The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich

by William Shirer

25. Halifax wires to Henderson: 11:50 P.M., Sept. 2, DBrFP, VII, No. 746, p. 528; 12:25 A.M., Sept. 3, ibid., p. 533.

  26. The text is in the British Blue Book, p. 175, and in DGFP, VII. p. 529.

  27. DBrFP, VII, No. 758, p. 535.

  28. Schmidt’s account is in his book, op. cit., p. 157; see also his testimony on the stand at Nuremberg. TMWC, X, p. 200.

  29. Schmidt, op. cit., pp. 157–58; also his testimony at Nuremberg, TMWC, X, pp. 200–1.

  30. Ibid.

  31. DBrFP, VII, No. 762, p. 537, n. 1.

  32. Ibid.

  33. TMWC, IX, p. 473.

  34. Bonnet recounts this himself, op. cit., pp. 365–68.

  35. Weizsaecker’s memo of the meeting, DGFP, VII, p. 532.

  36. The text is in DGFP, VII, pp. 54849.

  37. The text is given in DGFP, VII, pp. 538–39.

  38. This is revealed in the German Foreign Office papers, ibid., p. 480.

  39. Text of telegram, ibid., pp. 540–41.

  40. Fuehrer Conferences on Naval Affairs [hereafter referred to as FCNA], 1939, pp. 13–14.

  CHAPTER 18

  1. Text of Russian reply, DGFP, VIII, p. 4. A number of these Nazi–Soviet exchanges are printed in NSR, but DGFP gives a fuller account.

  2. Ibid., pp. 33–34.

  3. Molotov’s congratulations, ibid., p. 34. His promise of military action, p. 35.

  4. Schulenburg dispatch, Sept. 10, ibid., pp. 44–45.

  5. Ibid., pp. 60–61.

  6. Ibid., pp. 68–70.

  7. Ibid., pp. 76–77.

  8. Ibid., pp. 79–80.

  9. Schulenburg dispatch, ibid., p. 92.

  10. Ibid., p. 103.

  11. Ibid., p. 105.

  12. Ibid., pp. 123–24.

  13. Ibid., p. 130.

  14. The two telegrams, ibid., pp. 147–48.

  15. Ibid., p. 162.

  16. Ibid., Appendix 1.

  17. Text of the treaty, including the secret protocols, a public declaration, and exchanges of two letters between Molotov and Ribbentrop, ibid., pp. 164–68.

  CHAPTER 19

  1. Maj.-Gen. J. F. C. Fuller, The Second World War, p. 55. Quoted from The First Quarter, p. 343.

  2. Text of Directive No. 3, DGFP, VIII, p. 41.

  3. Namier, op. cit., pp. 459–60. He quotes the French text of the convention.

  4. Testimony of Halder for defendants in the “Ministries Case” trial, on Sept. 8–9, 1948, at Nuremberg, TWC, XII, p. 1086.

  5. Testimony of Jodl in his own defense on June 4, 1946, at Nuremberg, TMWC, XV, p. 350.

  6. Testimony of Keitel in his own defense on April 4, 1946, at Nuremberg, ibid., X, p. 519.

  7. Churchill, The Gathering Storm, p. 478.

  8. FCNA, 1939, pp. 16–17.

  9. Weizsaecker’s memorandum of his talk with Kirk, DGFP, VIII, pp. 3–4. His testimony at Nuremberg on his talk with Raeder, TMWC, XIV, p. 278.

  10. Ibid., XXXV, pp. 527–29 (N.D. 804–D). The document gives both Raeder’s memorandum of his conversation and the text of the American naval attaché’s cable to Washington.

  11. Sworn statement of Doenitz at Nuremberg, NCA, VII, pp. 114–15 (N.D. 638–D).

  12. Ibid., pp. 156–58.

  13. Nuremberg testimony of Raeder, TMWC, XIV, p. 78; of Weizsaecker, ibid., pp. 277, 279, 293; of Hans Fritzsche, a high official in the Propaganda Ministry and an acquitted defendant in the trial. ibid., XVII, pp. 191, 234–35. The Voelkischer Beobachter article is in NCA, V, p. 1008 (N.D. 3260–PS). For Goebbels’ broadcast, see Berlin Diary, p. 238.

  14. Schmidt memorandum of the talk, DGFP, VIII, pp. 140–45.

  15. Brauchitsch’s testimony at Nuremberg, TMWC, XX, p. 573. A note in the OKW War Diary confirms the quotation.

  16. Ciano Diaries, pp. 154–55. Ciano’s Diplomatic Papers, pp. 309–16.

  17. DGFP, VIII, p. 24.

  18. Ibid., pp. 197–98.

  19. DGFP, VII, p. 414.

  20. Hitler’s memorandum, NCA, VII, pp. 800–14 (N.D. L–52); Directive No. 6, NCA, VI, pp. 880–81 (N.D.C–62).

  21. The text is in TWC, X, pp. 864–72 (N.D. NOKW–3433).

  22. Both Schlabrendorff, op. cit., p. 25, and Gisevius, op. cit., p. 431, tell of this plot.

  23. Wheeler-Bennett in Nemesis, p. 491n., gives the German sources. See also Hassell, op. cit., and Thomas, “Gedanken und Ereignisse,” loc. cit.

  24. Halder’s interrogation at Nuremberg, Feb. 26, 1946, NCA; Suppl. B, pp. 1564–75.

  25. Rothfels, The German Opposition to Hitler.

  26. They are given in NCA, VI, pp. 893–905 (N.D.C–72).

  27. Buelow-Schwante testified in the “Ministries Case” before the Nuremberg Military Tribunal about Goerdeler’s message and his own private audience with King Leopold. See transcript, English edition, pp. 9807–11. It is also mentioned in DGFP, VIII, p. 384n. His telegram of warning to Berlin is printed in DGFP, VIII, p. 386.

  28. For the varied accounts of the Venlo kidnaping, see S. Payne Best, The Venlo Incident; Schellenberg, The Labyrinth; Wheeler-Bennett, Nemesis.

  An official Dutch account is given in the protest of the Netherlands government to Germany, DGFP, VIII, pp. 395–96. Additional material was given at the “Ministries Case” trial at Nuremberg. See TWC, XII.

  29. TWC, XII, pp. 1206–8, and DGFP, VIII, pp. 395–96.

  30. For various accounts of the bomb attempt, see Best, op. cit.; Schellenberg, op. cit.; Wheeler-Bennett, Nemesis; Reitlinger, The S.S.; Berlin Diary; Gisevius, op. cit. There was also some material at Nuremberg from which I made notes and which I have used here, though I cannot find it in the NCA and TMWC volumes.

  31. The textual notes are given in NCA, III, pp. 572–80, and also in DGFP, VIII, pp. 439–46 (N.D. 789–PS).

  32. Halder’s diary for Nov. 23 and his footnote added later. Brauchitsch’s testimony at Nuremberg, TMWC, XX, p. 575.

  33. Halder’s interrogation at Nuremberg, NCA, Suppl. B, pp. 1569–70. Also see Thomas, “Gedanken und Ereignisse,” loc. cit.

  34. Hassell, op. cit., pp. 93–94, 172.

  35. Ibid., pp. 79, 94.

  36. From the diary of Admiral Canaris, NCA, V, p. 769 (N.D. 3047–PS).

  37. NCA, VI, pp. 97–101 (N.D. 3363–PS).

  38. TMWC, I, p. 297.

  39. Ibid., pp. 468–69.

  40. Ibid., XXIX, pp. 447–48.

  41. NCA, IV, p. 891 (N.D. 2233–C–PS).

  42. Ibid., pp. 891–92.

  43. Ibid., pp. 553–54.

  44. DGFP, VIII, p. 683n.

  45. The text, ibid., pp. 604–9.

  46. Ibid., p. 394.

  47. Ibid., p. 213.

  48. Ibid., p. 490.

  49. NCA, IV, p. 1082.

  50. Ibid., p. 1082 (N.D. 2353–PS).

  51. DGFP, VIII, p. 537.

  52. Ibid., respectively.

  53. Text of trade treaty of Feb. 11, 1940, and figures on deliveries, ibid., pp. 762–64.

  54. NCA, IV, pp. 1081–82 (N.D. 2353–PS).

  55. DGFP, VIII, pp. 814–17 (Schnurre memorandum, Feb. 26, 1940).

  56. NCA, III, p. 620 (N.D. 864–PS).

  57. Langsdorff’s moving letter is given in FCNA, 1939, p. 62. Other German material on the battle and its aftermath, pp. 59–62.

  58. I have used some of the original German sources for this account of the forced landing: reports of the German ambassador and the air attaché in Brussels to Berlin, DGFP, VIII, and Jodl’s diary. The text of the German plan of attack in the West, as salvaged by the Belgians, is given in NCA, VIII, pp. 423–28 (N.D. TC-58–A). Karl Bartz has given an account of the incident in Als der Himmel brannte. Churchill’s comments are in The Gathering Storm, pp. 556–57. He gives a wrong date for the forced landing.

  CHAPTER 20

  1. NCA, IV, p. 104 (N.D. 1546–PS); VI, pp. 891–92 (N.D. C–66).

  2. Ibid., VI, pp. 928 (N.D. C–122), p. 978 (N.D. C–170).

  3. Ibid., p. 892 (N.D. C–166); FCNA, 1939, p. 27.<
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  4. Churchill, The Gathering Storm, pp. 531–37.

  5. FCNA, 1939, p. 51.

  6. Rosenberg’s memorandum, NCA, VI, pp. 885–87 (N.D. C–64). It is also given in FCNA, 1939, pp. 53–55.

  7. FCNA, 1939, pp. 55–57.

  8. Ibid., pp. 57–58.

  9. DGFP, VIII, pp. 515, 546–47.

  10. Jodl’s diary, Dec. 12, 13—obviously misdated. Halder diary for Dec. 14.

  11. Rosenberg memorandum, NCA, III, pp. 22–25 (N.D. 004–PS).

  12. DGFP, VIII, pp. 663–66.

  13. Text of the directive, NCA, VI, p. 883 (N.D.C–63).

  14. Interrogation of Falkenhorst at Nuremberg, NCA, Suppl. B, pp. 1534–47.

  15. Text of the directive, NCA, VI, pp. 1003–5; also in DGFP, VIII, pp. 831–33.

  16. Jodl’s diary, March 10–14, 1940.

  17. DGFP, VIII, pp. 910–13.

  18. Ibid., pp. 179–81, 470–471.

  19. Ibid., pp. 89–91.

  20. Text of Hitler’s directive, ibid., pp. 817–19.

  21. Dr. Schmidt’s minutes of the meetings of Sumner Welles with Hitler, Goering and Ribbentrop are in DGFP, VIII; also Weizsaecker’s two memoranda on his talk with Welles. The American envoy also saw Dr. Schacht after the banker, now fallen from grace, had been summoned by Hitler and told what line to take. See Hassell, op. cit., p. 121. Welles has given his own account of his talks in Berlin in The Time for Decision.

  22. DGFP, VIII, pp. 865–66.

  23. DGFP, VIII, pp. 652–56, 683–84.

  24. Text of Hitler’s letter to Mussolini, March 8, 1940, ibid., pp. 870–871.

  25. Schmidt’s minutes of the meetings, ibid., pp. 882–93, 898–909; Ciano’s version is in Ciano’s Diplomatic Papers, pp. 339–59. Also see Schmidt, op. cit., pp. 170–71, and The Ciano Diaries, for their personal comments on the meetings. Ribbentrop’s two telegrams to Hitler reporting on his interviews are in DGFP, VIII.

  26. Welles, op. cit., p. 138.

  27. Ciano Diaries, p. 220.

  28. Dr. Schmidt’s transcribed shorthand notes of the meeting, DGFP, IX, pp. 1–16.

  29. Hassell, op. cit., pp. 116–18, on which this account is largely based.

  30. Allen Dulles, Germany’s Underground, p. 59.

  31. Shirer, The Challenge of Scandinavia, pp. 223–25.

  32. Churchill, The Gathering Storm, p. 579. The British plans for R–4 are given in Derry, The Campaign in Norway, the official British account of the Norwegian campaign.

  33. Text of the directive, DGFP, IX, pp. 66–68.

  34. Text, ibid., pp. 68–73.

  35. Text of, NCA, VI, pp. 914–15 (N.D.C–115).

  36. TMWC, XIV, pp. 99, 194.

  37. Text of, NCA, VIII, pp. 410–14 (N.D. TC–55). Also in DGFP, IX, pp. 88–93.

  38. Renthe–Fink’s dispatch from Copenhagen, DGFP, IX, pp. 102–3; Bräuer’s dispatch from Oslo, ibid., p. 102.

  39. The Danish version of the German occupation is based on the author’s The Challenge of Scandinavia, and on Denmark during the Occupation, ed. by Børge Outze. Lt. Col. Th. Thaulow’s contribution is especially valuable. A Guards officer, he was with the King at the time.

  40. From the secret German Army Archives. Quoted in NCA, VI, pp. 299–308 (N.D. 3596–PS).

  41. From the Norwegian State Archives; quoted in the author’s The Challenge of Scandinavia, p. 38.

  42. DGFP, IX, p. 124.

  43. Ibid., p. 129.

  44. Ibid., p. 186.

  45. Churchill, The Gathering Storm, p. 601.

  CHAPTER 21

  1. Belgium—The Official Account of What Happened, 1939–1940, pp. 27–29.

  2. NCA, IV, p. 1037 (N.D. 2329–PS).

  3. Ibid., VI, p. 880 (N.D. C–62).

  4. Allen Dulles, op. cit., pp. 58–61. Dulles says Col. Sas personally confirmed this account to him after the war.

  5. There is a vast amount of material on the development of the German plans for the attack in the West. I have drawn on the following: the diaries of Halder and Jodl; Halder’s booklet, Hitler als Feldherr, Munich, 1949 (an English translation, Hitler as War Lord, was published in London in 1950); extracts from the OKW War Diary published in the NCA and TMWC volumes of the Nuremberg documents; the various directives of Hitler and OKW, published in the Nuremberg volumes and in DGFP, VIII and IX; Manstein, Verlorene Siege; Goerlitz, History of the German General Staff and Der Zweite Weltkrieg; Jacobsen, Dokumente zur Vorgeschichte des Westfeldzuges, 1939–40; Guderian, Panzer Leader; Blumentritt, Von Rundstedt; Liddell Hart, The German Generals Talk; considerable German material in the Nuremberg documents of the NOKW series which were produced at the secondary trials. For the British plans, see Churchill’s first two volumes of his memoirs; Ellis, The War in France and Flanders, which is the official British account; J. F. C. Fuller, The Second World War; Draper, The Six Weeks’ War. The best over-all account, based on all the German material available, is in Telford Taylor’s The March of Conquest.

  6. Churchill, Their Finest Hour, pp. 42–43.

  7. DGFP, IX, pp. 343–44.

  8. Both Goering and Kesselring were questioned on the stand at Nuremberg in regard to the bombing of Rotterdam. See TMWC, IX, pp. 175–77,213–18,338–40.

  9. TMWC, XXXVI, p. 656.

  10. Churchill, Their Finest Hour, p. 40.

  11. For more detailed accounts, see Walther Melzer, Albert Kanal und Eben-Emael; Rudolf Witzig, “Die Einnahme von Eben-Emael,” Wehrkunde, May 1954 (Lt. Witzig commanded the operation, but because of a mishap to his glider did not arrive until his men, under Sgt. Wenzel, had nearly accomplished their mission); Gen. van Overstraeten, Albert I-Leopold III; Belgium—The Official Account of What Happened. Telford Taylor, The March of Conquest, pp. 210–14, gives an excellent summary.

  12. Churchill, Their Finest Hour, pp. 46–47.

  13. Hitler to Mussolini, May 18, 1940, DGFP, IX, pp. 374–75.

  14. From the King’s own account of the meeting and that of Premier Pierlot. Published in the official Belgian Rapport, Annexes, pp. 69–75, and quoted by Paul Reynaud, who was French Premier at the time, in his In the Thick of the Fight, pp. 420–26.

  15. Lord Gort’s dispatches, Supplement to the London Gazette, London, 1941.

  16. Weygand, Rappelé au service, pp. 125–26.

  17. Churchill, Their Finest Hour, p. 76.

  18. Liddell Hart, The German Generals Talk, pp. 114–15 (soft-cover edition).

  19. Ciano Diaries, pp. 265–66.

  20. Telford Taylor, The March of Conquest, p. 297.

  21. Text, Wilhelm II’s telegram and draft of Hitler’s reply, DGFP, IX, p. 598.

  22. Texts of the exchange of letters between Hitler and Mussolini in May-June 1940 are in DGFP, IX.

  23. Ciano Diaries, p. 267.

  24. DGFP, IX, pp. 608–11.

  25. Ciano Diaries, p. 266.

  26. Ibid., p. 266.

  27. Though copies of the minutes found in the German Archives are unsigned, Dr. Schmidt has testified that he himself drew them up. Since he acted as interpreter, he was in the best position of anyone to do this. They are printed in DGFP, IX, as follows: negotiations of June 21, pp. 643–52; record of the telephone conversations between Gen. Huntziger and Gen. Weygand (at Bordeaux) on the evening of June 21, as drawn up by Schmidt, who had been directed to listen in, pp. 652–54; record of the telephone conversation between Gen. Huntziger and Col. Bourget, Gen. Weygand’s adjutant (at Bordeaux), at 10 A.M. on June 22, pp. 664–71; text of the Franco–German Armistice Agreement, pp. 671–76; memorandum of questions raised by the French and answered by the Germans during me negotiations at Compiègne, pp. 676–79. Hitler gave instructions that this document, though not a part of the agreement, was “binding on the German side.”

  The Germans had placed hidden microphones in the wagon-lit and recorded every word spoken. I myself listened to part of the proceedings as they were being recorded In the German communications van. So far as I know, they were never publishe
d and perhaps neither the recording nor the transcript was ever found. My own notes are very fragmentary, except for the closing dramatic session.