Ratline: Soviet Spies, Nazi Priests, and the Disappearance of Adolf Hitler

by Peter Levenda

"Ratline" is the documented history about the mechanisms by which thousands of other Nazi war criminals fled to the remotest parts of the globe--including quite possibly Adolf Hitler.It is a story involving Soviet spies, Nazi priests, and a network of Catholic monasteries and safe houses known as the ratline. The name of one priest in particular, Monsignor Draganovic, was discovered by the author in a diary found in Indonesia. Why would this name turn up in a document written in a spidery German hand in a remote island in Indonesia?As famed author Peter Levenda began his research, more information came to In December of 2009, it was revealed that the skull the Russians claimed was Hitler's--salvaged from the bunker in 1945--was not that of Hitler! In 2010, files from the Office of Special Investigations of the Justice Department were declassified, revealing a history of American intelligence providing cover for Nazi war criminals.The mystery deepened, and the author returned to his own roots hunting Nazis in North America, South America and Europe. He revisited old contacts, made some new ones, and gradually the explosive story was there is no forensic evidence to prove that Adolf Hitler died in the bunker in April 1945!

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Conspiracy Theories, World War II, Occult

268 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 28, 2011

About the author

Author who focuses primarily on occult history. He is best known for his book Unholy Alliance, which is about Esoteric Hitlerism and Nazi occultism, and is believed to be the author of the Simon Necronomicon, albeit without much evidence.

He was the president of the international division of Ortronics, Inc., a telecommunications company based in Asia.

He appeared in the TNT documentary Faces of Evil as an expert on Nazi history with special regard to occult and esoteric practices. He has also appeared on the History Channel special Nazi Prophecies. Levenda lives in Miami, Florida.

Reviews

[Whitley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I review a lot of conspiracy books for my radio show Dreamland, and I was prepared to be dismissive of yet another tome claiming that Hitler survived the war. However, Ratline is startling, well researched and ultimately convincing, largely because Levenda actually visited the places in Indonesia that are relevant to his story, and did on-site research. But beyond all that, he discovered a tiny fact that is just incredible, that suggests that the Trevor-Roper account of the last days in the bunker really is seriously flawed. Provocative indeed.

[Richard Stuart · Rating 5 out of 5]

If this book does not make you think twice about the veracity of history, nothing will. The premise is nothing short of unbelievable: Hitler died in 1970, in Indonesia! Of course one laughs out loud at this conceit, at first... but then, Levenda starts going over the known facts of Hitler's 'suicide' and the seed of doubt is not only planted, it starts to grow.
This book is remarkable because it details so many other verifiable cases of Nazi war criminals escaping out of Germany and then Europe with the help of the Catholic Church, national and military intelligence agencies, and staunch anti-communist leaders of South American countries. It makes the case for Hitler's escape all that more compelling that others like Barbie and Eichmann safely made it to South America.
Look, I know this book seems far out, but it is very well researched and posits many startling questions that still, to this day, cannot be answered without more information becoming declassified. And if what is conjectured in the book is actually true, it is the single most shocking thing I have ever heard.
Check this book out if you love military history or just a good mystery.

[Mike Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well researched theory about how Hitler faked his own death to lead a normal life in Indonesia. The author uses many declassified documents to piece together a plausible story of how Hitler could have escaped from Nazi Germany at the end of the War. There are still many hole in the story that need to be filled. Hopefully future declassifications and more research will tell the world the true story of Hitler's fate.

[Kelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book could be a conspiracy theorist's delight. Indeed there is little dispute that a post-World War 2 escape routes existed for Nazis accused of war crimes. Levanda brings out evidence to support this that is well-documented elsewhere. The simple fact that it is very well known that Nazi war criminals were caught or discovered years and decades after the war's end in various South American countries, the US, and elsewhere shows clear evidence to support that. Levanda however spends the focus of this book focusing on his belief that Adolph Hitler himself actually didn't die from suicide in April 1945 but instead escaped and did eventually ended up in Indonesia with his wife Eva Braun. There are certainly grounds to lead one to consider the possibility (the chaos of the final days in Berlin at the time, conflicting stories of those holed up in the bunker with Hitler, lack of suitable evidence to definitively conclude he did die in 1945, and of course there was clear motive for a cover-up). Levanda leads one to realistically consider the possibility, but then his "evidence" and his style of concluding the "validity" of the evidence is what I find most troubling. He often qualifies his conclusions using words like "obviously" when in fact it isn't obvious an all. He cites declassified US government files which speculated about the continued existence of Hitler, but that was raw data, which wasn't definitive proof. He offers three photos of a person alleged to have been Hitler in Indonesia after the war, but the physical similarities escaped me totally beyond the fact they were both men. If plastic surgery was involved, why didn't Levanda explore that? He provides "evidence" of known pro-Nazi sympathizes offering refuge to Hitler as proof that Hitler actually utilized that offer, when an offer isn't conclusive evidence at all showing it was actually acted upon. Levanda often failed to ask or explore the key questions that are obvious to the case. He cites a grave in Indonesia that may be that of Hitler. Why has no one attempted to exhume the body? He says that the Indonesian Hitler married an Indonesian woman and converted to Islam. For a man as vilely racist as Hitler was known to be, I find that to be incomprehensible and incongruous to everything Hitler stood for. And to me, the obvious biggest concern is that a man of astronomical egomaniacal tendencies as Hitler basically living for 25 years a rather sedate and secluded life seems implausible, improbable, and virtually impossible to believe. I started this book as a skeptic and I remain one. I don't think Levanda convincingly proved his case, but perhaps at best, he opened the door a little wider to consider the possibility. For this, and this alone, the book is one to consider if one is a serious student of this subject, though I suspect it will do little to change the dominantly held belief in Hitler's demise in 1945.

[Steven Howes · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author presents a compelling trail of evidence supporting the theory that Adolph Hitler did not commit suicide in his bunker in Berlin on April 30, 1945, and was spirited out of Germany, eventually ending up in, of all places, Indonesia. The mechanisms for such an escape were in place and well-documented. It certainly makes sense to me that if many high-ranking Nazi officials and military leaders were able to escape detection by the Allies and end up in safe havens across the world, then why not the top dog himself.

Whether or not you subscribe to this theory, what I found most interesting in this book was the information it contained regarding complicity of various groups, agencies, and religious organizations in the escape wanted Nazis including the Catholic Church, International Committee of the Red Cross, OSS, FBI, the Israelis, and of course the CIA. There were a number of reasons for this; the primary one being the threat of the spread of communism. It was believed by many that Nazis were the ultimate anti-communists and certain wanted war criminals could be useful in the fight against the Soviet menace.

I found the final chapter of the book particularly chilling.

[Jeremy Maddux · Rating 5 out of 5]

As Archbishop Alois Hudal wrote, in a book published in 1976: “ I felt duty bound after 1945 to devote my whole charitable work mainly to former National Socialists and Fascists, especially the so-called “war criminals.” 75

Levenda, Peter (2012-04-17). Ratline: Soviet Spies, Nazi Priests, and the Disappearance of Adolf Hitler (Kindle Locations 1321-1323). Nicolas-Hays, Inc. Kindle Edition.



What a virtuous man to devote the rest of his life to such an endeavor (sic)! God's work indeed!

Peter Levenda is an alternative researcher who won me over with his Sinister Forces trilogy in which he managed to tie together a play called Bluebird, Charles Manson, the Catholic Church, the JFK assassination, David Lynch, MK Ultra.

Here he is even more grounded than in previous efforts as he recounts the tremendous effort to save people who should all have had their day of trembling at the Nuremberg Trials.

[Sharon Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Again an excellent book. Peter Levenda is one of my favorites. He is a terrific investigating journalists of our time. At least that is my opinion. He actually has very sound wisdom and proof that what he writes in this book is true. A lot of this has been proven as late and most people believe it is all true!

[Manheim Wagner · Rating 2 out of 5]

While it's probable that Hitler and Eva Braun did escape the bunker and Hugh Trevor-Roper's account of Hitler's death is nothing more than a myth, this book doe not make a convincing argument that Hitler escaped to Indonesia. Peter Levenda does not present any compelling or solid evidence to support his theory. All of the evidence is circumspect at best and would not hold up in any investigation.

[Colin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good story that did make me rethink what I knew about this entire time period. What he says is definitely possible, but I would like to see more concrete evidnece, which we will not get. - High powers have buried it if it exists.

[Diane Cadei]

It seems there will never be a definitive answer to the disappearance of Adolf Hitler, but Mr. Levenda makes some interesting suggestions in this book. I thought I knew a lot about the end of WWII, but I'm stunned by what has been hidden by the powers that be. I learned a lot.

[Laura · Rating 1 out of 5]

Lavenda's overuse of the ellipsis for dramatic effect is egregious.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book, but to me the author seems to like to blame only certain groups, when in his own writing, he explains how much of a mess Europe was in.

[Charlotte mann · Rating 3 out of 5]

interesting proposition, but messily written.

[Jim Kilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sensationalistic.... yes. Does it make you think and question the official account... absolutely.

[Jamie Schultz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another confirmation regarding what most of us know to be true, our government is involved in lies and deception. The narrative and facts don't line up and no one seems to question. I appreciate the research included and the authors ability to present a variety of potentials and nothing his own opinion.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really need to stop reading this kind of shit.

[Constance · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book makes you think, change your direction of thinking, then go back to your first conclusion.
The author shares a very good case for Hitler & Eva Braun not dying in the bunker on April 30, 1945.

The intermingling of The Catholic Church, Islam, Argentina, Germany, Austria, Indonesia and so on give rise to other probabilities in these mysterious ideas of fact or fiction.

If you enjoy an in-depth read of the logistics of Hitler, you will enjoy this book.

[Frederick Dotolo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really intriguing book- the title is named after a secret escape route that hard rightwingers (anti-Communists, Cold War governments, and the Catholic Church) used to help evacuate Nazis out of Europe. The book argues that Hitler escaped Germany in April 1945 via the ratline and lived out his days in Indonesia, where he ran an obscure German clinic that was stumbled upon during Operation Hope in 1960. Levanda provides a lengthy document trail that is convincing with two caveats: he seems to take some of the more damning documents at face value- when in fact not all intelligence is reliable- and implicates whole institutions- like the Vatican- for the actions of a few Nazi aligned Croatian prelates. I found his criticism of the official version of Hitler's last days- written by a British historian and intelligence officer, Hugh Trevor-Roper- to be particularly intriguing and deserving of more treatment.

[Roger Charles · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a disappointing book. In some ways it doesn't miss by alot of being much better. The subject matter is complex and I didn't feel it was dealt with in an efficient manner. Don't get me wrong, the author advances an interesting theory, but rambles too much on alot of periphery issues. This book may have been more efficient if it had been half the length. Bottom line though the author does show there was insufficient evidence to ever say that Hitler committed suicide and died in a bunker. So many of the top Nazis escaped and lived out their lives even when discovered most continued to resist deportation. So why would Hitler not have escaped too?