were actively looking forwardto the invasion, though depressed about the ongoing ‘air terror’ (diary, May 12, 1944).59 SD report, May 25 (NA film T175, roll 265, 2049ff, 2052ff) and Jun 1 (pp.2062ff);diary, May 16, 1944.60 Freeman, 136, 140.61 Oven, ‘May 9, 1944.’62 Ibid., ‘May 7’; Morell diary, May 8–9, 1944.63 Diary, May 18; JG to General Heidrich, Apr 28, 1944 (ZStA Potsdam, Rep.90 Go 1,vol.3).64 Morell diary, May 19, 1944.65 Freeman, 126f, states that the US 8th Fighter Command had flown six strafing missionsfrom Mar 26–Apr 12, shooting up thirty-six trains.66 The RMVP announced at a press conf. the next day that lynchings of captured Americanpilots had been prevented only with difficulty: NYT, May 24.—The Swedish Aftonbladet reportedthat six American aviators had recently been lynched: Reuter’s, May 30 (PRO fileFO.371/38995).67 Diary, May 24, 1944.68 Brandt to Klopfer, Jul 26, 1944 (NA film T175, roll 33, 1405); Staff Evidence Analysis,Aug 21, 1947, in OMGUS files, NA, RG.260, shipping list 53–3/7, box 15); BDC file,Berndt (his enemies wanted him prosecuted for the act); and note by Keitel, in IMT, vol.v,20.69 Diary, May 25; JG article, ‘Ein Wort zum feindlichen Luftterror,’ VB, May 27 and 28/29,1944; ND: 1676–PS; DNB, May 26; The Times, May 27; NYT, May 27–29.—On May 29,1944 Berlin radio commented that German police would ‘refrain from interfering withGerman mobs who attempt to lynch American aviators.’70 For obvious reasons Allied military censorship requested that Goebbels’ implicit threatnot be reported in the British media. Memo, Nash to F K Roberts (FO), May 30; Ottawa toMorley-Scott, Canadian High Commissioner in London, May 27, and letter from him toRoberts, May 31; Roberts replied that the British government would not ask Berlin for anexplanation unless ‘information reaches us that any of our airmen have been lynched.’ The824 GOEBBELS. MASTERMIND OF THE THIRD REICHFO explained to Ottawa on Jun 1, 1944 that they ‘wish to avoid all publicity, as likely to have[an] unsettling effect [on] Allied airmen taking part in operations over Germany.’ The Britishpress agreed to suppress all such stories along with the report that six American aviators hadbeen lynched (PRO file FO.371/38995).71 Paul K Schmidt, interrogation, Nov 4, 1947 (NA film M.1019, roll 64).72 JG’s travel file, ‘Trip to Sonthofen (political-ideological course for active frontline armyand corps commanders) and briefing stop at Augsburg’ is in ZStA Potsdam, Rep.50.01.73 Himmler speech, May 24, 1944 (NA film T175, roll 94, 4609ff): The Jewish Problemhad been, he said, ‘solved uncompromisingly—on orders and at the dictate of sound common-sense.’ He again hinted that Jewish women and children had been killed too.74 Interrogation of Obergrenadier Sanktjohanser, a waiter at Sonthofen: CSDIC(UK) reportSIR.1324 (NA file RG332, Mis-Y, box 6; RG-165, entry 79, box 775).75 Oven, ‘May 24, 1944,’ 315f.76 Berndt to Hinkel, Nov 9, 1943 (BDC file, Berndt).77 Rosenberg briefing of Hitler, Nov 17, 1943 (NA film T120, roll 2474, E.255448): hesuggested distributing half a million copies of his antisemitic fortnightly magazine Weltdienstto the foreigners.—For correspondence Rosenberg–Hitler–Lammers–JG, Dec 1943 seeND: NG.1062.—78 JG to Ribbentrop, Jan 27 (ZStA Potsdam, Rep.50.01, vol.791); Oven, ‘Feb 27,’ 239f;diary, Mar 4, 1944.79 Diary, Mar 13, 1944; on the Nazis’ deportation of the Jews from Hungary, see SSObersturmbannführerAdolf Eichmann’s MS (in author’s collection).80 Diary, Apr 22, 1944.81 Ibid., Apr 27, 1944.82 Ibid., May 4; a Jun 1944 memorandum by Dr Wolf Meyer-Christian on the treatment ofthe Jewish problem in the German press is in Yivo file G–117.83 An OSS report of Jul 10, 1944 (via US naval attaché, Istanbul) stated that JG ‘thinks ofeveryone, and his talks and writing show that he has the welfare of all classes at heart’ (NAfile RG.226, entry 16, box 0975, report 87179).84 Diary of Ulrich von Hassell, Jun 8, 1944. Most of his listeners had been impressed byJG’s ‘great intellect,’ observed Hassell. ‘Only a few noticed that when all is said and done itwas the speech of a man who had shot his bolt.’GOEBBELS. MASTERMIND OF THE THIRD REICH 825
Goebbels53: The Long-Awaited DayTO impress his ascetic Führer, Goebbels chose this moment in June 1944 toquit smoking (for the umpteenth time). ‘A certain nervousness arises,’ hedictated on the third. ‘Thanks to the constant air raid bulletins.’ The Allied bomberforces shortly transferred their attentions to the German synthetic oil refineries. InItaly the Allies battle for Rome had begun. The eastern front was quiet. Nothing hadyet happened in France either. One of Rommel’s men told Dr Goebbels that theinvasion scare was a monstrous Churchillian bluff.1On his way down to the Obersalzberg on June 4 the propaganda minister spoke tofifty thousand people gathered in the ruins of Nuremberg’s Adolf-Hitler Platz. ‘Asfor all these Jewish tricks and intimidation attempts,’ he shrilled, ‘we can only sayone thing: We’re ready!’2He whiled away the evening with the delectable young Countess Faber-Castell;later, at her husband’s castle outside the city, Goebbels listened to her singing, accompaniedher on the piano, hummed the tune, or asked for a favourite song like ‘ALittle Melody shall Join us Forever.’ It was 4:35 A.M. as he boarded the train onwardto Munich.3Shortly, Lieutenant von Oven brought him the latest telegrams. The United Pressreported that Allied troops had entered Rome, greeted by Red Flags and communistsalutes. ‘Onward, Christian soldiers,’ commented Goebbels to the lieutenant. ‘Whatgood was Rome to us anyway. Just two million more mouths to feed.’826 GOEBBELS. MASTERMIND OF THE THIRD REICHHitler still expected the invasion to come in Normandy and nowhere else. FieldMarshal Rommel however expected the enemy to land between Dieppe and theSomme. ‘He has told me,’ reported Berndt to Goebbels after touring these defences,‘that if the enemy manages to get ashore it won’t be easy to throw them out again.’Rommel was asking for powerful subversive propaganda to be broadcast over RadioLuxembourg to the Allied troops, as in 1940.4 The French, continued Berndt, wereeagerly helping the Nazis and being well paid for it. ‘Everywhere there are shouts ofVive Rommel,’ he reported. ‘The population clusters around and waves to us. Theymarch off to work singing songs.’5 Rommel, he said, planned to leave France shortlyto visit Hitler.6It was June 5 when Goebbels read this report. He
