Despite having a World War II website, I have been somewhat remiss in missing several major 80th anniversary commemorations and haven’t written much lately. Reasons and excuses for this can be found on my other site, www.procrastinatorinc.com.
So, I thought I’d come back with a good juicy topic. The 30th of April 1945 should be a celebration rather than a commemoration, because it was Hitler’s Death Day. The day he bit the bullet.
What’s in a word?
But first, a few words on words. I always have a problem with the word ‘celebrate’ when it probably should be ‘commemorate’ because celebrating a battle seems a little crass, no matter how small or large. Maybe we should celebrate the veterans who survived and commemorate those who made the ultimate sacrifice?
When I taught History, I always felt a bit strange when I returned from trips to the battlefields of World War I, and even more so when asked the same question after visiting Birkenau.
Just 10 days before, on April 20th, he celebrated his 56th Birthday. One of the last photos of him was from this day when he left the Führer Bunker for the last time to award Iron Crosses to boys of the Hitler Youth. The young and the old were the only troops the Nazis had left.
Hitler was still trying to control the German forces defending Berlin, but he believed he had far more troops and formations than he did. Infamously portrayed by the film Downfall, Army Detachment Steiner was one such formation that he relied on to turn the tide. When he realised that even Steiner’s phantom formation could not act, Hitler’s rant was the object of many memes. Importantly for Hitler, this was the first time he declared that ‘everything was lost’.
Only three days later, Russia had managed to surround Berlin. Infighting at the to of the Nazi leadership led to Goring’s arrest and the order of Himmler’s for treason as they fought to take over from Hitler.
The 28th and 29th of April were hectic for those in the bunker. Hitler wrote his last will and testament and married his long-term lady friend Eva Braun.
Their marriage was to be short-lived. Hitler found out on the afternoon of the 29th that Mussolini had been executed the previous day. Hitler was determined not to suffer the same fate of either being captured or having his body defiled. The next day, with Russian troops within five hundred metres of the Reich Chancellery, Hitler shot himself whilst his wife, of less than 24 hours, swallowed a cyanide capsule.
His orders stated that his body should be taken out of the bunker. This was done, and he was doused in petrol and set alight in the garden of the Reich Chancellery.
The following night, Goebbels, the only top Nazi to stay with Hitler until then end, and his wife Magda, poisoned their six children with cyanide before taking it themselves. To honour Hitler, all the children had first names which began with H.
Within a week, all resistance had collapsed, and the allies had achieved victory in Europe.