The Death of Adolf Hitler :: Nazi Germany Adolf Hitler Essays

On 1 May, at 9.30 in the evening, Hamburg radio warned the German people that a grave and important announcement was about to be made. This was immediately followed by several excerpts from a number of Wagners operas and the slow straw man of Bruckners Seventh Symphony. Then at 10.20 pm, came the voice of Grand-Admiral Karl Donitz, Commander-in-chief for the north of Germany. In gloomy tones, he announced the death of Hitler and his own succession as Fuhrer of the Reich. Hitler had f tout ensemble this afternoon, he said, fighting at the head of his troops. This statement was believed by many. The Times of London printed Hitlers obituary next day. President Valera of Ireland sent his condolences to the German ambassador in Dublin. But it was untrue. Hitler, as the world was later told, had died the foregoing day and had not f in allen in action, as a chivalrous martyr, but had committed suicide without leaving the Bunker under the Reichschancellery where he had been since 16 Jan uary 1945. Donitz perhaps had more than one reason for releasing the narration he did. He may not set about been aware of all the facts, but in any case he must have wondered how the German troops would have reacted if they had been told that their leader had not died a smart as a whip death but had taken his own life. Whatever Donitzs reasons, this erroneous story, combine with the complete silence on the part of the Russians regarding what they had or had not imbed in the Reichschancellery and the absence of a body - either Hitlers or Eva Brauns - did not convince many people. On the contrary, throughout the summer of 1945 the rumours that Hitler was still animated gathered pace. There were many sightings. Among the first, it was reported that Hitler had been seen living as a hermit in a cave near Lake Garda in Union Italy. Another report had it that he was now a shepherd in the Swiss Alps, a third that he was a croupier at a casino in Evian. He was seen at Grenoble, St Gal len and even off the Irish coast. Viewed from this distance, each of these accounts appears fantastic and incredible. But that was not how they were seen at the time. Not all of the accounts were so fantastic. In July 1945, the us Office of Censorship intercepted a garner written from someone in Washington.