Doctor Goebbels: His Life & Death

shaped lamps graced the trees, and there were three outdoorGOEBBELS. MASTERMIND OF THE THIRD REICH 391dance floors, brightly coloured marquees, and tables for thousands of guests—amongthem Gustav Fröhlich and his eye-catching film star fiancée Lida Baarova, upon whomGoebbels heaped particular compliments this night; he had again noticed her talentsin her latest film a few weeks earlier.46 ‘Everybody with legs was there,’ recorded theLittle Doctor proudly afterwards, knowing he had outdone Göring at last. He sashayedaround in an elegant white suit; Magda, never one to miss a party, had returned fromDresden, and glided at his side in a bright organdy outfit. ‘Not only was a gorgeousdinner served,’ described Louis Lochner in a letter home, ‘not only did wine, strawberrybowle, and champagne flow freely … but each lady was, in addition, presentedwith a piece of china. At 11 P.M. the ballet of the Opera performed charmingly,in brand new sets of costumes designed especially for this fête, and at midnightwe were treated to fireworks the likes of which I haven’t seen in years. Where thegovernment gets the money from to entertain thus lavishly, I don’t know.’47The good times rolled for Dr Goebbels all that summer. He had the new launch,and a new Mercedes 5·4 litre two-seats sports car.48 He had ordered yet anotherlimousine, an open Horch tourer just like the Führer’s.49 He test-cruised an evenclassier motor boat.50 And yet, in the more distant valleys of his mind, it was as if hecould already hear a bell tolling—more persistent, more penetrating than the greatpeal of Cologne. He sat brooding at his desk, drafting his speech for the Nurembergrally, reading up on the communist reign of terror in Republican Spain. The Redsthere had slain priests and nuns, and butchered seven thousand of their enemies inMadrid alone. Might not the same one day come to pass in Berlin?‘Woe betide us in that event,’ he wrote thoughtfully in his diary. ‘We and ourfamilies would all be done for. The best thing then would be to finish yourself offfirst.’511 Aktionsfähig nach außen. These words were once more omitted from the newspaper texts.Report by Phipps to FO, Mar 12, 1936 (PRO file FO.371/19890).2 Diary, Mar 28, 1936.3 JG proclamation, Mar 24, 1936; PRO file FO.371/19884.392 GOEBBELS. MASTERMIND OF THE THIRD REICH4 Diary, Mar 19, 1936.5 See Phipps to Eden, Mar 31, 1936 (PRO file FO.371/1923).6 Diary, Feb 17, 1936. Wilhelm Baur of Eher Verlag told him his royalty account balance.Between Dec 16, 1935 and Dec 2, 1936 JG drew advances of 290,000 marks. He declaredearnings of 63,654 marks to the tax authorities over this period (Hoover Libr.: Goebbelspapers, box 2.); small wonder that the tax inspectors plagued him—’plundering me andcheeky to boot’ (diary, Jun 10, 1936).7 Diary, Mar 15, 1936.8 Ibid., Mar 22, 1936. Recollections differ on how JG financed this deal, e.g. Winkler,interrogated by Korf on May 1, 1948. It seems JG merely promised to pay and completedthe deal in Nov 1936. Amann confirmed to Korf, May 4, 1948 that he recalled Hitler said tohim in Thiersch Strasse, Munich that he wanted JG to have a stylish home in Berlin, and thatJG needed 300,000 or 370,000 marks to buy a property: ‘If I had the money,’ said Hitler, ‘I’dgive it him. Goebbels is one of Eher’s best authors.’ Amann, no fool, checked his firm’sroyalty accounts before advancing the money. His version, and Hitler’s role, are independentlyconfirmed by his accountant Joseph Pickel, questioned by Korf on May 13, 1945 (HooverLibr.: Korf papers).9 Basler National Zeitung, Dec 11, 1945. The lot No.8–10 Insel Strasse was finally 8,740square metres. The West Berlin authorities confiscated it in 1954. Tagesspiegel Berlin, Nov 24,1954.10 Reuth, 340, citing the Schwanenwerder Land Registry in Schöneberg magistratescourt; the sale was registered on Apr 25, 1935.11 Ernst ‘Putzi’ Hanfstaengel, report on JG for Pres. Roosevelt, Jul 16, 1943 (FDR Libr.PSF box 126)12 Diary, Mar 29, 1936.13 Ibid., Apr 20, 1936.14 Ibid., Apr 4, 6, 8, 11, 1936.15 Ibid., Oct 22, 1936. Winkler and Amann, questioned by Korf, May 1 and 3, 1948,were vague as to the details. In the Goebbels papers at the Hoover Library, box 2, is a taxstatement showing that JG duly received 290,000 marks advance royalties from Eher Verlagfrom Dec 16, 1925 to Dec 23, 1936, against which his books earned 63,416·31 marksduring 1936.16 The real estate files of the Zehlendorf courthouse confirm that JG paid the whole270,000 marks in cash. See Korf’s interview of JG’s conveyancing attorney Dr Alfons Knatsch,Apr 12, 1948.17 Diary, Apr 20, 1936; Behrend, loc. cit., No.17, Apr 26, 1952.18 JG to Reichshauptkasse, Apr 7, 1936 (ZStA, Potsdam, Rep.90, Go 1, vol.3)19 Diary, May 2, 5, 7, 11, 1936 records constant rows.20 Ibid., May 8, 1936.21 Ibid., Jul 8, 9, 1936.22 Ibid., Apr 16, May 3, Jun 13, Jul 9, 1936.23 Ernst Hanfstaengel, report on JG for Pres. Roosevelt, Jul 16, 1943 (FDR Libr. PSFbox 126)24 Diary, Jul 9, 1936.GOEBBELS. MASTERMIND OF THE THIRD REICH 39325 Ibid., Apr 18, 19, 26, May 8, 13, Jun 23, 1936.26 Ibid., Jul 14, 1936.27 Ondra: Ibid., May 19, Jun 11; Edda: Jun 8, 9: ‘The Führer does not like painted ladieseither.’28 Fromm diary, Jun 12, 1936 (Boston Univ. Libr, Fromm papers, box 2; cf MS in box61).29 Diary, Jul 2, 1936.30 Ibid., Jun 25, 1936.31 Ibid., Jun 16, 1936.32 Ibid., Feb 2, 1937.33 Unpubl. diary, Apr 27, 1935 (Moscow archives).34 Diary, Jun 19, 1936: JG noted that Mosley said he had been promised £60,000 and ‘hasalready received £2,000.’—Despite contemporary denials by Sir Oswald, I found in Italianambassador Dino Grandi’s files the receipts and reports on transfers of substantial cash sumsto Mosley in 1936 (Archivo Segreto dello Stato, Rome). While it must be said there is nosuch evidence in German files, Diana Mosley now says, ‘It is difficult to argue with a diary’(Letter to the author, Jan 22, 1994).35 Diary, Jun 20, 1936.36 Otto Dietrich called Wrede in a self-serving interrogation 6824DIC(MIS)/M.1169‘an arrogant, stupid, fanatic Nazi.’37 Diary, Jun 24, Jul 29, 1936.38 Ibid., Aug 6, 7, 1936.39 Perhaps Hitler’s former adviser Kurt G Lüdecke; JG