The Last Article
Encyclopedia
The Last Article is an alternate history short story
by Harry Turtledove
. The story describes a Nazi
invasion of India
and the reaction of the Germans to the nonviolent resistance
and pacifism
of Gandhi and his followers.
has led to their invasion of the British Raj
, and rather than struggling for independence from the Crown, Gandhi and Nehru
find themselves in the position of resisting Nazi occupation using the techniques that were successfully employed against the British. Although Nehru has a general concept of the inherent immoral nature of Nazism, Gandhi thinks they still can be persuaded, not heeding the warning from a Jew named Wiesenthal
, who was able to flee Poland
to India.
The Nazis, however, led by Field Marshal Walther Model, are completely unmoved by Gandhi's strategy. They view themselves as a master race
and have no moral qualms about killing those who resist non-violently (or even those who do not resist at all, if they are of a certain race
). In the end the movement collapses as it proves unable to deal with the savagery of Nazism.
between the Nazis and British imperialists, something the other elements of the narrative are critical of, are Gandhi's real-world assertions. Model points out that his loyalty is to his own people, which do not include the Indians. That loyalty is rewarded when Gandhi hears a German radio broadcast commend Model's leniency after he perpetrated the Qtub road massacre.
In large part the story concerns the weakness inherent in Gandhi's, and later Martin Luther King, Jr.
's, non-violence movement requirement upon exposing the alleged hypocrisy of the communities that oppressed them. This was a plausible strategy against British imperialism or American institutional racism, as these oppressions were seemingly hypocritical given that the United Kingdom
and United States societies espoused freedom and equality for all citizens, and would have been impossible in an antebellum United States. In essence, the fiction posits that violent resistance to things like Nazism, such as the uprising in the Warsaw Ghetto
, is more likely to succeed than a Gandhi approach, although the Warsaw uprising, as was pointed out by Model in the story, was likewise a failure.
In a conversation, Field Marshal Model compares the alternate-world Nazi empire with ancient Rome, facing the early Christians, pointing out that their collapse came as a result of their tolerance. But, the history does not characterize Model as a bloodthirsty savage; he is a professional at conquest, and Turtledove provides the SS officer responsible for the Warsaw Ghetto massacre to provide contrast between that officer's mindless savagery and Model's purposeful violence.
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
by Harry Turtledove
Harry Turtledove
Harry Norman Turtledove is an American novelist, who has produced works in several genres including alternate history, historical fiction, fantasy and science fiction.- Life :...
. The story describes a Nazi
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
invasion of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and the reaction of the Germans to the nonviolent resistance
Nonviolent resistance
Nonviolent resistance is the practice of achieving goals through symbolic protests, civil disobedience, economic or political noncooperation, and other methods, without using violence. It is largely synonymous with civil resistance...
and pacifism
Pacifism
Pacifism is the opposition to war and violence. The term "pacifism" was coined by the French peace campaignerÉmile Arnaud and adopted by other peace activists at the tenth Universal Peace Congress inGlasgow in 1901.- Definition :...
of Gandhi and his followers.
Plot summary
Germany's success in World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
has led to their invasion of the British Raj
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
, and rather than struggling for independence from the Crown, Gandhi and Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru , often referred to with the epithet of Panditji, was an Indian statesman who became the first Prime Minister of independent India and became noted for his “neutralist” policies in foreign affairs. He was also one of the principal leaders of India’s independence movement in the...
find themselves in the position of resisting Nazi occupation using the techniques that were successfully employed against the British. Although Nehru has a general concept of the inherent immoral nature of Nazism, Gandhi thinks they still can be persuaded, not heeding the warning from a Jew named Wiesenthal
Simon Wiesenthal
Simon Wiesenthal KBE was an Austrian Holocaust survivor who became famous after World War II for his work as a Nazi hunter....
, who was able to flee Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
to India.
The Nazis, however, led by Field Marshal Walther Model, are completely unmoved by Gandhi's strategy. They view themselves as a master race
Master race
Master race was a phrase and concept originating in the slave-holding Southern US. The later phrase Herrenvolk , interpreted as 'master race', was a concept in Nazi ideology in which the Nordic peoples, one of the branches of what in the late-19th and early-20th century was called the Aryan race,...
and have no moral qualms about killing those who resist non-violently (or even those who do not resist at all, if they are of a certain race
The Holocaust
The Holocaust , also known as the Shoah , was the genocide of approximately six million European Jews and millions of others during World War II, a programme of systematic state-sponsored murder by Nazi...
). In the end the movement collapses as it proves unable to deal with the savagery of Nazism.
Themes
The story then takes what could be deemed an intensely bleak tone. For instance, Gandhi draws a moral equivalenceMoral equivalence
Moral equivalence is a term used in political debate, usually to criticize any denial that a moral hierarchy can be assessed of two sides in a conflict, or in the actions or tactics of two sides...
between the Nazis and British imperialists, something the other elements of the narrative are critical of, are Gandhi's real-world assertions. Model points out that his loyalty is to his own people, which do not include the Indians. That loyalty is rewarded when Gandhi hears a German radio broadcast commend Model's leniency after he perpetrated the Qtub road massacre.
In large part the story concerns the weakness inherent in Gandhi's, and later Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for being an iconic figure in the advancement of civil rights in the United States and around the world, using nonviolent methods following the...
's, non-violence movement requirement upon exposing the alleged hypocrisy of the communities that oppressed them. This was a plausible strategy against British imperialism or American institutional racism, as these oppressions were seemingly hypocritical given that the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and United States societies espoused freedom and equality for all citizens, and would have been impossible in an antebellum United States. In essence, the fiction posits that violent resistance to things like Nazism, such as the uprising in the Warsaw Ghetto
Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising was the Jewish resistance that arose within the Warsaw Ghetto in German occupied Poland during World War II, and which opposed Nazi Germany's effort to transport the remaining ghetto population to Treblinka extermination camp....
, is more likely to succeed than a Gandhi approach, although the Warsaw uprising, as was pointed out by Model in the story, was likewise a failure.
In a conversation, Field Marshal Model compares the alternate-world Nazi empire with ancient Rome, facing the early Christians, pointing out that their collapse came as a result of their tolerance. But, the history does not characterize Model as a bloodthirsty savage; he is a professional at conquest, and Turtledove provides the SS officer responsible for the Warsaw Ghetto massacre to provide contrast between that officer's mindless savagery and Model's purposeful violence.