Figure 1.--Here we see Reich Marshall Göring driving through a bombed out section of Berlin, probably in 1943. Notice the expression on his face. We wonder if he is stunned about the level of distruction or his personal situation given how he had assured the Führer and German people that Germany would never be bombed. In this case he did talk to civiians, although he never got out of his car. Click on the image to see this. As far as we know, it was a very rare occasion when he comiserated with civilians.

The British were not able to heavily bomb Germany until RAF Bomber Command received modern bombers like the Avro Lancaster in a night-time campaign, although it would be some time before they were available in numbers (1942). The American joined in the campaign in day light with the Around the Clock campaign (1943). We constantly hear today that bombing can not crack civilian morale. Notice that you never see images like this of Hitler commiserating with the people and visiting war damaged neighborhoods. There was nothing that enthused Hitler more than motoring around the Reich and seig heiling past adoring crowds. There are countless images of him in his collection of big Mercedes doing just that. This was during the good days into the early war years. When German armies encountered real resistance and the bombs began falling on German rather than other cities, Hitler suddenly was no where to be found. Propaganda Minister Goebbels commented on this. He pleaded with the Führer to visit the bomb-damaged cities. Hitler flatly refused. The comparison with Churchill could not be more dramatic--and revealing. Some clarification is needed here. Goebbels did for a time visit with bombed out Berliners. And there is even an image of Göring doing so, although he did mot get out of his car. As far as we can tell, this was a rare occasion. A reader writes, "Interesting. I never thought of Hitler or other dictators having a guilty conscious. Only reason not to visit with the bombing victims." We did not mean to suggest that Hitler had a guilty conscious! I We certainly do not believe that he did. In fact, we think he only regretted not being able to kill more people and destroy more cities, especially Paris and London. We think the reason for not visiting heavily bombed cities was very different. He probably saw as the bombing was destroying German cities a sign that Germany was losing the war he had launched. He not doubt was seeing this in daily military briefings. And he did not want to be further reminded or associated with his failure and have to answer to the German people for his failure. At the end of the War in his Berlin Bunker he blamed the German people for their weakness and non living up to his standards and of course the Jews. With the matter of walkabouts, the question of security arrangements arise.

Hitler

Notice that you never see images like this of Hitler commiserating with the people and visiting war damaged neighborhoods. There was nothing that enthused Hitler more than motoring around the Reich and seig heiling adoring crowds. There are countless images of him in his collection of big Mercedes doing just that. This was during the good days into the early war years. You could not go to the movies or listen to the radio with out seeing and hearing the Führer. When German armies encountered real resistance and the bombs began falling on German rather than other cities, Hitler suddenly was no where to be found. The people mist have wondered about this, but it was dangerous to ask questions. Propaganda Minister Goebbels commented on this. He pleaded with the Führer to visit the bomb-damaged cities. Hitler flatly refused. The comparison with Churchill could not be more dramatic--and revealing. Some clarification is needed here. A reader writes, "Interesting. I never thought of Hitler or other dictators having a guilty conscious. Only reason not to visit with the bombing victims." We did not mean to suggest that Hitler had a guilty conscious! I We certainly do not believe that he did. In fact, we think he only regretted not being able to kill more people and destroy more cities, especially Paris and London. We think the reason for not visiting heavily bombed cities was very different. He probably saw as the bombing was destroying German cities a sign that Germany was losing the war he had launched. He not doubt was seeing this in daily military briefings. And he did not want to be further reminded or associated with his failure and have to answer to the German people for his failure. At the end of the War in his Berlin Bunker he blamed the German people for their weakness and non living up to his standards and of course the Jews. With the matter of walkabouts, the question of security arrangements arise.

Goebbels

Propaganda Minister Goebbels did for a time visit and try to comfort bombed-out Berliners. He was the gauleiter of Berlin and responsible for the city. He was not from the city, but came to see Berlin as his city. Berlin when the NAZIs seized power was a cosmopolitan and generally anti-NAZI. Hitler and Goebbels transformed the city. Relentless propaganda, the suppression of the Jews, Socialists, and communists, a vicious police apparatus, and apparent NAZI successes transformed the city. And by the time of the War, Berlin was a NAZI city. We have noted quite a few photographs of Goebbels out and about and commiserating with people of the city. He was seen as aiding in relief efforts after a bombing raid. Hitler was en ranged when a few bombs fell on Berlin (August 1940). By 1943 really large payloads of bombs were being released on the city. In the aftermath of the devastating raid on Hamburg, (1943) he moved against the remaining Jews to create vacancies for displaced families. He did the same in Berlin. Berlin was a large city and not as easy to bomb as Hamburg, but no city can sustain the level of destruction unleashed by the Allies. As Goebbels until late in the War did not have any military responsibility, he could not be held responsible for the military disasters that were befalling Germany. Unlike Hitler and Göring, showing up in bomb damaged neighborhood was not a rare occasion. And he was depicted of doing so in the weekly news reels. He clearly saw the importance of doing so. Which is why he tried so hard to convince Hitler of doing the same. At first Berlin was beyond the effective range of Allied bombers, but as four engine long range bombers were introduced, Berlin became a priority target and the most bombed city in Europe. Air Marshall Harris in particular had a focus on Berlin. The Amerucan at first were less enthusiastic. What Hitler waned to do to London, the Allies did to Berlin. Berlin was altredy a sea of ruins when the Red Army arrived.

Göring

Reich Marshall Göring was a special case. Outside of Hitler he had been the most popular of all the top NAZI officials. His role in the NAZI police state was not well known. He oversaw the economy as head of the Four Year Plan. He was also the head of the Luftwaffe as well as responsible for civil defense. That means in the NAZI hierarchy, he was the person most responsible for air defense. Göring had reveled in the glorious air victories. But by 1943 that was all in past and what the German people cared most about was stopping the bombing and here he was a total failure which could not be explained away as best he tried. Adding to that was the fact that he has assured the Führer and publicly the German people that Germany could not be bombed. He not only assured the people that they could not be bombed, but he added defiantly that if Germany was bombed, "You can call me Meyer." This made it especially emphatic as Meyer was a Jewish name. He made the same remark repeatedly, sometimes substituting Meyer with 'Dutchman'. Apparently German slag usage saw the Dutch as especially deceptive. He said it so may times and with such emphasis that every German remembered it. Most of all Hitler. He also purportedly told Rommel who was combining about American-made equipment being used by the British in North Africa, "That's completely impossible. The Americans only know how to make razor blades." 【Liddell-Hart】 Germany at the start of the War had the world's most powerful air force. It was, however, a tactical air force without a strategic bombing component. The Luftwaffe fighters were at first a formidable obstacle to bombing Germany. The NAZIs as British Air Marshall Harris explained began the war under the illusion that they would bomb other countries, but German cities would be left unscathed. It seemed a safe bet in 1939 and even 1940 when RAF Bomber Command managed to drop a few bombs on Berlin. But this changed when Harris and Bomber Command got their hands on the Avro Lancaster. There is an image of Göring driving through a bombed out section of Berlin and speaking with the people there, although he did mot get out of his car. As far as we can tell, this was a rare occasion. The growing sea of destruction did not bother Göring all that much, but when he saw American P-51 Mustangs over Berlin, he knew that the War was lost.

Other NAZI Officials

We are not sure about other top NAZI officials, but are trying to find information on them. We susispect that some gauleiters did, but many did not believing they would be blamed for the tragedy that they had brought to the German people. .

Sources

Liddell-Hart, B.H. The Rommel Papers (1953). Liddell-Hart's source was Afrika Korps staff Fritz Bayerlein's book Krieg ohne Haß (War without Hatred). It was a memoir of Rommel's published in 1950 with the assistance of Frau Rommel. Some sources add refrigerators to the comment. Interesting that he did not mention cars. Historians would like more confirmation, but it does seem like the kind of boastful remark Göring might say especially when any kind of criticism was implied. (Göring as head of the Four Year Plan was responsible for war production and Rommel was complaining about not getting sufficient supplies. Liddell-Hart as a historian has issues. In particular he bought the story of the German generals taht it was all Hitler's fault after the War all too enthusiastically. This is an issue as we now know that the generals ebbraced Hitler and his ideas enthusiastically from the very beginning, especially after Hitler did away with Röem and supressed the SA in the Night of the Long Knives. Hitler and the winter weather was a way of explaining their monumental failure and criminality.

Created: 6:46 PM 8/17/2024
Last updated: 1:19 AM 8/18/2024