Goebbels: A Biography (133 page)

141.
TB, 21 and 23 September 1944.

142.
Speer’s statement,
IMT
16, 533.

143.
Kershaw,
Hitler. 1936–1945
, 948ff.

144.
TB, 23 and 25 September 1944.

145.
TB, 23 September 1944.

146.
At the beginning of November Goebbels noted that in the foreign press rumors were once more circulating that Germany was trying to make a separate peace with one side or the other. As far as London was concerned, he continued to consider it impossible at the present time to reach a compromise because the English were “too committed to their existing strategy” (TB, 3 and 5 November 1944). During a visit to him at home the Japanese ambassador, Ōshima, once again advocated trying to reach a separate peace with the Soviet Union (10 November 1944). But the diaries do not reveal whether or how Goebbels responded to this initiative.

1.
Hölsken,
V-Waffen
, 142ff., 110.

2.
TB, 6 and 24 September 1944.

3.
TB, 25 September 1944.

4.
TB, 11 November 1944.

5.
TB, 5–12 October 1944. There are no entries covering the decisive days of the battle for Aachen. Vogel, “Kriegführung,” 615.

6.
Frieser, “Die Rückzugskämpfe der Heeresgruppe Nord bis Kurland,” 642ff. This is not referred to in the Goebbels diaries because the entries for the period 13–22 October 1944 are missing.

7.
TB, 26 October 1944;
VB
(N), 28 October 1944, “Furchtbare Verbrechen in Nemmersdorf”; 29 October 1944, “Das Grauen von Nemmersdorf”; 2 November 1944, “Augenzeugen berichten aus Nemmersdorf. Wie Moskaus Henker toben” (headline). See also
Der Angriff
, 28 October 1944;
Der Freiheitskampf
, 30 October 1944.

8.
Weekly activity reports by the head of the propaganda department, BAB, R 55/601, Stichtag 30 October, 7 November 1944.

9.
TB, 3 November 1944; see also 22 November 1944. On 24 November he wrote that he wanted “to bring [the Soviet atrocities] to the attention of the public, at least to a certain extent,” but this was not evident in the propaganda.

10.
This is clear from BAB, R 43 II/666b, press statement, 2 November 1944. The announcement was strongly criticized by the Reich Chancellery because to some extent it was contrary to the facts. (ibid., Vermerk vom 4. November 1944). See also TB, 5 October 1944, where Goebbels complained that the deployment of women in the armaments industry was not going ahead because of Speer’s and the industrialists’ “laxity.”

11.
BAB, R 43 II/666b, press statement 10 October 1944.

12.
BAB, R 43 II/666b, press statement 2 November 1944, as published, for example, in the
VB
(N), 5 November 1944.

13.
TB, 10 November 1944.

14.
TB, 11 January 1945.

15.
TB, 7 November 1944.

16.
TB, 28 November 1944.

17.
TB, 29 October, 17 November 1944.

18.
TB, 7 December 1944; see also 25 November 1944.

19.
TB, 3 November 1944.

20.
TB, 16 November 1944.

21.
TB, 7 December 1944, and 16 November 1944.

22.
TB, 30 September, 30 December 1944; on the continuing poor relationship with the Foreign Ministry, see TB, 31 October, 2, 7, and 11 November 1944.

23.
On the investigation of the Foreign Ministry, see TB, 4, 5, and 6 January 1945; on the assignment of investigating the Foreign Ministry to Staatssekretär a. D. Mussehl, see TB, 16 January 1945; on the report produced by Mussehl, see 20 March 1945. On the Ministry of the Eastern Territories, see TB, 16 and 18 March 1945.

24.
TB, 27 and 29 September 1944.

25.
TB, 4 March 1945; Uziel,
Propaganda Warriors
, 205.

26.
TB, 12 and 20 September 1944: During a discussion Speer had become “very insolent”; see also 23, 24, and 26 September, 3, 5, and 10 October 1944.

27.
TB, 10 October 1944, and 5 October 1944.

28.
TB, 11 and 16 November 1944.

29.
TB, 1 December 1944.

30.
TB, 4 January 1945.

31.
TB, 5, 12, and 19 January 1956; Kunz,
Wehrmacht und Niederlage
, 256ff.; Overmans,
Deutsche militärische Verluste im Zweiten Weltkrieg
, 225.

32.
Published in Mammach,
Volkssturm
, 168ff. The decree was dated 25 September 1944. TB, 12 September 1944.

33.
TB, 21 September, and 26 September 1944. On the formation of the Volkssturm in Berlin, see 24 and 29 October, 7 November 1944.

34.
TB, 13 November 1944;
VB
(N), 14 November 1944, “Geist von 1813—Waffen von 1944. Dr. Goebbels sprach zu den Tausenden Berliner Volkssturmmänner
[sic]
.”

35.
Kershaw,
Hitler. 1936–1945
, 962; TB, 24 November 1944.

36.
TB, 24 November 1944.

37.
TB, 30 September, 6 (quotation), 8, 9, and 30 October (after recuperation) 1945; Kershaw,
Hitler. 1936–1945
, 945.

38.
Previously: complaints about the lack of a public statement by Hitler: TB, 11, 12, 14, 16, 17, 18, and 30 September, 4, 9, 10, and 13 November, 3 December 1944.

39.
TB, 2 December 1944.

40.
TB, 23 September 1943.

41.
TB, 19 and 21 May 1944.

42.
TB, 22 May 1944.

43.
TB, 6–8 July 1944. A few months later, at the end of December, Hanke visited the Goebbelses at home in Berlin (TB, 31 December 1944).

44.
TB, 4 December 1944.

45.
Particularly concerned entries in the TB for 9, 11, 17, 20, 21, 22, and 29 November 1944. On military developments, see Vogel, “Kriegführung,” 614ff.

46.
TB, 17 and 18 December 1944.

47.
TB, 19 December 1944. See the reports of the
VB
(B), which emphasized the offensive on 18 December, but during the following days was cautious in providing details.

48.
TB, 19 December 1944.

49.
TB, 23 December 1944.

50.
TB, 29 December 1944.

51.
Vogel, “Kriegführung,” 625ff.

52.
TB, 21 January 1945.

53.
TB, 1 February 1945. On the Soviet offensive, see Lakowski, “Der Zusammenbruch der deutschen Verteidigung zwischen Ostsee und Karpaten,” 516ff.

54.
Tagesberichte
, 2 and 7 January; TB, 4, 9, and 10 January 1945.

55.
Gröhler,
Bombenkrieg
, 423;
Tagesberichte
, 3 February 1945; on the number of victims, see Demps, “Luftangriffe,” 21ff.; TB, 5 and 12 February 1945.

56.
Gröhler,
Bombenkrieg
, 400ff.

57.
TB, 9 November also 7 and 10 December 1944.

58.
However, in agreement with Bormann, Himmler and the relevant military agencies: Erlaß des Führers zur Überprüfung der Wehrmacht, Waffen-SS und Polizei im Heimatkriegsgebiet zur Freimachung von Soldaten für die Front vom 10. Dezember 1944 (Moll,
“Führer-Erlasse,”
no. 377); on the appointment, see TB, 11 December 1944; on taking up the position, see TB, 12, and 15 December 1944; on further activity, see 20, 22, and 29 December 1944.

59.
TB, 30 December 1944; see also 3, 11, 18, and 19 January 1945.

60.
Overmans,
Deutsche militärische Verluste
, 239.

61.
TB, 21 January 1945.

62.
TB, 26 January 1945.

63.
TB, 7 February 1945; this figure is confirmed by the surviving files of the OKW: According to Kunz,
Wehrmacht und Niederlage
, 166: BAM, RH 2/923, Notiz für
Reichsbevollmächtigten als Unterlage zur Führerinformation vom 6. Februar 1945.

64.
TB, 11 February 1945, also 8 February 1945 concerning Bormann’s and Himmler’s alleged agreement to his being given this authority.

65.
Kunz,
Wehrmacht und Niederlage
, 155.

66.
TB, 6 February 1945.

67.
TB, 4 January 1945.

68.
TB, 23 January 1945.

69.
TB, 26 January 1945.

70.
TB, 28 January 1945.

71.
TB, 30 January, 1 February 1945; Fest,
Speer
, 321f.; Janssen,
Das Ministerium Speer
, 301f.

72.
TB, 29 January 1945.

73.
TB, 30 and 31 January, 1, 2, and 5 February 1945.

74.
TB, 30 January 1945.

75.
TB, 11 February 1945.

76.
TB, 5 Feburary 1945.

77.
TB, 6 February 1945. On the preparations for the defense of Berlin, see also TB, 7, 8, 11, 12, and 13 February 1945.

78.
TB, 1 March 1945.

79.
TB, 15 March 1945.

80.
Das Reich
, 18 March 1945, “Berlin, Ein Riesenigel.”

81.
TB, 1 February 1945: He learned from Ley that Hitler had spoken to him in similar terms and Hewel told him that Ribbentrop had tried in vain to get permission from Hitler to put out feelers.

82.
TB, 12 February 1945.

83.
TB, 13 February 1945.

84.
TB, 4, 26, and 29 January 1945.

85.
TB, 25 and 29 January, 28 February, 12, 21, 22, and 28 March 1945.

86.
TB, 5, 12, and 24 March 1945.

87.
TB, 29 January 1945.

88.
TB, 1 March 1945.

89.
TB, 7 January 1945.

90.
Das Reich
, 21 January 1945, “Die Urheber des Unglücks der Welt.”

91.
TB, 25 January 1945; see also 26 January 1945.

92.
TB, 6 February 1945.

93.
TB, 8 and 10 February 1945; Dietrich,
12 Jahre
, 115.

94.
Heiber (ed.),
Goebbels Reden
, no. 30; quotations 430, 444, 437, 431f., 446.

95.
TB, 2 March 1945.

96.
TB, 5 and 12 March 1945.

97.
Deutsche Wochenschau, no. 754;
VB
(N), 13 March 1945; TB, 9 March 1945.

98.
See the reports in the
VB
(N) for February and March; despite being prominent, the atrocities were not the dominant topic: 9 February 1945, “Bilder des Grauens hinter den Sowjetlinien,” 1; 10 February 1945, “Humanitäre Phrasen und grausige Wirklichkeit” (headline) and “Der bolschewistische Blutsumpf”; 20 February 1945, “Moskau deportiert deutsche Arbeiter” (headline); 8 March 1945, “Generaloberst Guderian über die Schandtaten der Bolschewisten: Morden, plündern schänden, sengen” (headline); 10 March 1945, “Tragödien hinter dem Sowjetvorhang,” 1; 11 March 1945, “Stalins Gesetz: Mord und Deportation”; 13 March 1945, “Ab nach Sibirien!”; 20 March 1945, “Schwester auf Panzer gebunden.”

99.
TB, 27 and 28 March 1945.

100.
TB, 31 March 1945.

101.
TB, 20 and 24 March 1945.

102.
TB, 1 February 1945; for criticism of Göring by Hitler, see in particular 4, 15, 16, and 23 January 1945.

103.
TB, 1 February 1945, similarly 12 February 1945.

104.
TB, 28 February 1945.

105.
TB, 31 January, 5 March 1945.

106.
TB, 14 March 1945.

107.
TB, 14 March 1945. For criticism of Göring by Hitler, see also 21, 22, and 23 March 1945.

108.
TB, 22 March 1945.

109.
TB, 5 March 1945.

110.
TB, 12 and 14 March 1945.

111.
TB, 15 March 1945, and 16 March 1945.

112.
TB, 3, 13, and 24 March 1945.

113.
TB, 14 March 1945, and 15, 23, and 28 March 1945.

114.
TB, 28 March 1945.

115.
TB, 4 and 28 March 1945. On Hitler’s poor health, see also 12 February 1945.

116.
TB, 6 February, 22 March 1945.

117.
TB, 5 March 1945.

118.
TB, 12 March 1945; on Himmler’s possible promotion, see 23 January 1945.

119.
TB, 8 March 1945.

120.
TB, 17, 18, and 22 March 1945.

121.
TB, 12 March 1945.

122.
TB, 8 April 1945.

123.
Ungváry, “Kriegsschauplatz Ungarn,” 926ff.; TB, 6–21 March 1945.

124.
TB, 9 March 1945; Henke,
Die amerikanische Besetzung Deutschlands
, 347f.

125.
TB, 23 and 25 March 1945; Henke,
Besetzung
, 385ff.

126.
TB, 25 March 1945.

127.
TB, 26 March 1945.

128.
TB, 22 March 1945.

129.
Gröhler,
Bombenkrieg
, 423; Demps, “Luftangriffe,” 21ff.; TB, 19, 20, and 25 March 1945.

130.
TB, 14 March 1945.

131.
Gröhler,
Bombenkrieg
, 422; TB, 20, 21 (quotation) and 25 March 1945.

132.
TB, 15 March 1945.

133.
TB, 15 March 1945;
Ursachen und Folgen
, no. 3607f., dated 15 March 1945; see also Fest,
Speer
, 336ff.

134.
Moll (ed.), “
Führer-Erlasse,”
no. 394.

135.
TB, 28 March 1945.

136.
TB, 31 March 1945;
Ursachen und Folgen
, no. 3604c, Durchführungserlaß Hitlers vom 30. März 1945.

137.
TB, 28 March 1945; 4 April 1945 (on Bormann): “In the Party too we lack a clear leadership that is rooted in the people.”

138.
TB, 12, 15, and 16 March 1945.

139.
TB, 31 March, 1 and 4 April 1945.

140.
TB, 29 March 1945; see also 12 March. On the Werwolf movement, see Biddiscombe,
Werwolf!;
Arendes, “Schrecken aus dem Untergrund. Endphaseverbrechen des ‘Werwolf,’ ” 149–71.

141.
TB, 11 March 1945.

142.
TB, 29 and 30 March 1945, also 1 April 1945.

143.
TB, 1 and 2 April 1945.

144.
TB, 31 March 2, 3, and 4 April 1945.

145.
TB, 29 March 1945.

146.
TB, 1 February 1945.

147.
TB, 5 and 6 February 1945.

148.
Heiber (ed.),
Goebbels Reden
, no. 30, 435.

149.
TB, 5 March 1945.

150.
Das Reich
, 15 April 1945.

151.
TB, 30 November 1944: Goebbels found out about the new microfiche process. On the filming of the diaries, see Elke Fröhlich, “Einleitung zur Gesamtedition,” in
Die Tagebücher von Joseph Goebbels
, Teil III, Register 1923–1945. Teilband I: Sachregister A–G, 7–178; on the complicated history of the survival of the various parts of the diaries, 36ff.