In the dim barracks of Camp Lehigh, Dr. Abraham Erskine sits across from Steve Rogers, the bottle of Augsburg liquor resting between them. His voice carries a heavy weight as he begins, his eyes distant. \u201cSo many people forget that the first country the Nazis invaded was their own. You know, after the last war, my people struggled. They felt weak. They felt small.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd then Hitler comes along with the marching and the big show and the flags.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Erskine leans forward, his tone darkening. \u201cAnd he hears of me. My work. And he finds me. And he says, \u2018You.\u2019 He says, \u2018You will make us strong.\u2019 Well, I am not interested.\u201d<\/p>\n
The scene shifts to a shadowy meeting. Johann Schmidt, sharp-featured and intense, stands before Erskine. \u201cSo, he sends the head of Hydra, his research division,\u201d Erskine says. \u201cA brilliant scientist by the name of Johann Schmidt.\u201d<\/p>\n
Schmidt\u2019s image looms: a man in a crisp uniform, his eyes burning with ambition. \u201cNow, Schmidt is a member of the inner circle. And he is ambitious,\u201d Erskine continues. \u201cHe and Hitler share a passion for occult power and Teutonic myth.\u201d Ancient runes and artifacts flicker across the screen, Schmidt poring over them with fervor.<\/p>\n
Erskine\u2019s voice grows grim. \u201cHitler uses his fantasies to inspire his followers. But for Schmidt, it is not fantasy. For him, it is real. He has become convinced that there is a great power hidden in the earth, left here by\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"TOPIC: The hosts discuss the history of Ausberg, Germany.","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3445,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"episode_type":"audio","audio_file":"https:\/\/www.capminute.com\/cm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/cap026.mp3","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"https:\/\/www.capminute.com\/cm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/cap000-mp3-image-scaled.jpg","cover_image_id":"4116","duration":"00:21:48","filesize":"23M","filesize_raw":"24121099","date_recorded":"2026-01-25","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"26","itunes_title":"Minute 026: The First Country the Nazis Invaded","itunes_season_number":"1","itunes_episode_type":"full"},"tags":[],"series":[17],"class_list":["post-485","podcast","type-podcast","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","series-the-captain-america-minute-podcast"],"aioseo_notices":[],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/www.capminute.com\/cm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/cap026-scaled.jpg","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/www.capminute.com\/cm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/cap000-mp3-image-scaled.jpg","download_link":"https:\/\/www.capminute.com\/cm\/podcast-download\/485\/minute-026-the-first-country-the-nazis-invaded.mp3","player_link":"https:\/\/www.capminute.com\/cm\/podcast-player\/485\/minute-026-the-first-country-the-nazis-invaded.mp3","audio_player":"