World War 2 Question No. 11: After Hitler, Who was Most Fanatical of the Nazi Leaders?
Answer. Joseph Goebbels was a highly educated (Phd) individual and very intelligent (probably a genius). He was also a workaholic who stayed up late at night dictating his voluminous diary, The Goebbels Diary, which described in infinite detail the events of the war and what was happening on the home front. The Goebbels Diary is highly recommended reading for World War 2 buffs.
In addition to his great abilities, Goebbels was probably the second most fanatical Nazi (next to Hitler).
Goebbels was a smallish man born with a crippled foot which caused him to be turned down for military service. These stigmas were a constant source of embarrassment for Goebbels as he preached the philosophy of the Nazi master race. The stigmas may also be responsible for at least some of his fanaticism.
Goebbels first opposed Hitler and even tried to have him ejected from the Nazi Party. Then, he suddenly changed his mind and Hitler became his idol.
In May 1933, Goebbels became infamous around the world when he organized the book-burning event in which thousands of library books written by "undesirables" were publically burned. I recall that this event was later shown on American newsreels many times to show how fanatical the Nazis were.
Goebbels used all sorts of media in his propaganda campaigns but stressed radio (Is Rush Limbaugh an ancestor of Goebbels?)
Goebbels had an excellent idea that the war was not going well and that a greater effort from the German people was needed. He and Albert Speer formed an alliance to convince Hitler of this but the effort fell apart when Goering, who had joined them, fell into a lethargy (drug-induced?). They needed a leader of his stature to influence Hitler.
Goebbels was married to a beautiful women, Magda Goebbels, who bore him 6 children. Their marriage became a sham, however, because of the unfaithfulness of Joseph and, later, of Magda. Goebbels was a ladies man and carried on numerous affairs. He attempted to divorce Magda but the unmarried Hitler, who had sort of adopted the Goebbels family as his own, would not allow it.
Near the end of the war Joseph and Magda Goebbels retreated to the Bunker with Hitler. They had themselves shot after Magda had poisoned the 6 children. The Goebbels could not stand to live in a world that would be without Hitler!
Speer, who was a friend of Magda's, documented his conversations with Joseph and Magda in his book, Inside the Third Reich. An excellent reference!
Showing posts with label Magda Goebbels. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Magda Goebbels. Show all posts
Sunday, July 1, 2007
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Who Was Hitler's True Love?
World War 2 Question No. 7: Who was Hitler's true love?
Answer. It is difficult to speak of "Hitler" and "love" in the same sentence considering that he was responsible via World War 2 for the death of about 50,000,000 people. But Hitler had his shares of loves as most folks do.
His overall dealings with women is a little strange. As he rose to power, many women (including American and British women) throw themselves at his feet. Hitler appeared immune to these beauties. In most instances, he seemed to prefer plain German women, e.g., Eva Braun, to the many nordic beauties that were available to him.
But Geli Raubal was different. She was good looking and had a vivacious personality. Hitler fell in love with her and was quoted as saying Geli was the only girl he would have ever married (although he did marry Eva Braun on the last day of his life).
Geli was Hitler's niece by his half-sister, Angela, who served as his housekeeper. Hitler and Geli became virtually inseparable and Hitler, at first, took her everywhere with him. But Hitler's demands for total control of every aspect of Geli's life took a toll on the relationship. Also, jealousy problems arose. According to rumors circulated, Hitler was supposed to marry Winifred Wagner. This, apparently, was an unfounded rumor. On the other side of the coin, Geli's alleged affair with Emile Maurice, Hitler's body guard, did not help matters.
Geli began to revolt and threatened to leave for Vienna. Hitler ordered her not to go and he then left on Septermber 17, 1931 for a political meeting in Hamburg. On September 18, Geli was found shot to death in her apartment. It was an apparent suicide but this supposition has never been proven for sure. There are many other theories about her death. One theory is that Hitler killed Geli in a fit of rage. Another is that Himmler had her killed because the affair was damaging the Nazi Party. The bulk of evidence supports the suicide theory.
Some in Germany talked too much about the Hitler - Geli relationship and Geli's death. They lived (died?) to regret it. Father Bernard Stempfle, who helped Hitler edit Mein Kampf, talked too much about the Hitler - Geli relationship and was found dead with three bullets through the heart.
The cause of Geli Raubal's death is just another of the many mysteries that surround women that were close to Hitler. Most either committed suicide or attempted to commit suicide (or both!). Even the ever-loyal Eva Braun attempted suicide early in their relationship and finally actually commited suicide on the last day of their two lives. Magda Goebbles was very close to Hitler and she chose suicide (the day after Hitler's death) rather than live in a world without Hitler.
Hitler was strange but his women were almost as strange as he!
Answer. It is difficult to speak of "Hitler" and "love" in the same sentence considering that he was responsible via World War 2 for the death of about 50,000,000 people. But Hitler had his shares of loves as most folks do.
His overall dealings with women is a little strange. As he rose to power, many women (including American and British women) throw themselves at his feet. Hitler appeared immune to these beauties. In most instances, he seemed to prefer plain German women, e.g., Eva Braun, to the many nordic beauties that were available to him.
But Geli Raubal was different. She was good looking and had a vivacious personality. Hitler fell in love with her and was quoted as saying Geli was the only girl he would have ever married (although he did marry Eva Braun on the last day of his life).
Geli was Hitler's niece by his half-sister, Angela, who served as his housekeeper. Hitler and Geli became virtually inseparable and Hitler, at first, took her everywhere with him. But Hitler's demands for total control of every aspect of Geli's life took a toll on the relationship. Also, jealousy problems arose. According to rumors circulated, Hitler was supposed to marry Winifred Wagner. This, apparently, was an unfounded rumor. On the other side of the coin, Geli's alleged affair with Emile Maurice, Hitler's body guard, did not help matters.
Geli began to revolt and threatened to leave for Vienna. Hitler ordered her not to go and he then left on Septermber 17, 1931 for a political meeting in Hamburg. On September 18, Geli was found shot to death in her apartment. It was an apparent suicide but this supposition has never been proven for sure. There are many other theories about her death. One theory is that Hitler killed Geli in a fit of rage. Another is that Himmler had her killed because the affair was damaging the Nazi Party. The bulk of evidence supports the suicide theory.
Some in Germany talked too much about the Hitler - Geli relationship and Geli's death. They lived (died?) to regret it. Father Bernard Stempfle, who helped Hitler edit Mein Kampf, talked too much about the Hitler - Geli relationship and was found dead with three bullets through the heart.
The cause of Geli Raubal's death is just another of the many mysteries that surround women that were close to Hitler. Most either committed suicide or attempted to commit suicide (or both!). Even the ever-loyal Eva Braun attempted suicide early in their relationship and finally actually commited suicide on the last day of their two lives. Magda Goebbles was very close to Hitler and she chose suicide (the day after Hitler's death) rather than live in a world without Hitler.
Hitler was strange but his women were almost as strange as he!
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Why Did Magda Goebbels Kill Her 6 Children?
World War 2 Question No. 6. Why Did Magda Goebbels Kill Her 6 Children in the Bunker?
Answer: The Events Regarding Magda Goebbels as World War 2 came to an end is something that could have been in a Shakespeare tragedy. The only modern fiction equal to Magda's real-life story might be Sophie's Choice (book & movie) in which the unfortunate Sophie is forced by a sadistic Nazi concentration camp official to make the awful decision as to which one of her two beloved children will live.
Magda, the wife of Nazi Propaganda Minister, Joseph Goebbels, was a beautiful, somewhat promiscuous woman that often served as a sort of "first lady" to bachelor Adolf Hitler. Hitler was very fond of the Goebbels family who produced six children for Hitler's third reich. In turn, Magda thought so much of Hitler that she began the names of each of the six children with an "H."
Although the Goebbels' marriage was a somewhat stormy one with both Magda and, especially Joseph, taking other lovers, they stayed together and when Hitler retreated to the bunker, Magda, Joseph, and the 6 children followed their hero. Joseph made a decision that they would all die with Hitler. The children were to die because Goebbels felt the children would be used as propaganda against him and the Nazi regime.
Magda was decimated by this decision but apparently did nothing to stop it. Both Hitler and Albert Speer (close friend of Magda as he was to many Nazi big-wig wives - they apparently enjoyed talking to the intelligent and sensitive Speer) tried to convince her to save the children. Speer even offered her refuge. She needed refuge from her husband who was becoming very abnormal as the end of the war approached.
But Magda appeared to have made up her mind that the children were to die.
On Speer's last trip to the bunker, he met with Magda who was in bed totally devastated by the coming death of her children. However, Joseph Goebbels did not leave the pair along and Speer was unable to talk freely with her. Speer bitterly complained about this in "Inside the Third Reich." However, it probably would not have mattered. Magda Goebbels' had made a decision that would leave her name in infamy.
The day after Hitler died, she allegedly fed the children cyanide poison-laced hot chocolate although one report is that they died via injection at Joseph Goebbels' orders. Then Joseph and Magda had themselves shot and their corpes burned by soldiers.
One of the many horror stories of World War 2. Almost certainly, Magda could have saved the children with the all-powerful Hitler and highly-placed Speer on her side - even in the insane environment that existed in the bunker. Magda was just not strong enough to stand up to the fanatical and very abnormal Joseph Goebbels.
However, when the lives of 6 children are at stake, a mother has to develop the strength!
How could she have done it?
Answer: The Events Regarding Magda Goebbels as World War 2 came to an end is something that could have been in a Shakespeare tragedy. The only modern fiction equal to Magda's real-life story might be Sophie's Choice (book & movie) in which the unfortunate Sophie is forced by a sadistic Nazi concentration camp official to make the awful decision as to which one of her two beloved children will live.
Magda, the wife of Nazi Propaganda Minister, Joseph Goebbels, was a beautiful, somewhat promiscuous woman that often served as a sort of "first lady" to bachelor Adolf Hitler. Hitler was very fond of the Goebbels family who produced six children for Hitler's third reich. In turn, Magda thought so much of Hitler that she began the names of each of the six children with an "H."
Although the Goebbels' marriage was a somewhat stormy one with both Magda and, especially Joseph, taking other lovers, they stayed together and when Hitler retreated to the bunker, Magda, Joseph, and the 6 children followed their hero. Joseph made a decision that they would all die with Hitler. The children were to die because Goebbels felt the children would be used as propaganda against him and the Nazi regime.
Magda was decimated by this decision but apparently did nothing to stop it. Both Hitler and Albert Speer (close friend of Magda as he was to many Nazi big-wig wives - they apparently enjoyed talking to the intelligent and sensitive Speer) tried to convince her to save the children. Speer even offered her refuge. She needed refuge from her husband who was becoming very abnormal as the end of the war approached.
But Magda appeared to have made up her mind that the children were to die.
On Speer's last trip to the bunker, he met with Magda who was in bed totally devastated by the coming death of her children. However, Joseph Goebbels did not leave the pair along and Speer was unable to talk freely with her. Speer bitterly complained about this in "Inside the Third Reich." However, it probably would not have mattered. Magda Goebbels' had made a decision that would leave her name in infamy.
The day after Hitler died, she allegedly fed the children cyanide poison-laced hot chocolate although one report is that they died via injection at Joseph Goebbels' orders. Then Joseph and Magda had themselves shot and their corpes burned by soldiers.
One of the many horror stories of World War 2. Almost certainly, Magda could have saved the children with the all-powerful Hitler and highly-placed Speer on her side - even in the insane environment that existed in the bunker. Magda was just not strong enough to stand up to the fanatical and very abnormal Joseph Goebbels.
However, when the lives of 6 children are at stake, a mother has to develop the strength!
How could she have done it?
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