Ratlines (World War II)

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The ratlines (German: Rattenlinien) were systems of escape routes used by Nazis and their collaborators to flee Europe from 1945 onwards in the aftermath of World War II. Two primary routes developed independently with their operators eventually collaborating, the first transferring through Spain and the second through Rome and Genoa. Some escapees settled at these locations or used them to flee elsewhere, with the majority settling in Argentina or other South American countries such as Brazil, Chile, and Paraguay. The ratlines were supported by some clergy of the Catholic Church, such as Austrian bishop Alois Hudal and Croatian priest Krunoslav Draganović, as well as some outlets of the International Committee of the Red Cross. The Nazis paid Argentine officials (starting c. 1943) to shield their agents, bolstering the rise of Juan Perón, whose regime set up additional ratlines through Scandinavia and Switzerland. A number of significant Nazis and their collaborators escaped, including...

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