Doctor Goebbels: His Life & Death

other units to seize the radio station and propaganda ministry and arrestDr Goebbels as one of the plotters—but in fact the biggest obstacle to any putsch inBerlin.12When Remer, accustomed to obeying orders, issued them in turn to his men atMoabit one of them, Lieutenant Hans Hagen, smelt a rat. Formerly a member of thepropaganda ministry and now the Nazi indoctrination officer attached to Remer’sbattalion, he obtained permission to ask Goebbels himself what was going on. Arrivingat the ministry on a motorbike pillion at five o’clock he told Regierungsrat DrHeinrichsdorff, an old friend, that something very fishy was going on. Heinrichsdorffbrought Hagen straight round to No.20 Hermann-Göring Strasse. Hearing of Remer’sunusual orders Goebbels sprang to his feet. ‘That’s impossible!’ he exclaimed. Floun-GOEBBELS. MASTERMIND OF THE THIRD REICH 841dering between panic and mistrust he asked Hagen whether this Major Remer was aloyal national socialist? He sent for Remer, then phoned the S.S. Leibstandarte, themost Hitler-loyal unit in Germany, at its barracks in Lichterfelde and told them tostand by.13Goebbels’ chief of staff Gerhard Schach arrived, puffing and out of breath.14 Hehad received a telex from Bormann at the Wolf’s Lair warning all gauleiters that afull-scale military putsch was under way. At four o’clock the Wolf’s Lair had monitoredstrange orders issuing from the war department in Bendler Strasse, with thecode word Valkyrie. (At four-fifteen Keitel had already begun notifying the Wehrmachtdistricts that Hitler was alive, that Fromm was dismissed, and that Himmler wasreplacing him—exactly as prefigured by the news flash to Stockholm the day before).At five P.M. the plotters in Bendler Strasse were still issuing mutinous signals toarmy districts signed by ‘Stauffenberg’ and ‘Witzleben’—a field marshal whom Hitlerhad long ago relieved of his duties. Was there no end to the treachery? Schach toldGoebbels he had tried to reach Count von Helldorff, the police chief, but withoutsuccess. Suspecting foul play Goebbels told Police General Wunenberg to stand by totake over, and sent for Speer.Speer arrived hatless and more dishevelled than usual. Goebbels received him inhis first-floor study and briefed him on what was going on. ‘I want you with me,’ hesaid. ‘We’ve got to act prudently.’ Since he hardly consulted with Speer at all in thehours that followed it is evident that he wanted the ambitious young man where hecould see him.15 Each time he phoned Hitler, Goebbels sent Speer out of the room.16Taking up position in the street below they could see soldiers in full combat gear,slung with machine guns, ammunition belts, and hand grenades; trucks with moresoldiers rattled past towards the Brandenburg Gate. Goebbels pulled his 6·35-millimetrepistol out of his desk and cocked it, ‘Just in case.’One of his staff, sent out on an errand, returned with word that a soldier hadprevented him from leaving the building. Goebbels began to wonder what was keepingRemer.842 GOEBBELS. MASTERMIND OF THE THIRD REICHOnly now did he telephone the Wolf’s Lair. Hitler, still shaken by the bomb blastbut stoical, was meeting with Mussolini. Goebbels spoke with Julius Schaub, Hitler’sadjutant, but Schaub simultaneously received an incoming call from Hitler’s personaladjutant in Berlin, Alwin-Broder Albrecht. Albrecht reported that a detachmentof soldiers had just tried to occupy the Reich Chancellery.17 Schaub passedGoebbels on to Hitler. ‘Mein Führer,’ exclaimed Goebbels, ‘Has the army gone mad?The guards battalion here is standing guard on my ministry. It’s bad for my image,people might think I need military protection.’18Hitler was puzzled by Goebbels’ naïvete. ‘Doctor,’ he croaked into the telephone,‘they’ve tried to kill me.’His head swimming with pain, his ear drums perforated, Hitler ended the conversation.Around 6:15 P.M. he phoned Goebbels again. ‘Where’s that radio communiqué?’he asked. It had slipped the minister’s attention completely. He explained that hewould release it as soon as Fritzsche had drafted a reassuring commentary.‘I want that out now!’ exclaimed Hitler. Goebbels picked up another phone andscreamed at Fritzsche. Fritzsche no doubt did the same because at 6:28 P.M. theGerman home service was interrupted with the special announcement that an attempthad been made on the Führer’s life, but that he had survived.19BY that time, as ordered, Remer had his cordons in place and General von Hase wastaking steps to arrest Goebbels. Remer overheard him briefing Lieutenant-ColonelHermann Schöne to do so.20 Hase also sent a colonel to the army bomb-disposalschool, commanded by a fellow-conspirator, with orders to organize three hundredmen into squads which would seize the radio building and propaganda ministry andarrest Goebbels.21 At this moment an emissary arrived from Lieutenant Hagen, whohad remained with Goebbels, asking Remer to come to see Dr Goebbels at once, asa putsch attempt was under way. Hase naturally forbade Remer to go; equally naturally,Remer was at first less inclined to trust the Machiavelli of Hermann-GöringStrasse than his own commanding officer, but after wrestling with his dilemma heGOEBBELS. MASTERMIND OF THE THIRD REICH 843decided to go, while leaving instructions on what to do if Goebbels should detainhim. With that decision, the putsch in Berlin was doomed.At 6:35 P.M. Remer’s car drove into Goebbels’ forecourt; five minutes later he wasbrought up to the minister’s study.22 Stiffly at attention, he explained that the Führerhad been assassinated.‘I just spoke with the Führer myself a few minutes ago,’ Goebbels contradictedhim. Then: ‘Are you a true national socialist?’‘Through and through, Herr Minister! But are you loyal to the Führer?’23Goebbels gave his word of honour. Remer was still unconvinced. Might he speakwith the Führer himself?It was about seven P.M. The call was put straight through. Hitler knew Remer personally—he had pinned the Oak Leaves on him only a few weeks earlier. ‘Do yourecognize my voice?’ he said.‘Jawohl mein Führer!’ shouted Remer, and slammed his heels together.24‘Until the Reichsführer gets there,’ said Hitler, ‘I am making you personally responsiblefor crushing any plot against the state’s authority.’Major Martin Korff, commander of a bomb disposal company, arrived with hissquad and told Goebbels he had come to arrest him on Hase’s orders. Goebbels andRemer burst out laughing and enlightened the unfortunate major.25 Korf’s comradeCaptain Alexander Maître had taken his squad to the propaganda ministry, butpromptly placed his men under Remer’s command instead. Remer ordered his mento muster