Doctor Goebbels: His Life & Death

on, Jan 3 (NA film T175, roll 265, 1265ff) and Jan 6,1944 (ibid., 1286ff).2 RPL leaflet, weekly slogan of NSDAP, Jan 2–8, 1944 (Yivo, G–169).3 Jay W Baird, MS, ‘The Memoirs of Goebbels’ Deputy, Dr Werner Naumann,’ 2 vols.Quoted by Elke Fröhlich of IfZ.—In his speech on Hitler’s birthday JG said much the same,that Hitler always had an instinct for the right and necessary course of action. (DAZ, Jan 21,1944).4 Oven, ‘Jan 5, 1944.’5 Circular No.158 to all RPÄ, Jan 22, 1944 (NA film T84, roll 169, 6299).6 JG speech, ‘Der Krieg als Weltanschauungskampf,’ Jan 25, 1944 (NA film T77, roll 852,8135ff).7 Circular No.202, Jan 27 (NA film T84, roll 169, 6250). In his diary, Feb 10, 1944, JGestimated that Berlin had suffered 10,000 dead and missing from the air war.—I am indebtedto Dr R–G Reuth for the 1944 diary, obtained from ZStA Potsdam files via the IfZ.8 Dr Scharping, radio slogan, Jan 29, 1944 (NA film T84, roll 169, 6228).9 Only two days earlier JG had asked the armed forces and party to provide men onstandby in his remaining theatres to help fight any fires. JG, air war notice No.84, Jan 26,1944 (NA film T84, roll 322, 1287f).10 Oven, ‘Feb 2, 1944,’ 229.11 He quoted the SD report in his diary, Feb 5. For a discussion of his campaign to repairmorale, see NYT, Feb 6, 1944.12 Diary, Feb 29, 1944.13 JG to Hitler, Feb 4, 1944 (BA file NL.118/106).14 Diary, Feb 10, 1944.15 Ibid., Feb 16; the NYT reported, falsely, on Mar 13, 1944 that JG had escaped death inthe hotel only by minutes.16 Diary, Feb 23, 24, 1944.17 JG, ‘Der Krieg als Weltanschuungskampf,’ Jan 25, 1944 (NA film T77, roll 852, 8135ff)18 The transcript is not found, but see Himmler’s handwritten speech notes for Jan 26,1944: ‘… Race struggle. Total solution. Don’t let avengers emerge against our children…’(NA film T175, roll 94, 4836). The wording was similar in Himmler’s speeches of Oct 6,1943 (BDC file 238/III) and May 5, 1944 (NA film T175, roll 92, 3476ff).19 So Colonel Rudolf-Christoph Baron von Gersdorff recalled in Soldat im Untergang (Munich,1977); Bodo Scheurig quoted the colonel’s original MS in FAZ, Jul 21, 1993.20 Remark by Rear-Admiral Engel, CSDIC(UK) report SRGG.1167(C) in PRO fileWO.208/4169.21 Hitler’s speech of Jan 27, 1944 is recorded in BA files, Schumacher collection, file 365.Cf. David Irving, Hitler’s War (London, 1991), 606 and the diaries of the naval staff, Jodl,Maximilian von Weichs (Mar 3, 1944) and Salmuth (Mar 27, 1946), and the remarks ofGenerals von Rothkirch in CSDIC(UK) report SRGG.1135 and Veith, SRGG.1149 (PROfile WO.208/4169).— The note in Reuth edition of the diaries, 1981, relies on the inadequateversion in Manstein’s memoirs, Verlorene Siege (Bonn, 1955), 579ff.22 Diary, Feb 6, 1944.822 GOEBBELS. MASTERMIND OF THE THIRD REICH23 Ibid., Feb 29, 1944.24 Oven, ‘Nov 1943’, 176f.25 JG, secret speech to the Reichleiters and gauleiters on the political and military situation,Feb 23, 1944. Printed text on NA film T175, roll 145, 3659ff. Reuth, 1991, wronglystates the speech’s text is unknown.26 Diary, Feb 10, 1944.27 Ibid., Feb 29; Oven, ‘Mar 1, 1944,’ 244f.28 Schmundt collected all the signatures by Mar 10, and the field marshals ceremoniallyread it out to Hitler at Schloss Klessheim on Mar 19 (diary, Mar 11, 14, 20, 1944); see toothe diaries of Schmundt (BA-MA: H4/12) and Weichs.29 JG, ‘In Neunzig Tagen,’ in Das Reich, Jan 20; circulated by RPL (NA film T81, roll 69,6415f); NYT, Jan 20; analysed by the OSS on Mar 4, 1944 (NA file RG.226, entry 16, box706, file 60777).30 Diary, Mar 4, 1944.31 Ibid., Mar 16, 1944.32 Ibid., Mar 4; Oven, ‘Apr 2, 1944’, 268.33 Ibid., ‘Mar 16, 1944’, 251, 256.34 Two photos of such airmen were issued by the DNB agency on Dec 23, 1943 (BA,Oberheitmann collection; ND: NG.3800).35 Roger Freeman, The Mighty Eighth (New York, 1970), 114f; Oven, ‘Mar 8, 1944,’ 248ff.—By the end of March the US Eighth Air Force had carried out four missions to Berlin: 600bombers on Mar 8 against Erkner; on Mar 9 four-mile high clouds over Berlin prevented themission; on Mar 22, 800 bombers attacked, dropping 40% incendiaries.36 Diary, Mar 11, 1944.37 Ibid., Mar 14, 1944.38 Ibid., Mar 9, 1944.39 The NYT interpreted it on Mar 10, 1944 as ‘one of the most open appeals to BritishConservative circles ever to come out of Berlin.’40 Diary, Mar 15, 1944.41 Ibid., Mar 28; Martin, 148f, gets it wrong, stating that JG wanted to persuade Hitler tosend the divisions east. Not so.42 SD report, Mar 30, 1944 (NA film T175, roll 265, 1858ff.); Dr Immanuel Schäffer,interrogation, PWB report SAIC.16, Jun 6, 1945 (NA file RG.332, entry ETO, Mis-Y, Sect.,box 116).43 Martin, 151.44 Gutterer memoirs MS, in Lower Saxony state archives, Wolfenbüttel; Muhs affidavit(ibid.); and interview of Gutterer, Jun 30, 1993.45 Diary, Apr 18, 1944.—On the scandal, which involved the SS swindler, Oberfähnrichder Reserve, and ‘Count’ Monti, see Helmuth Rosencrantz ‘Busum diary’, Jul 1945 (seenotes to ‘Valkyrie’ chapter) and SS-Gruppenführer Ohlendorf, CSDIC(UK) PW paperNo.133, Aug 11, 1945: ‘Notes on Corruption and Corrupt Personalities in Germany’ (PROfile WO.208/4175).46 On Apr 25, 1944. Oven, ‘Apr 29, 1944’; BDC file, Naumann.47 Diary, Apr 17, 1944.GOEBBELS. MASTERMIND OF THE THIRD REICH 82348 Ibid., Mar 31; Oven, ‘Apr 2, 1944’, 266f.49 NYT, Apr 8, 1944.50 Statement of Oberzahlmeister Olbrich, Feb 5, 1945, in CSDIC(UK) report SIR.1434.—JG to Hitler, Jul 18, 1944 (NL.118/107).51 Circular to gauleiters, Apr 5, 1944 (NA film T581, roll 16; BA file NS.26/291).52 JG to Hitler, Apr 20, 1944 (BA file NL.118/106); Oven, ‘Apr 20, 1944’, 276, cites adifferent text. The BA would not permit me to re-check the file. See Author’s Introduction.53 Discounting JG’s propaganda, Allen Dulles of the OSS reported from Berne, ‘The workersperform mechanically because they must eat and because of the Gestapo terror.’ (W J Donovanto FDR, Jul 15, 1944, in FDR Libr., PSF box 168).54 Oven, ‘Apr 20, 1944, 276.55 Morell diary, May 9; JG diary, Apr 18, 1944.56 Oven, ‘Apr 12, 1944,’ 272ff.57 Diary, Apr 18, 1944.58 Ibid., May 13; his RPÄ (field agencies) reported that people