Clemenza, "they should have stopped Hitler at Munich."

In the GF, when Clemenza is showing Michael how to use the gun, in his conversation he says You know you got to stop them at the beginning, like they should have stopped Hitler at Munich, they should never've let him get away with that

I never gave that statement much thought. I figured it had something to do with the war. BUT, now I know different and it was an eye-opener to me. I'm reading "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich," and it explains that Hitler was planning to take over parts of Czechoslovakia in October of 1938. To make a long story short...at a conference in Munich with Britian, France and Italy, it is agreed to let Hitler "take back" the Sudetenland of Czech. and in effect allow Hitler in Czechoslovakia. If Britian and France resisted and Hitler went to war over it, historians say he would have been easily defeated. Also at the same time, there was a plot by the German generals to overthrow Hitler if he wanted to go to war over Czech. Britian and France conceded the territory, no war ensued and the generals backed down. Hence, "they should have stopped Hitler at Munich."

In GODFATHER, PART II, Pentageli tells Tom about Roman generals. Since it was originally meant for Clemenza to say, it shows that Clemenza was a man who knew his war history very wel..

Ah, takes me back to my O Grade History as a 15 year old!

Unfortunately, the then GB Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, along with others thought it would be a tremendous idea to allow Germany to rearm after being broken up after WW1.

The appeasement policy worked wonders of course in the years that followed.........

Anyway, back to the Godfather!

As much as anything Clemenza is saying they have to strike before Sollozzo gains more power and becomes stronger. If they wait, he will become harder and harder to defeat.

Interesting. I'm sure I knew that before, but that does make that line a lot more meaningful.

Interesting that Clemenza was that knoweledgeable about world history. Granted it was recent history, but you would think that all Clemenza had an interest in, was being a mob guy and nice cars.

yeah I knew the history background and you make a fine point. Great Britain and France weren't the only nations to blame for not stopping Hitler at Munich. The League of Nations was suppose to any world wars from happening, but it's central authority was weak and Hitler knew it. League of Nations was suppose to be what we know as today United Nations. Clemenza is intelligent to know that they should have not allowed Hitler to get more greedy and take over more land, also become more powerful.

That part of the Clemenza character was modeled after Frank Labruzzo, one of Joe Bonanno's capos who remained loyal to him and to his son, Salvatore (Bill) during the "Bananna War" of the '60's. Labruzzo was well-read in history. Interestingly, Richard Castellano played Labruzzo in the excellent made-for-TV film, "Honor Thy Father."