Eureka - A Breakthrough at Tehran

Updated Sunday 15 May, 2011 12:18 PM

by Eric Lipps & Steve Payne

Author says, we imagine a very different sixtieth-fifth birthday for an Israel State formed in the Jewish safe-haven at Shanghai by the Axis Powers. Click to watch the press conference

On 28th March 1943, the first World War II conference between the big three began on this day in the city of Tehran under the code-name Eureka. The chief discussion was centered on the opening of a second front in Western Europe. At the same time a separate protocol pledged the three countries to recognize Israel's independence, a belated acceptance of the Fugu Plan by the Third Reich.

Eureka

The scheme was created in the 1930s in Imperial Japan, centered around the idea of settling Jewish refugees escaping Nazi-occupied Europe, in Japan's territories on the Asian mainland, to Japan's benefit.

Contemporaneous sources estimated the Jewish population in China in 1940 – including Manchukuo – at 36,000 (source: Catholic Encyclopedia). Jewish life in Shanghai had really taken off with the arrival of the British. Sephardic Jews from the Middle East came as traders via India and Hong Kong and established some of the leading trading companies. Later came Jewish refugees from Russia (and later the Soviet Union). After the Russian Revolution of 1917, several thousand Russian Jews moved to Harbin in northern China (former Manchuria), alongside Christian Russians.

Shanghai in the 1930s. Shanghai at the time was an open city and did not have restrictions on immigration. After Japanese invasion of Shanghai, in 1941 these Jews were detained by the Japanese in few concentration camps in Hongkou District in northeastern Shanghai. The total number of Jews entering Shanghai during this period equaled the number of Jews fleeing to Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand and South Africa combined. Many of the Jews in China later returned to found modern Israel.

Shanghai was an important safe-haven for Jewish refugees during the Holocaust, since it was the only place in the world where one did not need a visa. However, it was not easy to get there. The Japanese, who controlled the city, preferred in effect to look the other way. Some corrupt officials however, also exploited the plight of the Jews. By 1941 over 20,000 European Jews had found shelter there.

The Plan was first discussed in 1934, and solidified in 1938 at the Five Ministers' Conference. The final plan was signed off at the Tripartite Pact in 1941, along with a number of other events, providing for its full implementation.

The planners believed that the Jews could be quite beneficial to Japan, but also quite dangerous. Therefore, the plan was named after the Japanese delicacy 'fugu', a puffer-fish whose poison can kill if the dish is not prepared exactly correctly. The planners were absolutely wrong and absolutely right. The real poisonous nature of the plan was the source of growing friction between Japan and the Third Reich, which was committed to wiping out European Jewry. The Zionist officer class was now hard at work building a new nation in the relative safety of occupied Manchuria, at great distance from the Wannsee Conference Planners who had devised the Final Solution.

Ironically anti-semitism provided the context for agreement. Generalfeldmarschall Erich Von Manstein argued with Hitler about overall strategy on the Eastern Front, advocating an elastic, mobile defense. He was prepared to cede territory, attempting to make the Soviet forces either stretch out too thinly or to make them advance too fast so that they could be attacked on the flanks with the goal of encircling them. Hitler ignored Manstein's advice and continued to insist on static warfare. Because of these frequent disagreements, von Manstein publicly advocated that Hitler relinquish control and leave the management of the war to professionals, starting with the establishment of the position of commander-in-chief in the East (Oberbefehlshaber Ost). Hitler, however, rejected this idea numerous times, fearing that it would weaken his hold on power.

On 19th February 1943 at Zaparozhe, German-occuped USSR Hitler made repeated anti-semitic references to Manstein during a military conference calling him a coward in front of Generals Keitel and Jodl, provoking the Generalfeldmarschall into shooting him dead. Quickly assuming the leadership mantle, Manstein said First, we must dispose of the carrion here, then devise a story to account for it in suitably heroic style..I see no reasonable hope of us winning the present campaign, let us make sure we do not lose it.

By late 1943 it was clear that the Third Reich would survive, and planning beyond World War II was now desirable. This enabled the Big Three to find agreement at Tehran ~

The Three Governments realize that the war has caused special economic difficulties for Israel, and they are agreed that they will continue to make available to the Government of Israel such economic assistance as may be possible, having regard to the heavy demands made upon them by their world-wide military operations, and to the world-wide shortage of transport, raw materials, and supplies for civilian consumption. (Declaration of the Three Powers Regarding Israel - December 1, 1943) ~ Fuehrer Eric Von Manstein, Prime Minister Hideki Tojo & Il Duce Benito Mussolini.

Author says, to celebrate the genius of "Ready for the Fatherland" original content has been repurposed from Mr Harry Turtledove. Content has also been repurposed from History of the Jews in China and Wikipedia.

Steve Payne

Editor of Today in Alternate History, a Daily Updating Blog of Important Events In History That Never Occurred Today.

Imagine what would be, if history had occurred a bit differently. Who says it didn't, somewhere? These fictional news items explore that possibility. Possibilities such as America becoming a Marxist superpower, aliens influencing human history in the 18th century and Teddy Roosevelt winning his 3rd term as president abound in this interesting fictional blog.

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