Doctor Goebbels: His Life & Death

Jewish section (Dezernat).65 Over the next few days, in a copybookharassment operation, the Berlin police rounded up 1,122 criminal, 445 ‘anti-social’,and seventy-seven foreign Jews found without proper papers; sixty-six wereimprisoned, 1,029 were thrown into concentration camps, the rest detained for daysin police cells. Helldorff imposed steep fines on those found to have been disregardingNazi price-fixing laws. Meanwhile his police seized 250 Jewish-owned automobilespending safety tests; he also demanded that Jews give up their adopted Germannames, particularly those that implied aristocratic birth.66 There were inevitably distressingscenes, some photographed by British newspapermen; Goebbels had theirfilms confiscated.67 Meanwhile Nazi hooligans placarded shops wherever their ownerswere Jews. As the uglier side of human nature came to the fore, even Helldorffasked Goebbels to call a halt, saying that ‘unsavoury elements’ were getting out ofhand, under the party’s mantle. It seems that Goebbels had under-estimated thegusto with which the Berlin lumpenproletariat would wade into the city’s Jews ifgiven half a chance. Belatedly he tried to apply the brakes.68 In the light of laterevents his diary entry of June 22, 1938 deserves quoting:The Jewish problem in Berlin has now got complicated. Probably at Helldorff’sinstigation the party smeared graffiti all over the Jewish shops. … There has beenGOEBBELS. MASTERMIND OF THE THIRD REICH 455some looting too. Gypsies and other underworld elements have moved in on it. Ihave had them all thrown into concentration camps. Helldorff did precisely thereverse of what I ordered: I had said that the police were to act within the law,with the party just standing by as onlookers. The opposite happened. I summonall the party authorities and issue new orders. There are to be no illegal acts.‘Anyway,’ he reflected, ‘this type of rough justice does have its blessings. The Jewshave been given a hell of a fright and they’ll probably think twice now before regardingBerlin as their Eldorado.’ Speaking at a midsummer rally he showed no contritionat all and, in Lochner’s words, ‘practically justified the street scenes of the previousdays.’69Göring was pained by the antisemitic excesses of June 1938, but Goebbels wasunrepentant: ‘The fight against the Jews goes on, with legal means, right to the lastrung of the gallows.’70 Although his handwritten diary and Helldorff’s report leaveno doubt that he had personally instigated the anti-Jewish drive of June 1938, headded a highly deceitful entry reading: ‘Operation Jew has now died down. A policemajor and a Kreisleiter [top party official] were to blame. … I take firm action toprevent a recurrence.’71 He also righteously directed Helldorff to investigate reportsthat Jews were being manhandled at Sachsenhausen concentration camp.72Discomforted by the unfavourable foreign press reactions, Ribbentrop buttonholedhim at the Kaiserhof hotel. Goebbels promised to tread more softly.73 A few dayslater, at Bayreuth, Goebbels carefully recorded that the Führer ‘endorsed’ (billigt)his Berlin operation. ‘It is immaterial what the foreign press writes,’ added Goebbels.‘The main thing is to squeeze out the Jews. Ten years from now they must all havebeen removed from Germany. But for the time being we intend to keep the Jewshere—as pawns.’74DURING March 1938 Hitler had laid plans to seize the whole of Czechoslovakia usingthe problems of the German minority as a pretext. He had directed the SudetenGerman leader Henlein to state impossible demands. In April Henlein had warned456 GOEBBELS. MASTERMIND OF THE THIRD REICHGoebbels about the strength of the Czech fortifications.75 Hitler told Goebbels toinvite twenty thousand Sudeten Germans to the Breslau gymnastics display that summer.76 On May 2, Goebbels had directed his newspapers to start the propagandacampaign, pouring oil on the already flickering flames.77 Ribbentrop, alarmed, complainedto both Hitler and Goebbels, but neither cared. ‘Ribbentrop’s a typical groveller,’scoffed Goebbels, enjoying every moment of his newfound strategic importance.78 The first blood flowed as Czech gendarmes shot dead two Sudeten Germanson May 21 near Eger. In the ensuing uproar, Prague mobilized troops, while Londonand Paris taunted Hitler for inactivity: he bided his time down at the Berghof. Then,claiming Hitler’s backing, Goebbels let the full press campaign rip, noting triumphantly:‘Ribbentrop is on the verge of tears.’79 But the foreign minister immediatelypersuaded Hitler that their press must pull back, leaving an outraged Goebbels withmore than a slight feeling of nausea. Hitler well knew that his Wehrmacht would notbe ready to attack Czechoslovakia until October.Goebbels was among those at lunch with Hitler in Berlin on May 27. He notedmerely that Hitler had returned for military consultations.80 He did not mince hiswords about Ribbentrop. ‘Either we publish no more news at all on border violations,’he recorded, claiming once more that Hitler backed him, ‘or we take countermeasures.’He saw Hitler pacing up and down and pondering. (‘We have to leave himalone. He is brooding on a decision. That often takes some time.’)81 The next dayHitler announced to his generals and ministers that it was his ‘unshakeable intention’to smash Czechoslovakia.82 Less tense now that he had made up his mind, over lunchon the last day of May 1938 Hitler gave Goebbels a thumbnail sketch of the Czechs,calling them ‘impertinent, mendacious, devout, and servile.’‘Spot on!’ congratulated Goebbels.83Hitler said they should give Prague no respite at all that summer. Goebbels wentfurther, pouring more oil on the flames although the public soon tired.84 A clammyfeeling spread that war was inevitable.85 Even Goebbels was not immune to this apprehension,writing one day: ‘We shall have to be on guard, otherwise we’ll slitherinto a catastrophe—one which nobody wants but which comes along all the same.’GOEBBELS. MASTERMIND OF THE THIRD REICH 457When the embassy in London reported that the British did intend to put up a fight,Goebbels recorded further misgivings.86 Other ministers began to share their fearswith him. ‘The Führer,’ he however concluded, brightening, ‘knows what he wants.So far he has always hit upon the right moment to act.’87WHILE Germany edges toward war during the summer of 1938, Goebbels’ personallife also teeters on the brink. Magda, thirty-six, has left on June 20, blubbering, forher regular clinic in Dresden. Karl Hanke is in love with her. And Goebbels is thinkingof leaving her for a Czech film actress of twenty-three, Lida Baarova.Unaware of the rumours Hitler insists that both Goebbels’ attend the