Doctor Goebbels: His Life & Death

Hanke Chefdes Ministerbüros. See Dietrich’s interrog. by CSDIC(WEA) BAOR, report IR.28, Oct 29,1945 (NA: RG.219, IRR Case files. XE.003812). See too Louis Lochner’s letter home, Mar15, on Dietrich’s speech of Mar 7, 1938 (loc.cit.)6 Diary, Dec 8, 1937. Naumann was director of JG’s Breslau propaganda office (RPA). Theauthor has drawn extensively on Naumann’s personnel files in the BDC, and later OSS documentation.See too the manuscript by Dr Jay W Baird of the Dept. of History, Univ ofMiami, based on extensive interviews of Naumann taped in 1969/70.7 Unpubl. diary, Feb 23, 1942: ‘He’s the most reliable colleague I have.’ Naumann wasborn Jun 16, 1909 in Guhrau; Nazi party number 101,399; his SS number was 1607. SchlesischeZeitung, Aug 27, 1936, May 19, 1937.—BDC file, Naumann, and NA file, RG.319, IRR,XE.246725, containing especially the British High Commission’s Jul 1954 report, ‘TheNaumann Circle. The Study of a Technique in Political Subversion.’8 Report by SA Gruppe Pommern, Jul 27, 1934. During investigations against GauleiterHelmut Brückner, he claimed to have had an erotic relationship with Naumann: ‘We kissedand slept together.’ These were lies, although Naumann admitted to the Breslau Gestapo onOct 19, 1935 that Brückner had fondled him, ‘and perhaps there was a kiss too’ after anelection victory. In May 1937 Brückner withdrew his testimony.—BDC file, Naumann.9 Affidavit by Karl Hederich, Jul 9, 1948 (StA Nuremberg).10 Diary, Dec 3, 1937.11 See Hanke’s file of JG’s tax affairs in ZStA Potsdam, Rep.90, Go 1, vol.2. During fiscal1937, these show, JG received 25,974 marks from his publisher Eher Verlag.12 Diary, Feb 12, 1938; Albert Speer, Erinnerungen (Berlin, 1969), 35ff.13 Oven, ‘Jun 1944,’ 362ff.14 Diary, Aug 27, 1937.15 Ibid., Sep 9–10, 1937.16 Ibid., Sep 23–24, 1937.17 Ibid., Dec 3, 1937.18 E.g., Ibid., Sep 5, 1937.19 Ibid., Sep 30, 1937.20 Ibid., Dec 27, 1937; Stan Czech, loc.cit; interviews of Baarova.21 Diary, Oct 6, 1937.22 Ibid., Dec 1, 1937. On Mar 8, 1938 JG noted: ‘Helldorff has given the SchwanenwerderJew who wanted to diddle us over the house purchase a going-over. Now it will probably gothrough easier.’ And diary Mar 22, 29, 30, 1938.23 Reuth, 385f, researching in 1954 files of JG’s executor Krech and the Schwanenwerderland register. On Jun 8, 1939 JG sold off part of the new lot to the industrialist AlfredLudwig of Osnabrück for 180,000 marks. See diary, Mar 24, 30, 1941.24 Ello Quandt, cited by Ebermayer and Meissner.25 Diary, Dec 12; there was building work at Lanke (Ibid., Dec 21, 1937).26 Ibid., Dec 19, 1937.27 Ibid., Jan 6, 1938.28 Ibid., Jan 12; unpubl. diary Feb 19, Mar 20, 22, Apr 15 (completed), 20, 21, 1938.444 GOEBBELS. MASTERMIND OF THE THIRD REICH29 Ibid., Jan 16; unpubl. diary, Feb 13, 27, Mar 29, Apr 3, 22, 26, 27; documents on theplaster model, Jan 31, 1938 (BA file R.43II/1184).30 This was on Mar 4; unpubl. diary, Mar 5. On Mar 17, 1938 the Münchner Illustr. Beobachterfeatured a photo taken at the film ball showing Lida Baarova with Hilde Körber and fourother stars.31 A ‘selfish little beast’: unpubl. diary, Apr 26, 27, 29, 1938.32 Unpubl. diary, Feb 14, 1938.33 Letter to Oberregierungsrat G W Müller (of RMVP) Jan 26, 1939: Magda points outshe is incapable of paying the taxes for Nos 12–14 Insel Strasse from her housekeepingmoney in addition to those for Nos.8–10 (Hoover Libr.: Goebbels papers, box 2).34 Diary, Jan 20; unpubl. diary, Feb 20, 1938.35 Diary, Jan 15, 1938. On Feb 8, 1935 JG had recorded in his unpubl. diary a similarprivate talk with Hitler, on ambassadorial appointments to London and Paris.36 Diary, Jan 15, 1938.37 Ibid., Feb 1, 1938.38 Ibid., Jan 22, 1938.39 Ibid., Feb 1, 1938.40 Ibid., Dec 15, 1937; and see Jan 13, 14, 18, 1938.41 Ibid., Jan 26, 1938.42 Ibid., Jan 27, 1938.43 Ibid., Jan 28, 1938.44 Ibid., Jan 27, 29. The 83pp transcript of the four-hour grilling on Jan 27, 1938 is on NAfilm T82 roll 272. I also used Fritsch’s own handwritten record of the scandal, written Feb1938–Sep 27, 1938 (see IfZ, Irving collection, and BA: N.33).45 Diary, Jan 30, 1938.46 Ibid., Jan 31; and see Lutze diary, Jan 30, 1938.47 Diary, Feb 1, 1938.48 Ibid., Feb 6, 1938.49 Ibid. See too Fritsch’s notes, and the diaries of Milch, Eberhard, and von Leeb.50 Unpubl. diary, Feb 13, 14, 1938: ‘Thank goodness, the world press has still not printedanything of the true background to our ‘crisis’.’51 Rudolf Likus described Berndt to Ribbentrop on Feb 11, 1938 as a ‘tactless fellow’ withless manners than a butcher’s boy (NA film T120, roll 31, 8876f).52 Lochner to daughter, Mar 15, 1938 (State Hist. Soc. of Wisconsin: Lochner papers, box47).53 Ibid. Juliana had married the German Prince Bernhard von Lippe-Biesterfeld at the endof 1936. At the wedding he had refused to permit the German anthem, speaking in a laterdeclaration of ‘foreign national anthems that he no longer desired,’ and calling himself somebodywho ‘is and feels Dutch.’ ‘A fine patriot,’ commented JG, launching a bitter press attackon him with Hitler’s blessing (diary, Jan 1, 3, 5, 25, 1937); and see Nigel Law to OrmeSargent, FO, May 16, 1937 (PRO file FO.371/20733).54 Unpubl. diary, Feb 16, 1938.55 Goebbels had remarked as recently as Dec 27, 1937 (diary) that a long road still layahead to Austria.GOEBBELS. MASTERMIND OF THE THIRD REICH 44556 Unpubl. diary, Feb 16, 1938.57 Ibid., Feb 21, 1938.58 Ibid., Feb 13, 1938.59 Ibid., Feb 17, 1938.60 Ibid., Feb 16, 1938.61 Ibid., Feb 26, 1938.62 Ibid., Mar 1, 1938.63 Diary, Jul 3, 4, 6, 1937: Niemöller should ‘never be turned loose’ again.64 Ibid., Apr 17, 1937. Frick had drafted a new law required all civil servants to have lawdegrees. JG suggested an amendment (Apr 20, 1937): ‘Not “only lawyers” may become civilservants, but “even, in exceptional cases, lawyers”.’65 Ibid., Jan 21, 1938.66 Ibid., Feb 5, 8, 1938.67 Ibid., Feb 9; and unpubl. diary, Feb 14, 20, 23, 1938.68 Ibid., Feb 23, 25, 26, 1938.69 Ibid., Mar 3: ‘That’s the clock striking thirteen!’; and Mar 4, 1938. See Franz Gürtner’sdiary, Mar 5, 1938 (BA file R.22/946) and Wiedemann, 149.70 Unpubl.