Hitler: Ascent, 1889-1939 (200 page)

181 
Konrad Henlein’s report on his meeting with the Führer on 28 March 1938;
ADAP, Series D
, vol. 2, no. 107, p. 158. See Goebbels,
Tagebücher
, part 1, vol. 5, p. 236 (entry for 29 March 1938): “The Führer spoke with Henlein. The plan is to constantly demand more than what Prague can give. Then the thing will start rolling.”

182 
Konrad Henlein to Neurath, 19 Nov. 1937, with a report for Hitler on current questions on German policy in the Czech Republic;
ADAP, Series D
, vol. 2, no. 23, pp. 40–51 (quotation on p. 41). For context see Ralf Gebel,
“Heim ins Reich”: Konrad Henlein und der Reichsgau Sudetenland (1938–1945)
, Munich, 1999.

183 
Goebbels,
Tagebücher
, part 1, vol. 5, p. 328 (entry for 1 June 1938)

184 
Memorandum by Wehrmacht adjutant Rudolf Schmundt dated 22 April 1938: summary of the meeting between Hitler and Keitel on 21 April 1938;
ADAP, Serise D
, vol. 2, no. 133, p. 190.

185 
Henlein’s memorandum on the eight demands announced in Karlsbad on 24 April 1938; ibid., no. 135, p. 192.

186 
See Heike B. Görtemaker,
Eva Braun: Leben mit Hitler
, Munich, 2010, pp. 214f. Contrary to Görtemaker’s claim, Magda Goebbels did not take part in the trip. During her husband’s visit to Italy she gave birth to her fifth child—a daughter, Hedda. See Goebbels,
Tagebücher
, part 1, vol. 5, p. 289 (entry for 6 May 1938).

187 
See a description of the reception in Schmidt,
Statist auf diplomatischer Bühne
, p. 385; Spitzy,
So haben wir das Reich verspielt
, p. 263; Frank,
Im Angesicht des Galgens
, pp. 292f.

188 
See Görtemaker,
Eva Braun
, pp. 214f.

189 
Goebbels,
Tagebücher
, part 1, vol. 5, p. 290 (entry for 6 May 1938).

190 
Wiedemann,
Der Mann
, p. 139. See Goebbels,
Tagebücher
, part 1, vol. 5, p. 288 (entry for 5 May 1938): “It was a cold, dead, empty occasion.”

191 
Frank,
Im Angesicht des Galgens
, p. 296. See Olaf Rose (ed.),
Julius Schaub: In Hitlers Schatten
, Stegen, 2005, p. 176; Schroeder,
Er war mein Chef
, p. 87.

192 
See Schmidt,
Statist auf diplomatischer Bühne
, p. 386; Below,
Als Hitlers Adjutant
, p. 98; Wiedemann,
Der Mann
, pp. 140f.; Goebbels,
Tagebücher
, part 1, vol. 5, pp. 288f. (entry for 6 May 1938).

193 
Wiedemann,
Der Mann
, p. 142. On the incident see also Wiedemann’s notes entitled “individual recollections,” San Francisco, 28 March 1939; BA Koblenz, N 1720/4; Spitzy,
So haben wir das Reich verspielt
, pp. 266f.; Rose,
Julius Schaub
, pp. 177f.; Schmidt,
Statist auf diplomatischer Bühne
, p. 386.

194 
Schroeder,
Er war mein Chef
, p. 87.

195 
Baur,
Ich flog Mächtige dieser Erde
, p. 162.

196 
Below,
Als Hitlers Adjutant
, p. 99; Baur,
Ich flog Mächtige dieser Erde
, p. 163. See Goebbels,
Tagebücher
, part 1, vol. 5, p. 292 (entry for 7 May 1938): “The Führer is furious at this entire court herd.”

197 
Domarus,
Hitler
, vol. 1, part 2, pp. 859–61 (quotation on p. 861). See Goebbels,
Tagebücher
, part 1, vol. 5, p. 294 (entry for 8 May 1938): “Major conversations at table. Mussolini came out clearly on our side. The Führer solemnly guaranteed to respct the Brenner border.”

198 
Hitler,
Monologe
, p. 44 (dated 21/22 July 1941).

199 
Ciano,
Tagebücher 1937/38
, p. 159 (entry for 9 May 1938). See Goebbels,
Tagebücher
, part 1, vol. 5, p. 297 (entry for 10 May 1938): “Very warm farewells between him and the Duce.”

200 
ADAP, Series D
, vol. 1, no. 761, p. 899.

201 
Die Weizsäcker-Papiere 1933–1950
, p. 128 (dated 13 May 1938). See Goebbels,
Tagebücher
, part 1, vol. 5, p. 292 (entry for 7 May 1938): “Mussolini has given us an absolutely free hand.”

202 
Engel,
Heeresadjutant bei Hitler
, p. 23 (dated 22 May 1938).

203 
Speer,
Erinnerungen
, p. 124; Frank,
Im Angesicht des Galgens
, pp. 296f. See Hitler,
Monologe
, p. 248 (dated 31 Jan. 1942): “We can’t thank Noske, Ebert and Scheidemann enough for cleaning this up for us.” See also Wiedemann’s notes “Einstellung zu den Fürstenhäusern” (notes on attitude towards aristocratic houses); BA Koblenz, N 1720/4.

204 
See Below,
Als Hitlers Adjutant
, p. 100; Goebbels,
Tagebücher
, part 1, vol. 5, pp. 302 (entry for 12 May 1938), 320 (entry for 27 May 1938).

205 
For the details see Gerhard L. Weinberg, “The May Crisis, 1938,” in
Journal of Modern History
, 29 (1957), pp. 213–25.

206 
Goebbels,
Tagebücher
, part 1, vol. 5, p. 323 (entry for 29 May 1938).

207 
On the conference of 28 May 1938 see Klaus-Jürgen Müller,
Generaloberst Ludwig Beck: Eine Biographie
, Paderborn, 2008, pp. 321f.; Below,
Als Hitlers Adjutant
, pp. 101f.; Wiedemann,
Der Mann
, pp. 126–8; Wiedemann’s essay “Crisis of spring and summer 1938”: “The time was set as not before the end of September and probably not until March 1939. Neurath responded to me: ‘So now we have at least a year. A lot can happen in the meantime.’ ” BA Koblenz, N 1720/4.

208 
ADAP, Series D
, vol. 2, no. 221, pp. 281–5 (quotation on p. 282).

209 
Ibid., no. 282, pp. 377–80 (quotation on p. 377).

210 
Below,
Als Hitlers Adjutant
, p. 102.

211 
See Müller,
Generaloberst Ludwig Beck
, pp. 313f., 324–32.

212 
Engel,
Heeresadjutant bei Hitler
, p. 24 (dated May 1938); see ibid., p. 27 (dated 18 July 1938).

213 
See Müller,
Generaloberst Ludwig Beck
, pp. 335–8 (quotation on p. 338).

214 
Ibid., pp. 339f.

215 
Ibid., pp. 342f.

216 
Sworn statement by Colonel General Wilhelm Adam regarding the meeting on 4 Aug. 1938 (1947/48); IfZ München ZS 6. See also Müller,
Generaloberst Beck
, pp. 351–4.

217 
Goebbels,
Tagebücher
, part 1, vol. 5, p. 393 (entry for 25 July 1938). See Engel,
Heeresadjutant bei Hitler
, p. 29 (entry for 2 Aug. 1938).

218 
Below,
Als Hitlers Adjutant
, p. 112.

219 
Wiedemann,
Der Mann
, p. 172.

220 
Engel,
Heeresadjutant bei Hitler
, p. 32 (dated 17 Aug. 1938). On the speech of 10 Aug. 1938 see the transcript by General Gustav Adolf von Weitersheim dated 13 Feb. 1948; IfZ München, ZS 1655. Further, Below,
Als Hitlers Adjutant
, pp. 112f.; Müller,
Generaloberst Ludwig Beck
, p. 355.

221 
Engel,
Heeresadjutant bei Hitler
, p. 33 (dated 20 Aug. 1938).

222 
See Müller,
Generaloberst Ludwig Beck
, pp. 356–8; Christian Hartmann,
Halder: Generalstabschef Hitlers 1938–1942
, 2nd revised and expanded edition, Paderborn, 2010, pp. 62–4.

223 
Shirer,
Berliner Tagebuch
, p. 118 (entry for 4 Aug. 1938).

224 
Goebbels,
Tagebücher
, part 1, vol. 5, p. 331 (entry for 3 June 1938).

225 
On the Wiedemann mission, see the guidelines issued by Hitler on 15 July 1938 and Wiedemann’s memorandum for Ribbentrop about his conversation with Halifax on 18 July 1938; BA Koblenz, N 1720/3. That same day Wiedemann flew to Berchtesgaden to brief Hitler, but Hitler preferred to take a two-hour walk with Unity Mitford and only gave his adjutant five minutes. Wiedemann’s essay “Crisis of spring and summer 1938”; BA Koblenz, N 1720/4. See also Wiedemann,
Der Mann
, pp. 159–67. Max Wünsche’s daily diaries, 15 July, 19 July 1938; BA Berlin-Lichterfelde, NS 10/125.

226 
See Engel,
Heeresadjutant bei Hitler
, p. 28 (dated August 1938).

227 
Hamann,
Winifred Wagner
, p. 371.

228 
Goebbels,
Tagebücher
, part 1, vol. 6, p. 29 (entry for 1 Aug. 1938). See also Unity Mitford’s account in a letter to Diana Mitford, 4 Aug. 1938; Charlotte Mosley (ed.),
The Mitfords: Letters between Six Sisters
, London, 2007, pp. 130f.

229 
Goebbels,
Tagebücher
, part 1, vol. 6, p. 39 (entry for 10 Aug. 1938).

230 
Ibid., p. 49 (entry for 19 Aug. 1938). See ibid., p. 52 (entry for 21 Aug. 1938): “At the moment, his mind is completely occupied by military questions.”

231 
Sworn statement by Colonel General Wilhelm Adam regarding the Western border discussion with Hitler on 27 Aug. 1938 (1947/48); IfZ München, ZS 6; see also Anton Hoch and Hermann Weiss, “Die Erinnerungen des Generalobersten Wilhelm Adam,” in Wolfgang Benz (ed.),
Miscellania: Festschrift für Helmut Krausnick zum 75. Geburtstag
, Stuttgart, 1980, p. 55.

232 
Goebbels,
Tagebücher
, part 1, vol. 6, p. 68 (entry for 1 Sept., 2 Sept. 1938).

233 
Dirksen to Wiedemann, 29 Aug. 1938, and Wiedemann’s telegram to Dirksen, 1 Sept. 1938; BA Koblenz, N 1720/6. According to Max Wünsche’s diary of 31 Aug. 193, Meissner was afterwards informed “that the Führer will not receive Envoy Dirksen (concerning information from Chamberlain).” BA Berlin-Lichterfelde, NS 10/125.

234 
Goebbels,
Tagebücher
, part 1, vol. 6, p. 70 (entry for 3 Sept. 1938). See Helmuth Groscurth,
Tagebücher eines Abwehroffiziers 1938–1940
, eds Helmut Krausnick and Harold C. Deutsch, Stuttgart, 1970, pp. 111f. (entry for 4 Sept. 1938).

235 
Schmundt’s records from 4 Sept. 1938;
IMT
, vol. 25, pp. 404–69;
ADAP, Series D
, vol. 2, no. 424, pp. 546f.

236 
Deutschland-Berichte der Sopade
, 5 (1938), pp. 915f.; see Ian Kershaw,
The Hitler Myth: Image and Reality in the Third Reich
, Oxford, 1987, pp. 133f.; Evans,
The Third Reich in Power
, pp. 674f.

237 
Engel,
Heeresadjutant bei Hitler
, pp. 36f. (dated 8 Sept., 10 Sept. 1938). See Below,
Als Hitlers Adjutant
, pp. 120f.

238 
Domarus,
Hitler
, vol. 1, part 2, pp. 897–906 (quotations on pp. 901, 904, 905).

239 
Goebbels,
Tagebücher
, part 1, vol. 6, p. 88 (entry for 13 Sept. 1938); Shirer,
Berliner Tagebuch
, p. 123 (entry for 12 Sept. 1938).

240 
Goebbels,
Tagebücher
, part 1, vol. 6, p. 89 (entry for 14 Sept. 1938).

241 
See Schmidt,
Statist auf diplomatischer Bühne
, pp. 394f.

242 
See Birgit Schwarz,
Geniewahn: Hitler und die Kunst
, Vienna, Cologne and Weimar, 2009, p. 171.

243 
Schmidt,
Statist auf diplomatischer Bühne
, pp. 395–8. On the events of the Chamberlain visit see also Max Wünsche’s diary of 15 Sept. 1938: according to Wünsche, Chamberlain’s plane took off at 10:15 a.m. and landed at 12:36 p.m. in Munich. At 4:05 p.m. his chartered train arrived in Berchtesgaden, and the British delegation got to the Berghof at 5:10 p.m. At 5:30 p.m, Hitler and Chamberlain’s one-on-one talks commenced. The prime minister left at 8:10 p.m. BA Berlin-Lichterfelde, NS 10/125.

244 
Ernst von Weizsäcker,
Erinnerungen
, Munich, 1950, p. 244.

245 
Die Weizsäcker-Papiere 1933–1950
, p. 143 (? Sept. 1938).

246 
ADAP, Series D
, vol. 2, no. 490, pp. 639f.

247 
Goebbels,
Tagebücher
, part 1, vol. 6, p. 97 (entry for 18 Sept. 1938).

248 
Ibid., p. 99 (entry for 19 Sept. 1938).

249 
Chamberlain’s letter to his sister, Ida, 19 Sept. 1938; Kershaw,
Hitler: Nemesis
, pp. 110, 112.

250 
Goebbels,
Tagebücher
, part 1, vol. 6, p. 105 (entry for 22 Sept. 1938); see ibid., pp. 101 (entry for 20 Sept. 1938), 103 (entry for 21 Sept. 1938): “The Führer will show Chamberlain his map, and that will be it!”

251 
See Nevile Henderson,
Fehlschlag einer Mission: Berlin 1937 bis 1939
, Zurich, 1940, pp. 174f.; Schmidt,
Statist auf diplomatischer Bühne
, p. 400.