The Execution: A Short Story

(Along with my Major TLs I have decided to post a single post short story once everyone month or two. Tell me what you think)​

October, 16, 1946:
Nuremberg, Bavaria, Germany

Through the darkness of the night the voice of the translator came again, and again, reading the sentences of the self proclaimed saviours of the German people. The voice had haunted the night since they were first spoken too him.

"Bormann, Martin, hung by the neck until dead...
Dönitz, Karl, Ten years imprisonment...
Göring, Hermann, hung by the neck until dead...
Hess, Rudolf, imprisonment for life...
Hitler, Adolf, hung by the neck until dead........
"​

Awaking with a start the former German Führer raised his head from his prison bed as the first lights of the morning sun filled his cell, though the bared window. Dust danced in the in the streaming cascade of light now starting to blanket the rubble that made up Germany, and all of Europe. The German nation, the German people had failed him. They had proven themselves too weak to survive, the Americans were stronger, the English were stronger, the Jewish Bolsheviks were stronger! What ever fate the occupying powers had in mind for the snivelling weak population of this nation would be too kind.

"Schwächlinge." He muttered as he sat up. The tremor in his right hand mad it near impossible to comb his hair properly so it, and his moustache both looked trashy and unkempt. He had reverted to the larger mustache he had worn during the first world war, now it was grey peppered with the few renaming strands of black. He ran his hands over his head, parting his hair with his fingers in an attempt to look half way presentable. The door to his cell opened, an American Honour Guard stood in the door way with a small plate of food. His last meal, marmalade on toast with apple strudel and tea. It was the first time he was able to have this meal since near the end of the war. Closing the door behind him with out saying a word the American Guard left, he would return in a few hours.

He opened a book he had been reading for his time in prison. A collection of old German fables. He had been unable to read his history of Frederick the Great, he had failed his idol. A sudden commotion came from further down the prison. He heard a few shouts in English but couldn't make out what they were saying. Someone laughed causing a cold chill to run down Adolf's spine. A cell door closed and and the guards walked back up the hall. As they talked, passing his cell, he was able to make out they were saying something about Hermann.

As time pasted his stomach twisted more and more. Knowing the fate that awaited him and his fellow National Socialists. As he read the final words of his book the cell door opened. "Es wird zeit." A man in a Soviet uniform said in impeccable German.

It was time.

His wrists and legs were chained, as he the others were marched out to the gallows. Reporters, politicians and dignitaries from around the world had gathered to watch the execution take place. Speaking not a word Hitler was marched up to the gallows by his Soviet guide. The American he had come too recognise was no where to be seen, but his eyes did fall on a body laying on the ground. It was Hermann, the coward must have killed himself rather than be hung as... as a criminal. They had both appealed to be shot. Shot as the soldiers they were. But the Americans and their show trial had refused them the honour of dying like men.

Looking around Hitler noticed his fellow prisoners had been made to stand in the audience. And he alone stood at the gallows, in centre of the last stage he would ever occupy.

"Adolf Hitler..." A voice called out, others repeated in French, Russian, German and other languages. "...you have been sentenced to death by the International Criminal Court for Crimes Against Humanity..."

He laughed to himself at the thought of "humanity".

"...you will hang by the neck until dead. Do you have any final word."

He stopped and took a breath. "Die Geschichte wird mich rächen."

With that, the rope was placed around around his neck and a bag over his face. The drums rolled and the floor gave way.

This was the end of Adolf Hitler.
 
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Not bad, I agree. The comma in the last sentence shouldn't be there, though - it makes no grammatical sense. It looks too much like you're trying to create a dramatic pause when the words should speak for themselves!

I enjoyed his last meal and the simple humanity of it all.
 
Nice story. Well written.

What was his last words?

Can we have more please? ;)

Thank you very much. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

And his last words translate too "History will avenge me." I was having a real hard time trying to think of his last words. At first I was thinking "Germany failed. I did not." But in the end I think I came up with something that works.

And I may one day work with something similar in a larger timeline. But this is a stand alone post at the moment.
 
Thank you very much. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

And his last words translate too "History will avenge me." I was having a real hard time trying to think of his last words. At first I was thinking "Germany failed. I did not." But in the end I think I came up with something that works.

And I may one day work with something similar in a larger timeline. But this is a stand alone post at the moment.

Your welcome.

Those last words are what he would most likely say (I think he may probably try to rant), nice.

Out of curiosity, who was his executioner?

If this turns into something larger, I will subscribe. Need to look at your other TLs now I got a taste of your writing talent.
 

Cook

Banned
Historically Colonel Andrus insisted on the executions being conducted as low key as possible and in accordance with common criminal executions at the time in the United States; the trial had been about establishing guilt for all the world to see, the executions were a very private affair, with the minimum of drama or witnesses. There were a number of reasons for this; the first was that now that their guilt was established, no-one wished to give the Nazis any further stages on which to address people and perhaps revive their cause as martyrs. The second was that while the condemned men had been found to be men of great barbarity, their executioners were not; the executions were carried out with dignity so that the men who carried it out would not have unnecessary cause to regret afterwards; when Hans Frank was shoved towards the gallows by an American Major it shocked Colonel Andrus and he ensured that there was no repeat of it with the other prisoners. Hence no drums, no gloating, and no forcing of the other condemned men to be unnecessarily stressed by witnessing the other executions.
 
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