Page 33 - All About History - Issue 186-19
P. 33
The Last Days Of Hitler
Gerda Christian, telephone switchboard operators of view of armaments the war was lost… I told at the fortified Seelow Heights, the pressure
such as SS-Oberscharführer (sergeant) Rochus him very bluntly the war will be finished within soon became too much and the German front
Misch, Hitler’s nurse Erna Flegel, and his Austrian four or six weeks… and that it is now necessary to broke, with Theodor Busse’s Ninth Army and its
cook, Constanze Manziarly. Also crammed into do everything to help the German people in this surviving 90,000 men surrounded in the Halbe
the bunker were some of the Führer’s senior situation.” Hitler’s response was emphatic: “If the Pocket southeast of Berlin. On 17 April Walter
staff, including his much-disliked personal Party war is to be lost, the nation will also perish… There Model dissolved Army Group B in the Ruhr,
secretary, Reichsleiter Martin Bormann. is no need to consider the basis even of a most releasing its 300,000 men from service. Organised
The impending collapse of the Reich, his primitive existence any longer… The nation has resistance in the west more or less collapsed.
deteriorating health, and Morrell’s ministrations, proved itself weak… Besides, those who remain Goebbels took to the airwaves and lambasted both
combined to badly affect Hitler’s judgement. Never after the battle are of little value, for the good will Model and his erstwhile troops as “die verrätische
one to take advice from his military experts, he have fallen.” Speer was dumbfounded. He realised Ruhrarmee” – ‘the treacherous Ruhr army’.
increasingly refused point-blank to heed their that the Nero Decree would cause untold suffering Model – for so long Hitler’s fireman, the general
warnings or act on their proposals, and would to the German population and resolved to disobey who had followed his Führer’s orders without
question – turned to his last remaining three
staff officers and declared: “I sincerely believe
that I have served a criminal. I led my soldiers in
good conscience… but for a criminal government.”
Model would shoot himself four days later.
On 20 April, Hitler celebrated his 56 birthday by
making his last ever trip to the surface, where he
was photographed for the final time as he handed
out Iron Crosses to a handful of pathetically
young Hitler Youth boys for their bravery in facing
instead often fly into a rage, as Guderian recalled it: “I gave orders to contradict Hitler’s strict general Russian tanks. That afternoon he also hosted the
when he reiterated his demand that the 200,000 order to destroy everything.” Hitler was now so last military briefing conference to be attended
soldiers trapped in the Courland Pocket in Latvia divorced from the reality of what was happening by the remaining major players in the Nazi state.
be evacuated by sea back to Germany to fight in above him that he didn’t know the Decree had Around him gathered a cohort of the infamous:
its defence. “His fists raised, his cheeks flushed been flouted until Speer admitted as much to him Hermann Goering, head of the Luftwaffe and
with rage, his whole body trembling, the man during his last visit to the bunker in late April. Hitler’s designated successor; Heinrich Himmler,
stood there in front of me, beside himself with Then, on 12 April, Joseph Goebbels – the
fury and having lost all self-control… He was diminutive Minister for Propaganda and Gauleiter Soldiers and
almost screaming, his eyes seemed about to pop (Nazi governor) of Berlin – telephoned his boss: civilians trapped
in the city
out of his head and the veins stood out on his “My Führer, I congratulate you! Roosevelt is dead. knew they were
temples,” said Guderian. Worse was to come. It is written in the stars that the second half of doomed as the
Soviets closed in
April will be the turning point for us.” Vienna
fell to the Red Army the following day. As
The nihilism and savagery that lay at the heart Goebbels then remarked: “Perhaps Fate has
of Nazism manifested itself on 19 March with the again been cruel and made fools of us.”
issuing of the Demolitions On Reich Territory There would be no falling out between the
Decree – nicknamed the Nero Decree. Within grand alliance that faced Nazi Germany.
it, Hitler stated: “I therefore order all military Truman replaced FDR as American
transport and communication facilities, industrial President and the war continued.
establishments and supply depots, as well as Days later, the Soviets launched their
anything else of value within Reich territory, final offensive of the war. Attacking
which could in any way be used by the enemy from their bridgeheads on the Oder
immediately or within the foreseeable future for River on 16 April, 2.5 million Soviet
the prosecution of the war, will be destroyed.” soldiers and 6,250 tanks, supported
Responsibility for this massive programme of by 7,500 aircraft and almost 42,000
deliberate vandalism was given to Hitler’s one- guns, smashed into a German force
time favourite architect and now armaments of less than 250,000 men with fewer
production supremo, Albert Speer. Standing in than 1000 Panzers and a handful of
front of his leader, Speer told him: “From the point aircraft. Initially holding the attack
25 APRIL 26 APRIL 27 APRIL 30 APRIL 1 MAY 2 MAY
Soviet soldiers complete The Soviets attack Tempelhof Airport, A Soviet assault on the General Krebs, Chief of With the unconditional
the encirclement of Tempelhof Airport just south of central Reichstag begins at the General Staff, tells surrender of Berlin and
Berlin as their forces just inside the S-Bahn Berlin is taken and the 6am and goes on all the Soviets of Hitler’s Soviet forces controlling
meet up, moving ring while other forces Soviet Army now stands day as German guns fire death and begins the majority of the city,
through the S-Bahn cross the River Spree, around 15 miles from from the adjacent Berlin surrender talks. Joseph the fall of the capital
defensive ring. All bringing them closer to the centre of Berlin, Zoo. Meanwhile, Hitler Goebbels, unwilling to is complete. Total and
routes in and out the centre of the city. having made further has married Eva Braun surrender, kills his wife unconditional surrender
of the city are now German defences are advances elsewhere in and shortly after they and children before in Europe follows a
Soviet controlled. nearly spent. the capital. both commit suicide. committing suicide. week later.
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