This claims that the deportation was based on preparatory work bythe Jews. There had been over 150,000 Jews in Lithuania in 1940.23 Stahlecker (who may be exaggerating) states, ‘Altogether 136,421 people were liquidatedin many separate operations’ in Lithuania.24 Diary, Nov 2, 1941: briefing by Lt Col Zehnpfennig, district commandant of Vilnius.The Soviet secret police, he said, had rounded up the local businessmen one morning in1940 and shot them.—On Jul 5, 1941 Field Marshal von Leeb reported on the Lithuanians’revenge against the Jews to Hitler’s HQ; Schmundt told him not to intervene (Army GroupNorth war diary, NA film T311, roll 53). See Hitler’s talk with Marshal Kvaternik on Jul 22,and the diary of Otto Bräutigam, Jul 11, 1941: ‘While we turn a blind eye, the Lithuanianauxiliary police are carrying out numerous pogroms against the Jews’ (Author’s film DI-97).SS Standartenführer Jäger (see above note) states that in Vilnius from Aug 12–Sep 1, 1941there were 425 Jews and 19 Jewesses killed, and that on Sep 2 in a Sonderaktion (Specialoperation) 864 more Jews, 2019 Jewesses, and 817 Jewish children were killed ‘becauseJews had opened fire on German soldiers.’25 Diary, Nov 2, 1941.26 (Genuine) Speer chronicle, Nov 27, 1941; it quotes JG as being ‘extremely surprised’ atthe scale of the effort.27 Stahlecker’s report (ND: 2273–PS)28 Dr Drechlser, Generalkommissar of Latvia, to Lohse, Oct 20; and unsigned memo, Oct21, 1941 (Yivo, Occ E 3–29).29 Memo by Lohse’s office, Oct 27; and Regierungsrat Trampedach to Ostministerium,Nov 9, 1941 (Yivo, Occ E 3–30, 32).30 Army commander, Baltic, to Lohse, Nov 20, 1941 (Yivo, Occ E 3–34).31 Note by Ministerialdirektor Lutterloh of the ministry of the interior, Nov 21, 1941(ND: 4055–PS); however a table, ‘Distribution of the Jews as of Nov 15, 1941’, puts 65,000Jews in Berlin (and 50,000 in Vienna, 11,000 in Frankfurt/Main, 8,100 in Breslau). (NAfilm T81, roll 676, 5695).32 (Genuine) Speer chronicle, 1941, 87; Matthias Schmidt, 188.33 MinConf., quoted in Willi Krämer to Tiessler, Oct 25, 1941 (NA film T81, roll 676,5792).34 Söderbaum, op. cit.—‘The Golden City,’ premiered Nov 24, 1942, was one of thewartime movie industry’s biggest money spinners.35 Diary, Nov 7. The Gottschalk family were buried on Nov 6, 1941 in the Stahnsdorfcemetery. Sellenthin, 87f.36 Undated Propaganda-Parole No.6, signed by Berndt, No.413/41g (Yivo, G–44); Berndt’ssignature places it after Sep 9.—And see the proclamation by the Jewish Culture Association,Berlin, Nov 14, 1941 (Yivo, G–229).37 JG, ‘Die Juden sind schuld!’ in Das Reich, Nov 16; cf. NYT, Nov 14; broadcast Nov 14,6:45 P.M. (PRO file FO.371/26569).686 GOEBBELS. MASTERMIND OF THE THIRD REICH38 OKW Wi.II, Gruppenleiter, circular, Nov 17, 1941 (NA film T77, roll 672, 8117ff): thegovernment had ordered steps to get rid of the Jewish danger ‘for all times’. JG wrote in hisunpubl. diary Nov 23, ‘My article on the Jews has been applauded particularly by the partymembership’; it provided ‘the ordinary member’ with the arguments he needed.39 Obviously a reference to the Gottschalk tragedy. Typically, JG began even this entry(diary, Nov 22, 1941) with the words, ‘On the Jewish Problem too the Führer is totally inagreement with my opinions.’ Clearly he was not.40 Wisliceny report, Bratislava, Nov 18, 1946 (IfZ, F.71/8).41 Stahlecker states that ‘at the beginning of Dec 1941’ 27,800 Jews (possibly an exaggeration)were killed in an Aktion by the SS and police chief in Riga; and see the report by thearmy liaison officer to the foreign ministry in Riga, Apr 5, 1943 (NA film T120, roll 780,372,208ff).—Another report by Einsatzgruppe A (ND: NO–3257) gives the overall total asfour thousand Jews from the Riga ghetto ‘and from an evacuation transport from the Reich.’42 Conversation of Lt Gen Werner Bruns overheard on Apr 25, 1945, CSDIC(UK) reportSRGG.1158 (PRO file WO.208/4169). The two or three pits 25 metres long which hedescribed, with the victims forced to lie down with their heads towards the centre ‘likesardines,’ would have held one or two thousand victims each.—See too his interrogation onFeb 13, 1948 (NA film M.1019, roll 20), and the interrogations of Rocques and ElkeSirewitz.—Sellenthin, 85, reproduces a Transportliste confirming that 3,715 Berlin Jewsleft to Minsk (Nov 14), Kaunaus (Nov 17), and Riga (Nov 27), and on p.86f a letter writtenin Feb 1942 from some of their relatives, published the Neue Volkszeitung, New York, Apr 25,1942.
Goebbels43 This is a probable interpretation of Himmler’s note on...‘bunker’ to Heydrich at 1:30 P.M. Nov 30, 19415: ‘Judentransport aus Berlin. KeineLiquidierung.’ (NA film T84, roll 25).44 JG’s adjutant to Bartels, Nov 13 (ZStA Potsdam, Rep.50.01, RMVP, vol.5); on Dec 8,1941 JG cancelled the piano’s purchase.45 Unpubl. diary, Nov 30, 1941.46 Ibid., Nov 22, 1941.47 Ibid., Nov 22; Speer chronicle, Nov 21, 1941.48 According to JG this was after his visit to HQ on Aug 18, 1941. Boelcke, 195. Semler,writes ‘Aug 28, 1941.’49 Lt Col Martin showed him this months later. Unpubl. diary, Feb 6, 1942: Martin hadhanded in his proposal for a ski collection; Jodl had scribbled on it, ‘Our troops have no timefor winter sports.’ (NA film T84, roll 260).—Cf G Sander, op.cit.50 JG, speech to gauleiters, Aug 3, 1944 (IfZ, Fa.35/3).51 JG to Hitler, Jul 18 (BA file IBID.,/107); cf. Oven, ‘Jul 25, 1944,’ 434.52 Eduard Wagner, private letter to his wife, Oct 19, 1941 (BA: Irving collection.)53 Koeppen report on Hitler’s table talk, Oct 26 (NA film T84, roll 387, 0830); letter byWagner, Oct 26, 1941 (loc. cit.)54 JG, speech to gauleiters Aug 3, 1944 (IfZ, Fa.35/3).55 Diary, Nov 1; Bormann diary, Nov 1, and letter by Wagner, Nov 1, 1941.56 Testimonies of Puttkamer, Mar 21, 1953 (IfZ, ZS.285) and Canstein (ZS.345).57 JG, speech to the gauleiters, Aug 3, 1944.GOEBBELS. MASTERMIND OF THE THIRD REICH 68758 Lutze diary, Nov 9; JG diary, Nov 10, 1941.59 Diary, Nov 22, 1941.60 Unpubl. diary, Nov 22; in his MinConf on Nov 18 JG stated that the winter gear hadreached the railheads but was held up by transport problems, so the press should not mentionit and there should be no photos of German troops without coats. On Nov 24 Hitler’sHQ repeated these instructions by phone to him: they had to avoid creating ill
