Historical Study: Hitler's Inner Circle

I've been thru countless WWII phases from so many different aspects. I just recently finished up another dive into the Pacific War, from the Japanese perspective. I really had no intention whatsoever of returning to this topic, until I watched the 2004 German film Downfall directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel. I've seen the film a number of times now, but this time it especially hit a core of interest. I enjoy the raw depiction of Hitler's final days in his bunker, and the crumbling defeat of Nazi Germany. The film has climbed the ranks, and should easily make the top 50 in my next revision to the list. I also intend to someday read the firsthand accounts of secretary Traudl Junge who was there as it all unfolded. I would go as far as to say this film provides the most vivid depiction of WWII on par with Saving Private Ryan, Schindler's List, and the Pianist. 

I think it was shortly after college, whilst living with my parents, that I first got intrigued by the rise of Nazi Germany. Most of our lives as students we are given the American perspective, but for one I was curious to see the Germany perspective (purely from an academic stance). What most intrigued me about the rise of Hitler, is how an entire nation could buy into this wicked ideology of fascism. These were a maniacal group of extremists, (quite similar to the Japanese mindset I have recently studied),where they were proudly willing to die for their ideology. Racism was at the core of their belief, where they felt a widespread sense of white "Aryan" supremacy and especially antisemitism. And while the Jews took on the brunt of the persecution, it's important to note that anyone who was not purely of white race was to be condemned. 

I can't help but see some similarities in today's administration in regards to racial tensions, censorship, secret state police, and a new sense of authoritarianism. It's no doubt becoming a scary time, maybe even more so since I recently got laid off, and thus perhaps the pull to this historical period. I've already written a few posts about German History, most notably in 2014 when I made a deep dive into German culture; (see German History, Rise of the Third Reich). I'd love to eventually dive deeper into this political ideology of Nazism/Facism, but that might come at a later time. For now I'm going to focus on the key players and leaders within Hitler's inner circle. These were people that completely devout to Hitler's vision and just as racist, maniacal, and wicked as he was. I want to clarify that this post, is entirely an academic study and in no way whatsoever an endorsement of their activities or beliefs. In some ways it can be seen as a lesson to learn and deter from current political trends. 

Leaders of the Nazi Party

Adolf Hitler

Position: Fuhrer of Nazi Germany

Rise to Power: After serving in WWI, Hitler felt heavy resentment at their defeat and quickly got involved in far-right politics. He joined Anton Drexler's German Worker's Party and within a year he transformed these it to the Nazi Party in 1920. He recruited members of the occultist Thule Society, with an emphasis on racial theory, and he designed the party's new emblem of the swastika. His rise to power was mostly due to his passionate oratory which recruited many followers such as Rudolf Hess, Hermann Goring, and Ernst Rohm. In 1923 his failed coup d'état Beer Hall Putsch landed him a year in prison during which he wrote his political manifest known as the Mein Kampf. From there he began a new political public campaign, where the Nazi Party quickly rose to prominence and helped him assume the chancellorship by 1932. From there Hitler was able to expel all his political opponents in the Night of the Long Knives and became the Fuhrer (dictator) by 1933. From that point the Third Reich of Nazi Germany was his national state to control and dictate his extreme ideology.      

Fate: After 12 years as dictator, six of which were at war with Europe, he met his fall at the Battle of Berlin in April 30th, 1945. He took up residence in an underground bunker for 105 days while the Soviets began their bombardment of Berlin. Facing total defeat he chose to commit suicide by gunshot with his wife Eva Braun. His body was burned so no trace was discovered. 

Henrich Himmler

Position: Leader of the SS Protection Squadron; Schutzstaffel

Rise to Power: He joined the Nazi Party in 1923 and served as a bodyguard for Hitler where he was able to climb the ranks thru his devotion. By 1929 he assumed leadership of the SS and transformed the organization into an elite political police force providing security, surveillance, and state terrorism. It's often believed that Himmler was tasked to restructure the secret police force known as the SS in opposition to Ernst Rohm's powerful paramilitary force of the SA (Sturmabteilung) also known as brownshirts. Not to mention there was also the gestapo state police force to ensure Hitler had total authoritarian control. Himmler played a pivotal role in managing these secret police forces while also contributing to the development of the Jewish Holocaust. He was obsessed with mysticism, the occult, and established the Ahnenerbe in 1935 to advance the notion of Aryan supremacy. He appointed Reinhard Heydrich to oversee the Final Solution. By 1943 Himmler assumed the office of minister of the Interior as well as command of various army units towards the end of the war. 

Fate: Towards the end of the war in March 1945, Himmler attempted to begin peace talks with the Allies without Hitler's knowledge. Hitler was furious and heartbroken and this betrayal and ordered that he be arrested. Himmler went into hiding for a short period before he was captured by the British forces and committed suicide by cyanide in May 23, 1945.

Joseph Goebbels

Position: Minister of Propaganda

Rise to Power: He joined the Nazi Party in 1924 and quickly became a prominent writer as well as orator within the party. He began leading propaganda efforts to boost the popularity of the Nazi party while emphasizing antisemitic rhetoric. When Hitler came to power in 1933 he was appointed minister of propaganda, where he took control of all forms of mass media including the press, television, radio, film, and theatre. Following the Nazi's defeat at Stalingrad when the war took a sudden turn, he began a fierce media campaign of "total war". His intentions were not only to uplift morale, but also instill that every citizen fight till their last breath. Goebbels remained Hitler's most loyal follower up until the end. 

Fate: Goebbels moved his family into Hitler's underground bunker by April 22nd, 1945 during the Battle of Berlin. He stood alongside Adolf refusing to accept defeat all the way until the end. He infamously had his children killed by cyanide, and then committed suicide with his wife by gunshot (just a day after Hitler had committed suicide). His body was also burned so no trace could be found. 

Hermann Goring

Position: Chief of the Air Force (Luftwaffe)

Rise to Power: He was a fighter pilot ace of WWI, considered a hero by the German people. He was one of the early members of the Nazi party and joined Hitler's Beer Hall Putsch in 1923. During his time in prison he began an addiction to morphine and other drugs, which continued until his death. When Hitler took power in 1932 Goring became president of the Reichstag, the congress which essentially became ineffective when Hitler took the role as supreme dictator. Goring was also pivotal in establishing the Gestapo secret police force in 1934 which he gave control to Himmler. Perhaps his most prominent role was as chief of the Nazi air force known as the Luftwaffe. He also headed up an economic program known as the 4-year plan to prepare Germany for war in 1936. Goring was designated as Hitler's chosen successor. However during the war he quickly lost favor with Hitler, after his failed bombardment of Britain in 1940, failing to defend the air raids over Germany, and subsequent failure to supply German soldiers at Stalingrad. By 1943 Goring took more of a backseat to the leadership affairs on focused on collecting artwork stolen from Jews.  

Fate: By April 22nd, 1945 knowing that all was lost Goring sent a telegram to Hitler requesting to fulfill his role as Hitler's appointed successor. This was no doubt the final straw in an icy relation which infuriated Hitler. He had Goring removed from all his roles and ordered his arrest. After Germany surrendered to the allies, Goring turned himself in and became a prisoner of war for nearly a year. He was one of the chief suspects during the Nuremberg Trials of 1946 and was sentenced to death. Goring was able to smuggle a cyanide pill and committed suicide before his execution. 

Martin Bormann

Position: Chief of the Nazi Party Chancellery

Rise to Power: He was a member of the Freikorps paramilitary organization in 1922 and was later arrested for aiding his friend Rudolf Hoss in a political killing. After his release from jail he joined the Nazi Party in 1927 and became chief of staff in 1933 for the deputy Fuhrer Rudolf Hess. Within a few years he was a key member of Hitler's inner circle, and eventually took over Hess's role as Chief of the Nazi Party as well as Hitler's personal secretary. He was strongly antisemitic and anti-Christian. He was considered the gatekeeper to Hitler, and managed all his meetings, information, logistics, and legal documentation. 

Fate: He joined Hitler in his underground bunker during the final five months of the fall of Nazi Germany. After Hitler's death, Bormann attempted to flee Berlin and escape from the Soviet Red Army, however his body was never officially found. It is believed that he likely committed suicide a few days later in Berlin. He was tried in absentia during the Nuremberg trials and was sentenced to death by hanging. His body was not officially discovered and confirmed until 1973.   

Rudolph Hess

Position: Deputy Fuhrer of the Nazi Party

Rise to Power: He is often considered one of Hitler's earliest and most devoted followers beginning in 1920. He was at Hitler's side during the 1923 Beer Hall Putsch and helped Hitler write his Mein Kampf political manifesto. Despite being considered one of Hitler's closest, most trusted friends, his role was rather limited as a vice president or assistant. Furthermore his role as deputy ended abruptly when he suddenly decided to fly to Scotland in an attempt to negotiate peace with Britain in 1941. This not only led to his capture by the British army, but also his expulsion from the Nazi Party. This was ultimately a reckless attempt by Hess to regain some authority in his ceremonial title as deputy, which was eventually by the Nazis as a foolish effort to undermine Hitler. 

Fate: After the war, he was later tried during the Nuremburg Trials and was one of the few prominent Nazi members who was not sentenced to death. This was mostly due to his capture by the British during the majority of WWII as well as his mental state. He was however sentenced to life imprisonment, and spent nearly 40 years in Spandau Prison before committing suicide in 1987 at the age of 93.  

Reinhard Heydrich

Position: Director of the Gestapo and Reich Security

Rise to Power: After being discharged from the navy, he was hired by Henrich Himmler in 1931 as the head of a new internal intelligence force within the SS. Admired for his Nordic Ideal, he had a stoic sharp demeanor, often described as a man with an iron heart. Heydrich created the Sicherheitsdients (SD) which was an intelligence organization equivalent to the CIA or FBI. He also was given total control of the Gestapo which he used to swiftly irradicate any political dissidents. He was especially harsh against the Czech resistance and oversaw many task forces of death squads. In 1939 he established the Reich Security Main Office which unified his gestapo with the SD. So he essentially became like J Edgar Hoover, yet even more powerful since he sat on a mountain of information with an entire police force. Furthermore and perhaps his greatest claim to infamy was that he became the chief architect of the Holocaust. He chaired the Wannsee Conference in Jan 20th, 1942 where a Final Solution was decided to eliminate all Jews in Europe. He thus oversaw the administrative and logistical aspects of building 6 new extermination camps such as Auschwitz, and having nearly 11 million Jews deported to these camps via railway. 

Fate: On May 27th, 1942 Heydrich was assassinated by Czech resistance fighters in Prague during Operation Anthropoid. In response to this the Nazis brutally executed nearly 1300 Czechs and razed the villages of Lidice and Lezaky. It was fitting that the Butcher of Prague should thus meet his fate in Prague. He is considered one of the most cold-hearted/evil members of Hitler's inner circle. 

Albert Speer

Position: Reich Minister of Arms and War

Rise to Power: Albert Speer joined the Nazi party in 1931 and brought a unique architectural skill which quickly elevated his status. Hitler commissioned Speer to design the Reich Chancellery (government headquarters) as well as the Nazi Party rally grounds in Nuremburg which included the Zeppelinfeld grandstand. Speer became a close friend of Hitler, and accompanied him in Paris after the defeat of France. Like many in Nazi Germany, both Hitler and Speer envisioned a new age of German glory and thus intended to display this in their architecture. Speer's most ambitious project was tto completely rebuild Berlin after the war, known as the Welthaupstadt Germania. This would essentially transform Berlin into a modern day Rome or Athens with a mile long avenue, a massive triumphal arc, and a monumental dome that would seat 180,000 people, known as the Volkshalle (people's hall). The construction was however halted by 1943 after setbacks in the Soviet Union. Throughout the war Speer also played a pivotal role in the industrial production of armaments.   

Fate: In his final visit with Hitler in April 22nd of 1945, Speer confessed that he disobeyed Hitler's order to destroy all their architectural achievements. After the fall of Germany he was taken into custody and was among the 24 war criminals tried at Nurembourg. He was however not sentenced to death, rather 20 years of imprisonment for his role in using slave labor and contributing to the war machine. He later wrote a memoir which depicted himself as the "good nazi", who simply wanted to create art rather than buy into the racial ideals. Many scholars state this as a myth however due to his use of slave labor, involvement in evicting Jews, overseeing the armaments production, and his knowledge of the final solution. He was released from prison in 1966 and died in 1981 at the age of 76. 

Ernest Rohm

Position: Chief of the Sturmabteilung (SA) 

Rise to Power: He fought in WWI and was an early member of the Nazi Party. He joined Hitler during the failed 1923 Beer Hall Putsch in Munich. He spent 15 months in jail due to treason and later had a falling out Hitler. After his release he emigrated to Bolivia where he served as advisor to their army. He was later recalled by Hitler in 1930 to oversee the newly established paramilitary organization known as the SA. Also known as the brownshirts this was a group of militia thugs that used violence to influence their political party. Despite his open homosexuality he still held an affluential role as chief of the SA, and stood at the 2nd highest level in the Nazi party under Hitler. Distrust however began to grow by 1933 mostly from Henrich Himmler, due to Rohm's increasing power with a paramilitary force of nearly 3 million men. Himmler was able to convince Hitler that Rohm intended to turn the SA into a national army and overthrow Hitler.

Fate: Hitler initiated the Night of the Long Knives from June 30 to July 2, 1934 to purge all political opponents. Rohm was one of the highest ranking victims of this political massacre, which included 85 assassinations. 

Hans Frank

Position: Governor General of Occupied Poland

Rise to Power: He was one of Hitler's earliest friends and members of the Nazi Party and took part in the Beer Hall Putsch. By 1933 he became the chief legal advisor Hitler and the Nazi Party. In 1939 he was appointed governor-general of occupied Poland. He oversee many of the concentration and extermination camps that spanned throughout Poland. 

Fate: He was captured by American troops on May 4th, 1945 and attempted to commit suicide twice. He was one of the 24 war criminals of the Nuremburg Trials, and the only one (aside from Albert Breer) to show any regret. Despite his clear appeal for forgiveness he was still sentenced to death due to his crimes against humanity of which 4 million people were killed under his jurisdiction. 

Joachim von Ribbentrop

Position: Minister of Foreign Affairs

Rise to Power: He was already a well established diplomat by the time he joined the Nazi Party in 1933. Hitler valued his experience and connection in foreign affairs and elevated him to a prominent role. He was first appointed ambassador to the United Kingdom in 1936, before assuming the role as Reich Minister of Foreign Affairs in 1938. He was the key facilitator of the alliance with Mussolini's Fascist Italy, known as the Pact of Steel in 1939. He also coordinated the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, a non-aggression treaty with the Soviet Union. He supported a Japanese attack on the United States as well as declaring war on the United States. He was however very against an invasion of the Soviet Union. He also played a pivotal role in deporting the Jews across various occupied territories to concentration camps. His influence began to diminish however by 1941 due to inner rivals such as Martin Bormann and a total lack for diplomacy.  

Fate: He went into hiding for a brief period after the war but was eventually arrested on June 14, 1945. He was found guilty in the Nuremburg Trials for his role in the Holocaust, and sentenced to death. 

Adolf Eichmann

Position: Chief Coordinator of the Final Solution

Rise to Power: He joined the Nazi Party in 1932 and served as an SS officer. He later was promoted to Heydrich's SD intelligence organization where he became director of Jewish affairs. He was responsible for all logistical elements pertaining to the Jewish Question (first by deporting them to ghettos, then sending them to concentration and extermination camps). He joined Heydrich's committee at the Wannsee Conference in 1942 where it was decided to completely exterminate all Jews in the Final Solution. He was alongside Heydrich one of the most evil figures of Hitler's inner circle. 

Fate: He managed to escape Germany after their defeat in 1945 and hid in various small towns up until 1950. He then moved to Argentina via an underground ratline that specialized in hiding Nazi war criminals (where nearly 9000 Nazis escaped thru). Eichmann was however eventually hunted and captured by Israeli agents and brought to trial in 1960 where he was sentenced to death. 

Alfred Rosenberg

Position: Head of Nazi Foreign Policy Office

Rise to Power: He was one of the early founders of the Germans Worker Party alongside Dietrich Eckart. He was most known for his political and racial theory which demonstrated the Nazi's hate for the Jews. This ideology was made clear in his 1930 creed, the Myth of the Twentieth Century (considered the 2nd most popular Nazi manifesto after Mein Kampf). He continuously shaped Nazi ideology thru prominent roles within the Nazi Party overseeing the cultural influence. He established the AMT Bureau as a surveillance organization to purge anything that was deemed harmful to the Nazi culture. He also established organizations to loot art and plunder from defeated nations. He became minister of the occupied eastern territories in 1941 which mostly included the Baltic states and parts of Soviet Union. During this time he oversaw many elements of the Holocaust.  

Fate: He was captured on May 19th, 1945 and sentenced to death at the Nuremberg Trials for his role in the Holocaust. 

Wilhelm Keitel

Position: Chief of the Wehrmacht High Command

Rise to Power: Keitel served in WWI and remained with the German army thru Hitler's rise to power. He swore allegiance to Hitler and assumed the high command of the armed forces in 1935. However despite being the chief field Marshall of all military forces, he was essentially Hitler's puppet. Hitler was very involved in the military tactics and made most the important decisions regarding the warfare plans. He was however quite ruthless against prisoners of war and ordered many mass executions. 

Fate: After the death of Hitler, Keitel was the highest ranking officer to sign the final surrender to the Allies on May 8th, 1945. He was later found guilty of crimes against humanity at the Nuremburg Trials and sentenced to death. 

Other Prominent Figures

• Ernest Kaltenbrunner (Head of SS). Sentenced to death at the Nuremburg Trials, 1946
• Wilhelm Frick (Minister of the Interior) Sentenced to death at the Nuremburg Trials, 1946
• Julius Streicher (Chief Editor of the antisemitic newspaper Der Sturmer). Sentenced to death at the Nuremburg Trials, 1946
• 
  Fritz Sauckel (Chief Diplomat of Slave Labor) Sentenced to death at the Nuremburg Trials, 1946
• Alfred Jodl (Chief of Staff for Armed Forces) Sentenced to death at the Nuremburg Trials, 1946
• Arthur Seyss-Inquart (Chancellor of Austria/governor of occupied Netherlands) Sentenced to death at the Nuremburg Trials, 1946
• Walther Funk (Minister of Economics) Sentenced to life imprisonment. Released in 1957 and died in 1960.
  
• Erich Raeder (Former Chief of German Navy) Sentenced to life imprisonment. Released in 1955 and died in 1960.
• Karl Donitz (Chief of Navy/Hitler's successor). Sentenced to 10 years imprisonment and died in 1980. 
• Baldur von Schirach (Chief of Hitler Youth) Sentenced to 20 years imprisonment and died in 1974.
• Konstantin von Neurath (Former Minister of Foreign Affairs) Sentenced to 15 years and died in 1956. 
• Heinrich Müller (Director of the Gestapo) Was last seen with Hitler at the Fuhrer bunker in May 1945 and was never captured after the fall of Germany. His final fate remains a mystery yet is believed to have died during the Battle of Berlin. 
• Leni Riefenstahl (Propaganda director of Triumph of the Will and Olympia) She was not arrested or charged with war crimes deemed as a "fellow traveler" and not an official member of the party.