{"id":98433,"date":"2026-02-12T02:00:58","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T07:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/quotulatiousness.ca\/blog\/?p=98433"},"modified":"2025-10-11T22:39:53","modified_gmt":"2025-10-12T02:39:53","slug":"inside-the-nazi-state-one-mans-descent-into-darkness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/quotulatiousness.ca\/blog\/2026\/02\/12\/inside-the-nazi-state-one-mans-descent-into-darkness\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside the Nazi State: One Man&#8217;s Descent Into Darkness"},"content":{"rendered":"<p align=\"center\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"854\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Jn4DqmFvj5A?si=09ttSXmBNgWIJnGL\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>HardThrasher<\/strong><br \/>\nPublished  9 Apr 2024<\/p>\n<p>How did one man, Rolf Engels, go from student, to victim, to head of the SS Rocket Weapons programme reporting directly to Himmler? How did the Nazi state work, and how did a man like Rocket Rolf navigate the game of snakes and ladders and somehow come out on top?<br \/>\n<!--more--><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Strasserism\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Strasse&#8230;<\/a> &#8211; a brief bio of Otto and Gregor Strasser&#8217;s careers and &#8220;thoughts&#8221;<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kampfverlag\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kampfve&#8230;<\/a> &#8211; The Strasser-run press<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Volksgemeinschaft\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Volksge&#8230;<\/a> &#8211; The community idea behind the Nazis<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kurt_von_Schleicher\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kurt_vo&#8230;<\/a> &#8211; Key Ally of von Papen, former head of state and man who ultimately initiated Hitler&#8217;s rise to the Chancellorship<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Franz_von_Papen\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Franz_v&#8230;<\/a> &#8211; Franz von Papen \u2013 conservative politician who brought Hitler into power thinking he could control him<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Paul_von_Hindenburg\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Paul_vo&#8230;<\/a> &#8211; former head of the German Army, and President of the Weimar Republic who approved Hitler&#8217;s appointment to the Chancellorship<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Breslau-D%C3%BCrrgoy_concentration_camp\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Breslau&#8230;<\/a> \u2013 One of the &#8220;wild&#8221; concentration camps<br \/>\nMichael J. Neufeld: &#8220;Rolf Engel vs. the German Army. A Nazi Career in Rocketry and Repression&#8221;. In: <em>History and Technology<\/em>. Volume 13, No. 1, 1996, ISSN  0734-1512, pp. 53\u201372<br \/>\nRolf&#8217;s CIA file &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/redirect?event=video_description&#038;redir_token=QUFFLUhqbkM2bGQ1YWhKVVVKQXdGRTZzaEpsSXQ4N01GQXxBQ3Jtc0tueWpBUUdlRzVKaUw3U0Y1aFhYa0ZwZkhvN2Z0SGhaMzVTN21qZm4zdFNrajJjamRGalZ0TGhkYkRTZDkxbG04bDRObUIwXzhKY05YLU9NdGhlajU4cFlGMy1ndTh6T0t2ZURlMGdFOE1pSjV6Ymh5Yw&#038;q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cia.gov%2Freadingroom%2Fdocs%2FENGEL%252C%2520DR.%2520ROLF_0002.pdf&#038;v=Jn4DqmFvj5A\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/www.cia.gov\/readingroom\/docs\/&#8230;<\/a><br \/>\nFritz Lang&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=kFGATob5w5c&#038;t=378s\" target=\"_blank\">&#8220;Woman in the Moon&#8221;<\/a> (German &#8220;&#8230;   <em>Frau in Mund<\/em> film<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Opel-RAK\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Opel-RAK<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/redirect?event=video_description&#038;redir_token=QUFFLUhqbVhtQnF5dng3alRYRlBIaGpzYUkwaDUxaFVQZ3xBQ3Jtc0ttalFZV2hMTTdWcXppcHdYVlZsTlVMczNGRC1RSVc2RU1kbGsya2E5cWJobmd6ZkRKbDJsdWtVRUVTelY5aEpaSWxrXzVoMGYyWmJ2Rkk3eVF0WEdVNGttS205dVdRT2NmMHY5RkF6MzdzemxDcnliZw&#038;q=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FErnst_R%25C3%25B6hm&#038;v=Jn4DqmFvj5A\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ernst_R&#8230;<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/redirect?event=video_description&#038;redir_token=QUFFLUhqbC1tZjRRdm1TZWdiTGxfZG5rUExwLTdwM0htd3xBQ3Jtc0tsamtoOG1VQVlLMUtNcGl5alNRNlFwS0NJT28xTkdER0c5Qmc4c0RGTVNCQl9KT3prMVpLS2FBdXZnbXF6ekgxdjFKQk5maWkyWm14NkxSb3VHd01wejFpRnJQQkZPMDB5akczdWRZSW9lY196SjlyMA&#038;q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecollector.com%2Falsace-ww2-french-province%2F&#038;v=Jn4DqmFvj5A\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/www.thecollector.com\/alsace-w&#8230;<\/a> &#8211; Alsace in WW2<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/redirect?event=video_description&#038;redir_token=QUFFLUhqbkdfZWZsQU96bU1RUkE1Q2RCcDlzcGhqREsyUXxBQ3Jtc0tsM1BmZ19JekFHREFRMDEzcXRiTi1EYXN3cGlOaWU4SzIzdVBac1FRcjlHd1VjSzhWVmk3UGNxWWl1YXFIUkNoWFY1djc1ZGc2NWRENF9BSnN3TUtwQmZzbzY0UUZYVU1aSENtOF9COTRGYWNON1EtVQ&#038;q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.memorial-alsace-moselle.com%2Fen%2Fle-memorial%2Fun-peu-d-histoire%2F1940-germanization-and-nazification-of-alsace-moselle&#038;v=Jn4DqmFvj5A\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/www.memorial-alsace-moselle.c&#8230;<\/a> &#8211; French view of the German re-occupation of Alsace<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/redirect?event=video_description&#038;redir_token=QUFFLUhqa2R5UkRYQ0JINmJfYkxURkdZOGNDd2JGWEdhd3xBQ3Jtc0tuOTAtUl9kTWpGZl9LWHk4QVRrRlBlcEhIdTJJelp0ODVyTkYyWFFrODQ2cHhqeUJJWFRwZHR0VjF5cEwtX2l1d2VHb1pPNF90TmJVRktKbnk1X2pqdHVnay1RUHdkSlE2YURNTVpKZWViRDA2aDBBUQ&#038;q=https%3A%2F%2Fenglish.radio.cz%2Fczech-episode-nazi-rocket-science-uncovered-historian-8256618&#038;v=Jn4DqmFvj5A\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/english.radio.cz\/czech-episod&#8230;<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/redirect?event=video_description&#038;redir_token=QUFFLUhqbDVjcjFRY3hzYm9zN3QyUWVXeGJ5N2hnN2w2UXxBQ3Jtc0tsTWZGOTNZZVBFakVYVVFJQm9iNmNhbkl6b0syNHZOLVFvNmlUN3FFME1GdU43TE91QnZwWE1oVE4ySnRMd2JaQkZjTFcwZ2g4ZURNN0NrcW5FNGN0OW5RYWstcE5tTXl6MExlWnlROUVyYVdXNTZlZw&#038;q=https%3A%2F%2Fepizodsspace.airbase.ru%2Fbibl%2Finostr-yazyki%2Fiaa%2F2014%2FPlavec_Beginnings_Czech_Lands.pdf&#038;v=Jn4DqmFvj5A\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/epizodsspace.airbase.ru\/bibl\/&#8230;<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/redirect?event=video_description&#038;redir_token=QUFFLUhqbjR5TTczOWJqTWJHNUtzT0tTRnRQRzRVLXFhZ3xBQ3Jtc0ttTUYtdUoxZ0pITzJrUWhzYXZ4MWQ4Uk9Tb0ZGbzZ4S0NWdzZFZjNud2NxUnpmUTVEcWFLTmhyR01nR0lRZVFtZUZ2S0tKUVg3ZExBSE9IN3Q5WkhGNlNjRThVMHkyQkhEN2oxTmF0T3lla2tNdlcyaw&#038;q=https%3A%2F%2Fcollections.ushmm.org%2Fsearch%2Fcatalog%2Firn560590&#038;v=Jn4DqmFvj5A\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/collections.ushmm.org\/search\/&#8230;<\/a> &#8211; Germany 1934<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/redirect?event=video_description&#038;redir_token=QUFFLUhqbUdsWEVXb3VLZ3NoTEZaaU16aXpwRUdWOFRqZ3xBQ3Jtc0tsTDZUU2Zuay1qd01RQlNPT29fSUZjSFZqeFplYXh2YVYtWC1WSExMM0I3dUNoR0tGZDEyd2JnLXhfT3lCV0JDRHEzMndncFpOREVWb01nZlI4Q3JGLWpjTnlYWGxBd2liQ2c0UU5mQmJNWFN3Vm5yMA&#038;q=https%3A%2F%2Fcollections.ushmm.org%2Fsearch%2Fcatalog%2Firn560592&#038;v=Jn4DqmFvj5A\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/collections.ushmm.org\/search\/&#8230;<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>HardThrasher Published 9 Apr 2024 How did one man, Rolf Engels, go from student, to victim, to head of the SS Rocket Weapons programme reporting directly to Himmler? How did the Nazi state work, and how did a man like Rocket Rolf navigate the game of snakes and ladders and somehow come out on top?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1118,7,5,15,663,230],"tags":[457,969,1041,1197,1579,1357],"class_list":["post-98433","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-germany","category-history","category-military","category-technology","category-weapons","category-ww2","tag-fascism","tag-hitler","tag-holocaust","tag-interwarperiod","tag-lordhardthrasher","tag-weimarrepublic"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2hpV6-pBD","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/quotulatiousness.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98433","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/quotulatiousness.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/quotulatiousness.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quotulatiousness.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quotulatiousness.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=98433"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/quotulatiousness.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98433\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":98434,"href":"https:\/\/quotulatiousness.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98433\/revisions\/98434"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/quotulatiousness.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=98433"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quotulatiousness.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=98433"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quotulatiousness.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=98433"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}