him on Oct 1, 1940 as his adjutant. See ibid., May13, Oct 2, 31, 1940.42 Ibid., Jan 3, 18, 1941.43 Ibid., Jan 29, 1941.44 Ibid., Apr 24, 1941.45 Ibid., Jun 17, 1941. ‘To show an interest in’: mich des Kindes anzunehmen.46 See the MS by Rittmeister Dr Wilhelm Scheidt (IfZ, Irving collection).47 Diary, Jan 29, 1941; cf. Hanke’s biography in Das Reich Mar 11, 1945, and JG diary, May5, 1940: Hanke was with Rommel’s division, but ‘is heading for Silesia later.’48 Ibid., Jan 30. On Feb 9 Hess spoke in Breslau at Hanke’s induction as gauleiter (ibid.,Feb 10, 1941).49 Ibid., Jan 25, Feb 3, 13, 194150 Ibid., Feb 8, 1941.51 Ibid., Mar 25, 1941; JG’s New Year’s broadcast, 1940/41.52 Diary, Apr 4, 1941.53 Ibid., Feb 8, 11, 13, 14, 1941.54 Ibid., Feb 14–16, 1941.55 G Sander, op. cit.; diary, Feb 18, 1941.56 Diary, Feb 16, 17, 21, 24, 1941.57 Ibid., Feb 21, 23, 26, 1941.58 Ibid., Mar 3, 1941.59 Ibid., Mar 16, 17, 1941.60 Ibid., Mar 15, 17, 18, 23, 1941.61 Ibid., Mar 29, Apr 11, 20, 21, 1941.62 Ibid., Apr 14, 1941.63 Ibid., May 1–3. Linz Irkonsky had provided the summer house (ibid., Apr 2, 1941).64 G Sander, op. cit.65 JG used the same phrase in his domestic propaganda: PWE Report on Axis Propagandaand Strategic Intentions, No.25, Jan 6–12, 1941 (PRO file FO.898/30); diary, Jan 10, 1941.66 Ibid., Feb 1, 4, 1941.67 Ibid., Feb 7, 1941.68 Das Reich, Mar 7, 1941.69 MinConf., Mar 14, 1941.638 GOEBBELS. MASTERMIND OF THE THIRD REICH70 Undated transcript and Reuters rewrite dated Mar 10 of JG’s speech of Mar 7 in PROfile FO.371/26518; PWE Report on Axis Propaganda and Strategic Intentions, No.33, Mar3–9 (PRO file FO.898/30); diary, Mar 8, 1941.71 Diary, Mar 11, 1941.72 Ibid., Mar 16, 1941.73 Ibid., Mar 17, 1941.74 Ibid., Mar 3, 1941.75 Ibid., Mar 18, 1941.76 Ibid., Mar 21, 1941.77 MinConf., Mar 21, 1941.78 Diary, Mar 25, 1941.79 Ibid., Mar 29. He added that there were already 300,000 troops in Norway. ‘Moscowwon’t have anything to laugh about when the balloon goes up.’ On Mar 30, 1941 he notedthat the SD Meldung reported reservations in the public’s mood toward Russia; peopleseemed to have a premonition. ‘But this summer will see this problem solved too.’80 Diary, Mar 28, 1941.81 Ibid., Apr 4–6, 1941.82 Ibid., Apr 6, 1941.83 Semler, ‘Apr 5, 1941.’84 Diary, Apr 6, 1941.85 Shorthand transcript of MinConf., Apr 6, 1941.86 Erwin Lahousen diary (Author’s film DI–43).87 MinConf., Apr 10; diary, Apr 11, 1941.88 Ibid.., Apr 7, 1941.89 Diary, Apr 13, 1941.90 Stenogramm of MinConf., Apr 15; diary, Apr 16, 1941.91 Diary, Apr 17, 1941.92 Ibid., Apr 8, 1941.93 Ibid., Apr 8, 9, 1941.94 Ibid., Apr 24, 1941.95 Ibid., Apr 24, 1941.96 E Taubert, “Der antisowjetische Apparat des deutschen Propagandaministeriums” (BAfile Kl.Erw.617).97 Interrogation of Fritzsche, Nov 1, 1946 in OMGUS files (NA, RG.250, shipping list 53–3/7, box 16).98 G Sander, op.cit; JG did not visit Lanke between Feb 22 and Apr 11, 1941 (diary).99 Diary, Apr 14, 1941. Semler’s account of the Apr 12 Krebs incident, dated ‘Apr 1,1941’, must be discounted.100 Diary, Apr 15, 1941.101 Ibid., Apr 20, 21, 1941.102 Ibid., Apr 1, 1941.103 Ibid., Apr 18, 21, 1941.104 Ibid., Apr 20, 1941.105 MinConf., Apr 17; diary, Apr 17–19, 23, 1941.GOEBBELS. MASTERMIND OF THE THIRD REICH 639106 Ibid., Apr 26, 1941.107 Ibid., May 12, 1941.108 Hans-Leo Martin, Unser Mann bei Goebbels (Neckargemünd, 1973), 115; diary, Apr 19,1941.109 Diary, May 1, 7; cf Walther Hewel diary, May 1941 (author’s film DI–75).110 Ibid., May 5, 8, 9, 1941.111 Ibid., May 9, 1941.112 Ibid., May 12, 1941.640 GOEBBELS. MASTERMIND OF THE THIRD REICH
Goebbels41: The Malodorous ThingThe sensation had already happened. On Monday May 12, 1941 the phonerang at Lanke. It was somebody at the Berghof—though not Hitler himself,he was still too shocked to speak—reporting that the Deputy Führer, Rudolf Hess,had taken off for Scotland in a Messerschmitt late on Saturday and was now missing,perhaps dead. Hitler was therefore issuing a communiqué speaking of Hess’s ‘dementia.’1 ‘What a sight for the world,’ exclaimed Goebbels in his diary. ‘A mentallydefectivedeputy to the Führer.’ He blamed Otto Dietrich for this infelicitous choiceof argument. He was furious that Hitler had not asked his advice.2 The blow to theparty’s prestige could be fatal. He immediately ordered the Hess item removed fromthe weekly newsreel.He hoped that Hess was dead, but he was not. On Tuesday the British revealed thatthe Nazi leader had landed by parachute. Goebbels told his secret morning conferenceto keep a stiff upper lip.3 He had been summoned to Hitler that afternoon withall the other gauleiters, he said.4 ‘We’ll get to the bottom of the affair this afternoonand I shall dictate more detailed instructions from the Obersalzberg after that,’ headded. Meanwhile they were to concentrate on the air war—on anything but Hess.5At the Berghof Hitler showed him two letters that Hess had left behind, mappingout a ‘peace programme’ drafted in October.6 He was going to England to make herplight plain to her, to get the Duke of Hamilton to overthrow the Churchill regimeand to bring about peace without any loss of face for Britain. The two letters oozedGOEBBELS. MASTERMIND OF THE THIRD REICH 641half-baked occultist theories. ‘That’s the kind of men we have ruling Germany,’ wroteGoebbels perhaps incautiously. ’The whole business is only explicable in the light ofhis nature-healing and herb-munching foibles.’ Perhaps Hitler’s communiqué callingHess ‘demented’ was not so far off base after all.7 Goebbels quailed at the prospect ofwhat the enemy would make of this. He repeatedly said later that he wished he hadbeen in the enemy’s shoes. He would have published whatever he liked in Hess’sname.8 He described Duff Cooper & Co as dimwitted dilettantes.9When Hitler spoke to all the gauleiters that afternoon, May 13, he was visiblyshaken.10 After driving Goebbels back to the local airfield S.A.-chief of staff ViktorLutze remarked in his diary that the public announcement about Hess would lead toa leadership crisis, because the public must ask how such sick men could be retainedat the highest level; how could he even
