My grandparents (Allied nation) would not have met if it were not for Hitler and the war. This is a weird and existential thought, but as much as I abhor Hitler’s actions, I likely wouldn’t exist without him.<p>My German wife, similarly, has grandparents who would not have met had it not been for the War (one grandfather walked home from Stalingrad having been taken prisoner during the battle).<p>I’m sure this story is true for many (we are history’s product) and I can’t be the only one a bit freaked out by my existential dependence upon the great bogeyman of history.