Doctor Goebbels: His Life & Death

and returned to the chancellery.36 WernerNaumann, towering over them in his S.S. brigadier’s uniform, commented afterwardsin flattering terms on the astonishing mental and physical health of their Führer.876 GOEBBELS. MASTERMIND OF THE THIRD REICHGoebbels registered this without comment in his diary, but he told his former adjutantPrince Schaumburg-Lippe, ‘Be glad you didn’t see him. The Hitler you oncebelieved in doesn’t exist any more.’37MAGDA had fallen head over heels for Dr Naumann, a more dangerous rival to Goebbelsthan Hanke ever was. In charge of the secret project to microfilm the GoebbelsDiaries, Naumann had begun dictating passages from them clandestinely to one ofhis private secretaries, Dorothea von Arnim. He planned to use them to overthrowthe minister when the time came.38 Naumann’s own marriage had now completed itsseventh year, and was entering the predictable doldrums despite their four children.Like Hanke before him, he regarded Magda as a tragic heroine. Guessing what wasgoing on, Goebbels shortly ordered Naumann to end the relationship. Magda foundsome solace in her Buddhism and in writing poetry, some of which she sent toNaumann. As the nights lengthened, she spent more time with her husband. Oftenshe found him standing quietly at the bedside of their six sleeping children.39 Alreadythey were nurturing dark plans for their brood.A week after his visit Hitler left for the western front.At five-thirty A.M. on Saturday December 16, 1944 his Ardennes offensive began,a last gamble. Artillery barrages drenched the five American infantry divisions holdingthe target sector. Three German armies backed by 170 bombers, ninety groundattackplanes, and fifteen hundred fighter planes punched at the American lines. SimultaneouslyV–1s and V–2s rained down on Antwerp, the final goal of his armies.One V–2 killed two thousand Allied servicemen in the ‘Rex’ cinema in Antwerp.Goebbels, who had joined his family out at Lanke, ordered a total media blackoutabout the operation, over-ruling even Hitler who had wanted a single-sentence, upbeatcommuniqué. By evening it was plain that Goebbels was right—Eisenhowerwas still in the dark about what had hit him.40 Not until Sunday evening did theenemy announce the shocking news that Hitler had managed to launch this audaciousoperation (although they gave the credit to field Marshal von Rundstedt).41 OnMonday the eighteenth Hitler’s High Command tersely confirmed it, provoking ex-GOEBBELS. MASTERMIND OF THE THIRD REICH 877ultation in Germany’s bomb-devastated cities. Goebbels drove out to Lanke againwith Magda: their six children were standing on the steps and sang a welcomingchorus which they had rehearsed all day with their governess.As Hitler’s tanks rolled on it was like the headiest days of 1940; the Allied airforceswere virtually grounded by bad weather. Thousands of prisoners were taken, hundredsof tanks destroyed. For Magda too it was a kind of victory: this was theirthirteenth wedding anniversary and she had kept her family together despite everything.At one A.M. Hitler phoned them from his forward HQ in western Germany, excitedlypredicting that the U.S.First Army was already beaten. Both men agreed thatthe enemy had not grasped what was happening—Eisenhower was still talking abouta localized Nazi push by three or four divisions. Before hanging up Hitler reminiscedwith Magda about the wedding. ‘The time since then has gone in a flash,’ dictatedGoebbels, the spectre momentarily forgotten.42By December 21 the Germans had taken twenty-five thousand American prisonersand destroyed 350 tanks. Eisenhower called off all other operations to cope with theemergency. Stalin did nothing to assist his beleaguered Allies. Goebbels still warnedagainst making damaging predictions.43 This was as well, because on the twentythird,with Hitler’s broad armoured blade thrust forty miles deep into the Americanribs, the skies cleared and the Allied airforces struck back. Although history showsthat the Nazi offensive was finally halted on the twenty-fourth Goebbels still hopedfor a miracle. Using a typewriter to spare his Führer the struggle with his spideryscrawl, he sent him a Christmas message (‘even if there’s no real Christmas for us’)marveling ‘that once again, as so oft before, you are leading us out of the dilemma;that you are a lustrous example to us all; that you teach us how mind and will-powerovercome matter and corporeality; and that therefore you tower above everybodyand everything.’44Even now Goebbels still would not permit any fanfares about Hitler’s big offensive.Out at Lanke the children put on their long dresses for Christmas Eve. Snuffing878 GOEBBELS. MASTERMIND OF THE THIRD REICHout the candles on the tree that night, after everybody had been given their presents,Magda said to her secretary, ‘Next year we’ll surely be at peace.’45After Christmas Goebbels’ sister Maria and his mother left Lanke, and he neversaw them again.46HIS New Year’s Eve broadcast to the Reich was an empty panegyric. One propagandaofficial noted in his diary, ‘I can’t help it—overall it was a let-down.’47 Public reactionto Goebbels’ next article ‘Der Führer,’ with its glowing references to Hitler’s modesty,his love of peace, and his foresight, was downright hostile. ‘He has the SixthSense,’ Goebbels had written, ‘the gift to see what is denied the eyes of other mortals.’A Gestapo agent overheard one less-gifted female tartly commenting that this wasno doubt why Hitler had consistently picked as his closest friends people like theItalians who had betrayed him the most. ‘There’s no pulling the wool over his eyes,’Goebbels had written. In that case, grumbled the public, it was hard to understandthe Twentieth of July.48A few days later he went to Hitler’s forward headquarters, near Frankfurt, for atwo-day Cabinet-level discussion on injecting even more men into the armed forces.49On the first day, January 3, 1945 a blazing row developed. Speer objected that itsounded like a levée en masse, a people’s army, again. He refused to be a part of it.Glaring at him, Goebbels called out: ‘Then on your shoulders be the blame beforeHistory that we lose this war for the want of a few hundred thousand soldiers!’50He remained alone with Hitler until supper at eight. Hitler was so exhausted bythe dispute that his left arm started trembling violently, and Morell had to give himextra injections.51Under the new Goebbels-Aktion 240,000 men were promised to the army duringthe first quarter of 1945; the figure was not even approximately reached.52 He hadbitten off more than he could