Member-only story
Hitler’s Plan to Kidnap Pope Pius XII
The Pope who stood up to Hitler, and it nearly cost his life
On July 25th, 1943, after the ousting of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, Adolf Hitler began hatching a plan to take over the Vatican City and kidnap Pope Pius XII. He wanted to bring him back to Germany and lock him up in a castle.
The following day, Hitler called an urgent meeting with his military leaders to discuss their next moves. Mussolini’s regime was an ally of Nazi Germany and therefore Hitler wanted to restore the dictator’s power. He reportedly told his leaders:
“We must liberate Mussolini and return him to power! And we must occupy Rome! We must destroy the Vatican’s power, capture the Pope, and say that we are protecting him. The Pope might even have to be killed.”
Approximately six weeks later, on September 13th, 1943, the SS commander in Italy, General Karl Wolff, received a message from his superior, Chief Heinrich Himmler, the man who orchestrated the Holocaust. Himmler told Wolff that the Fuehrer wanted to see him urgently.
The General had suspicions as to what Hitler wanted to talk to him about, as German troops had marched into Rome around three days earlier, finding Mussolini and releasing him from captivity. Wolff was to ensure Mussolini’s safe return to…
