Re-examining Key Aspects of the Goebbels Suicide & Filicide
by
Peter David Orr
In his biography of Goebbels, British historian, David Irving, asks:
Why would Joseph and Magda have joined Hitler in Berlin, also choosing free-death (and euthanizing their children) on May 1, 1945, if Hitler...had escaped to South America?
Irving's suggestive question, or one similar to it, is often repeated in non-question form by defenders of the standard narrative of Hitler's 'last days’ in the following manner: Joseph and Magda Goebbels were so distraught over Hitler's suicide that they decided to follow their master's example.
Closer examination reveals the above-mentioned telling of the Goebbels' filicide and suicide is misleading and chronologically backwards.
Misleading? Yes, the idea that Goebbels decided to join Hitler in Berlin is entirely inaccurate.
Months before Hitler began debating about remaining in Berlin, Goebbels had decided to stay. Goebbels siblings, Hans, Konrad and Maria (see illustration), were interrogated after the war. Each said Joseph and Magda had been determined to remain in Berlin—no matter what. During the war Goebbels was in Berlin more often than Hitler. He wasn't just the Propaganda Minister of Nazi Germany, Goebbels was Gauleiter of the capital of the Third Reich and the Reich Commissioner for Berlin. He didn't need encouragement from Hitler to stay in Berlin until the bitter end. While Goering, Bormann, Himmler, Jodl, Keitel, Ribbentrop, Dönitz and Schörner encouraged Hitler to leave Berlin when its defense became untenable, Goebbels was recorded strenuously arguing for Hitler to remain. The only other high ranking Nazi to make a similar argument was Albert Speer (according to Speer, anyway).
But how is Irving's suggestive question chronologically backwards?
Goebbels' decision to remain in Berlin, and, if necessary, take his and his family's life, came months prior to Hitler's suicidal nadir, which supposedly began on the 22 April 1945 and culminated on the afternoon of the 30th.
In February of 1945 Goebbels asked DAF chief, Robert Ley, to obtain enough potassium cyanide to kill himself and his wife and six children. Goebbels was aware that Ley's DAF associate, Dr. Werner Bockhacker, could secure the poison.
Dr. Bockhacker provided Ley with 20 doses in powder form—each tucked into small druggist envelopes. Ley personally delivered these envelopes to Goebbels in March.
When Robert Ley last spoke with Hitler, on 19 April, Hitler ordered Ley's immediate departure for Bavaria. Hitler also told Ley he'd be following in the near future. Hitler did not speak of suicide. On the other hand, when Ley spoke with Goebbels for the last time on 20 April, Goebbels informed Lay that he and his family had made the firm decision to remain, and, if necessary, die in Berlin. What reason did the chief propagandist give for this decision? Goebbels remarked, “These generals are incapable of defending Berlin. I will have to do it myself".
The well worn tale of Goebbels and his family moving into the bunker on 22 April in order to convince Hitler that all was not lost and or to convince Hitler to leave for the safety of southern Germany, is also inaccurate. Goebbels did not arrive for the first time after Hitler's declaration that "the war is lost" on the evening of 22 April. In fact, the Goebbels family had been living in the vast basement bunker of New Reich Chancellery since March. Yes, it’s true that Joseph Goebbels was still often living at his private Berlin city residence. Yes, it's true that the Goebbels' weren't living in the Führerbunker until 22 April. But that doesn't mean Hitler didn't see Goebbels, Magda and the children prior to that point. In fact, Hitler saw them regularly prior to the 22nd. Late on 22 April the Goebbels' family moved closer to Hitler when the moved into the Vorbunker. Goebbels established an office in Dr. Morell’s former office and quarters in the Führerbunker.
The idea that this move by the Goebbels was to bolster Hitler’s spirits is doubtful.
Consider what Goebbels is recorded to have said at his daily military conference at his private residence on the day before. The OKW log for Goebbels’ 21 April meeting shows he was in all-out panic after learning of Zhukov’s latest breakthrough into Berlin proper. He proclaimed that the end had come. He berated the German people. They had lost the will to fight. The plans and ideals of National Socialism had been too lofty and noble for them. They deserve the fate which now awaits them.
Goebbels’ words should sound familiar. That’s because depictions of Hitler’s ‘last days’ put those words in Hitler’s mouth. Although Hitler may have said such things, Goebbels said them FIRST.
The Goebbels suicide & filicide was not the result of their despondency over Hitler’s suicide and their determination to follow his ‘heroic’ example.
