Paris, one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, in flames, totally destroyed, reduced to a heap of rubble: a crazy vision that Adolf Hitler wanted to see realized when it became clear in August 1944 that the German Army would have to give up the French capital. It was incumbent upon the German commander of the city, General Dietrich von Choltitz, to carry out this order. He had already played a role in the extermination of the Jews in eastern Europe. Nevertheless, he defied the orders of the Führer, and became known as the Nazi general who spared Paris. But what do the facts tell us? Did von Choltitz have the military resources to carry out destruction on such a massive scale? Was his decision ethically motivated, or did he just want to save his own skin before the arrival of the Allied forces?