Doctor Goebbels: His Life & Death
Page 109
Germany’s victory as inevitable. ‘The chance which the German nation has today is
its greatest, but also its last.’ The entire nation, he wrote, must make one gigantic
effort for victory. With powerful echoes of Winston Churchill, on whom he was now
increasingly modelling his oratory, appealing to Britain in the dark hours of 1940, Dr
Goebbels now exhorted: ‘Let us therefore go forth and fight, and labour until victory
is ours.’
666 GOEBBELS. MASTERMIND OF THE THIRD REICH
1 Diary, Jun 25, 1941.
2 Ibid., Jun 24, 1941.
3 JG in VB, Jun 26, 1941.
4 JG in Das Reich, Jul 6, 1941.
5 Capt. Wolf Junge MS (IfZ, Irving collection) 231; Semler, ‘Jun 30, 1941’.
6 Diary, Jun 30, Jul 3, 5, 6, 1941.
7 MinConf., Jun 9, 1940.
8 Diary, Jun 30, 1941; in Aug 1941 JG had a ‘very heated argument’ with the Führer’s HQ
who in all seriousness again proposed to broadcast five special communiqués at hourly intervals
with the same ‘odious consequences’ as on Jun 29. Unpubl. diary, Aug 10–12. (For the
unpubl. diary of 13–20, 1941 see NA film T84, roll 267).
9 Unpubl. diary, Nov 22, 1941: ‘Let’s postpone that until the war’s over.’
10 Diary, Jun 30, 1941.
11 Unpubl. diary, Aug 16, 1941; annexe to JG’s letter to Hitler, May 23, 1943 (BA file
R.55/799).
12 Diary, Jul 3; Semler, ‘Jul 5, 1941.’
13 Unpubl. diary, Nov 7, 1941.
14 For a Soviet leaflet with the German text see BA file NS.26/vorl.1194.
15 Diary, Jul 5, 1941.
16 Ibid., Jul 5, 6; unpubl. diary, Aug 13, 1941.
17 Heydrich, report, Jul 2; Chef d. SiPo u.SD, “Durchsuchung sowjetrussischer Botschaft,”
Jul 23 (Hewel Vorlagen beim Führer); Lahousen, report on official trip to Paris, Jul 7–10
(IWM file AL/1933); Ambassador Karl Ritter, memo of Jul 20, 1941 (Pol.AA: Ritter, Russland
vol.1, on NA film T120, roll 764, 8996ff); see David Irving, Hitler’s War (London, 1991),
344f.
18 Unpubl. diary fragment, Aug [10–12?], 1941.
19 Diary, Jun 5, 13, Jul 8; unpubl. diary, Aug 13, 1941; Semler, ‘Apr 9, 1943.’
20 H C Bartels to JG, Aug 3, 1943 (ZStA Potsdam, Rep.50.01, RMVP, vol.4).
21 Diary, Mar 29, 30, 1941.
22 Author’s interview of Richard Otte, Mar 31, 1971; and see Daily Mail, London, Jul 9,
and General-Anzeiger, Bonn, Jul 11, 1992. On Mar 12, 1946 Leo Barten of USFET MISC
wrote to Capt Smith (G-2) that Otte, then living near Minden, ‘had sole custody of all the
personal documents and manuscripts of Goebbels’; on which see also USFET MISC SIR
interrogation of Schwägermann, Jun 20, 1946 (Trevor-Roper papers, author’s film DI-36).
23 Diary, Sep 23, 1942 ((1943?)
24 Ibid., Jul 9, 1941.
25 Ritter, memo, Jul 14, 1941 (Pol. Archiv AA, Serial 1386; NA film T120, roll 764, 359006);
Luther, note of Jul 8, 1941 (ibid., 359008f).
26 Schmidt-Leonhardt to JG, Oct 19, 1942 (BA file R.55/799).
27 Diary, Jun 29. On Jul 3, 1941 however JG noted, ‘Rosenberg’s stopped making a fuss.
He’s leaving the propaganda up to us entirely.’
28 So JG said to Göring. Unpubl. diary, Mar 21, 1942 (NA film T84, roll 261).
29 Diary, Feb 5, 1944.
30 Ibid., Jul 13; Semler, ‘Sep 24, 1941’.
GOEBBELS. MASTERMIND OF THE THIRD REICH 667
31 Hadamowsky’s report from HQ, cited in diary, Aug 1, 1941.
32 See e.g., the notes by S.A. Standartenführer Werner Koeppen, Rosenberg’s pers. Referent,
on Hitler’s table talk with him, esp. Sep 18 (NA film T84, roll 387, 0770) and Sep 22,
1941 (ibid., 0784f).
33 For Rosenberg’s papers on propaganda in the eastern territories see BA files R.6/192;
for Goebbels’, BA files R.55/799 and /1436.
34 Interrogation of d’Alquèn , Feb 16, 1948 (NA film M.1019, roll 2).
35 Taubert report; and JG diary, Mar 16, 1942.
36 Diary, Jun 26, Jul 13, 1941.
37 Ibid., Aug 1, 8, 1941.
38 For JG’s propaganda issue of this book with a German commentary see BA file NS.26/
42; a 12pp extract by the Reichsring of RMVP is on NA film T81, roll 672, 0606ff. See the
SD Meldung of Jul 31 for the public’s reactions to these extracts (NA film T175, roll 261,
4438ff) and Oct 2, 1941 (ibid., 4918ff).
39 Theodore N Kaufman, Germany must Perish (Argyle Press, Newark, N.J., 1941), 7; reprinted
as facsimile by Faksimile Verlag, Bremen, 1985.
40 Unpubl. diary, Aug 3, 1941. Adolf Eichmann wrote in his notes in 1956 or 1957,
‘Kaufman’s plan for the complete Ausrottung of the German people was known to us at the
time when the first order was given for the physical destruction of the Jews.’ (Original
typescript in the author’s possession.)
41 See the OSS R&A report No.695, Jan 14, 1943: ‘The Use of Professor Renner’s article
by Axis propagandist’ (USAMHI, Carlisle, Donovan papers, box 35c).
42 Diary, Aug 9; on Aug 29, 1940 he added, ‘The Russians ran wild in Kaunas. Anybody
who looked above average was bumped off.’
43 Ibid., Aug 17, 23, 1940. On the Madagascar Plan as a Solution of the Jewish Problem see
note of Jul 2, 1940 (ND: NG.5764).
44 Diary, Sep 2, 1940.
45 Ibid., Nov 5 (‘… and later on we’ll push the Jews out of this region too.’)—For Hans
Frank’s version, see his diary, department head conf., Nov 6, 1940.
46 Diary, Dec 22, 1940.
47 MinConf., Apr 26, Jul 8, 15; Sep 12, 24; diary, Sep 25; SD Meldung, Nov 28, 1940 (NA
film T175, roll 260, 2860f).
48 Diary, Jan 31, 1941. Heydrich had disassociated himself from Bouhler’s euthanasia Aktion
in a letter to the ministry of justice, Nov 1, 1940 (BA file R.22/5021).
49 Diary, Feb 14, Jun 21, 1941.
50 MinConf., Feb 26, 27, Mar 4, 7; diary Feb 27, Mar 1, 1941.
51 Diary, Mar 19, 1941.
52 MinConf., Mar 23, 26; VB, May 24, 1941.
53 Die Zeit ohne Beispiel, 319f.
54 MinConf., Sep 6; here he stated 71,800 Jews, but in MinConf., Sep 17, 1940 he stated
72,327 Jews were in Berlin.
55 Ibid., Sep 17, 1940; testimony of Schirmeister, IMT, xvii, 276.
56 MinConf., Apr 21; diary, Apr 22, 1941; interview of Gutterer, Sep 13, 1992.
668 GOEBBELS. MASTERMIND OF THE THIRD REICH
57 Tiessler, submission to party chancellery, Mar 7, 1941 (NA film T81, roll 676, 5597); cf.
JG diary, Jun 10, 1941.
58 (Genuine) Speer Chronicle, report of Jan 1 to Apr 15, 1941, 21, cited in Matthias
Schmidt, Das Ende eines Mythos (Munich, 1982), 182f. Speer was General Buildings Inspector
(Generalbauinspekteur) for Berlin.
59 MinConf, Apr 21; diary, Apr 22, 1941
60 Lammers to Schirach (ND: 1950–PS).
61 Diary, Mar 22, 1941. ‘Who’d have thought that possible earlier?’
62 Judenfrei. ‘Bü.’, Reichsring Abt.IIg, note on evacuation of Jews from Berlin, Mar 20,
1941 (NA film T81, roll 676, 5604f; diary, Mar 18, 1941.
63 Eichmann was at that time chief of the RSHA Amt.IVB4 (Jewish affairs.) For documents
on Eichmann’s organisation of an ‘central emigré agency’ (Umwandererzentralstelle) in
Posen in Apr 1940 see SS Sturmbannführer Höppner to Eichmann, Sep 3, 1941 (Polish War
Crimes Commission archives, courtesy of Dr Gerald Fleming): this speaks of the need to be
&nb
sp; clear whether the ‘undesirable elements’ were to survive ‘or were to be totally wiped out’ (a
memorandum dated Sep 2, 1941); evidently no firm decision had been taken by then.
64 On Apr 16 the genuine Speer chronicle had recorded that Hitler had demanded that
1,000 homes be made available to Germans who had lost their homes in the big air raid. On
May 31, 1941 the chronicle records, ‘As a result of the Jewish Eviction Aktion 940 homes
were made available.’
65 Diary, Jun 20; Hans Frank diary, Jul 17, 1941.
66 Note by Tiessler, Apr 21 (NA film T81, roll 676, 5642); MinConf., Apr 21, Diary, Apr
22, 1941.
67 SS Oberführer Dr Werner Best to Taubert, Dec 1939, cit in NA film T81, roll 676, 5596.
68 ‘Pf.’ (Abt.II of RPL), note of Dec 5, 1939: ibid.
69 Taubert to Tiessler, Apr 22 (NA film T81, roll 676, 5641); Tiessler to deputy Führer’s
staff, Apr 25, 1941 (ibid., 5638); the result was a briefing note drafted by Gutterer for JG’s
next visit to Hitler, Aug 17, 1941, entitled Tagging the Jews (ibid., 5739–56).
70 Diary, Aug 11, 1941.
71 (Genuine) Speer chronicle, 1941, 65f.
72 Tiessler circular to party officers, Jul 4, 1941 (NA film T581, roll 16; BA file NS.26/
291).
73 Unpubl. diary, Aug 15, 1941.
74 Ibid., Aug 20, 1941.
75 Ibid., Aug 8, 13, 1941.
76 Ibid., Aug 17, 1941.
77 Propaganda directive No.11, Sep 21, 1942 (NA film T81, roll 672, 0666f).
78 Himmler to JG, Aug 11, 1943 (NA film T120, roll 2474, E255436).
79 According to the chief engineer of a Soviet air fleet quoted by Bodenschatz on Oct 6,
1941 Stalin had 12,000 operational war planes when Barbarossa began (NA film T84, roll
387, 0796).
80 Record of a private talk between Churchill and Stalin at dinner on Jul 18, 1945 at
Potsdam (PRO file PREM.3/430/8, 11).
GOEBBELS. MASTERMIND OF THE THIRD REICH 669
81 He had brought a print of Liebeneiner’s pro-euthanasia film ‘I accuse’ to Hitler’s HQ.
Diary, Aug 15, Hewel diary, Aug 21, 1941.
82 Unpubl. diary, Aug 14; cf. Bormann memo, Aug 13 (ND: 3702–PS). On Nov 21 JG
again raised the Galen affair. Hitler told him to leave Galen unmolested until the war was
over (unpubl. diary, Nov 22; cf. ibid. Nov 29, 1941 and Bormann circular, Apr 26, 1943 (NA
film T175, roll 68, 1860).
83 Diary, Aug 18, 1941.
84 Ibid.; and JG circular to all gauleiters, Aug 24, 1941 (NA film T81, roll 168, 7557f).
85 Heydrich however told Martin Luther of the foreign ministry’s Abt.Inland II that JG had
received from Hitler at the Wolf’s Lair the decision that the ‘the badge will take the form of
a white-and-yellow armband.’ Luther note for Ribbentrop, Aug 22 (Pol. Archiv AA, Serial
4841H, E247688); Stuckart express letter, Aug 26 (ibid., E247716). Ernst von Weizsäcker
maintained in a minute of Sep 15 that his ministry was not consulted beforehand (NA film
T120, roll 722, 321630).—On Aug 20 JG noted, ‘I took up the fight against the Jews in
Berlin in 1926 and it is my ambition not to rest until the last Jew has left Berlin.’ On which
see Tiessler’s circular to gau propaganda officers, Aug 21, referred to in his circular of Oct 8,
1941 (NA film T581, roll 16; BA file NS.26/291).
86 Diary, Sep 16, 1941.
87 PWE progress report for week ending Sep 13, 1941 (PRO file FO.898/67). The Propaganda
Research Section of the PWE/PWI Political Intelligence Dept. of the British FO
issued fortnightly reports 1939–42 with statistical analyses of the shifting theme patterns
displayed by broadcasts, press, and Transocean, in an attempt to gain clues to developing
Nazi policies (PRO file FO.898/30).
88 Diary, Sep 9, 1941.
89 Berndt to Himmler, Sep 11, 1941 (NA film T175, roll 33, 4467f).
90 HQ US Seventh Army: PWB report SAIC/16, Jun 6, 1945, on Dr Immanuel Schäffer
(NA file RG.332, entry ETO, Mis-Y, Sect., box 116); and author’s correspondence with
Schäffer.
91 Koeppen report, Sep 23 (NA film T84, roll 387, 0786); Bormann diary, Sep 23; JG
diary, Sep 24, 1941.
92 Koeppen report, Sep 10; Wolfram von Richthofen diary, Sep 12; JG diary, Nov 30,
1941.
93 Police ordinance on Tagging the Jews, Sep 1, 1941: RGBl., 1941, I, 547; and Heydrich,
regulations on above, BDC file 240/II, 167ff.—Diary, Sep 24, and Tiessler note, Sep 24,
1941 (NA film T81, roll 676, 5682).
94 Tiessler circular No.127/41, Oct 8, 1941 to all gau propaganda chiefs (NA film T581,
roll 16; BA file NS.26/291); Kaufman, 83.—Similar problems arose in Holland, see unpubl.
diary, May 21, 1942 (NA film T84, roll 262).
95 Photocopy in Yivo file G–156.
96 Fritzsche, interrogation, Nov 1, 1946 (NA film, M.1019, roll 19; StA Nuremberg, F86)
and NA file RG.260, OMGUS, box 16; cf. SD Meldung, Oct 9, 1941 (NA film T175, roll
261, 4963ff).
97 Diary, Sep 24, 1941. Berlin, he noted, would be first.
670 GOEBBELS. MASTERMIND OF THE THIRD REICH
98 Himmler to Greiser, Heydrich, et al., Sep 18 (NA film T175, roll 54, 8695); JG noted
on Sep 24, 1941 that he hoped the deportation would be achieved ‘during the course of this
same year.’
99 Himmler to SS Gruppenführer Uebelhör, Oct 10 (NA film T175, roll 54, 8662f); cf.
Heydrich to Himmler, Oct 19, 1941 (ibid., 8645f).
100 Koeppen, note on lunch talk, Oct 6, 1941 (NA film, T84, roll 387, 0800).
101 Diary, Oct 4; Koeppen note, Oct 3, 4; Hewel diary, Oct 3, 1941.
102 Hewel diary, Oct 7, 1941.
103 Ibid., Oct 8, 1941.
104 Dietrich. interrogation, Oct 8, 1947 (NA film M.1019, roll 13); Werner Stephan said
Dietrich told him Keitel was the source: interrogation, Oct 29, 1947 and affidavit, Nov
1947 (ibid., roll 71)—CSDIC(WEA) BAOR report FIR.28, Oct 29, 1945: ‘Otto Dietrich’
(NA file RG.219, IRR, XE.003812).
105 G Sander.—JG diary, Oct 10, 11; Semler ‘Oct 9’; VB, Oct 10, 1941.
106 Diary, Oct 11, 1941.
107 Stephan, loc. cit. (NA film M.1019, roll 71); Semler, ‘Oct 11, 1941.’
108 VB, Oct 24; Das Reich, Nov 9. The latter was circulated by the Sonderdienst of RPL on
Nov 4; broadcast on Nov 8, 1941 by Deutschland-Sender (BBC monitoring report, in PRO
file FO.371/30928).
GOEBBELS. MASTERMIND OF THE THIRD REICH 671
43: Exodus
DISGUISED as ‘Dr Sedgwick’, ‘Putzi’ Hanfstaengl was now well housed in Washington
and advising President Roosevelt on his former top Nazi pals. ‘Always
smile,’ was Goebbels’ maxim, he said: ‘Lie with a smile, deny with a smile,
intrigue with a smile.’1 It was noticeable that Goebbels still barely mentioned the
United States in his articles.2 Hitler was still unworried by Washington; he considered
Japan’s powerful Pacific fleet sufficient to hold the United States in check however