The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich

by William Shirer

  28. Churchill, Their Finest Hour, p. 177.

  29. DGFP, X, pp. 49–50.

  30. Ibid., IX, pp. 550–51.

  31. Ibid., IX, pp. 558–59, 585.

  32. Ibid., X, pp. 125–26.

  33. Ibid., pp. 39–40.

  34. Ibid., p. 298.

  35. Ibid., pp. 424, 435.

  36. Churchill, Their Finest Hour, pp. 259–60.

  37. Ibid., pp. 261–62.

  38. DGFP, X, p. 82.

  39. OKW directive, signed by Keitel, FCNA, 1940, pp. 61–62.

  40. Ciano Diaries, p. 274.

  41. FCNA, 1940, pp. 62–66.

  42. Letter of Hitler to Mussolini, July 13, 1940, DGFP, X, pp. 209–11.

  43. Text of Directive No. 16, NCA, III, pp. 399–403 (N.D. 442–PS). It is also published in DGFP, X, pp. 226–29.

  44. The Ciano Diaries, pp. 277–78 (for July 19, 22).

  45. Churchill, Their Finest Hour, p. 261.

  46. DGFP, X, pp. 79–80.

  47. Ibid., p. 148.

  CHAPTER 22

  1. Naval Staff War Diary, June 18, 1940. Quoted in Ronald Wheatley, Operation Sea Lion, p. 16. The author, a member of the British team compiling an official history of the war, had unrestricted access to the captured German military, naval, air and diplomatic archives, a privilege not accorded up to the time of writing to any unofficial American authors by either the British or the American authorities, who hold joint custody of the documents. Wheatley, as a guide to restricted German sources on Sea Lion, is therefore very helpful.

  2. OKM (Navy High Command) records. Wheatley, p. 26.

  3. Naval Staff War Diary, Nov. 15, 1939. Wheatley, pp. 4–7.

  4. Wheatley, pp. 7–13.

  5. FCNA, p. 51 (May 21, 1940); Naval Staff War Diary, same date, Wheatley, p. 15.

  6. Text, TMWC, XXVIII, pp. 301–3 (N.D. 1776–PS). A not very good English translation is published in NCA, Suppl. A, pp. 4046.

  7. British War Office Intelligence Review, November 1945. Cited by Shulman, op. cit., pp. 49–50.

  8. Liddell Hart, The German Generals Talk, p. 129.

  9. From OKH papers, cited by Wheatley, pp. 40, 152–55, 158. The plan was continually being altered throughout the next six weeks.

  10. Naval Staff War Diary, Raeder-Brauchitsch discussion, July 17. Wheatley, p. 40n.

  11. Halder diary, July 22; FCNA, pp. 71–73 (July 21).

  12. Naval Staff War Diary, July 30, and memorandum, July 29. Wheatley, pp. 45–46.

  13. FCNA, Aug. 1, 1940. This is Raeder’s confidential report on the meeting. Halder gave his in a long diary entry of July 31.

  14. DGFP, X, pp. 390–91. It is also given in N.D. 443–PS, which was not published in the NCA or TMWC volumes.

  15. FCNA, pp. 81–82 (Aug. 1, 1940).

  16. Ibid., pp. 73–75.

  17. From the Jodl and OKW papers. Wheatley, p. 68.

  18. FCNA, pp. 82–83 (Aug. 13).

  19. The two directives, ibid., pp. 81–82 (Aug. 16).

  20. Ibid., pp. 85–86. Wheatley, pp. 161–62, gives details of Autumn Journey from the German military records.

  21. Text of Brauchitsch’s instructions, from the OKH files. Wheatley, pp. 174–82.

  22. FCNA, 1940, p. 88.

  23. Ibid.,

  24. Halder’s diary of the same date; Assmann, Deutsche Schicksalsjahre, pp. 189–90; OKW War Diary, cited by Wheatley, p. 82.

  25. Raeder’s report, FCNA, 1940, pp. 98–101. Halder’s diary, Sept 14.

  26. FCNA, 1940, pp. 100–1.

  27. Naval Staff War Diary, Sept. 17. Wheatley, p. 88.

  28. Ibid., Sept. 18. Cited by Wheatley.

  29. FCNA, 1940, p. 101.

  30. Ciano Diaries, p. 298.

  31. FCNA, 1940, p. 103.

  32. Vorstudien zur Luftkriegsgeschichte, Heft 11, Der Luftkrieg gegen England, 1940–1, by Lt. Col. von Hesler, cited by Wheatley, p. 59. The two to four weeks’ estimate was given Halder, who noted it in his diary on July 11.

  33. Adolf Galland, The First and the Last, p. 26. Also from Galland’s interrogation, quoted by Wilmot in The Struggle for Europe, p. 44.

  34. Luftwaffe General Staff record of directives given by Goering at this conference. Wheatley, p. 73.

  35. Ciano Diaries, p. 290.

  36. See T. H. O’Brien, Civil Defence. This is a volume in the official British history of the Second World War, edited by Prof. J. R. M. Butler and published by H. M. Stationery Office.

  37. Notes on Goering’s conference with air chiefs, Sept. 16. Cited by Wheatley, p. 87.

  38. Churchill, Their Finest Hour, p. 279.

  39. Peter Fleming, Operation Sea Lion, p. 293. An excellent book, but Fleming was denied access to restricted documents, though he says he was permitted to glance through—for an hour or two—Wheatley’s study shortly before it was published.

  40. DGFP, X.

  41. Schellenberg, The Labyrinth, Ch. 2.

  42. New York Times, Aug. 1,1957.

  CHAPTER 23

  1. DGFP, IX, p. 108.

  2. Ibid., pp. 294, 316.

  3. Ibid., pp. 599–600.

  4. Ibid., X, pp. 3–4.

  5. Churchill, Their Finest Hour, pp. 135–36 (the text of his letter to Stalin).

  6. DGFP, X, pp. 207–8.

  7. Mein Kampf, p. 654.

  8. Speech of Jodl, Nov. 7, 1943, NCA, I, p. 795 (N.D. L–172).

  9. Sworn testimony of Warlimont, Nov. 21, 1945, NCA, V, p. 741; interrogation of Warlimont, Oct. 12, 1945, ibid., Suppl. B, pp. 163537.

  10. Halder’s diary, July 22, 1940. He records what Brauchitsch told him of the conference with Hitler in Berlin on the previous day.

  11. Halder’s diary, July 3, 1940.

  12. NCA, IV, p. 1083 (N.D. 2353–PS).

  13. War Diary, OKW Operations Staff, Aug. 26, 1940. Quoted in DGFP, X, pp. 549–50.

  14. See Warlimont’s two affidavits, NCA, V, pp. 740–41 (N.D. 3031, 2–PS), and his interrogation, ibid., Suppl. B, p. 1536. Jodl’s directive of Sept. 6, 1940, is given in NCA, III, pp. 849–50 (N.D. 1229–PS).

  15. The directive of Nov. 12, 1940, NCA, III, pp. 403–7. The portion dealing with Russia is on p. 406.

  16. OKW War Diary, Aug. 28. Quoted in DGFP, X, pp. 566–67n.

  17. The Ciano Diaries, p. 289.

  18. NCA, VI, p. 873 (N.D. C–53).

  19. NSR, pp. 178–81.

  20. The German memorandum, ibid., pp. 181–83; the Soviet memorandum of Sept. 21 in reply, ibid.,

  21. Ibid., pp. 188–89.

  22. Ibid., pp. 195–96.

  23. lbid., pp. 197–99.

  24. Ibid., pp. 201–3.

  25. Ibid., pp. 206–7.

  26. Ribbentrop’s letter to Stalin, Oct. 13,1940, ibid., pp. 207–13.

  27. Text of Ribbentrop’s indignant telegram, ibid., p. 214.

  28. Text of Stalin’s reply, ibid., p. 216.

  29. Ibid., p 217.

  30. Memoranda of the meetings of Molotov with Ribbentrop and Hitler on Nov. 12–13, 1940, ibid., pp. 217–54.

  31. Schmidt, op. cit., p. 212.

  32. Ibid.,

  33. Dispatch of Schulenburg, Nov. 26, 1940, NSR, pp. 258–59.

  34. FCNA, 1941, p. 13; Halder’s diary, Jan. 16, 1941.

  35. Halder diary, Dec. 5, 1940; NCA, IV, pp. 374–75 (N.D. 1799–PS). The latter is a translation of part of the War Diary of the OKW Operations Staff, headed by Jodl.

  36. Complete German text, TMWC, XXVI, pp. 47–52; short English version, NCA, III, pp. 407–9 (N.D.446–PS).

  37. Halder, Hitler als Feldherr, p. 22.

  38. FCNA, 1940, pp. 135–36 (conference of Dec. 27,1940).

  39. Ibid., pp. 91–97, 104–8. (conferences of Sept. 6 and 26, 1940). Raeder signed both reports.

  40. DGFP, IX, pp. 620–21.

  41. Schmidt, op. cit., p. 196. The interpreter gives a fairly complete account of the conversations. The German minutes in the U.S. State Department’s The Spanish Government and the Axis
are fragmentary. Erich Kordt, who was also present, gives a more detailed account in his unpublished memorandum, previously referred to.

  42. Ciano’s Diplomatic Papers, p. 402.

  43. Schmidt, op. cit., p. 197.

  44. The text of the Montoire Agreement is among the captured German Foreign Office papers but was not released by the State Department at the time of writing. However, William L. Langer, Our Vichy Gamble (pp. 94–95), cites it from the German papers made available to him by the Department.

  45. The Ciano Diaries, p. 300.

  46. Ribbentrop on the stand at Nuremberg, and Schmidt in his book, p. 200, recalled the words.

  47. Schmidt, op. cit., p. 200.

  48. Halder’s diary, Nov. 4, 1940; report of Jodl to Adm. Schniewind, Nov. 4, FCNA, 1940, pp. 112–17; Directive No. 18, Nov. 12, 1940, NCA, III, pp. 403–7 (N.D. 444–PS).

  49. FCNA, 1940, p. 125.

  50. Ibid., p. 124.

  51. The Spanish Government and the Axis, pp. 28–33.

  52. Raeder’s report is in FCNA, 1941, pp. 8–13; Halder did not record the two-day conference in his diary until Jan. 16, 1941.

  53. Text of Directive No. 20, NCA, IV, pp. 101–3 (N.D. 1541–PS).

  54. Text of Directive No. 22 and supplementary order giving code names, NCA, III, pp. 413–15 (N.D. 448–PS).

  55. NCA, VI, pp. 939–46 (N.D. C–134).

  56. Halder, Hitler als Feldherr, pp. 22–24.

  57. NCA, III, pp. 626–33 (N.D. 872–PS).

  58. German figures given by Foreign Office, as of Feb. 21, 1941, NSR, p. 275.

  59. German minutes of conference, NCA, IV, pp. 272–75 (N.D. 1746–PS).

  60. NCA, I, p. 783 (N.D. 1450–PS).

  61. A partial text of Directive No. 25, NCA, VI, pp. 938–39 (N.D. C–127).

  62. OKW minutes of the meeting, NCA, IV, pp. 275–78 (N.D. 1746–PS, Part II).

  63. Jodl’s testimony, TMWC, XV, p. 387. His “tentative” plan of operations, NCA, IV, pp. 278–79 (N.D. 1746–PS, Part V).

  64. Text, letter of Hitler to Mussolini, March 28, 1941, NCA, IV, pp. 475–77 (N.D. 1835–PS).

  65. For details see text of directive, NCA, III, pp. 838–39 (N.D. 1195–PS).

  66. Churchill, The Grand Alliance, pp. 235–36.

  67. From the Russian file of the High Command of the German Navy; entries for May 30 and June 6, NCA, VI, pp. 998–1000 (N.D. C–170).

  68. FCNA, 1941, pp. 50–52.

  69. TMWC, VII, pp. 255–56.

  70. NCA, VI, p. 996 (N.D. C–170).

  71. Cited by Shulman, op. cit., p. 65.

  72. Top–secret directive, April 30, 1941, NCA, III, pp. 633–34 (N.D. 873–PS).

  73. Halder affidavit, Nov. 22, 1945, at Nuremberg, NCA, VIII, pp. 645–46.

  74. TMWC, XX, p. 609.

  75. Testimony of Brauchitsch at Nuremberg, TMWC, XX, pp. 581–82, 593.

  76. Text of Keitel’s order, July 23, 1941, NCA, VI, p. 876 (N.D. C–52); July 27 order, ibid., pp. 875–76 (N.D.C–51).

  77. Text of the court–martial directive, NCA, III, pp. 637–39 (N.D. 886–PS). A slightly different version found in the records of Army Group South and dated a day later, May 14, is given in NCA, VI, pp. 872–75 (N.D.C–50).

  78. Text of directive, also dated May 13, 1941, NCA, III, pp. 409–13 (N.D.447–PS).

  79. Text of Rosenberg’s instructions, NCA, III, pp. 690–93 (N.D. 1029, 1030–PS).

  80. Text, NCA, III, pp. 716–17 (N.D. 1058–PS).

  81. Text of directive, NCA, VII, p. 300 (N.D. EC–126).

  82. Memorandum of meeting, NCA, V, p. 378 (N.D. 2718–PS).

  83. Schmidt, op. cit., p. 233.

  84. Keitel interrogation, NCA, Suppl. B, pp. 1271–73.

  85. The Duke of Hamilton’s personal report, NCA, VIII, pp. 38–40 (N.D. M–116).

  86. Kirkpatrick’s reports on his interviews with Hess on May 13, 14, 15, ibid., pp. 40–46 (N.D.s M–117, 118, 119).

  87. Churchill, The Grand Alliance, p. 54.

  88. TMWC, X, p. 7.

  89. Ibid., p. 74.

  90. Douglas M. Kelley, 22 Cells in Nuremberg, pp. 23–24.

  91. NSR, p. 324.

  92. Ibid., p. 326.

  93. Ibid., p. 325.

  94. Ibid., p. 328.

  95. Ibid., pp. 340–41.

  96. Ibid., pp. 316–18.

  97. Ibid., p. 328.

  98. Ibid., p. 338.

  99. Schulenburg’s dispatches, May 7, 12, ibid., pp. 335–39.

  100. Ibid., p. 334.

  101. Ibid., pp. 334–35.

  102. Sumner Welles, The Time for Decision, pp. 170–71.

  103. Churchill, The Grand Alliance, pp. 356–61.

  104. NSR, p. 330.

  105. NCA, VI, p. 997 (N.D. C–170).

  106. NSR, p. 344.

  107. Ibid., pp. 345–46.

  108. Ibid., p. 346.

  109. Text of, NCA, VI, pp. 852–67 (N.D. C–39).

  110. The minutes of this meeting never turned up, so far as I know, but Halder’s diary for June 14, 1941, describes it, and Keitel told about it on the stand at Nuremberg (TMWC, X, pp. 531–32). The Naval War Diary also mentions it briefly.

  111. NSR, pp. 355–56.

  112. Ibid., pp. 347–49.

  113. Schmidt’s formal memorandum of the meeting, ibid., pp. 356–57. Also his book, pp. 234–35.

  114. Hitler to Mussolini, June 21, 1941, NSR, pp. 349–53.

  115. The Ciano Diaries, pp. 369, 372.

  116. Ibid., p. 372.

  CHAPTER 24

  1. NCA, VI, pp. 905–6 (N.D. C–74). The complete text in German, TMWC, XXXIV, pp. 298–302.

  2. Halder Report (mimeographed, Nuremberg).

  3. NCA, VI, p. 929 (N.D. C–123).

  4. Ibid., p. 931 (N.D.C–124).

  5. Article by Gen. Blumentritt in The Fatal Decisions, ed. by Seymour Freidin and William Richardson, p. 57.

  6. Liddell Hart, The German Generals Talk, p. 147.

  7. Ibid., p. 145.

  8. Halder Report,

  9. Heinz Guderian, Panzer Leader, pp. 159–62. The page references in this and subsequent chapters are to the Ballentine soft-cover edition.

  10. Blumentritt article, loc. cit., p. 66.

  11. Interrogation of Rundstedt, 1945. Quoted by Shulman, op. cit., pp. 68–69.

  12. Guderian, op. cit., pp. 189–90.

  13. Ibid., p. 192.

  14. Ibid., p. 194.

  15. Ibid., p. 191.

  16. Ibid., p. 199.

  17. Goerlitz, History of the German General Staff, p. 403.

  18. The Goebbels Diaries, pp. 135–36.

  19. Hitler’s Secret Conversations, p. 153.

  20. Halder, Hitler als Feldherr, p. 45.

  21. NCA, IV, p. 600 (N.D. 1961–PS).

  22. Blumentritt article, loc. cit., pp. 78–79.

  23. Liddell Hart, The German Generals Talk, p. 158.

  CHAPTER 25

  1. DGFP, VIII, pp. 905–6.

  2. NCA, IV, pp. 469–75 (N.D. 1834–PS).

  3. The text, NCA, VI, pp. 906–8 (N.D.C–75).

  4. Raeder’s report on the meeting, FCNA, 1941, p. 37. Also in NCA, VI, pp. 966–67 (N.D. C–152).

  5. They are published, along with those of the subsequent talks, including two with Hitler, in NSR, pp. 281–316.