So, what happens when the First Narcissist thinks he's dying?
Does he decide to take everybody else down with him?
= new reply since forum marked as read
On March 19th 1945, Adolf Hitler issues the Nero Decree (German, 'Nerobefehl') ordering the self-destruction of Germany.
The Demolitions on Reich Territory Decree, commonly known as the Nero Decree, was one of Hitler’s last major policy declarations. The decree effectively ordered the self-destruction of all remaining German factories and infrastructure.
It’s nickname references Nero, the Roman Emperor who was infamously accused of starting the Great Fire of Rome for his own personal gain. World War II was now all but lost for Nazi Germany. The Third Reich was crumbling and the situation was desperate. The Red Army was rapidly marching on Berlin from the east while the Allies were advancing from the west. All of Hitler’s newly conquered territories had been lost and Germany itself was on the brink of collapse.
By this time Hitler had become a shadow of his former self. He was now riddled by uncontrollable shaking and constant paranoia. The Nazi inner circle had secretly abandoned the Fuhrer and were focused on planning for their postwar lives. Hitler's Minister of Armaments and War Production, Albert Speer, was appalled by this decree and refused to carry out the order.
In fact, this was not Hitler’s first failed attempt to destroy critical infrastructure. Shortly before the Liberation of Paris, Hitler ordered the city’s military governor to detonate bombs across the French capital and reduce its landmarks to rubble. The governor also refused his orders and formally surrendered Paris without damaging the city.
Hitler would commit suicide less than six weeks after issuing the Nero Decree. If properly executed, the decree would have been a drastic example of scorched earth policy. Throughout history, defenders have often employed such tactics to slow down enemy advances by destroying their own resources and infrastructure.
The ultimate goal was to prevent the invading force from acquiring new resources and using it against the defending forces. Tsar Alexander I brilliantly employed scorched earth tactics during Napoleon’s Invasion of Russia in 1812...
https://historyonthisday.com/events/world-war-ii/hitler-issues-the-nero-decree/
