A week after receipt of Rommel’s letter, Himmler summoned Dr. Kurt Blome, a high-ranking Nazi scientist and the head of Germany’s virology program. In addition, several pillars of the German military-industrial complex, ranging from manufacturing to science, were in attendance. For this meeting, he intentionally excluded military officers and Nazi party officials. Because he had the complete trust of Hitler, such clandestine meetings were never questioned.
Himmler waited in the grand foyer of the triangular castle. The soaring forty-foot walls were adorned with a mix of seized artwork and Nazi symbolism. An enormous flag bearing the Nazi Hakenkreuz, or swastika, hung from the ceiling, an imposing nod to the party.
One by one, he greeted his guests. Once they were all there, he led them deeper into the castle without comment. He believed his guests should be reverent in the moment as they soaked in their surroundings. He was not a tour guide. He was a leader of men.
After several minutes of moving through long hallways and obscure stairwells, the group arrived at a circular chamber known as the crypt. The room had a dancing eternal frame at the center and was surrounded by twelve seats. This was a very spiritual room for Himmler, and it was where he took meetings in which significant decisions would be made. Today was no different.
“I welcome you all to Wewelsburg. To my knowledge, only two of you have been here before—Herr Doktor Blome and General Guderian. Both of these men have served the Reich with honor and distinction.”
The two men nodded to their fellow guests and turned their attention back to Himmler.
“Our discussion today is private and intended for your ears only. Each of you will play a role in what I wish to propose, while some of you will confirm to the others the facts I will be relaying. After completion of our conversation today, I expect each of you to perform the necessary tasks to save Deutschland and maintain her greatness.”
“Sieg Heil!” shouted several of the attendees in unison.
Himmler nodded and took a seat. “General Guderian is here to confirm what I am about to impart upon you. Tomorrow, it will be announced that he is to replace General of the Infantry Kurt Zeitzler, a weak man who has suffered a nervous breakdown.”
The general received several nods of approval and smiles. The industrialists and wealthy financiers in attendance would reap huge rewards from any increase in weapons manufacturing ordered by Guderian.
Himmler continued. “I am told that the invasion at Normandy has resulted in the collapse of our Atlantic Wall. The Allied tank forces led by General Patton have advanced rapidly across France in an effort to cut off our retreat. The conventional war we’ve waged throughout Europe, Africa, the Soviet Union and in the Atlantic has reached its limits. Fighting on so many fronts is simply not sustainable.
“Der Führer will never accept defeat. He will ask our soldiers to dig in and fight. And they will. However, it is possible to be defeated, as the Normandy invasion has proven. Therefore, we must find another way to do battle.”
Himmler paused and looked upward toward the ceiling of the windowless room. The flames reached higher and higher as he spoke. It was the sign he was looking for to continue. To Himmler, a strong fire was a sign of virility and power. A weak flame was indicative of weakness and certain death.
“We must consider a method of attack that is loathed by der Führer. During the First World War, chlorine gas was used effectively on French troops in 1915. In retaliation, France and the British deployed mustard gas against our armies.
“In mid-October of 1918, der Führer and several comrades were in a fierce battle at Ypres. They were ordered to pull back from their trench and, as a result, were partially blinded by the mustard gas. Through incredible bravery, der Führer led his comrades to safety by guiding them through the gas. Soon thereafter, while der Führer was hospitalized, Deutschland was forced to surrender.”
Himmler took a deep breath and rose from his chair. He clasped his hands behind his back and walked around the crypt, studying the flames and the interesting shadows they made on the stone walls.
“Mein Führer refuses to use poisonous gases on our adversaries. He is an honorable warrior, seeking to fight a war using the weapons that God has given us to use. I admire this, but I believe he has lost sight of the ultimate goal, which is winning or, he presumes, victory.”
He glanced in the direction of General Guderian and nodded, indicating he should speak.
“There is another tactical reason, one that both Field Marshal Rommel and I agree upon,” began the general. “We have successfully employed the blitzkrieg military strategy throughout the war. With a combination of these sudden attacks led by our superior panzer tank forces and the Luftwaffe, followed swiftly by our infantry, we’ve crushed the Allied forces repeatedly.”
Himmler rose and continued the analysis. “Unfortunately, there is a drawback to this strategy. If we deployed bombers to use chemical weapons, they would contaminate the same area our soldiers would then have to march into. Therefore, these extraordinarily effective weapons could potentially kill our own.”
He walked until he stood behind Dr. Blome and set both hands on the man’s shoulders. Dr. Blome nodded to acknowledge the presence of the powerful Himmler behind him. He sensed the weight of the survival of the Reich was about to be thrust upon his shoulders.
“Herr Doktor Blome, bitte.”
“Jawohl, Reichsführer Himmler,” he began. “In 1938, our scientists, led by Gerhard Schrader, were tasked with inventing a less costly pesticide to kill the weevils damaging our crops and orchards. The four-man team experimented with a mixture of phosphorus and cyanide that was too toxic to use for agricultural purposes.
“Schrader’s employer, IG Farben, who is represented here today, informed the army of
