Doctor Goebbels: His Life & Death

next three years’crises, Dr Goebbels initially counselled Hitler against over-hasty action. Still grapplingwith the decision Hitler phoned him to join his private train that night; theyargued for hours, and by Munich Goebbels was still urging caution.111Hitler however had made up his mind. On Sunday March 1, wrote Goebbels, hisexpression was calm but determined. Hitler explained his own credo: ‘To the boldbelongs the world!’ Back in his chancellery in Berlin that Monday Hitler unveiled theplan to his commanders-in-chief. On Saturday (because, wrote Goebbels, Saturdayswere best) he would proclaim that Germany was reoccupying the Rhineland, butsimultaneously he would offer to return to the League of Nations and to sign a nonaggressionpact with France. He was taking a calculated risk: France still had thebiggest army in Europe. Britain, France, and Italy would all be justified in intervening.‘Nothing venture, nothing gain,’ was Goebbels’ attitude, all his former cautionthrown to the winds.112 After lunching with Hitler that Thursday he mockingly referredto the throngs of ‘knicker-wetters’ in the foreign ministry.113 In fact the Cabinet,belatedly briefed on Friday, the eve of the operation, loyally backed Hitler.Goebbels sent two planeloads of puzzled journalists into the Rhineland ahead of themarching troops. After Hitler announced his move to cheering Reichstag deputiesthat Saturday morning, Goebbels could hear the crowds ‘exulting’ below—a theme380 GOEBBELS. MASTERMIND OF THE THIRD REICHthat would soon become a commonplace in his chronicle. ‘Wiretaps show the worldof diplomacy all at sea,’ he recorded, adding, ‘And the Rhineland a sea of joy.’114It was perhaps the one moment in history when Hitler could have been stopped.His own generals had panicked, but Goebbels urged him to hang tough: ‘If we keepour nerve now,’ he wrote afterwards, ‘we’ve won.’1151 Deutsche Allgemeine Zeitung, Dec 1, 1934.2 Berliner Lokalanzeiger, Dec 15, 1934; Berliner Nachtausgabe, Jan 2, 1935.3 Unpubl. diary, Jan 4, 1935. (From the diary volume Oct 23, 1933-Jun 28, 1935: Moscowarchives, Goebbels microfiches, box 5).4 Dr Werner Best (IfZ). On Hitler’s speech: diaries of Leeb, Milch, and testimonies ofRaeder, Fritsch (MS) and Adm. Hermann Boehm (IfZ: ZS.12).5 Unpubl. diary, Jan 6, 1935. ‘Interesting visit.’ Ludmilla Babkova (stage name Lida Baarova)was born in Prague on Sep 7, 1914. Her recollections, including memoirs in her nativeCzech (‘Sweet Bitterness of Life’) are singularly free of spleen against JG. I interviewed herin Salzburg, Jul 14, 1993; cf Gustav Fröhlich, Waren das Zeiten! Mein Film-Heldenleben (Munich,Berlin, 1983), 362f., and BA file R.55/412.6 Unpubl. diary, Jan 6, 1935; confirmed by Baarova, interviews; and MI.14 report NOI/108, based on data from an unnamed ‘talent scout in the German film world’ repeating veryaccurately details known, he said, only to Hitler, JG, Sepp Dietrich, Baarova and himself,Mar 15, 1944 (PRO file WO.208/4462).7 Author’s interview of Lida Baarova, Salzburg, Jul 4, 1993.8 On Jan 29; unpubl. diary, Jan 31; and very similar ibid., Feb 4, 1935.9 Ibid., Jan 6, 1935.10 Berliner Lokalanzeiger, Jan 7, 1935.11 Taubert report.12 Unpubl. diary, Jan 16, 1935: ‘Triumph of Patriotism!’13 Confidential report by a Captain Glas in Austria, from Berlin on Jan 18, 1935, forwardedby Wickham Steed to Orme Sargent, FO, Jan 28, 1935 (PRO file FO.371/18824). WhenGiornale d’Italia reported on Feb 8, 1935 ‘A Goebbels speech on a plan of operations toreturn all Germans to the Reich,’ specifying particularly the Memel and Austria, JG protestedin VB, Munich, Feb 9, 1935, against this ‘poisoning of the wells’. (NA film T81, roll667, 5251ff). For Glas, see unpubl. diary, Jul 23, 1939.14 Unpubl. diary, Jan 22, 1935.15 Ibid., Dec 17, 1934. “I think I won him. It’s worthwhile talking to such people.”GOEBBELS. MASTERMIND OF THE THIRD REICH 38116 Ibid., Dec 21, 1934. The German transcripts of these conferences, captured by theBritish after the war, are now missing. Some of Rothermere’s fulsome correspondence withHitler is in BA file NS.10/5, and the Hoover Libr., Hohenlohe papers.17 Diary, Jan 27. On Jan 20 Hitler had told JG that Poland was standing by Germany;France and Britain were preparing to blackmail Poland (unpubl. diary, Jan 22, 1935.)18 Speech report by Phipps to FO, Feb 25, 1935 (PRO file FO.371/18857). On Jan 22, JGnoted: ‘Become a Power. Everything else then sorts itself out.’19 Rosenberg to Hess, Feb 26, 1935 (Rosenberg papers, NA film T454, roll 74, 0704f).20 Diary, Feb 11, 1935.21 Bella Fromm diary, Jul 15, 1934 (loc. cit.)22 Darré diary, Mar 28, 1935.23 Phipps to Simon, Mar 22; and to Sargent, May 9 (PRO file FO.371/18879); unpubl. JGdiary, Apr 5, 1935: ‘A lot of criticism [at Hitler’s lunch table] of Göring’s marriage pomp.That’ll damage us a lot in the people’s eyes.’24 Ibid, Mar 18, 1935. That evening Hitler told him Phipps had been astonished, but raisedno objection; François-Poncet had protested briefly, Cerutti had paled, and ‘Lipski was delighted.’25 Diary, Mar 22, 1935.26 Unpubl. diary, Mar 25, 1935. Over dinner, after further talks, Hitler told JG that Simonwas in a good mood: ‘Führer again confirms my characterisation of the two.’ JG consideredthe talks a success: ‘Now they know what’s what. We sit up with the Führer until 4 a.m. andgossip. He’s really pleased.’27 Ibid., Mar 26, 1935.28 Ibid., Apr 1, 1935. ‘Evening … long time with Führer, together with Göring andBlomberg… We must remain steadfast and firm. Don’t let them bluff us! But the Führer’sgot good nerves.’29 Taubert report.30 Unpubl. diary, Apr 3, 1935: ‘[Hitler] has big worries. Ribbentrop brings fresh news.None too cheerful. We’ve got to watch out like hell.’31 Ibid., Apr 5, 1935.32 Ibid, Apr 7, 1935.33 Robert T Smallbones to British embassy, Apr 18, 1935 (PRO file FO.371/18857).34 Phipps told Simon on May 4, 1935, that JG’s May Day speech ‘contained nothing ofinterest’ (ibid.)35 Phipps to Sargent, Feb 13, 1935 (ibid.)36 Diary, Mar 2; NYT, Mar 1; unpubl. diary, Apr 11, 1935.37 JG to Rosenberg, Aug 25, 1934 (BA file NS.8/171); and see Wulf, Musik, 194.38 NYT, Jun 12, 24–26; diary, Jul 5, 13, 1935.39 Gestapo to Stapoleitstelle, Berlin, Dec 27, 1934; Heydrich to Himmler, Apr 16 (BA fileR.58/739). VB, Mar 29.—Unpubl. diary, May 9, 13, 1935.40 Ibid., Jan 10, 1935.41 Ibid., Jan 12, 1935. ‘In her second month… I hope, I hope