342
342
January 21, 1952
Belovezskaya Forest, East Prussia, Germany
When you think of extinct animals, the first thing people think of is dinosaurs. I can swear on my balls.
Next, you'll think of mammoths or dodos. Those who have heard a bit will mention saber-toothed tigers, ammonites, Archeopteryx, pterosaurs, etc.
Although it is less well-known than the dinosaurs and mammoths mentioned above, there is an animal that can be said to be well-known among the general public.
Aurochs. In Korea, it is often translated as 'old cow' or 'ancestor cow', but it is often translated simply as ancient bison.
Aurochs became extinct relatively recently, in the early 17th century, so they appear frequently in old documents and records.
The famous Caesar also left a record about the aurochs in his book, and there are many speculations that the giant bull that often appears in Greek and Roman mythology actually refers to the aurochs, not an ordinary bull.
There is speculation that the Minotaur, a half-man, half-beast monster, was also inspired by the Aurochs.
In any case, paleontologists and zoologists were not the only ones interested in these extinct animals.
Even the infamous Nazis were interested in aurochs. Not so many, but so many that they even attempted to restore them.
How did one attempt to do something that was difficult in the 20th century even in the 21st century when genetic technology was developed?
The method the Nazis came up with was surprisingly simple.
By crossing with aurochs, several cows that inherit the characteristics of aurochs are crossed with each other to create a cow that resembles aurochs as much as possible. End of explanation.
Göring and Hess, who noticed that aurochs were a staple food of the ancient Aryans, gave full support to the brothers Lutz and Heinz Heck, zoologists and directors of the Berlin Zoo, who were researching the restoration of aurochs.
The Heck brothers, backed by the support of two powerful magnates, Göring and Himmler, devoted themselves to the restoration of Aurochs, but the results were not satisfactory.
The 'Heck cattle' created by the Heck brothers looked similar to aurochs, but were only slightly larger than regular cattle and did not reach the size of an aurochs.
In addition, because it was created based on a breed used in bullfighting, its temperament was very violent and it was difficult to tame it, and research was halted due to Germany's defeat in the war.
An added bonus is that most of the Heck cattle were slaughtered for food by the Soviet troops stationed in Germany and Poland after the war.
However, as Germany won World War II, aurochs research came to a slightly different conclusion.
Even after the war, the Heck brothers' research on aurochs continued, and the results are now before my eyes.
"How are you?"
Göring, who had strongly insisted that we should see the report in person, not just a photo attached to it, rubbed his hands with a smile of conversion.
Next to him, Brother Heck was standing with a big smile on his face, rubbing his hands like Goering.
"That's big."
My first impression upon seeing the 'Aurochs' restored by the Heck brothers was that it was 'big.' And that too.
The pair of curved horns are as massive as those of a rhinoceros, and their shiny black fur.
It was an absolute aurochs.
Of course, it cannot be said for nothing that these cows created by the Heck brothers are a perfect match for the aurochs that lived in the past.
It's just a chimera that looks similar to an aurochs.
Referring to these animals as aurochs is the same as including chimpanzees in the human category, but the Göring and Heck brothers continued to call these animals 'aurochs.'
"The President is now seeing what our ancestors saw 10,000 years ago! How beautiful these guys are! Fur, horns, tail, and even eyes... … "I can't leave anything out."
"What… … "It looks similar."
I approached a cow eating fodder and stretched out my hand. Even though I touched its wet nose, it showed no reaction.
Is he gentle or insensitive? When I turned my head, Dr. Lutz Heck, who led the aurochs restoration, spoke.
"Not long after the restoration attempt, there were a lot of hardships because all the fierce ones were born. However, as a result of repeated crossbreeding with mild-tempered breeds, we succeeded in producing only cows suitable for domestication."
"exactly?"
It is an advantage to listen well to people without going wild. However, it is questionable whether the actual Aurochs were like this.
Anyway, it's nice that it stays still even when I touch it. Himmler even brought a bottle and was giving milk to the calf.
"But what are we going to do with these cows now?"
"Of course, shouldn't we use it to show off Germany's excellent science and technology by showing it to the world? In addition, research on the ancient Aryans will become more active as a result of this. Some of them will be released into nature and allowed to live in the wild as they were when the Aryans lived at that time."
It was a question asked of Göring, but Himmler answered on his behalf, probably because he thought it was being addressed to him. When I looked away, Göring answered.
"What SS Reich Leader Himmler said is correct, but I am also thinking in another direction."
"The other direction?"
"yes. Look at this big guy. "Mr. President, what are you thinking other than the thought of being big?"
"I thought there would be a lot of meat, right?"
"That's it!"
Göring snapped his fingers.
"Aurochs are larger than other cattle and grow much faster. These cattle are raised on ranches across Europe to supply large quantities of high-quality meat not only to Germany but throughout Europe. If that happens, wouldn't it not only be able to solve Europe's food situation, but also serve as an opportunity to make people more directly and clearly aware of German science and technology than before?"
By raising a lot of aurochs, they conquered European tables with aurochs meat and made people feel in awe of Germany.
That was the plan that Goering was dreaming of.
Göring explains that it is a perfect plan because people are happy to be able to eat a large amount of high-quality meat at a low price, scholars are happy because national interest is growing, and Germany is able to promote its country's status to the world.
"How is it? "Isn't this truly a revolutionary idea?"
"… … "It seems like there's a lot of screws missing, doesn't it?"
Could it be that he had taken morphine without my knowledge? Was Göring, after all, Göring?
However, regardless of whether this is possible, it is not enough to say that the intention itself was bad.
The idea of solving the food situation in Europe, saving foreign currency by reducing the amount of beef imported from the United States, and providing an opportunity to become self-sufficient in food with our own hands was worthy of applause.
In fact, it would be a bit of a waste to just leave it as a spectacle at the zoo.
Herbert Bakke, the Minister of State for Food and Agriculture who was present, must have been taken aback by Göring's idea, and repeatedly praised it, saying it was a great idea.
"Speaking of which, how about taking a taste? "Come this way!"
I also tried tasting aurochs meat with a meal to see what it tastes like. The first food that came out was milk. The aurochs' milk is sterilized like regular milk.
"How does it taste?"
"Not bad."
It wasn't much different from milk, except that it smelled a little stronger than regular milk. The taste was stronger than milk, so I thought some people would like it better than milk.
If it were me, I would just drink milk.
Next is a steak made from cow tenderloin. This also didn't taste bad.
However, it is a little tougher than regular beef and has a much stronger meat flavor, so it seems like there will be quite a difference in likes and dislikes. Of course, even this may be considered a luxury for those who cannot even look at meat.
It's not like a method to tenderize meat hasn't been developed, and the meat flavor can be removed through several methods, so giving this a passing grade would be enough.
After this, grilled dishes and various other dishes using various parts such as sirloin, ribs, front legs, etc. were served, and although they were tough and had a strong meaty flavor, they were good enough to be called delicious.
After finishing the meal, we received a detailed explanation of the aurochs restoration process and future plans from the Heck brothers, and then took a walk around the Belovezskaya Forest area.
Originally, Polish residents lived in the Belovezskaya Forest area, but in order to restore the aurochs, the residents were paid a relocation fee and moved to the protectorate area.
The houses where residents lived were demolished or converted into barns to secure space for cows to live.
While taking a walk, a thought suddenly occurred to me.
"Do you guys know a dish called hamburger?"
"Do you mean Hamburger Beefsteak? Why is that suddenly-"
"I'm talking about American hamburgers."
"You mean Yankee food similar to sandwiches? "I understand, right?"
"okay. I heard that there is a restaurant in the United States that sells cheap, quick-cooked hamburgers in bulk. This is where the idea came from... … ."
***
The world was peaceful.
The White House was at war every day as the Southern Dixie, backed by McCarthy, beat up black people in revolt against the government's abolition of black-white discrimination, and black people also tried to stop them from forming a vigilante group to fight back.
Leading scientists, high-ranking officials, and soldiers from all over the United States worked day and night to create a hydrogen bomb and rocket that were developed by Germany, but it still took time to produce results.
Anyway, as the presidential election was slowly approaching, those who dreamed of becoming the next U.S. president began working diligently and preparing for the election.
MacArthur, who considered himself the hero of World War II, was already confident of victory.
Unlike the European theater where he suffered a humiliating defeat, the Pacific theater he was in charge of achieved a brilliant victory.
Although he suffered several crushing defeats that could be called humiliating in the early stages of the war, MacArthur eventually recaptured the Philippines and accepted Japan's surrender.
Japan, which had been pursuing ambitions beyond the Far East to the Pacific and all of Asia, had all its teeth and fingernails pulled out and was even put on a strong leash to become a pet dog eager to eat the food that the United States gave it, and the Americans expressed great satisfaction with this reality.
Look at Europe, covered in hideous Hakenkreuz. Unlike Europe, where militarism and dictatorship are rampant, isn't the Pacific region extremely free?
There was no one in America who did not know MacArthur's name.
MacArthur received the attention and support of the entire nation, to the extent that if one were to choose the next most famous person after President Dewey, he would be the first to be mentioned.
It was strange that the Republican Party did not recruit him, a war hero and America's most popular star.
While the Democratic Party was worried about how to win the election, MacArthur leisurely, holding a martini in one hand, pondered how to give his first speech immediately after entering the White House. And about the world plan.
America is a great country More than any other country on earth, even the ancient Roman Empire!
It is natural for the United States, the guardian of liberal democracy that respects human rights, to rule the world and spread the ideology of democracy to all corners of the world.
However, Germany was a country that stood in complete opposition to the United States.
It is undeniable that Germany under Hitler and the Nazis achieved the most remarkable growth in Europe.
Not only did he turn a defeated country and a country suffering from economic difficulties into a great power in just five years, Hitler defeated the world's greatest powers, including Poland, France, Italy, and the United Kingdom, and eventually collapsed the Soviet Union, thereby achieving European unification. Hitler's achievements are comparable to those of Napoleon and Bismarck. It was beyond.
It would only be balanced if compared to Genghis Khan, who founded a great empire that ruled the Eurasian continent from a single tribe. To that extent, Hitler's achievements were remarkable.
However, in order to win, Hitler chose the method of dictatorship that suppressed the freedom of the people.
What is dictatorship? Isn't this a barbaric politics that prevents people from speaking their minds clearly, tries to control their way of thinking, and takes it for granted beyond forcing individual sacrifices for the good of the whole?
It seems that the Germans were satisfied with the bread and honor of being victors in return for giving up their freedom, but in MacArthur's view, it was not a living even if they lived.
All countries in the world must adopt a political system like the United States, democracy.
However, Germany was so powerful that not even the United States of the world dared to do anything.
Even he, who had strong pride and believed in the ideals and dignity of his country more than anyone else, acknowledged this much.
It is impossible to wage war and bring Germany to submission. What if the United States, like Germany, possesses hydrogen bombs and advanced rocket technology? As of now, it is impossible to save Europe from the Nazi dictatorship.
No matter how you win the war, it is not a victory; only miserable ruins remain. Can we really call it a victory if all that remains is a handful of ashes?
That sounds like a no-brainer. Cancer, of course.
That's why MacArthur pushed Europe into a corner. One day, Europe must be liberated from the clutches of the Nazis, but it is impossible right now.
You can't ask a baby who has just started walking to run a marathon. Ideals are good, but realistic goals are important.
MacArthur, who put Europe second, chose the American continent as his first priority.
Just as Germany is holding tightly to Europe, the United States is also holding tightly to the North American continent. But South America was a little ambiguous.
South American countries are basically pro-American, but there are also many countries that maintain a close relationship with Germany.
The most representative example is Argentina.
Chile and Uruguay also had strong pro-German tendencies, but compared to Argentina, they were weak.
Argentina is openly importing German engineers to build a weapons factory and inviting a large number of advisors to train its own military.
As if they were paying attention, they were not building bases for the German army in their own country or leasing ports to Germany, but in MacArthur's opinion, even this was already going too far.
Dewey seemed satisfied with Argentina's nominal neutrality, but in MacArthur's view, this was a very wrong move.
"What kind of neutrality can you say when you use Nazi weapons and train under Nazis? "Oh really."
If I become president, the first thing I will do is fix Argentina. If Argentina were left as is, the entire South America would be dyed black in the blink of an eye.
"I will never see that until dirt gets in my eyes."
While the ambitious man dreaming of becoming the next U.S. president was targeting Argentina, Argentina was also dreaming of other ambitions.