt to take Germany by force and violence. The little man and the rest of the people who caused the attempted coup were imprisoned. Gridelwald Apparated into the prison. He encouraged the little man to tell his story. One of his comrads acted as a scribe. After nine months he used the Imperius Curse to free the little man.
The little man was told to abandon his idea of overtaking the government by force and to get himself legally elected. He did this and became Chancellor ten years after his failed coup. If was a powerful position as the president's health was failing and the parliment was quarrelling.
Grindelwald's Failed Attempt on The Magical Congress of the United States of America (MACUSA )
Grindelwald left the Little Man and set sail for the United States of America. We do not know whether he used a wizarding or Muggle ship. He is believed to have used some common German name so that is would be impossible to point the some Hans Schmidt and say "that's Grindelwald".
Once He got to New York he abducted Auror Percival Graves. He imprisoned the Auror and used his hair in Polyjuice Potion to take on the Auror's appearance. He then set about taking over the Auror Department. Aurors that were more alert were suspended or dismissed.
Auror Tina Goldstein was suspended for reporting the activities of the New Salemers, group run by Mary Lou Barebone, a woman descended from Scourers. What Tina had seen frightened her greatly. She feared if the group were taken seriously there could be new witch hunts, trials and executions.
The fake Graves used Tina's report to suspend her. In 1926 Newt Scamander came to New York City with a suitcase full of Magical Animals some of which were accidentally released by a No-mag (Muggle). The fake Graves tried to have Newt and Tina executed. They were rescued and Grindelwald was captured by MACUSA. Numerous No-majs. had seen the the magical creatures. Newt and the other Majs repaired the damage done to the city. A spell with a Thunderbird was used to create rain that would Obliviate the Muggles as to Magical creatures and the damage done to done to their City.
Grindelwald was arrested and would have been executed were it not for his escape and flight back to Europe. After Grindelwald escaped the real Percival Graves was found in a large trunk in his home in an enchanted sleep. His hair had been cut irregularly. He was awakened and taken to a wizarding hospital for a checkup. Graves returned to Duty after a haircut to even out his hair.
Years later Bartemius Crouch Jr. used the same stunt on Ex-Auror Alastor Moody in Great Britain. He was successful, fooling everyone for some ten months. When he was captured Voldemort had been brought back in a dark ceremony.
The Little Man Becomes Der Füher
The Little man organized youth movements and gradually assumed absolute power. When the president died and the parliment dissolved itself. Some Germans needed to be put in line or killed. The SS took care of this. Grindelwald helped with a few well placed AVADA KADAVRAs.
As the little man gained more power he fortified the Rheinland and annexed Austria. Then he grabbed Czechoslovakia. He marched into Poland and took it over.
Wizarding Soldiers All Waffen SS
There were several armys. The more elite part of the army was the SS. Grindelwald persuaded the little man, now known as "Der Füher", to make all wizarding soldiers part of the "Waffen SS ". There were several kinds of SS but Gridelwald wanted all wizards in the Waffen SS. Gridelwald had helped the Füher so much that he agreed all wizarding soldiers would be Waffen SS. This group was known for fierce and tenacious fighting. At times they committed needless acts of brutality. (Needless in the since there was no military advantage gained from the violence.)
Grindelwald, bad as he was disagreed with the Füher on unnecessary killing. He did not want his wizards wasting time and resources on killing Jews and Gypsies even though he wiped out a Jewish Great and Noble family during The Night of the Long Knives and two more during Krystallnacht (The Night of Broken Glass). He and the Füher quarreled about this but he was too valuable to lose so the Füher agreed his forces would take care of the Jewish question and the wizards be used entirely to take care of the conquering.
Most of the Muggle soldiers did not know they were being assisted by dark magic.
Great Britain and France had declared war on Germany. France was easily defeated. Great Britain hung on. After losing the drawn out Battle of Britain, the Füher turned his efforts toward Russia. He gained a lot of territory. He did not understand the climate in Russia was much more harsh than the Germain climate. In the fall he refused to send his troops warmer clothing. Gridelwald knew well of the Russian climate and explained it to the Füher but the Füher still refused to send warmer clothing. Grindelwald took care of his wizarding soldiers and for good measure some of the Muggle soldiers. Other Muggle soldiers took coats from Russian soldiers they had captured.*
Pearl Harbor
One December seventh nineteen forty one the Füher's Japanese allies Bombed Pearl Harbor. Two waves of Japanese planes attacked. There was to be a third wave but Grindelwald and his wizards stopped it. Grindelwald had wanted to keep the United States out of the war.
He screamed at the Füher, "You might as well make peace while you are ahead. You are an idiot to have involved the Americans." As they finished there quarrel the Füher was interupted.
"Mine Füher, the Americans have declared war on Japan," said a German radio operator.
"Let the Americans waste their strength fighting the Japanse. When they are tired out my Waffen SS will finish them off," replied the Füher.
"Mein Füher, there is more," replied the radio operator. "Intelligence reports indicate that within a few days the United State will declare war on our nation and our ally, Italy."
"Mein Füher," offered Grindelwald. "We do not want to fight the Americans until we have annexed the other Germantic nations and added their men to our armies. Declare war on our blundering Japanese allies. Make the Americans understand. Let them waste their strength on the Japanese."
"The Japanese are actually aryians," replied the Füher. "They are many. That bombing was unwise, yes. We need them in our war effort. Later when I find the fool that ordered the attack on Pearl Harbor I will have him executed publicly. It will be a most horrible death."
The Füher said this largely to appease his angered high command. He retired into his study and began to prepare his speech to declare war on the United States. Two days later the United States Congress declared war on Germany. The Füher gave his speech and declared war on the United States.
Hugo closed his book and went to bed. He wanted to ask Uncle Harry about all this.
A/N I went back to this chapter and accounted for Grindewald's little escapade in the United States as revealed in the movie Fantastic Beasts and Where to find them. This story is sort of an imaginary wizarding history book on the activities of Grindelwald and Voldemort. To be more complete I had to add the incident in New York City.
