Doctor Goebbels: His Life & Death
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He says that the democracies will shrink, step by step, from the brink of war.89 Over
dinner, he expands on this theme—on Britain’s hopeless position, the generous offer
he has made to Poland, and his conviction that Warsaw will crumble if push comes to
shove.90
The next day, July 26, Magda is again wild-eyed and tearful. ‘Every hour,’ records
Goebbels, ‘alarming new bulletins come from Müller, from Speer, from Mama and
the devil knows whom else. It’s wrong even to pay any attention to them, they just
get on your nerves.’91 He has a long talk with Magda, he wants to help her but knows
no way. That afternoon they sit once again through ‘Tristan and Isolde,’ and Magda
faints from the strain. ‘If only I could help her,’ writes Goebbels. ‘When shall we ever
find a way out of all this misery?’
After supper he goes alone up to his room, unable to join in the general chatter.
But when he emerges to fetch Magda, he finds her lying senseless on the staircase
outside; he drags her into the room and revives her only with difficulty. Clearly there
is something about Bayreuth that brings out the melodrama in some people. She
murmurs only to him that she has confessed everything to the Führer; now they must
stand together. Hitler tells Ribbentrop later that she is not fool enough to exchange
‘Frau Reichsminister’ for ‘Frau Staatssekretär’. But the truth is that in a grim, almost
masochistic way, she is beholden to Joseph and will remain his until the end. Folding
her in his arms, he says: ‘Magda, Hanke is not the man for you.’ She promises to
telephone her suitor to announce that she and her husband are reconciled.92 Goebbels
witnesses the dialogue, an ‘endless, tortured telephone conversation.’93 How neatly
the summer of 1939 has mirrored the painful summer of 1938.
The next day Magda’s friends—among them the ubiquitous and bitchy Ello—cut
her; a salutary lesson in Goebbels’ heartless view. As they drive out of Bayreuth—
willingly foregoing the leaden, mystic gloom of ‘Parsifal’—a burden falls from his
shoulders. He and Magda have decided to live together again. He has won the last
round.94
GOEBBELS. MASTERMIND OF THE THIRD REICH 541
1 Sir G Ogilvie-Forbes to FO, Mar 28, 1939 (PRO file FO.371/23006).
2 Diary, Mar 28, 29, Apr 1; Sir G Knox to Ld Halifax, Mar 27, 31, 1939 (PRO file FO.371/
23006).
3 Sir Sydney Waterlow to FO, Mar 31 (PRO file FO.371/23006); he stated that JG was
accompanied by RMVP officials (G W) Müller, von Wiesenhof (Franz von Weyssenhoff), and
Knock (Willi Knoche). And see E M B Ingram to Waterlow, Apr 6, 1939 (ibid., /23007).
4 Diary, Apr 1, 1939.
5 Ibid., Apr 4, 1939.
6 Sir Miles Lampson to FO, Apr 4, 1939 (PRO file FO.371/23006).
7 Diary, Apr 8, 1939.
8 Lampson to FO, Apr 29, 1939 (PRO file FO.371/23007). And see B Vernier, La Politique
islamique de l’Allemagne (Paris, 1939), 38f, and Lukasz Hirszowicz, The Third Reich and the Arab
East (London, 1966), 18.
9 Diary, Apr 10, 1939.
10 See the diaries of Bormann; Eberhard (IfZ, Irving collection); and Major Wilhelm Deyhle,
Jodl’s staff officer (ND: 1796-PS); also a letter from Col Eduard Wagner to his wife, Mar 30
and Apr 1 (in which latter he wrote ‘gestern bei der Führerentscheidung...’—‘yesterday, when
the Führer reached his decision...’).
11 Sir H Knatchbull-Hugessen to FO, Apr 21, 1939 (PRO file FO.371/23007)
12 Waterlow to FO, Apr 6, 1939 (PRO file FO.371/23006)
13 US State Dept interrog. of Göring, Nov 6–7, 1945 (author’s film DI–34); JG’s diary, Apr
19, 1939.
14 Gutterer MS (Lower Saxony provincial archives, Wolfenbüttel: Gutterer papers); and
interview, Jun 30, 1993; JG diary, Apr 20; the RMVP programme in BA file NS.10/127
times this reception at 8 P.M.
15 Karl-Heinz Hederich, interrog., Dec 17, 1947 (NA film M.1019, roll 25).
16 Unpubl. diary, Apr 24, 1939.
17 Ibid., May 2, 1939.
18 Diary, May 3; press directive, May 5, 1939 in Brammer collection (BA file ZSg.101).
19 Unpubl. diary, May 6, 1939. ‘And it was probably intended as such.’
20 E G Cable, British consul general in Cologne, to British embassy in Berlin, May 23
(PRO file FO.371/22989); diary, May 19; VB, May 18 and 22, and DAZ and Westdeutscher
Beobachter, May 20, 21, 1939.
21 Unpubl. diary, May 23; Ribbentrop had endless rows with JG afterwards over his humiliation
at the signing (he had been placed in a rear row). And ibid., Jun 1, 2,
22 Ibid., May 12, 1939.
23 Report to Reich Defence Council, Jun 5, 1939 (NA film T77, roll 131, 3043f). In
addition five one-megawatt transmitters were to be ready later in 1939. Over eight months
from May 1941 the RMVP would also take sixteen mobile transmitters into service.—For
the ministry’s mobilisation preparations in Jun 1939 see ZStA Potsdam, Rep.50.01, RMVP,
vol.874.
24 Berndt to Himmler, Jul 11, 1944 (NA film T175, roll 33, 1405).
25 See the analysis by Gabi Frautschi, Aug 21, 1947 in NA file RG.260, shipping list 53-3/
7, box 15.
542 GOEBBELS. MASTERMIND OF THE THIRD REICH
26 Author’s interview of Lida Baarova, Salzburg, Jul 4, 1993.
27 CSDIC interrogation of Baarova’s manager, ‘Mar 15, 1944,’ in MI.14 dossier on JG
(PRO file WO.208/4462).
28 Hanke to Himmler, May 20, 1939 (BDC file, Hanke). Greven denied this—he said he
had lunged at Hanke, whom two burly SS men had saved.
29 Unpubl. diary, May 20, 1939.
30 Ibid., May 23, 25, 1939.
31 Ibid., May 26, Jun 4, 1939.
32 Ibid., Jun 2, 7, 8, 1939.
33 Ibid., May 11, 1939.
34 Diary, May 28, 30, 1939.
35 Ibid., Jun 17, 1939.
36 Ibid., Jun 22, 1939.
37 Ibid., Jun 14: ‘I’ve at last sold my house. I’m glad to be shot of that burden.’
38 Magda Goebbels to Ritschel, Jun 16 (ZStA Potsdam, Rep.90, Go 2, vol.3); JG unpubl.
diary, Jun 17, 1939: ‘Long discussion with Magda. House selling and buying. The Führer also
wants to buy into Schwanenwerder. That would be nice.’
39 Berliner Illustrierte, Aug 3, 1939.
40 See the four files of confidential press circulars issued by RPA Berlin, Jun 1–Dec 30,
1939 in Fritzsche’s papers in the Hoover Libr., MS division (accession XX185–9.13), box 4.
For an analysis of the press directives, see Walter Hagemann, Publizistik im Dritten Reich. Ein
Beitrag zur Methode der Massenführung (Hamburg, 1948).—For BA files of press conferences
from various sources, see ZSg.101 (Karl Brammer); ZSg.102 (Fritz Sänger); ZSg.110 (Gotfried
Traub); ZSg.115 (Fritz Nadler); ZSg.109 (Theo Oberheitmann); ZSg.116 (DNB).
41 Comments of Major Percy C Black, acting US military attaché, Berlin, on current events,
No.28, Aug 21, 1939 (FDR Libr., Harry L Hopkins papers, box 187, vol.vii).
42 RPA (Reichspropagandaamt) Frankfurt, Vertrauliche Briefing, henceforth cited as RPA
Frankfurt, confidential briefing), Jul 20 and Aug 5, 1939. These and ’confidential briefings’
are published in Helmut Sündermann, Tagesparolen. Deutsche Presseweisungen 1939–1945. Hitlers
Propaganda und Kriegsführung (Leoni, 1973), 20ff. More such items, 1941–43, are in Yivo file<
br />
G-105. See BA files, ZSg., Oberheitmann Material (also ND: NG-3800), and Brammer
material (ND: NG.-3070).
43 Unpubl. diary, Jun 16, 1939.
44 Despatches by Shepherd, British consul general in Danzig, to Ld Halifax, Jun 19 and 21,
1939 (PRO file FO.371/23021).
45 Unpubl. diary, Jun 18,1939.
46 A verbatim text reached London on Jun 21, 1939 (PRO file FO.371/23020); unpubl.
diary, Jun 19, 1939: ‘I receive the foreign press and lay it on the line to them.’
47 Pressereferent (Schirmeister) memoirs, loc. cit. And Danziger Vorposten, Jun 18, 1939.
48 Hassell diary, Jun 20, 1939.
49 Henderson to FO, Jun 19, 1939 (PRO file FO.371/23020).
50 RPA Berlin, press circulars in the Fritzsche papers, Hoover Libr. MS division, box 4.
51 RPA Berlin, press circular, Jun 30, Jul 1; unpubl. diary, Jul 2, 1939.
52 RPA Berlin, press circular, Jul 1, 1939, commenting on articles in Daily Mail and Le Jour.
GOEBBELS. MASTERMIND OF THE THIRD REICH 543
53 Ibid., Jun 3, Jul 20; RPA Frankfurt, special briefing, Jul 1, and confidential briefing, Jul
3, 14, 1939.
54 RPA Berlin, press circular, Jun 24, 27, Jul 1; JG had to drop the Japanese atrocity stories
so as not to irritate Tokyo—‘So no more stories about Englishmen being stripped naked.’
(Ibid., Jun 27, 1939).
55 Ibid., Jun 20, 28, 1939. When the RPL published a wall-newspaper, Die Parole der Woche,
depicting British soldiers killing Palestinians demonstrating against ‘Jewish rule,’ the OKW
objected to attacks on British soldiers who were merely ‘obeying orders’ (Yivo, G-52).
56 RPA Berlin, press circular, Jun 27; unpubl. diary, Jun 29, 30, 1939.
57 Interrog. of Schirmeister, May 6, 1946 (NA film M.1270, roll 19); JG unpubl. diary, Jun
27, 1939; Gutterer interview, Jun 30, 1993.
58 Pressereferent [Schirmeister] memoirs. The letter had evidently been drafted by Hans
Schwarz Van Berk, one of JG’s top tacticians. The unpubl. diary Jun 30, Jul 7, 1939 seems to
bear this out.
59 RPA Berlin, press circular, Jun 19, 28, 1939.
60 Ibid., Jun 2, 4, 12, 1939.
61 Ibid., Jun 12, 13, 1939.
62 Ibid., Jun 25, 1939.
63 Ibid. Jun 16, 17, 18, 20, 1939.
64 Ibid., Jun 21,
65 Ibid., Jul 6, 8, 1939. ‘But at least we both made the effort to restore human relations
between us.’
66 Ibid., Jun 2, 3, 11
67 Ibid., Jun 23, 1939.
68 Diary, Oct 29, 1939.
69 Unpubl. diary, Jun 24, 1939.
70 Ibid., Jun 11, 1939.
71 Ibid., Jul 5, 1939.
72 Ibid., Jul 6, 1939.
73 Ibid., Jul 5, 1939. For the text of the four King-Hall letters see Living Age, Sep 12–16;
Berliner Börsenzeitung Jul 16, MNN, Jul 17, 1939.
74 Ibid., Jul 6, 8, 1939.
75 Ibid., Jul 9, 1939.
76 Ibid., Jul 12, 1939.
77 Ibid., Jul 13; printed in Angriff, Jul 14 under the headlines GOEBBELS REPLY TO BRITAIN.
GOEBBELS RIPS MASK OFF KING-HALL. LORD HALIFAX AND THE BRITISH PROPAGANDA BUREAU’S
LETTERS, and in VB, Jul 19, 1939.
78 Henderson to FO, Jul 17 and 18, and Sir P Ramsay (Copenhagen) to FO, Jul 14 (PRO
file FO.371/22990); VB, Jul 14, 1939.
79 Ibid., Jul 16, 17, 18, 25,1939.
80 Ibid., Jul 4, 1939.,
81 Ibid., Jul 9, 1939.
82 Ibid., Jul 10, 11, 1939: ‘The Führer is still working over my answer to Britain.’
83 Ibid., Jul 12, 1939.
544 GOEBBELS. MASTERMIND OF THE THIRD REICH
84 Ibid., Jul 17; RMVP programme for Jul 14, 15, 1939 (BA file NS.10/126).
85 Unpubl. diary, Jul 21, 1939.
86 Ibid., Jul 23, 1939.
87 Ibid., Jul 24, 1939.
88 Ibid., Jul 25, 26, 1939.
89 Ibid., Jul 18, 21, 1939.
90 Ibid., Jul 26, 1939.
91 Ibid., Jul 27, 1939.
92 Ebermayer and Meissner, Revue, No.24, 1952, wrongly set the dialogue in Salzburg.
93 Unpubl. diary, Jul 27, 1939.
94 Ibid., Jul 28; the diary mentions the ‘decision’ several times later, e.g., Jul 30 (‘Frau
[Helga] Bouhler. She is really happy about our decision.’) and Aug 1, 5, 1939.
GOEBBELS. MASTERMIND OF THE THIRD REICH 545
Goebbels
35: Pact with the Devil
GOEBBELS returned briefly to Berlin for the afternoon of July 28, 1939 to open
the radio exhibition. The emphasis was on peace; the big attraction was television;
the first sets would soon go on sale.1 The rebuilding of No.20 Hermann-
Göring Strasse was nearly complete; he hoped to move in on August 15, although he
wanted the colour scheme changed before then. Karl Hanke stayed out of sight (he
went on leave, and eventually joined the army in a Panzer lieutenant’s uniform).
Goebbels lived in a daze, his faith in human nature finally shattered, or so he claimed.2
Back in Munich he found Magda awaiting him.3 Over the next few days they both
thawed out. Magda was taken aside more than once by well-meaning critics; but she
told them their decision was now final.4
Goebbels was still confident that the September Nuremberg rally would go ahead
as planned, with all that that implied.5 But he had some nervous moments. At the
end of July a major Berlin newspaper carried a headline across four columns, ARMY
AND NAVY MOBILIZE. Only the small print revealed that it was a reprint of its historic
edition of August 1914.6
Not all his directives that summer related to war. He requested editors to take
note that Peru was not a U.S. state; to report murder trials only in local editions
(later he ordered court reporting to avoid sensationalizing crimes, to avoid copycat
offences7); to mention only those sex cases where Jews had seduced Aryan women
by ‘particularly reprehensible’ behaviour, e.g. by concealing their race; always to give
546 GOEBBELS. MASTERMIND OF THE THIRD REICH
Jewish defendants their mandatory first names of Israel or Sara; and to report with
the utmost delicacy Sir Oswald Mosley’s latest mass meeting in Earl’s Court (‘so the
democratic press has no locus to depict him as being in Germany’s pay’). Editors
were instructed however not to overpraise the dancer Palucca, a half Jew; not to
refer to the World Exhibition, but to the New York Exhibition; not to extol one beer,
e.g., Pilsner, above another; not to review books by Marxist liberals; not to reveal
that the Führer had commuted the death sentence on a certain murderer; not to
disclose the visit of seventy American-born Germans (‘so as not to compromise
their later operations’); not to refer to the ‘Third Reich’ but to National Socialist
Germany or the Greater German Reich; not to reproduce the Führer’s article on
architecture from the latest issue of Art in the Third Reich (a title which violated his
own edict); and not to publish candid pictures of the infinitely vain Hermann Göring