Doctor Goebbels: His Life & Death

Gau HQ, Bavarian Ostmark, Nov 10, 1938 (Yivo,G–198).57 This was noted by Ogilvie-Forbes to FO, Nov 11, 1938 (PRO file FO.371/21637).58 Unpubl. diary, Nov 11; VB, Nov 11; and Bruno Werner, Die Galeere (Frankfurt, 1949),157. The shorthand record of Hitler’s speech of Nov 10 is in BA file NS.11/28; see a differenttranscript with commentary by Wilhelm Treue in VfZ, 1958, 175ff, and the summary byRudolf Likus, NA film T120, roll 31, 9044ff; to see who was present, see the Hoffmannnegatives NA albums 242-HLB.3555–7, 3564.59 Ibid.60 Cited by Weckert. Wächter was promoted to the RPL (JG diary, Jan 3, 1941), headed itspropaganda staff in 1942, and has been missing since 1945.61 Diary, Nov 12, 1938.62 Time, Mar 20, 1939.—For German press coverage of this conference, see DAZ, Nov 12,1938.63 Likus to Ribbentrop, Nov 11 (NA film T120, roll 31, 9049); see too the FO’s summaryof events in PRO file FO.371/21637. Goebbels, mocked Ogilvie-Forbes to FO on Nov 12,1938, maintained in his interview that Grynszpan ‘must have’ been taught to shoot: but ‘hemissed with three shots out of five at point-blank range!’64 Lochner to his children, Jan 1, 1939 (State Hist. Soc. of Wisconsin, Lochner papers, box47).65 Likus to Ribbentrop, Nov 11, 1938 (loc. cit.).66 Ogilvie-Forbes to FO, Nov 14, 1938 (PRO file FO.371/21637)67 Lutze diary, Nov 9–10, 1938 (Friedr. Ebert Foundation archives).68 Rosenberg diary, Feb 1939; and see his remarks to Georg Leibbrandt, quoted in interviewwith John Toland, Sep 6, 1971 (FDR Libr.: Toland papers, box 52).69 Testimony of Schirmeister and Fritzsche, Jun 28, 1946, IMT, vol.xvii, 190f and 235ff.GOEBBELS. MASTERMIND OF THE THIRD REICH 50770 Hassell diary, Nov 25, Dec 29, 1938; for Hess’s condemnation of JG’s actions that nightsee the Nuremberg interrogation of his secretary Ingeborg Sperr.71 Communication of SA Supreme HQ, Dec 19, 1938 (BDC file 240/II).72 Unsigned letter to Hess, probably from Kurt Daluege, Dec 12, 1938 (BDC file, JG;author’s film DJ–81).73 Heydrich, speaking to Nazi politics course (Napola); quoted in Groscurth diary, Dec29, 1938.74 Himmler memorandum, cited by Raul Hilberg.75 Darré diary, Jun 2, 1939; there are signs that Goebbels was indeed feeling the strain, e.g.his diary of Nov 19, 1938 begins: ‘I’m so ill and so tired. I must slow down my pace of worka bit.’76 Kehrl, 142; Burckhardt; and see Göring’s witness summons for Gauleiter Dr Ueberreither(NA file RG.260, shipping list 74-3/7, box 117).77 A partial stenogram is ND: 1816–PS; Ernst Woermann’s two-page telephone summaryfor Ribbentrop is on NA film T120, roll 722, 1681ff.—General Wenninger, Luftwaffe attachéin London, told British Intelligence on Nov 21, 1938 ‘that Göring could not bear Goebbelsand that there was bitter enmity between them’ (PRO file FO.371/21665).78 Opening the Reich Defence Council session in the air ministry building on Nov 18,Göring said in JG’s presence (see page 3203): ‘The plate-glass windows smashed during thedemonstration against the Jews have not only inflicted a loss on the nation’s wealth butnecessitated the expenditure of four to five million marks in foreign currency… The Führerhas therefore expressly ordered that from this moment on all destruction of assets is categoricallyforbidden!’ (NA film T120, roll 131; summary, pages 3088ff, verbatim, pages3157ff.); cf JG unpubl. diary, Nov 19, 1938—he did not mention Göring’s rebuke.79 Ogilvie-Forbes, reporting to the FO on Nov 13, lists Frick, JG, Gürtner, Krosigk, Funkas present, with Göring in the chair (PRO file FO.371/21637). On the economic measuresagainst 50,000 Jews in the professions, see his telegram of Nov 16, 1938.80 Diary, Nov 13, 1938.81 The text is in FO.371/21637; see JG diary, Nov 13, 15; The Times, Nov 15. —Theinterview was published with omissions in Germany on Nov 15 (Ogilvie-Forbes to FO, Nov14, 15, 1938: FO.371/21637).82 Diary, Nov 14; since Göring was now aryanizing all the Jewish businesses, he said, itwould no longer be possible to get back at them by damaging their shops or businesses. DAZ,Nov 14: ‘GOEBBELS: THE JEWISH QUESTION WILL BE FINALLY SOLVED.’ See Ogilvie-Forbes to FO,Nov 14, 1938 (loc.cit.).83 Diary, Nov 20, 1938.84 Memo from W W Astor, Nov 9; British consulate in Vienna to Ogilvie-Forbes, Nov 25;memo by Capt J McLaren, Nov 29; minute by W Ridsdale, Dec 6, 1938 (PRO file FO.371/21665).85 Diary, Dec 4, 1938.86 Wünsche diary, Nov 15, 1938 (BA file NS.10/125). Still further evidence of theunreliability of the ‘diary’ of Major Gerhard Engel, forged by him after the war and publishedby the Institut für Zeitgeschichte in Munich: this ‘diary’ has Hitler and JG ‘convincinglyexplaining’ the point of the Aktion to Hitler’s lunch table at the Berlin Chancellery four508 GOEBBELS. MASTERMIND OF THE THIRD REICHdays before on Nov 11, 1938. Reuth and other historians have fallen for the forgery becauseof the IfZ imprimatur,87 Diary, Nov 17, 1938.88 Wünsche diary, Nov 15; JG diary, Nov 17.—Kirkpatrick to FO, Nov 18, about rumoursthat JG was divorced. ‘In order to put an end to them … Hitler made an appearance twodays ago in the same theatre sitting in the same box with Dr Goebbels and Frau Goebbels’(PRO file FO.371/21655). And see CÊ Burckhardt to League of Nations, Dec 2, 1938 (FO.371/21804).89 Wünsche and Eberhard diaries, Nov 16; author’s interview of Gerhard Engel, Apr 5,1971.90 Diary, Nov 17, 1938.GOEBBELS. MASTERMIND OF THE THIRD REICH 509

Goebbels33: On the VergeNINETEEN thirty-eight has been a traumatic year for Dr Goebbels. As the NewYear, 1939, is rung in he writes: ‘I’d rather go hang myself.’1 ‘I have gainedmany grey hairs over the last year,’ he will add a few weeks later.2Denied marital comforts by Magda for months on end, he allows masculine frustrationto overwhelm ministerial prudence. He invites a Miss U. to his study, offersroutine pleasantries about her latest movie, presses a cheque for several thousandmarks upon her and invites her out one day—she assumes, to a movie. His car picksher up after dark near the Kroll opera house. Miss U. nervously has her fiancé follow,but Goebbels’ supercharged Mercedes soon shakes him off. Rach drives them out toLanke. A cold buffet is waiting inside the villa. Seeing the piano, she mentions thatshe can play. He says that two can play, but when it appears