Political leaders of the "Third Reich". How the Nazi Establishment Ended Her Life: The Last Conspiracy

The book "Who was who in the Third Reich" is a revised and supplemented edition of the guide "Leaders and Generals of the Third Reich". In the new edition, many dates have been clarified - birth and death, assignment of a title, appointment to a post. More than 200 completely new biographies are included - now there are more than 800. All whose biographies are given in the directory were the elite of the Nazi regime. Here are the leaders of the NSDAP - the Nazi Party, and ministers and their deputies, and major military leaders, and commandants of concentration camps, and diplomats who ensured world recognition of the regime, and industrialists who raised the military economy, and aces of air and submarine warfare, and film actors, and designers , and many others. All of them - from the ambassador to the overseer of Auschwitz - created and defended this regime and ruled Germany undividedly for all twelve years of the "thousand-year Reich" existence. Therefore, on the pages of the book, the aristocrat Prince Josias Waldeck-Pyrmont and the former hotel bellboy Karl Ernst, the brilliant documentary filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl and Frau Schmidt, better known as the hostess of the "Kitty Salon" were nearby ...
The book deliberately does not include biographies of anti-fascists. The reader will not find here either Ernst Thalmann or Carl von Ossietzky. There are also no outstanding German writers, actors and scientists who left Germany, preferring emigration to the Nazi regime. Only the participants in the conspiracy, who organized the assassination attempt on Hitler in 1944, entered here. And that was only because many of them were fairly major figures in the country and their activities directly influenced the very development of the Nazi regime. The rest are those who, in fact, were the regime itself. Some created a war economy and gave Hitler money, others - in black SS uniforms - drove millions to death camps and carried out a bloody occupation regime, still others, at the head of a well-armed army, seized more and more territories for Hitler and organized fierce resistance, prolonging the agony of the regime.
For the convenience of using the reference book, at the end there are appendices with information about the structure of the highest party and state bodies of Germany, about Nazi awards and numerous ranks, lists of Gauleiters, and senior officers. The applications have also been significantly supplemented: institutions of the Third Reich are more widely represented, previously unpublished information about the command staff of the German Air Force and Navy, lists of German diplomatic representatives abroad, a complete list of holders of the Knight's Cross with oak branches and swords, and much more. Also in Appendix No. 3 is the full text of the NSDAP program.

For twelve years, from 1933 to 1945, Germany was under Nazi rule. The country that gave the world great writers and composers, scientists and inventors, plunged into the darkness of Nazi terror. Nazism, having suppressed any dissent in his country, began the bloodiest war in world history - the Second World War. Nazism and the war brought innumerable misfortunes not only to the people of Germany, but to the whole of Europe: millions died at the fronts, millions died of starvation, millions were murdered in cold blood in concentration camps. When the regime fell in 1945 and all the facts of Nazi policy became public, the world was horrified. This was simply unimaginable. Moreover, the Germans themselves, who for the most part supported Hitler, were shocked to learn what was going on behind the external pomposity of the state dressed in a colorful uniform. The conclusion was unequivocal - this should not happen again.
In Russia, and earlier in the USSR, interest in Nazi Germany has always been high. This was partly due to the taboo of the topic. Judging by the books and films of the twenty post-war years, those Germans seemed to be hardened criminals-murderers, mediocre military men, and only a small part of them were honest communists waging an uncompromising struggle against fascism. Such simplification inevitably fueled interest - no state can consist of pathological killers, military leaders deprived of talents cannot capture all of Europe and reach Moscow. With the beginning of the Khrushchev thaw, translated German books appeared on the shelves and, above all, memoirs of German generals, released in small editions, they quickly disappeared, and subsequently no one was going to republish them - the thaw was over. A typical example: two volumes of the most important work by B. Müller-Hillebrant "The Land Army of Germany" were published in 1956, and the third (it was devoted to the period 1941-45) was not immediately released, and it took 20 years for it to finally see the light of day. years. A powerful impulse of interest in the history of Germany during the years of the fascist dictatorship was given, oddly enough, simply by the film. The brilliant series "Seventeen Moments of Spring" made a revolution: we saw that the Germans who served Hitler were also people - bad, mean, unbalanced, but people. With its shortcomings and positive features. But there was no breakthrough in historical science. True, more books began to appear. The journalistic works of D. Melnikov and L. Chernaya went with a bang, and, as soon as they appeared on the shelves, they became a bibliographic rarity. But still, it was impossible to disassemble the functioning of the Nazi system in detail: with a detailed and careful study, too many parallels arose.
It was very difficult to resist comparisons - the NSDAP and the CPSU, the SS and the NKVD; "The Night of the Long Knives" and the Political Trials of 1936-37. Like all totalitarian regimes, the Nazi communist one has a huge number of similar features. This led to the presence of numerous taboos; which could hardly be bypassed unless one concentrated exclusively on concentration camps and occupation. Although here, too, the extermination in Stalin's camps provides grounds for comparison, only Hitler exterminated primarily foreigners, and Stalin - the citizens of his own country. The seven-volume collection of documents "The Nuremberg Trials" that has come out in our country has incorporated a huge number of very interesting documents, but the protocols of the trial's meetings, published in almost all languages, have not appeared in our country. Paradox! And this one-sidedness fueled interest.
In addition, the history of Nazi Germany became the most interesting event of the 20th century. For 12 years, the state was able to turn from a disunited and impoverished country into a powerful state, create an excellent army, subjugate almost all of Europe and survive a complete collapse. In such a short period of time, so many events were concentrated, like no other, Germany survived everything - an industrial boom, and several attempts at coup d'etat, and grandiose victories, and no less grandiose defeats. And if we add here the external side - ranks, uniforms, parades, monuments - it becomes clear that this, in fact, a small page of history, is doomed to constant interest. And it would be absolutely wrong to say that such interest in these 12 years exists only in Russia - the country most affected by Nazism. No. To enumerate, only to enumerate, the titles of Foreign books devoted to the history of the Third Reich, one would need more than one plump volume.
Today in Russia it has become possible to publish what readers are interested in. As a result - a large number of books on "Nazi" topics. Here are memoirs and popular science publications. And not only translations, books written by a new generation of Russian historians have already begun to appear. But such a large "outlier" creates another problem: often great difficulties arise when it comes to some figures and regimes, and there is nowhere to find out who they are. Behind any surname mentioned is a specific person who occupied his place in the structure of the Third Reich. Rather, in structures. Indeed, in Germany there were several verticals along which Hitler exercised his power. First of all, this is the apparatus of the Nazi Party - the NSDAP - at the top of which were the Reichsleiters and Gauleiters; then government officials headed by ministers and secretaries of state; the next - the military, and finally, the leaders of the punitive apparatus of Germany - the SS - the party's guard detachments. This book will help to imagine who occupied what place in the hierarchical pyramid of Nazi Germany, and in addition to see which of them suffered a just retribution.
When compiling the guide, materials from a large number of publications published in Russian, German and English were used. Among them, we should separately note the somewhat chaotic, but extremely informative book by E. Schönhorst "5 thousand leaders", as well as the American "Encyclopedia of the Third Reich" by Professor L. Snyder, on the basis of which the encyclopedia of the same name was published in Russian, although, unfortunately, already without the author's name.

Konstantin Zalessky

Who was who in the Third Reich
ABENDROTH(Abendroth) Hermann Paul Maximilian (January 19, 1883, Frankfurt am Main - May 29, 1956, Jena), conductor. Student of L. Thuil and F. Motl. G 1903 conductor of an orchestra in Munich. In 1905-11 Kapellmeister in Lübeck, in 1911-14 State Musical Director in Cologne, Director of the State Higher School of Music. At the same time, from 1915, A. was the head of the Gürzenich concerts, and from 1919 - professor and director of the conservatory, since 1918 general music director. In 1934-45 he was the head of the Gewandhausen Symphony Orchestra and professor at the Leipzig Conservatory. In 1943 and 1944 he was the conductor of the Bayreuth Festival. After the defeat of Nazism, he remained in East Germany, where he immediately took a prominent position in musical circles. From 1945 General Music Director in Weimar, in 1946-56 chief conductor of the State Chapel in Weimar. Since 1949 the head of the radio symphony orchestra in Leipzig and since 1953 - in Berlin. In 1949 he received the National Prize of the GDR.

ABETZ (Abetz) Otto (March 26, 1903, Schwetzingen - May 5, 1958, Langenfeldt, Rhine), diplomat, SS Brigadeführer (January 30, 1942). In his youth, as an art teacher in Karlsruhe, he became the head of the Silberkreis youth organization, among other goals of which was to establish contacts with French supporters of Nazism. In 1931 he joined the NSDAP (ticket number 7 011 453), later he was admitted to the SS (ticket number 253 314). In 1930-33 he was the organizer of German-French youth meetings, the main task of which was to strengthen German influence in Alsace and Lorraine. Since 1934, the referent for France in the imperial leadership of the Hitler Youth. In Jan. 1935 transferred to the "Ribbentrop Bureau", which was in charge of foreign policy issues of the NSDAP. He first entered the international arena during the Munich Conference of 1938. He made a quick career, becoming an assistant to I. von Ribbentrop. Since 1939, his personal representative in Paris on 14/6/1940 (after the defeat of France) was a representative of the Imperial Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the head of the military administration in France. He was an adviser to the German military administration in France; he was supposed to form in the political and public circles of France a positive attitude towards Germany. The Prime Minister of the collaborationist French government of Vichy P. Laval considered A. the most influential German official in France. After a meeting with A. Laval on 19/7/1940, he was instructed to be responsible for resolving political issues in both occupied and non-occupied France and to maintain contacts with the Vichy government. On April 20, 1940, A.'s office was renamed the German Embassy in Paris. Nov. In 1942, as a result of intrigues in the top leadership of Germany, he was sent on "vacation" and returned to his duties only in the second half of 1943. In 1944, A. was instructed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to control the conduct of SD operations and anti-Jewish actions in France; he maintained contacts with the local French authorities, demanding from them the mass deportation of Jews. After the end of the war in 1945, he was arrested in the Black Forest. In July 1949, among other war criminals, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison at a trial in Paris. He was held in a French prison. Released Apr. 1954. After his release, he worked as a journalist for the weekly "Fortschritt". He died in a car accident, which, according to one version, was organized by Jews - former members of the French Resistance.

AUGUST-WILHELM (August Wilhelm), August Wilhelm Heinrich Günther Viktor Hohenzollern (29.8.1887, Potsdam - 25.3.1949, Stuttgart), Prince of Germany and Prussia, party leader, SS Obergruppenführer (1943), SA Obergruppenfuehrer (1932). 4th son of German Emperor Wilhelm II. In 1905 he passed the officer's exams. Since June 1905 in active military service in the 1st Guards Infantry Regiment. In 1906-08 he attended a course of sciences at the Bonn, Strasbourg and Berlin universities, then underwent an internship at various higher government institutions. Member of the 1st World War, staff officer of the 2nd Army, then inspector of the stages of the 7th Army, Army Group in Macedonia and Russia (Bialystok). He was awarded the Iron Cross 1st and 2nd class. Oct. 1918 retired with the rank of colonel. After the collapse of the monarchy, he remained in Germany, worked at the FW Krause bank, studied painting at the Academy of Arts in Charlottenburg with Professor A. Kempf. Since 1927, a member of the "Steel Helmet". In 1929, due to disagreements with his leadership, he left the organization. In the autumn of 1929 he began to cooperate with the NSDAP, and in March 1930 he joined the party. Actively participated in the Nazi election campaigns, in 1931 during a rally in Koenigsberg he was arrested by the police. Name A.-V. was widely used by Nazi propaganda to attract the monarchist-minded part of the population to the side of the NSDAP. In 1931 he joined the SA and received the rank of Standartenführer. Since 1932 he has been a member of the Prussian Landtag. In March 1933 he was elected to the Reichstag from Potsdam; from sept. 1933 Prussian State Councilor. After the NSDAP came to power, he did not play a big political role, but remained a supporter of Nazism.

ADAM (Adam) Wilhelm (September 15, 1877, Ansbach, Bavaria - April 8, 1949, Garmisch-Partenkirchen), military leader, colonel general (January 1, 1939). He was educated at the gymnasiums of Amberg and Ansbach. In 1897 he joined the Bavarian army and on March 12, 1899 he was promoted to officer. In 1909 he graduated from the Military Academy and was transferred to the General Staff. From 10/1/1912 to 9/15/1914 he commanded a company of the 3rd Bavarian pioneer battalion. Member of the 1st World War, served in the headquarters of the 6th Bavarian division, VIII Bavarian corps, group of gene. E. Falkengain, 2nd Army. For military distinction he was awarded the Iron Cross 1st and 2nd class. After the demobilization of the army, he was left in the Reichswehr. In 1923-24 battalion commander. Gained a reputation as "the father of the German mountain shooters" and a capable specialist of the General Staff. Since 1927, Chief of Staff of the VII Military District (Munich), since 1929 commander of the 19th Infantry Regiment, then Chief of Staff of the 1st Army Inspectorate in Berlin. Oct. 1930 with the active support of Gen. K. Schleicher became the successor of the gene. K. von Halsherstein-Ekvord as head of the Military Directorate - under this name the General Staff was hidden, which Germany could not have according to the Versailles Peace. In 1931 he headed the German military delegation at the talks on expanding military cooperation with the USSR. The result of these negotiations, incl. began the training of German officers of the tank troops and the Air Force at secret bases in the USSR. Immediately after the Nazis came to power, the new Minister of War, Gen. V. von Blomberg began a purge in army circles in order to get rid of Schleicher's nominees, and A. 10/31/1933 was appointed commander of the VII military district (Munich). Since 1935 he was the head of the Academy of the Ground Forces (Berlin), supervised the training of officers of the ground units. Having not suffered during the Blomberg-Fritsch affair and the subsequent purge in the army, A. 1/4/1938 was appointed commander of the 2nd Army Group in Kassel (in July, the headquarters was transferred to Frankfurt am Main). A.'s relations with A. Hitler were cool, not only because of A.'s close friendship with the gene. Schleicher, but also because of his open criticism of Hitler's war plans. 26/6/1938 summoned to the Berghof for a personal report to Hitler on the construction of the "Western Wall". A. He stated that the shaft "... not so much," which caused Hitler's anger. On 27/8/1938, during an inspection trip to the shaft, Hitler met with A., who again warned the Fuhrer that the soldiers, given the existing disposition, would not hold the shaft. Hitler declared that "a soldier who fails to hold such fortifications is an ordinary mongrel! ". 11/10/1938 retired,

AXMAN (Axmann) Arthur (February 18, 1913, Hagen, Westphalia - October 24, 1996, Berlin), party leader, Reichsleiter (1940). The youngest of 5 children of a lawyer. In 1916 the family moved to Berlin-Wedding, the father died soon after, and the family was in great need. 14/9/1928 A. attended the speech of J. Goebbels and became keenly interested in National Socialism. Nov. 1928 joined the Hitler Youth and was elected head of this organization in the Berlin-Wedding area. He quickly made a career: in 1929-30, a lecturer in the assets of the National Socialist Union of Students, on March 12, 1931, he left party work and entered the University of Berlin, but in June-July his mother and brothers lost their jobs, and A. was forced to leave his studies. In Sept. 1931 joined the NSDAP. From 1932 he worked in the imperial leadership of the Hitler Youth, where he organized youth factory and vocational schools. Since May 1933, the Gebitsführer and head of the Social Administration, actively worked in the field of eliminating youth unemployment and vocational training for young people. Since 1933, the head of the Public Council of the Reich for Youth Affairs. From Nov. 1934 head of the Hitler Youth organization in Berlin-Brandenburg. Member of the Academy of German Law. In 1939, at the beginning of the war, he briefly served as a soldier in the Wehrmacht. On May 1, 1940, he was deputy head of the imperial youth. On August 8, 1940, he replaced B. von Chirac as the head of the youth of the German Reich (Jugendfuhrer des Deutsches Reiches) and the imperial youth leader, the NSDAP (Reichsjugendfuhrer der NSDAP). He militarized the Hitler Youth, introduced compulsory military training, making the Hitler Youth the main reserve for replenishing SS personnel. Member of the 2nd World War, in the battles on the Soviet-German front (1941) as a result of a wound, he lost his arm. From Oct. 1941 Member of the Reichstag from East Prussia. In 1945, from among the members of the organizations, he put up about 1000 people for the defense of Berlin. A. himself was among those who were in A. Hitler's bunker in April. 1945. Subsequently, A. told the officers who arrested him the details of the death of Hitler and E. Braun and stated that he had seen the corpse of M. Bormann. According to the testimony of the American historian and journalist W. Shirer, A. threw the detachment subordinate to him, who defended the Pihelyerdorf Bridge, to the mercy of fate and fled. He hid for 5 months under the name of Erich Sievert in Mecklenburg (Upper Pomerania). Nov. 1945 established contacts in Lübeck with former functionaries of the Hitler Youth and the NSDAP and tried to create a neo-Nazi organization. Arrested by the Americans in Oct. 1946 in Bavaria. In June 1948 he was transferred to a camp in Nuremberg. In Apr. 1949 sentenced to 3 years and 3 months in labor camps. After his release, he graduated from a working school in Schleswig-Holstein and worked as a representative of a coffee trading company. In 1958, he was sentenced by a Berlin court to a fine of 35,000 marks for "crimes against youth." In 1960 he founded a short-lived trading company. In 1971-76, after a second attempt to organize his own business, A. worked in a representative office of a Spanish company. In 1985 he returned to Berlin; kept in constant contact with his former colleagues. In 1995 he published his memoirs.

ALBERS (Albers) Hans (September 22, 1892, Hamburg - July 24, 1960, Kempfenhausen), actor. Butcher's son. Since 1907, he first worked in private firms, at the same time doing circus art, then began to perform in variety shows. In 1911 he entered the silk manufacturing company SH in Frankfurt am Main. In Sept. 1914 critics noted two roles A. in the Thalia Theater in Hamburg. In 1915 he was drafted into the army. Member of the 1st World War. He fought on the Western Front, was seriously wounded and demobilized in 1917. Returning to Berlin, he first worked in the operetta, and later began to play in the theater (at first in comic roles). Popularity came to A. after he started acting in films. Tall, handsome, blond, A. became the protagonist-lover of the German scene. After 1927, A. earned a reputation as one of the most talented actors in German cinema. During the reign of the Nazis, A. became one of the most beloved actors by the audience, his hero was always distinguished by heroism, idealism and self-sacrifice. Released in 1932, the film "F. P. 1 does not answer" was a resounding success. He played in the film by G. Uchitsky "Runaways" (1933) about the Germans fleeing the persecution of the Bolsheviks. In the film Karl Peters (1941), he created an idealized image of a patriotic German colonist fighting against British aggression in East Africa. Other famous films with the participation of A. - "Peer Gynt" (1934) and "Gold" (1937) by F. Wendhausen, "Water from Kanitoga" (1939), etc. In 1943 A. began to abuse alcohol. After the end of the war, A. continued to act in films until his death, incl. played in the films "The Last Man" (1955), "The Sun of Sao Paulo" (1957), etc.

ALBRECHT (Albrecht) Konrad (October 7, 1880, Bremen - August 18, 1969, Hamburg), Navy figure, Admiral General (April 1, 1939). In 1899 he joined the Navy, in 1912 he was promoted to officer. Member of the 1st World War, commanded a connection of torpedo boats; captain of the 3rd rank. For military distinction he was awarded the Iron Cross 1st and 2nd class and the Knight's Cross of the Order of the House of Hohenzollern. In 1920-23 commander of the 1st flotilla of torpedo boats, in 1925-28 chief of staff of the Ostsee naval station, then head of the officer personnel department of the Naval Administration. From 10/1/1932 to 12/1/1935 he headed the Ostsee Naval Station - one of the largest naval formations at that time. Then, after a break, he again stood at the head of the station. On June 17, 1938, he surrendered command of the station and was appointed commander of a larger formation - the Vostok Navy Group. Supervised the actions of the Navy during the Polish campaign. 12/31/1039 removed from the post of commander of the group, by that time reorganized into the Naval Forces "North".

ALVENSLEBEN (Alyensleben) Ludolf von (March 17, 1901, Halle an der Saale - March 17, 1970, Argentina), one of the leaders of the punitive organs in the USSR, SS Gruppenführer, lieutenant general of the SS and police troops (November 9, 1943). Educated in the cadet corps. In 1918, he was released into the army as a fanejunker, but did not have time to take part in hostilities. In 1920 he joined the Volunteer Corps. In 1923-30 a member of the "Steel Helmet", 1/8/1929 joined the NSDAP (ticket JSI 149 345) and the SA. From 1.8.1929 to 5.4.1934 Kreisleiter and Gauinspector of the NSDAP in Gau Halle-Merseburg. He was elected a member of the Gallic Landtag. Nov. 1933 elected to the Reichstag. On April 1, 1934 he joined the SS (ticket number 177 002) with the rank of Obersturmbannführer. From 5/4/1934 commander of the 46th SS Regiment (Dresden), then commanded the 26th SS Regiment in Halle, the 33rd SS Regiment in Schwerin-Mecklenburg. Since 1935 adjutant of the imperial head of sports. After Nov. In 1936, the personal headquarters of the Reichsfuehrer SS, headed by K. Wolf, was created, A. was appointed to the post of chief adjutant of the Reichsfuehrer SS G. Himmler. One of Himmler's closest associates. On 10/9/1939 he was appointed head of the SD and the security police in West Prussia. Supervised the creation of the so-called. "self-defense", which practiced mass executions of the Polish population on lands intended for settlement by the Germans (including on the territory of Gau Danzig - West Prussia). 11/19/1941 appointed head of the SS and police in Tavria, Crimea and Sevastopol. 10/6/1943 transferred to the same post in Nikolaev. From 29 Oct. to 25 Dec. 1943 at the same time was the supreme leader of the SS and police of the Black Sea region (with headquarters in Nikolaev) and the regions of Army Group "A", led punitive actions in the Crimea and adjacent regions. After the liberation of Crimea by the Soviet troops in May 1944, he returned to Germany and on February 11, 1944 was appointed Higher SS and Police Leader and commander of the Elba SS Oberabshnit (Dresden). After the end of the war he was interned in Neuengamme. After his release from the camp in 1945, he left for Argentina.

ALMENDINGER (Allmendinger) Karl (3.2:18SH, Aitsgemünd - 10/2/1965, Ellwangen), military leader, infantry general (1/4/1943). 10/1/1910 entered the ground forces as a fanenjunker, 1/29/1911 promoted to lieutenant of the 122nd Fusilier (4th Württemberg) Emperor Franz Joseph Regiment Member of the 1st World War, chief lieutenant, company commander; battalion adjutant. Wounded at the Battle of Ypres. In 1919 he was a member of the Haase Volunteer Corps. After the demobilization of the army in 1920, he was accepted into the service of the Reichswehr and enlisted in the 3rd Battalion of the 13th Infantry Regiment. He was trained as an officer of the General Staff, then commanded a company of the 1st Infantry Regiment in Easterburg, was an assistant in the department of military educational institutions, and was promoted to colonel on 1 August 1936, head of the operations department of the headquarters of the 1st military district. Since 11/10/1938, the head of the 10th department (ground fortifications) of the General Staff of the Ground Forces. From 10/15/1939 the chief of staff of the V Army Corps, with whom he participated in the French campaign, and on 1/8/1940 he was promoted to major general. From 10/25/1940 commander of the 5th infantry (from November 1941 - light infantry, and then - Jaeger) division. Participated in battles on the Soviet-German front: Distinguished himself during the offensive near Moscow. On July 17, 1941, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, and on December 13, 1942 he received oak branches for him. Since 5/1/1943 the commander of the training division in Berlin. Since 1/7/1943 the commander of the V Army Corps, with whom he fought in the Kuban and in the Crimea. 1/5/1944 replaced the gene. E. Yeneke as commander of the 17th Army, which fought back with difficulty from the vastly superior Soviet troops. On May 9, A. was forced to surrender Sevastopol (which was defended by parts of his former corps). By May 12, the Crimean operation of the Soviet troops was completed; it cost the 17th Army almost 100 thousand people. (including more than 61 thousand prisoners). 25/7/1944 replaced by Gen. F. Schulze, enrolled in the OKH reserve and did not receive an appointment until the end of the war.

ALPERS (Alpers) Friedrich (March 25, 1901, Sonneberg, Braunschweig - September 3, 1944, near Mons, France) statesman and party leader, SS Obergruppenführer (June 21, 19931). Member of the 1st World War. He was awarded the Iron Cross 1st and 2nd class for military distinctions. In 1919-20 he was a member of the Volunteer Corps. In 1923-24 he studied law and economics at the Universities of Heidelberg, Munich and Greifswald. 28 working in law firms in Braunschweig.In 1929 he received a diploma and worked as a lawyer in Braunschweig until 1933. In 1929 he joined the NSDAP (ticket number 132 812) in. 1930 - in the SA, in 1931 - in the SS (ticket number 6427), Promoted to SS Sturmfuehrer on 5 January 1932. In 1930 he was elected from the NSDAP as a member of the Landtag of Braunschweig. From 1931. Chief of the 1st Sturmbann of the 12th SS Standard, in 1932 - of the 2nd Sturmbann, From 8.10.1932 to 3.5.1933 commander of 49- 1st SS standard. Was a regional forester of Brandenburg, was a protégé of H. Goering. From 8/5/1933 State Minister of Justice and Finance of Braunschweig (had the rank of Secretary of State of the Imperial Government). 1L 2.1937 enlisted in the headquarters of the Reichsfuehrer SS. - Forester (Generalforstmeistef).In 1941, a member of the economic headquarters "East", who occupied by plundering the natural resources of the USSR. In the same year, Goering appointed A. head of the working group of forests in the Office of the Commissioner of the 4-year plan. In Jan. 1942 entered the active part of the Luftwaffe and was appointed commander of the 4th reconnaissance group. In 1942 he received the rank of major in the reserve. 10/14/1942 was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. From 21/8/1944 commander of the 9th Parachute Regiment. Participated in the battles in Normandy. He was severely wounded and committed suicide.

ALTEN (Alten) Georg Ernst (4.12.1901, Waldheim, Saxony - 12.4.1945, Dortmund), politician, one of the leaders of the police, SS Brigadeführer and Police Major General (1.1 L 942). Received an engineering education. In 1922-25 he was an active member of the Steel Helmet. Since 1925 he was in the 26th assault on the SA. In Apr. 1926 joined the NSDAP (ticket number 34 339), 10/5/1929 - in the SS (ticket M 1421) and enlisted in the 21st SS assault. On March 1, 1931, commander of the 1st assault, from July 1931 - of the 1st stormtrooper of the 26th standard. From 11/15/1931 commander of the 26th SS standard "Paul Berk" (Halle). From 22/7/1933 commander of the 16th SS officer. From 23/2/1935 the chief of staff of the Oberabshnit SS "North-East", from 5/4/1935 to 16/5/1938 - "South-West". In May 1936 he was elected to the Reichstag. Since May 1938, the police president of Plauen (later - Dortmund-Plauen). Simultaneous July 1939 headed the criminal police in Plauen (since January 1942 - in Dortmund). In 1940 he served for some time in the ranks of the Wehrmacht, commander of a sapper company. 15/6/1940 was seriously wounded and demobilized.

ALFART (Alfart) Felix (5.7.1901, Leipzig - 9.11.1923, Munich), one of the Nazi official heroes. A shopkeeper by profession. Entered in the early 1920s. in H DAN, became an enthusiastic admirer of A. Hitler. Participant of the march to Feldherrnhalle during the "Beer Putsch" in 1923. Killed in a shootout with the police. Dying, as the legend says, he sang "Germany above all". A. was one of those to whom Mein Kampf is dedicated.

AMANN Max (November 24, 1891, Munich - March 30, 1957, ibid.), party leader, Reichsleiter (1932), SS Obergruppenführer (January 30, 1936). Received a trade education. Since 1912 in military service. Member of the 1st World War, served in the Bavarian Infantry Regiment as a sergeant major, direct commander of Corporal A. Hitler. For military distinction he was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd class. After the end of the war, he worked in a bank. 10/1/1921 one of the first joined the NSDAP (party card number 3), a zealous supporter of Hitler. Capable organizer. In 1921 he was appointed manager of the NSDAP and began to manage the financial affairs of the Völkische Beobachter. Quite quickly put in order the financial resources of the party and newspapers. Since 1922, the director of the Central Publishing House of the NSDAP "Echer Verlag", directed all the publishing activities of the party. Member of the "Beer putsch" 11/9/1923, for participation in which he was arrested and spent 4.5 months in prison. That A. changed the title of Hitler's book "Four and a half years of struggle against lies, stupidity and cowardice" to "Mein Kampf". Since November 9, 1924, he has been a member of the city council of Munich. From 16/1/1928 to 12/6/1930 member of the Landtag of Upper Bavaria. In 1931, while hunting with F. von Epp, he received a gunshot wound, and as a result of the operation, his left arm was amputated. On March 15, 1932, he joined the SS (ticket; No. 53143). In 1933 he was elected to the Reichstag Upper, Bavaria - Swabia. After the Nazis came to power, he concentrated in his hands the leadership of the German press, turning Echer Ferlag into a monopoly - the world's largest newspaper concern, and he himself became a millionaire (his personal income in 1942 amounted to 3.8 million marks). Publishing houses previously owned by Jews, incl. the most powerful association of Ulstein. From 11/14/1933 chairman of the German Association of Newspaper Publishers, and from 15 November. concurrently President of the Imperial Press Chamber. In 1935 he became a member of the Imperial Senate of Culture. In these posts, A. had the right to ban, at his discretion, any publication, which he did, then buying the banned newspaper for next to nothing. In the process of work, A. constantly had conflicts with the Imperial Ministry of Public Education and Propaganda I. Goebbels and the press service of O. Dietrich, because. all these departments fought for control of the German press. 1/5/1941 A. officially awarded the title of "pioneer of labor". During the denazification process 8.9. 1948 sentenced to 10 years in labor camps. Released in 1953. Lived in Munich.

AMBROS (Ambros) Otto (19.5.1901, Weiden - ?), one of the leaders of German industry, Fuhrer of the war economy. He served as a member of the board of the IG Farbenindustri concern, head of the production of buna and poisonous gases. He was Commissioner for Research and Development in the Office of the Commissioner for the 4-year plan, head of the Chemical Warfare Committee in the Imperial Ministry of Armaments. In addition, for some time A. headed one of the departments of the same ministry and department "C", which was in charge of the preparation of chemical warfare. Member of the Supervisory Board of Hullier-Marl Chemical Plants. In the IG Farben system, he was also the head of the concern's factories in Auschwitz, Iskonau, and others, where slave labor of prisoners was widely used. In 1944 he was awarded the Knight's Cross for military merit. At the trial of the American Military Tribunal in the case of the leadership of IG Farbenindustry, he was sentenced to 8 years in prison - one of the most severe sentences in this trial. Released in 1951. Collaborated with US intelligence agencies, advised them on chemical production issues. After his release, he held senior positions in the German chemical industry.

ANGELIS (Angelis) Maximilian de (October 2, 1889, Budapest, Hungary - December 6, 1974, Graz, Austria), military leader, general of artillery (03/01/1942). 18/8/1910 joined the 42nd foot artillery regiment of the Austro-Hungarian army, 1/9/1910 promoted to lieutenant. Member of the 1st World War, captain (05/01/1917). In 1914-15 he commanded a battery in his regiment. On July 1, 1915, he was transferred to the headquarters of the Jaeger Division, since 1916 an officer of the General Staff. 11/3/1918 was taken prisoner by Italian troops. 10/12/1919 he returned to Austria and was appointed to the liquidation commission of the 3rd artillery regiment. 26/8/1920 enrolled in the Austrian army; graduated from the Military School in Eney (1927), then served as an instructor in tactics, in 1930-37 the school's deputy commander. Promoted to colonel on June 28, 1933. In 1935, the operational department of the Ministry of National Defense was transferred. From 1/8/1935 deputy commander and teacher of military art at the Higher Officer Courses in Vienna. After the Anschluss of Austria on April 1, 1938, he was transferred to the Wehrmacht with the rank of major general, general for special assignments under the High Command. From 11/10/1938 head of the XV artillery command. On September 1, 1939, commander of the 76th Infantry Division. Participated in the French campaign. In July 1940, the division was transferred to the East, and in March 1941 to Bulgaria, where it took part in military operations against Yugoslavia and Greece. From June 1941 he fought on the Soviet-German front. From 26.1.1942 acting commander of the XLIV Army Corps (approved on 03/01/1942). On February 9, 1942, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. 11/12/1943 received oak branches for him. From 22 Nov. until December 19, 1943, he replaced the commander of the 6th Army, General. K. Hollidt. From 8.4.1944 acting commander of the 6th army. 18/7/1944 transferred to the post of acting. commander of the 2nd tank army (1.9.1944 approved). He held his post until the end of the war. 9/5/1945 surrendered to American troops and 4/4/1946 transferred to the Yugoslav government. 10/12/1948 convicted of war crimes and sentenced to 20 years in prison. On March 5, 1949, it was handed over to the Soviet troops. He was held in Butyrka and Lefortovo prisons, and then in a special prison in Vladimir. On February 28, 1952, by a military tribunal of the troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Moscow Region, he was sentenced to 25 years in labor camps. On April 19, 1953, the camps were replaced by imprisonment. 10/11/1955 handed over to the authorities of the GDR.

ARNIM (Araim) Jurgen Hans von (4.4.1889, Ernsdorf, Silesia - 1.9.1969, Bad Widlungen), military leader, colonel general (3.12.1942). From an old noble Prussian family. In 1908 he entered the service in the ground forces. Member of the 1st World War, captain. For military distinction he was awarded the Iron Cross 1st and 2nd class. After the demobilization of the army, he remained to serve in the Reichswehr. On January 1, 1938, he was promoted to major general; on February 4, 1938, commander of the 4th service of the ground forces. Member of the Polish campaign, during which he commanded the 52nd Infantry Division from 8/9/1939. From 10/5/1940 commander of the 17th Panzer Division, reorganized from the 27th Infantry Division. From June 1941 he fought on the Soviet-German front, as part of the Army Group "Center" he participated in the battles near Moscow in October. 1941. 6 Oct. took possession of Bryansk with a swift blow. 11/11/1941 received from the gene. R. Schmidt strike group (XXXIX tank corps) consisting of the 8th and 12th tank, 18th and 20th motorized divisions. On November 8, 1941, Tikhvin was taken, but after a fierce attack by the Soviet troops, he was forced on November 15. retreat. On January 11, 1942, he was appointed commander of the XXXIX Panzer Corps, at the head of which for 3 months he tried to release the German troops in the Kholmsky cauldron. In Sept. 1941 A. Defeated the 4th Soviet Army and took Tikhvin across Leningrad, but after heavy fighting on November 15. left the city, having suffered huge losses. On September 4, 1942, when the 5th Panzer Army was formed in Africa on the basis of the command of the LXXXX army) corps, command was entrusted to A. When he was sent to Africa, A. was in the last stage of nervous exhaustion. A. did not have a relationship with E. Rommel and with the Italian command, which he ignored. A. preferred to communicate through their heads directly with Field Marshal A. Kesselring. The task of the army was to guard Rommel's communications along the Mares line. He launched an offensive on Sidibu Zid and took the strategically important pass of Kasserine, but, having not received the promised support, he withdrew the troops. Made an unsuccessful attempt to carry out an attack on Beiju. The 5th Panzer Army was defeated by the British troops during Operation Torch and was forced to retreat to Libya. Already when the situation was completely out of control, and Rommel left Africa, on March 9, 1943, he took command of Army Group Africa. Completely exhausted, not receiving reinforcements, ammunition and food, A.'s troops continued to resist the well-equipped and superior enemy. Following the order of A. Hitler, A. called on the troops to resist to the last bullet, but could no longer save the situation. On May 13, 1943, together with the army, he capitulated in Tunisia. Due to the fact that his lines of communication were almost completely destroyed, some units, having not received an order to surrender, continued to resist for some time. After the capitulations, he was held in a POW camp in Great Britain. 1/7/1947 released.

ARNO de la PERIERE (Arnault de la Reriere) Lothar von (18.3.1886, Posen - 24.2.1941, near Paris - Le Bourget), naval figure, submariner, vice admiral (1.2.1941). In 1903 he joined the Navy. Member of the 1st World War. From 1915 he commanded the submarine U-53. For military distinctions he was awarded the Pour le Merite order (10/11/1916). During the hostilities, he sank 141 ships (453,716 tons), becoming the most productive underwater ace of the 1st World War. After demobilization, he remained to serve in the Navy. In 1931 he retired. From 1938 he taught at the Turkish Naval Academy. Soon he returned to serve in the German Navy and on May 20, 1940 he was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Navy in Belgium and the Netherlands, on June 18, 1940 he was replaced by Adm. G. Kinast and was appointed commander of the Navy Group "South". Died in a plane crash.

BAAROVA(Baarova) Lida, Ludmila (1910, Prague, Czech Republic - 10/27/2000, Salzburg, Austria), film actress. By origin - Czech. She was a fairly popular film actress and a close friend (they even talked about the upcoming marriage) of the famous film actor G. Fröhlich. In 1936 she met I. Goebbels and a stormy romance began between them. B. did not take advantage of the closeness with Goebbels to make a career or fortune; as a rule, she did not accept valuable gifts from him. At the end of 1938, Goebbels' feelings for B. became so obvious that the minister's wife, M. Goebbels, turned to A. Hitler through G. Goering and demanded an immediate divorce. This was also facilitated by the fact that K. Hanke compiled and handed over to Magda a list of 36 mistresses of the minister. A huge scandal erupted. In a conversation with Hitler, Goebbels announced that for the sake of V. he was ready to leave the post of minister. The Fuhrer refused to allow the divorce and demanded that Goebbels break off relations with B. Goebbels had to submit (although, as many noted, he was very upset by the break with B.). B. was ordered to leave Germany; she had to leave for the protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, where she was placed under secret surveillance by the Gestapo. Films with her participation were taken off the screen, and all contracts were canceled. The last years of her life B. lived in Austria under the name of Lida Lundval. Died of Parkinson's disease.

BAER (Baer) Richard (9.9.1911, the village of Floss, Bavaria - 4961, Frankfurt am Main), war criminal, SS Sturmbannführer. After leaving school, he worked as a baker. From 1926 he traveled around the cities of Germany "working in bakeries. In 1930 he joined the NSDAP, and in 1931 - in the SS. In 1933, among other members of the SS, he was included in the "auxiliary police", In 1934 he was transferred to the SS "Dead Head", - served in the Dachau concentration camp, then in the Gestapo prison in Berlin and in the "Dead Head" units in Thuringia (near the Buchenwald concentration camp), instructor. Later transferred to the Neuengamme concentration camp. In the summer of 1940, as part of the SS division "Dead Head" fought at the front In November 1942 he was transferred to the central office of the inspection of concentration camps in Berlin. In charge of B. was the development of "measures" for the "final solution" of the Jewish question in concentration camps. From May 1944 to January 1945, the commandant of the Auschwitz extermination camp. Guilty of mass In the summer of 1944, the extermination camp began to work in an enhanced mode: including the time of keeping the victims in the gas chambers was reduced from 25 to 10 minutes, which was done in order to increase the production efficiency of the gas chambers. By the end of 1944, the total number of prisoners in Auschwitz amounted to almost 750 thousand people. He took measures to destroy the traces of atrocities. Since the autumn of 1944, a mass deportation of prisoners from Auschwitz to other camps began, and on January 18, 1945, the last 58 thousand prisoners were hastily evacuated, and only about 6 thousand seriously ill patients remained in the camp. During the "evacuation" the vast majority of prisoners died. On January 27, 1945, the camp was liberated by Soviet troops. After the war, he was arrested and sentenced to death, commuted to life imprisonment. In the 1950s released, In 1960 arrested by the German authorities brought as an accused to the process, which took place in December. 1960. Died in prison.

BAYERLEIN (Bayerlein) Fritz (January 14, 1899, Würzburg - January 30, 1970, ibid.), military leader, lieutenant general (May 1, 1944). 5.64917 joined the infantry. Member of the 1st World War. After demobilization, he was left in the Reichswehr, served mainly in staff positions and was promoted to major on 1/6/1938. From 1.4.1939 head of the operational department of the headquarters of the 10th Panzer Division, from 25.2.1940 - the headquarters of the XIX Army Corps. On June 1, 1940, as a specialist in the field of tank operations, he was appointed head of the operational department of the headquarters of the tank group, Gen. G. Guderian, later transformed into the headquarters of the 2nd Panzer Group, and on 11/16/1941 - the army. He took part in the battles on the Soviet-German front, during the attack on Moscow he commanded a unit in the XXXIX Panzer Corps. On October 5, 1941, the Chief of Staff of the African Corps, Gen. E. Rommel. 12/26/1941 was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. During Rommel's absence, he repeatedly acted as commander of the corps and army. From 12/7/1942 chief of staff of the German-Italian tank army "Africa". From March 1 to May 6, 1943, he headed the headquarters of the 1st Italian Army in Tunisia. Led an unsuccessful attack on Alam Half. 6/7/1943 was awarded oak branches to the Knight's Cross. A week before the surrender of the Italo-German troops in Africa, together with Rommel, he was recalled to Europe and on 10/20/1943 was appointed commander of the 3rd Panzer Division on the Soviet-German front. On January 10, 1944, he was appointed commander of an elite training tank division in the West. With the beginning of the Allied offensive in Normandy, the B. division was (together with others) the main striking force of H. von Kluge. Together with the 2nd SS Panzer Division "Totenkopf" attempted a counteroffensive against the Americans and suffered heavy losses. On July 25, 1944, the B. division was subjected to an intensive bombardment by Allied aviation, in which about 3,000 bombers took part. The division lost more than 70% of its composition, and; it had 14 tanks left. On July 26, he repulsed the attack of 5 American divisions, but as a result of the battle, the tank training division ceased to exist. 20/7/1944 awarded the Knight's Cross with oak branches and swords. Dec. 1944 participated in the battle near Bastogne (Belgium). On March 29, 1945, commander of the L III Army Corps. On April 15, 1945, he surrendered at Rourkessel and was taken prisoner by the Americans. After his release, he actively participated in the revanchist movement.

BAKENKÖLER (Backenkoler) Otto (1.2.1892, Göttingen - 5.2.1967, Kiel), Navy figure, admiral (1.4.1943). Graduated from the Naval Cadet Corps. He began his service in the Navy on April 15, 1911 as Fenrich. Member of the 1st World War. For military distinction he was awarded the Iron Cross 1st and 2tro class. After the war, left in the Navy. From 10/1/1921 commander of the tender M-138, from 8/2/1922 torpedo boat V-2, and from 1/4/1922 - T-196. Oct. 1923 transferred to the headquarters of the commander of the fleet. From 11/10/1924 commander of the 4th torpedo semi-flotilla. In 1926-33 - in staff positions; captain of the 3rd rank (January 1, 1929). On 10/11/1933 he was appointed head of the torpedo school, and at the same time the naval architectural school. From 10/1/1935 to 10/15/1937 he commanded the cruiser Cologne. From 10/31/1938 chief of staff of the naval station "Ostsee". From 10/24/1939 the chief of staff of the fleet command, 8/8/1940 B. was transferred to the OKM Arms Directorate, where he headed the Torpedo Directorate. Since 03/09/1943, head of the Department of Arms of the OKM. Since 1/5/1944 chief of naval armaments. 3/1/1945 awarded the Knight's Cross for military merit with swords. In May 1945 he was arrested by the allies and placed in a prisoner of war camp. 12/10/1946 released.

BAKKE (Vaske) Herbert Ernst (May 1, 1896, Batum, Russia - April 7, 1947, Nuremberg), statesman, SS Obergruppenführer (September 9, 1942). Son of a German colonist. He graduated from the Tiflis Gymnasium (1914) and the University of Göttingen (1923). During the 1st World War he was interned in Russia as a German, and after his release he was a referent on Russian issues. Since 1922, a member of the SA. In 1923-24 assistant to the rector of the Higher Technical School (Hannover). On February 1, 1925, he joined the NSDAP (ticket M 22 766), and then the SS (ticket No. 87 882). "In 1928 he was elected a member of the Landtag of Prussia from the NSDAP. He specialized in agricultural policy. From 1928 he was a tenant of the estate in Hannover. In 1931-33 he was a district head of the peasant organization of the NSDAP. From September 1, 1933, deputy, and from June 21, 1935, head of the Main Directorate of Race and Settlements of the SS. Member of the Reichstag. Simultaneously with October 1933, Secretary of State of the Imperial Ministry of the Interior and the Imperial Ministry of Food and Agriculture. In 1934 he issued an appeal to the German peasants to start the "Battle for Food" (Erzeugungsschlacht), the purpose of which was proclaimed to achieve the complete provision of Germany with its own food. Since 1936, he simultaneously led food and agriculture issues in the Office of the 4-year plan; since 1941, authorized by the special headquarters " Oldenburg", created to organize the robbery of the occupied regions of the USSR. One of the closest assistants of G. Goering. From 23.5.1942 and about. Reich Minister of Food and Agriculture, officially inaugurated on April 1, 1944, and at the same time replaced V. Darre as Reichsbauertuhrer, Imperial Leader of the Peasants. In these posts, he attempted to ensure an uninterrupted food supply to Germany. He took part in the implementation of the Nazi plans for the Germanization of the eastern territories. He retained the post of minister in the government of K Dennitsa. Together with the entire government, he was arrested on May 23, 1945 in Flensburg. Hanged himself in prison.

BALK (Balck) Herman (December 7, 1893, Danzig-Langfur - December 29, 1982, Erbenbach-Rockenau), military leader, general of tank troops (11/1/1943). From a Swedish-Finnish family of hereditary military men, known since 1120, half an Englishman. He graduated from the Hanover military school. On March 10, 1913, he entered the ground forces, and on August 10, 1914 he was promoted to lieutenant of the 10th Chasseur Battalion. Member of the 1st World War, lieutenant, commander of a rifle platoon. He fought on the Western and Eastern fronts, in the Balkans. For military distinction he was awarded the Iron Cross 1st and 2nd class. On August 2, 1919, his battalion was reorganized into the Hanover Rifle Battalion of the Reichswehr. Participated in the suppression of the Kapp Putsch of 1920, from Jan. 1922 transferred to the 10th cavalry regiment (Stuttgart), and in 1933 - to the headquarters of the 3rd. Infantry Division (Berlin). Since 1935 the commander of the scooter battalion of the 1st cavalry brigade. From 1.2.1938 - in the inspection of motorized troops. Member of the Polish campaign. On October 23, 1939, the commander of the 1st Infantry Regiment as part of the 1st Panzer Division, which during the French campaign was part of the group of Gen. G. Guderian. He crossed the Mosa at Sedan and stormed the heights on the other bank. For these actions, B. was awarded the Knight's Cross on 3/6/1940. From 12/15/1940 commander of the 3rd tank regiment. Participated in the Greek campaign, distinguished himself in the defeat of the British troops. From 15/5/1941 commander of the 2nd tank brigade. From 7/7/1941 he served as a staff officer in the command of the OKH reserve army, and on 11/1/1941 he was appointed general of the mobile troops under the commander-in-chief of the ground forces. On May 16, 1942, he commanded the 11th Panzer Division, fought near Smolensk with partisan detachments. He successfully acted in the Caucasus, and at the beginning of 1943 he played a leading role in the defeat of the 5th Soviet shock army of Gen. MM. Popov. 12/20/1942 received oak branches to the Knight's Cross, and 4/3/1943 - swords. 3/4/1943 appointed commander of one of the best motorized divisions of the German army - "Grossdeutschland". During the Battle of Kursk (July-Aug. 1943), the B. division destroyed 501 Soviet tanks. On 11/12/1943 he headed the XL, and after 3 days - the XLVIII tank corps, with which he fought hard battles near Lvov and in the middle of November. took Zhytomyr. From May 1943 he commanded the XIV Panzer Corps on the Western Front. 11/12/1943 took over the XL Panzer Corps, operating in the Nikopol area. 5:8.1944 was appointed commander of the 4th Panzer Army, commanded it for only a few days until 21 August. 31/8/1944 awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with oak branches, swords and diamonds. 9/21/1944 replaced the gene. I. Blaskowitz on the growth of the commander of Army Group "G" in the West (headquarters - yes Molsheim, Alsace). The task of B. was to stop the advance of the Americans in Lorraine and hold the front until the preparations for the offensive in the Ardennes were completed. Using the tactics of "elastic defense". B. achieved some success in this difficult situation. On December 23, 1944, he surrendered Army Group Blaskowitz and took command of the 6th Army, which operated on the Soviet-German front as part of Army Group South. At the same time he commanded the army group "Balk", which united the 6th German and 2nd Hungarian armies. He organized a series of rearguard battles, covering the retreat of the troops of the army group to Austria. 8/5/1945 capitulated. After the war he was arrested by the American authorities and released in June 1947. In 1948, at a trial in Stuttgart, he was charged with war crimes and sentenced to 6 months in prison.

BALTHASAR (Balthasar) Wilhelm (2.2.1914, Fulda - 3.6.1941, in the area of ​​Azbrouk, France), fighter pilot, major (1941, posthumously). The son of a captain, a fighter pilot who died in France in 1914. In 1935 he joined the Luftwaffe. As part of the Condor Legion, he participated in the Spanish Civil War (1937-38). 1/20/1938 shot down the first aircraft. In the battle on 7/2/1938, B. destroyed 4 enemy planes in 6 minutes. In Spain, he received new appointments - as a squadron commander in the 131st, and then the 2nd fighter squadron. In 1939 he gained worldwide fame by flying around Africa. Since 1939 the commander of the 7th squadron of the 27th fighter squadron; participated in the French campaign (1940). 6/6/1940 single-handedly shot down 9 French aircraft. 14/6/1940 became the second representative of the Luftwaffe to receive; Knight's Cross. B. became the most productive pilot of the French campaign, shooting down 23 aircraft and destroying them on the take-off areas. Then during the "Battle of England" (from September 1 to November 10, 1940) he commanded the 3rd group of the same squadron. 4/9/1940 was seriously wounded. After the death of Major G. Wieck on November 28, 1940, B, was appointed commander of the elite 2nd elite fighter squadron "Richthofen" on November 16, 1941. When the armed forces were transferred to the Soviet-German front, B.'s regiment remained in France. On July 2, 1941, shortly before his death, he was awarded oak branches to the knight's cross. While testing the new Bf 109F4s, it was attacked by several English aircraft near Azbrook (near Ayr). He started the fight, but, making a U-turn, the plane fell into a tailspin and crashed. In total, B. had 40 victories (including 7 in Spain).

BAHG (Bang) Paul (January 18, 1879, Meissen - December 31, 1945, Hohenfichte, Chemnitz), statesman, businessman. Served as Senior Financial Advisor in Berlin-Tempelhof. He was an active member of the German National People's Party and on its list in May 1928 was elected a member of the Reichstag. On February 4, 1933, he was appointed secretary of state of the Imperial Ministry of Economics, but on June 30 he lost his post. Nov. 1933 not elected to the Reichstag. In the same month he joined the NSDAP. Author of a large number of works on politics and economics. Held senior positions in various companies, incl. Chairman of the Supervisory Board "J. E. Reinicke AG" (Chemnitz), Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board "Emil Zorn AG" (Berlin).

Barandon (Barandon) Paul Gustav Louis (19.9.1881, Kiel - 1972), diplomat. Son of a Vice Admiral. Educated at Lausanne, Munich, Berlin and Kiel universities. He received his doctorate in law from the University of Leipzig. Since 1903 Prussian referent. In 1910 he entered the service in the Department of Foreign Affairs. In 1912-13, vice-consul in Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires. Member of the 1st World War, captain. For military distinction he was awarded the Iron Cross 1st and 2nd class. After demobilization in 1919-20 he was a notary officer in Kiel. In 1920-26 he was a German representative at the Anglo-German Arbitration Court (London). In 1927-32 he was a member of the legal department of the secretariat of the International Court of Justice in Geneva. After the Nazis came to power, he was transferred with the rank of I embassy adviser to the central office of the Imperial Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 1933-37 ministerial director of the German Department of the Ministry. In 1937-41 Consul General in Valparaiso (Chile). Oct. 1942 replaced S. von Renthe-Fink as Commissioner of the Imperial Foreign Office in Copenhagen (Denmark). In 1944 he retired.

Baranowski Herman (June 1884, Schwerin - February 1940, Sachsenhausen), war criminal, one of the creators of the concentration camp system. In 1900 he left school and entered the Navy as a cabin boy. In Sept. 1920, believing that the fleet was ruined by the socialists, he retired. In civilian life, he could not find a place for himself, he was interrupted by odd jobs. At first he lived in Kiel, where he worked in a metallurgical factory, but a year later he moved to Hamburg, where he became a salesman in a food company. In Sept. 1930 became one of the first members of the NSDAP in Hamburg, and a few months later joined the SS. At the end of 1932 B. moved to permanent service in the SS units. In 1934 he was transferred from the General SS to the Dead Head units. He enjoyed the patronage of T. Eike and was appointed commandant of the Lichtenburg women's camp. He was a champion of tough army discipline to such an extent that Eicke even called his behavior "pathology". B. Could not cope with the role of an independent leader and, at his own request, was transferred to the deputy commandant of Dachau G, Loritsa. After two years of service in the camp, B. was again appointed to an independent post - the commandant of the Sachsenhausen concentration camp. By this time, a decision was made to turn this small (9 thousand prisoners) camp near Berlin into a large concentration camp. He supervised the construction (by the forces of prisoners) of residential premises and enterprises. He introduced strict military discipline in the camp, which resulted in a systematic mockery of the prisoners.

BARBIE (Barbie) Klaus (08/25/1913, Bad Godesberg, Rhine - 1991), war criminal, SS Hauptsturmführer. Since April 1, 1933 he has been a member of the Hitler Youth. On September 1, 1935, he joined the SS and began serving in the 4th Directorate (Gestapo) of the Main Directorate of Imperial Security. Since 1937 in the SD of Düsseldorf. On May 1, 1937, he joined the NSDAP (party card N ° 4 583 085). From 1940 he served at the headquarters of the Security Police - SD in The Hague, from Jan. 1941 - in Amsterdam. Participated in the suppression of the uprising in Amsterdam in 1941. From May 1942 in the SD of the city of Gex (France). Nov. 1942 sent to the SD of Lyon, where he headed the local administration of the Gestapo. Supervised the arrest and execution of Jean Moulin, one of the leaders of the Resistance. Nicknamed "The Butcher of Lyon". Nov. 1944 transferred to Amsterdam and then to Düsseldorf. In May 1945 he went into hiding and went to Bolivia. In 1952, he was sentenced in absentia to death by a French court in Lyon. Found guilty of murdering 4342 people. and deportation to "death camps" 7951 people. 11/25/1954 sentenced to death for the second time. Hiding under the name Klaus Altman in Bolivia. After the left-wing government came to power in 1982, B. in Feb. 1983 was issued to the French authorities. In 1987, he was sentenced to life imprisonment for crimes against humanity. Died in prison.

BARKHORN (Barkhorn) Gerhard (Gerd) Erich (March 20, 1919, Koenigsberg - January 8, 1983), fighter pilot, one of the best aces of the German army, aviation major (1944). He graduated from flight school (1939). From Oct. 1939 served in the 2nd Fighter Squadron "Richthofen". In Aug. 1941 transferred to the 2nd group of the 52nd fighter squadron. He shot down his first plane on July 2, 1941, having made 120 unsuccessful sorties before that. In Aug. took part in the Battle of England. He flew on a Messerschmitt plane (Me.262). After the attack on the USSR, he was transferred to the Soviet-German front. In battle 20/6/1942 shot down 4 enemy aircraft - his best result of the day. On January 11, 1943, he was awarded the Knight's Cross with oak branches, and on March 2, 1944, with swords to the Knight's Cross. On September 1, 1943, the commander of the 2nd group of the 52nd Fighter Squadron, which fought in the East. On January 16, 1945, he was appointed commander of the 6th Horst Wessel Fighter Squadron. 10 Apr. transferred to the elite formation 44, equipped with jet aircraft. He was shot down 9 times, wounded twice and captured once, but escaped. In total, during the fighting, he made 1404 sorties and shot down 301 enemy aircraft (all on the Eastern Front), taking 2nd place in the list of German aces, after E. Hartman and becoming one of two pilots who shot down more than three hundred aircraft. In 1955, he joined the German Air Force, where he commanded the training wing F-104 (Novenikh). He retired with the rank of Major General.

BARTELS (Bartels) Adolf (11/15/1862, Wesselburen - 03/07/1945, Weimar), writer, literary historian. Educated at Leipzig and Berlin Universities. The author of historical novels, plays, etc. In 1918 he published Lessing and the Jews, which had a pronounced anti-Semitic orientation. In 1920 he founded the Union of People's Publishers; editor of the anti-Semitic magazine "German Works" ("Deutsche Schrifttum"). In 1924 he published the National Socialist Liberation of Germany, in which he praised the Nazi movement.

BASTIAN (Bastian) Max (28.8.1883, Spandau - 11.3.1958, Wilhelmshaven), naval figure, admiral (1.4.1938). On April 1, 1902, he began serving in the Navy as a cadet. Educated at a naval school. From Nov. 1904 served on the cruiser Hansa. On September 29, 1905, he was promoted to lieutenant. From 10/1/1905 the watch officer of the gunboat "Luchs", from 4/4/1907 - the battleship "Kaiser Friedrich III", from 10/10/1907 - the battleship "Kaiser Barbarossa", from 15/9/1910 - the battleship "Prussia". In 1914 he graduated from the course of the Naval Academy. Member of the 1st World War, served mainly in staff positions. For military distinction he was awarded the Iron Cross 1st and 2nd class. After the end of the war, he was left in the Navy. From 1923, he held senior positions in the Naval Archives. From 4.1.1926 1st officer of the fleet headquarters. From Jan. 1928 commander of the battleship Silesia. 09/23/1929 appointed head of the budget department of the Navy as part of the Ministry of the Reichswehr One of the leaders of the secret revival of the German Navy. From 10/1/1932 commander of battleships. 19.1933 promoted to rear admiral. From 2.10.1934 2nd admiral of the naval station "Ostsee". On September 27, 1939, he was appointed head of the General Directorate of the OKM. During the purge of the senior command staff at the beginning of 1938, B. 3 Apr. lost his post and was transferred to the reserve. On September 12, 1939, he was appointed president of the Imperial Military Court and remained in this post until October 31, 1944, after which he was placed at the disposal of K. Dönitz. 10/12/1944 awarded the Knight's Cross for military merit with swords.

BAUER (Bauer) Ernst (3/2/1914, Fürth - 12/3/1998, Westferland), submariner, captain of the 3rd rank (1/4/1945). 23/9/1933 entered the service in the Navy, 1/10/1936 promoted to lieutenant of the fleet. After serving on the light cruiser "Kenigsberg" in Jan. 1938 transferred to the submarine fleet. He served as a watch officer on the submarines U-10 and U-37, then transferred to the training boat U-120. Since 1.3.1941 lieutenant commander, commander of the boat U-126. He made a successful voyage to the Caribbean Sea and to the shores of Africa. He commanded the boat until March 1943, when he was appointed training officer of the 27th submarine flotilla. Up to this point, B, sank 25 ships with a total displacement of 118,660 tons, and later - 4 more ships with a displacement of 31,304 tons. On March 16, 1942, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. From Oct. 1944 commander of the 27th submarine flotilla, and in the last days of the war - the 26th flotilla. In 1955 he joined the German Navy, where he held staff posts. In 1972 he retired with the rank of captain of the 1st rank.

BAUMBACH (Baumbach) Werner (12/27/1916 Cloppenburg - 10/20/195Z, near Rio de la Plata, Argentina), pilot, aviation colonel. He spent most of his service as part of the 30th "Eagle" bomber squadron; July to Dec. 1942 commanded the 3rd group of this squadron. Participated in the French campaign, battles on the Soviet-German front. On May 8, 1940, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. On July 14, 1941, he received oak branches for him (he became the 20th holder of this award). 16/8/1942 B. was the first among bomber pilots to be awarded the Knight's Cross with oak branches and swords (the 16th holder of this award). From 11/15/1944 to 3/6/1945 he commanded (headquarters in Berlin-Gatow) the 202nd bomber squadron as part of the Reich air fleet. In March 1945 he took up the post of General of Bomber Aviation. During the war, he made more than 210 sorties, on his account there were sunk Allied ships with a displacement of 300 thousand tons. After the end of the war, he was invited to work in the aviation industry in Argentina. Died while testing a new aircraft.

BAUMLER (Baumler) Alfred (9.11.1887, Neustadt, Norway - 1968), philosopher. Educated at the Munich, Berlin and Bonn universities. In 1914 he served in the Austrian army. Member of the 1st World War. Since 1928 professor of philosophy at the Dresden Higher School. In 1933-35 professor of political pedagogy at the University of Berlin. He was a link between German universities and the "Rosenberg Bureau", which dealt with issues of Nazi ideology. B.'s views were formed under the influence of F. Nietzsche's "philosophy of life" and O. Spengler's "morphology of history." B. the author of a large number of works on the interpretation of Nietzsche's philosophy (including "Nietzsche - Philosopher and Politician", 1931; The Doctrine of German Spiritual History, 1937), tried to adapt it to the needs of Nazi ideology, often ignoring the real views of Nietzsche. Works 1B. were recognized in the Third Reich as the official guide for the education of the younger generation. In 1942 he was appointed head of the research department of the management of A. Rosenberg. B. was the main researcher of Nietzsche, putting his ideas at the service of Nazism. For B. Nietzsche was a "philosopher heroism", who wanted the power of the "aristocracy of the spirit", in which the "Nordic race" should play the main role. He was the author of a large number of books on philosophy and politics, including "The Human Community and Science" (1934), "Politics and Education" (1943), "Alfred Rosenberg and the Myth of the 20th Century".

BAUR (Baur) Hans (19.6.1897, Ampfing, Bavaria - after 1955), Hitler's personal pilot A, SS Gruppenführer and Police Lieutenant General. Member of the 1st World War. For military distinction, he was awarded the Iron Cross 1st and 2nd class Member of the NSDAP (ticket No. 48 113) and CC (ticket No. 171 865). In 1932, on the recommendation of G. Himmler and R. Hess, he became the Führer's personal pilot. In 1933 he was appointed chief pilot of the Fuhrer, and in 1934 he also led the government squadron serving the NSDAP leadership and the imperial government. He enjoyed the location of Hitler, whom he accompanied on all trips. In April-May 1945, during the fighting in Berlin, he was constantly in the Fuhrer's bunker at the Imperial Chancellery. After Hitler's suicide, among others, he tried to break through to the West, but on May 2 he was captured by Soviet troops and taken to Moscow, where he was held in Butyrka prison. On May 31, 1950, by a military tribunal of the troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Moscow District, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison camps. On October 8, 1955, among the non-amnestied criminals, he was handed over to the authorities of the Federal Republic of Germany and released.

BACH-ZELEWSKI (Wash-Zelewski) Erich Julius Ebergard von der (1.3.1899, Lauenburg, Pomerania - 8.3.1972, Munich-Harlaching), one of the leaders of the SS, Ober-Gruppenführer SS and Police General (9.11.1941), general of the SS troops (1.7.1944). He came from a cadet family of professional military men, until the 30s. was called "Zelewski" and only then could he take the name "Bach". He was educated at the Neustadt, Strasbourg and Konitz gymnasiums. Dec. 1914 volunteered for the 76th Infantry Regiment, promoted to lieutenant on 03/1/1916. B. participant of the 1st World War, company commander. For military distinction he was awarded the Iron Cross 1st and 2nd class. After the end of the war in 1918-19 he served in the 10th Regiment "King Friedrich Wilhelm II", commander of a machine gun company. Left to serve in the Reichswehr, from 1923 he served in the 4th Infantry Regiment. In February 1924, he was dismissed from the army for conducting National Socialist propaganda. He was engaged in agriculture in Düringshof. In app. 1930 joined the NSDAP (ticket number 489 101), in 1931 - SA, 15.2.1931 - in the SS (ticket number 9831); 20/7/1931 received the rank of SS-Sturmführer. From 12/15/1931 commander of the 27th SS standard "Ostmark". In July 1932 he was elected to the Reichstag from Breslau. From 07/12/1932 commander of the 12th (Frankfurt an der Oder), from 12/2/1934 - 7th (Koenigsberg) SS officer. On February 1, 1934, the head of the SS Oberabshnit "North-East" (Koenigsberg), from February 15, 1936 - "South-East" (Breslau). During the Night of the Long Knives, Baron Anton von Hoberg-Buchwald was killed on his orders. After the introduction of the posts of senior leaders of the SS and the police, B.-3.28.6.1938 was appointed by the VRSSP in the South-East (Breslau). He remained in this position until May 20, 1941. In 1940, on the initiative of SS Oberführer Arpad Wiegandt, an inspector of the security police and SD subordinate to him, a concentration camp was established near the city of Auschwitz, which became the largest extermination camp. From 05/01/1941 to 06/21/1944, the highest head of the SS and police in Central Russia (originally headquartered in Mogilev, from 07/24/1943 in Minsk), led operations to combat partisans. From 10/23/1942 to 6/21/1943, authorized by the Reichsfuehrer SS to combat bandit formations in the East. After the destruction of 10/31/1941, 35 thousand people. in Riga said: "There are no more Jews left in Estonia." Organizer of mass executions in Minsk and Mogilev. In 1942, he was in the hospital for a long time, where he was treated for a mental disorder caused by participation in mass executions. 21/7/1943 appointed responsible for the development and implementation of operations; as well as the commander of formations to combat partisans. In 1944-1945 he commanded various SS units, one of the leaders of the suppression of the Warsaw Uprising, where he was entrusted with the leadership of the Bach corps group (in August - November 1944). On September 30, 1944, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. Using extremely cruel measures, he forced the command of the uprising on 10/2/1944 to capitulate. In total, during the uprising and from the terror that followed it at the hands of subordinates of B.-3. troops killed about 200 thousand people. From Nov. 1942 commander XIV, from 4 to 10 Feb. 1945 - X SS Army Corps. Feb. - Apr. 1945 commanded a prefabricated corps "Oder". After the end of the war, he was arrested and acted as a witness at the trial of the International Tribunal in Nuremberg. Until 1950 he was imprisoned. On March 31, 1951, he was sentenced by the Munich Denazification Court to 10 years of community service, which actually allowed him to live in peace in his house in Franconia. In 1958 he was arrested again and in 1961 by a German court for participation in the murders during the "Night of the Long Knives" was sentenced to 4.5 years in prison. In 1962 he was convicted for the murder of 6 communists in 1933 and sentenced to life imprisonment. He died in the prison hospital.

Messengers of the Devil: First Persons of the Third Reich

Rudolf Hess

In 1987, Rudolf Hess, a former friend and deputy of Hitler in the party, hanged himself in the old prison of the German city of Spandau at the age of 93. Keeping him in custody cost the Allied countries $1,000,000 a year. For the last 10 years, Hess has been the only prisoner of the castle. The circumstances of his death were as mysterious as his whole long and tragic life is mysterious.

It all started in the smoky Munich eatery Sterneckebra, where Lieutenant Rudolf Hess, dismissed from the army after the First World War, saw and heard a hitherto unknown orator of the German Workers' Party. That evening turned his whole life upside down. The orator spoke incendiary about what Hess thought about many times: about the betrayal of the people, about the fact that the Jews are to blame for everything. At the end of the speech, a few visitors to the pub gave the speaker a standing ovation.

Since then, Hess' love for Hitler has become something of a personal addiction. We note that, according to the testimony of people who knew Hess closely, for the sake of the Fuhrer, he was ready to do anything - even things that rebelled against the norms of his decency and honor. He was a unique person - probably the only one in Hitler's entourage who was completely devoid of ambition, who could always be relied upon, knowing that he would not set him up, he would not sit up. Hess was the Fuhrer's real alter ego. In the Third Reich they said: "If you want to know what Adolf is thinking, listen to what Rudolf says."

It was he, Hess, who introduced the word "Fuhrer" into circulation, which made every anti-Nazi shudder. It was he who in July 1921 formulated the goals and objectives of the national people's society. It was to him in 1933 that Hitler granted the right to make decisions on all party issues. All military actions in Germany were prepared with his participation. It was he who approved the laws that deprived Jews of the right to vote, and it was him that Hitler in 1939 named his successor, making him the central figure of his inner circle.

By 1941, Rudolf Hess is the second person in the party after the Fuhrer and one of the most influential people in the Third Reich. Only a few weeks remain before the start of the war with the Soviet Union. All the forces of Nazi Germany are mobilized to prepare a terrible blow. It was at this moment that the man whose advice Hitler himself listened to, Reichsleiter and Minister Rudolf Hess, commits an act that made the Fuhrer call his former friend crazy, and plunged Nazi Germany into a severe shock.

In the spring of 1941, Great Britain was shaking under the blows of the Luftwaffe. The city of Coventry is destroyed by a single raid. The Midland region, the center of the country's military industry, is subjected to incessant bombing.

A small island, gaping with the wounds of war and cut off from sources of raw materials, is opposed by the whole of Europe, already working for a single country - Nazi Germany.

On the evening of Saturday, May 10, 1941, the squadron commander of the English air fleet and a member of the British Parliament, Duke Hamilton, was reported: a German Messerschmitt? 110 type aircraft was discovered off the coast of Northumberland. The Duke has no doubt that this is a mistake: never before has the 110th flown so far, for this he would not have had enough fuel. At this moment, a new message arrives: the plane has crashed and is on fire. The pilot is alive, calls himself Alfred Horn, declares that he has arrived in England on a special mission and wants to speak only with the Duke of Hamilton.

As soon as the duke crossed the threshold of the camera, the pilot reminded him that they had known each other since 1936, since the Olympics in Berlin. Finally, seeing Hamilton's bewilderment, the pilot announces that he is Reich Minister Rudolf Hess and has arrived here as a truce envoy on a mission in the name of humanity.

The incredible happened: just a few weeks before the German invasion of the USSR, in absolute secret from everyone, the Reich Minister Hess, dressed in the form of the Luftwaffe, flew in the direction of Great Britain. Twice he had to dive into the rescue fogs over the North Sea to escape RAF interceptors. Then, fearing anti-aircraft batteries, he descended and flew at a strafing flight several hundred meters above the ground. Having reached the place where the estate of the Duke of Hamilton was marked on the map, Hess took to the skies and parachuted out of a brand-new aircraft, which rushed down in a tailspin and crashed on the ground. Almost breaking his neck, the pilot hobbled to the nearest farmhouse and was arrested by representatives of the British authorities. During a search, two business cards with the same last name were found on him: one of them belonged to Karl Haushofer, the famous author of the Lebensraum theory (“living space”), on the basis of which Hitler created his ideology of Nazism; the second - to his son Albert. At one time, these people were included by Hitler in the highest structures of the Third Reich.

Who was he - Rudolf Hess? Parliamentarian - or a traitor?

Back in 1939, shortly before Britain declared war on Germany, Marshal Goering was the first to suggest flying to visit the island nation to clarify the situation. Hitler replied that it was pointless, but you can try if you want. Goering postponed his flight for a while - the situation in the world was painfully confusing then: the European powers could not agree in any way.

He speaks publicist Roy Medvedev: “In the spring of 1941, a paradoxical situation developed in the world, and in Europe in particular, when not a single country waging war knew what to do and what to expect in the future. No one had a plan even for the next two or three months. Not even a plan of action. Because no one knew how the war was going, what to expect.”

His thought continues Oleg Tsarev, in 1970-1992 - foreign intelligence officer: “England was in a very difficult position, in fact, she alone fought with Germany. The Americans have not entered the war, the Soviet Union has not yet been attacked. It was very difficult for her. Germany generally believed that a war with England was undesirable, England simply kept her word when the Germans invaded Poland and declared war.

On August 21, 1939, the last meeting of the Soviet, British and French military delegations took place in Moscow. However, the main goal - the creation of an anti-Hitler coalition - was not achieved. Britain supported Poland, which did not want to make any concessions to the Soviet Union. In the evening of the same day, Stalin makes a turn in a diametrically opposite direction. He decides to conclude a peace treaty with Hitler and sends him a telegram agreeing to the arrival of German Foreign Minister Ribbentrop. Arriving in Moscow, Ribbentrop signs the famous Non-Aggression Pact. According to a secret protocol, the Soviet Union receives part of Eastern Poland.

Göring's official flight to England has been cancelled. But 20 months later, quite unexpectedly for the whole world, Hess flies to England.

He speaks Herman Graml, professor at the Institute of Contemporary History: “This flight was in the hands of Churchill. It was clear that the Germans were again trying to find allies in the West in order to confidently act against the USSR. There are documents according to which Churchill, through the British ambassador in Moscow, tried to make Stalin suspicious of Hitler. And this flight confirmed that Hitler can play a double game.

One of the largest Soviet intelligence officers of the pre-war and post-war period, Kim Philby, said that, according to the materials he had, Hess had arrived to negotiate with the British ruling circles.

In memories Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel, who was next to Hitler at the moment when he was informed of the flight of his deputy, it is said: “Hitler said: “Hess has obviously lost his mind, his brain is not in order. It's clear from the letter he left me, I don't recognize him. You might think that someone else wrote it. He writes that he is going to England to end the war, using his acquaintances with influential Englishmen.

What acquaintances could help Hess make peace? They were provided by two people close to him, the very ones whose business cards were found with him - Dr. Karl Haushofer and his son Albert, who were friends with Lord Hamilton and knew about his relationship with the opposition and sympathies for Nazi Germany.

Let's go back to 1920. Then the demobilized pilot Rudolf Hess entered the University of Munich. During his studies, he wrote a work where he argued that national unity can only be restored under the rule of a people's leader, who, if necessary, does not save before bloodshed - big problems are always solved with blood and iron. The work was approved by professors and students and received a university award. One of those who singled out an outstanding student was his teacher Karl Haushofer, who taught a course in geopolitics at the university and turned out to be, in addition, a great connoisseur of Eastern philosophy, mysticism and theosophy.

It is assumed that in 1905 Haushofer met in Tibet with the famous Russian esotericist Georgy Ivanovich Gurdjieff. Gurdjieff was considered a magician who mastered the method of hypnosis and penetrated the leadership of almost all closed organizations. Some testimonies about his studies in the same theological seminary with Joseph Dzhugashvili and their subsequent meetings are very interesting. One of the theories of the great mystagogue was the theory of "lions", the purpose of which is to lead the herds.

In Germany, Dr. Haushofer publishes a journal in which he presents the reader with his own concept of "blood and soil", where he argues that the survival of the nation requires a policy of expanding living space by occupying countries at a lower stage of development. Student Hess happily picked up the myth of the Hyperboreans and Aryans and, having become familiar with the Lebensraum concept, realized that he had found his spiritual father.

By this time, Hess had already become a member of the Thule Society, interacting with the British Golden Dawn Masonic lodge, a secret association of the high Brotherhood of Light. The founder of this lodge was a British magician and spy Aleister Crowley who repeatedly stated: "I preceded Hitler."

Were these acquaintances, who sympathized with Nazism, Hess was looking for in the UK, hoping at least that they would listen to him? After all, even before climbing into the cockpit of the Messerschmitt, he knew for sure that it was difficult to negotiate with the government of Prime Minister Churchill. It was necessary to go to his opposition. Recall that, having jumped out on a parachute, Hess asked a simple English farmer how to find the Hamilton estate. That is, he walked purposefully, knowing the address. During the first meeting with Lord Hamilton, Hess demands that negotiations be arranged, bypassing the official authorities of England. He wanted to talk about peace not with the prime minister, but with members of the royal family.

It is known that the Duke of Windsor - the most romantic of all the kings of Britain, Edward VIII, who refused the crown in the name of love - once again dreamed of establishing himself on the throne. He expressed his sympathies for Nazism aloud and fully agreed with the Führer's concept of superior races as set out in Mein Kampf. It was stated there that the Germans and the Britons were kindred nations. Maybe Hess wanted to talk about the alliance with him?

Here's what he thinks about it Roy Medvedev: “In this system of racial privileges, they singled out Swedes, Normans, Norwegians, Balts – as peoples closer to Germany. Russians and Poles must be destroyed as racially inferior peoples. Britain was racially complete. Lower than the Germans, but racially more complete than the French or any Romanians. Therefore, Hitler had certain sympathies for Britain, and he emphasized this several times.

It is known that in 1936 the Duke and his wife Mrs. Simpson paid a private visit to Germany. Hitler's proposals could sound like this: in the event of England's entry into the war, Wehrmacht troops land on the island and the Duke of Windsor becomes the monarch again. The data that for these purposes the Reich allocated 5,000,000 Swiss francs to the future royal couple is confirmed by the head of Nazi intelligence, Walter Schellenberg.

Hess knew for sure: true friends of Germany remained in England, bound not only by political views, but also by bonds of a closer nature. One of these was, in his opinion, a member of the Scottish National Party, which at that time advocated independence from England, Sir Douglas Hamilton-Haushofer, being in full confidence that Douglas was an opponent of the course of the English government, supplied Hess with his coordinates. However, Hamilton preferred to pretend that he had never met Haushofer and had never met Hess, and asked to be spared conversations with an unfamiliar pilot. In a couple of days the English radio company BBC broadcast an ironic message, which was perceived in Berlin as a mockery: “Today, no new Reichsministers flew into the territory of Britain”.

Hitler understands that the best argument in the case of Hess will be a reference to mental illness. He signs an appeal to the party and the German people, where he declares his deputy Rudy crazy. This message is voiced on the radio by the head of Nazi propaganda, Goebbels.

All friends and colleagues disowned Hess. Martin Bormann, who owes Hess a career take-off from an ordinary militant to the Fuhrer's secretary, renames one of his sons, named after Hess Rudolph, - from now on the boy bears the neutral name Helmut. Also, in any case, Bormann claims that neither he nor even the Führer intended such a betrayal of the former Party Genosse. But was it possible?

Could betray Hitler his colleague and closest person since the 1920s? Devoted, faithful Rudy, who selflessly loved the Fuhrer and always brought his favorite aphorism to life: "The consignment – this is the order"?

"We believe that the Fuhrer is called from above to create the German destiny". These words Rudolf Hess repeated many times at rallies and in newspaper articles. And this man, who idolized Hitler, could commit treason, decide on an unauthorized flight to England? Doubtful. Maybe this flight was planned by the Fuhrer, who was afraid to fight on two fronts before the attack on the USSR? Historians have not yet come to a consensus on this matter.

Professor at the Munich Institute for Contemporary History Herman Graml thinks: “We can say with certainty that Hitler certainly did not know anything about this flight. We know about this from a number of documents, from the diaries of Joseph Goebbels. Hitler, in private conversations, said how terrible this stupid invention of Hess was. He was in despair and was forced almost immediately after that to declare Hess crazy. It was a heavy propaganda defeat for the Third Reich. Hitler could imagine what the reaction would be and what the consequences would be."

Historian Natalya Lebedeva disagree with him: “It is clear that this was done with the knowledge of Hitler, because it was almost impossible for an airplane to fly out of Germany, just like from the USSR, without the consent of the leadership. And Hess was not a figure not to be followed. It was a proposal either for neutrality or for an alliance against the USSR.”

He speaks Rainer Schmidt, professor of modern history: “If you analyze everything, you can come to the conclusion: Hitler had nothing to do with the preparation and implementation of the flight. Firstly, if Hitler had known about the intentions of his deputy, then Hess would certainly have taken off not from the airfield near Augsburg, but from the Atlantic coast, where he could return. Secondly, Hess's flight was dangerous, because six weeks before the start of the war against Russia, this whole event could become a first-class propaganda object for the British..

So, did Hess get into the Messerschmitt of his own free will?

It is known that on May 5, 1941, Hess met with Hitler. According to the recollections of an assistant, when Hess left the Fuhrer, he put his hand on his shoulder and said: . It can be assumed that the first persons of the Reich were talking about the future flight, before which there were only five days left. But what does this conversation prove? After all, Hess and Hitler could discuss other ways to assure friendly circles in England of their readiness to stop hostilities - for example, through neutral countries. In other words, this version is not fully confirmed.

Another contradictory fact: it is on May 10, the day of Hess's flight, after a break of several months, German bomber aircraft make a devastating raid on London.

"Hess, you have always been an incorrigible stubborn"

A few days later, in Germany, those responsible for the unauthorized flight of Hess were identified. Astrologers are recognized as such, whose opinion Hess always perceived as a guide to action. One more curious touch can be added to the astrological history: the young energetic officer Ian Fleming was then working in the British Naval Intelligence Service. In the future, he will become famous all over the world as the author of books about the famous "007 agent" James Bond. And in the 40s of the last century, he was known to his colleagues as the author of extraordinary intelligence ideas, which, oddly enough, were successfully implemented. Fleming knew not only about Rudolf Hess' fanatical faith in astrology, but also that Hitler's deputy made responsible decisions only after consulting with the stars. According to one version, British intelligence was developing Hess, so that his arrival did not come as a surprise to Prime Minister Churchill.

Tells Rainer Schmidt: “Sir Ian Fleming claimed that the British intelligence agencies systematically worked with representatives of the occult sciences in Switzerland and Munich, with whom Hess communicated. Thus, they made sure that Hess received horoscopes allowing him to fly from Germany to England.

All of Hess's Nazi associates who were lucky enough to leave their memoirs agree on one thing: Hess adored Hitler. He tremblingly kept this feeling in his heart from the time of his acquaintance with Hitler and their joint stay in the Lansberg prison after the failure of the 1923 coup. Even in letters addressed to the bride - Ilse Prel, Hess does not do without mentioning his dear name. The messages of that time breathe love.

Here's what it claims Rainer Schmidt: “As far as I know, the Hess case, which was filed by the KGB, is marked “Black Berta” – it was Hess's nickname in Berlin homosexual circles. British psychiatrists, who had observed Hess for many years and wrote the conclusion of the examination, believed that in 1923 he had a homosexual relationship with Hitler in Lansberg prison. They argued that his attachment to the Fuhrer was based not only on ideology, but also on homosexual relations.

This version is supported by the fact that by 1941 the figure of Hess was relegated from the Fuhrer to the background by Bormann, Goering and Himmler. Hess was very worried about his distance and, in an attempt to return his beloved Fuhrer, decided on such an irresponsible and theatrical act as flying alone to the British shores. In his last speech at the Nuremberg trials, Rudolf Hess again confessed his love for Adolf Hitler - not knowing, in all likelihood, that four years earlier the Führer had ordered the liquidation of the former Party Genosse by SS paratroopers. Fortunately for Hess, that landing was itself destroyed.

The transcripts of the same Nuremberg trials recorded a remarkable fact: at one of the meetings, Hess wished to announce his mission in England. But as soon as he managed to utter the words "in the spring of 1941", he was interrupted by the chairman of the tribunal, the Englishman Lawrence. After that, Rudolf Hess refused to answer the questions of the judges, played an insane man who had lost his memory. What did he want to say - and why was he interrupted?

It can be assumed that Churchill kept Hess as if in reserve. It is even known that the Prime Minister was going to make a statement in the House of Commons - to say: they say, yes, Hess has arrived, but we strongly reject these false attempts to make an alliance with Germany.

He speaks Natalia Lebedeva: “If, as they feared, Russia had held out for only three weeks to three months, then Hess might be needed in order to somehow negotiate with the Germans. But not before the fall of the Soviet Union.”

In all likelihood, Hess was going to say something at the trial that could very much displease the British side and cause a scandal in Nuremberg between the allies in World War II. Perhaps, with his silence, he saved his head from the noose at that moment. Hess was sentenced to life imprisonment.

In Spandau, where Nazi criminals sentenced to various terms were kept, he was a stranger among his own. The captives tried not to have anything to do with him, and Rudolf himself shunned them.

In a personal conversation Tagir Chekushin, attending physician of Hess in 1977-1980, said: “Hess was a peculiar person, he considered himself superior to everyone who was in Spandau. And he considered almost everyone to be his subordinates. This fact is known: when the prisoners were hanged, many of their heads were torn off, there was a lot of blood. Those who were sentenced to long terms or life sentences had to clean up the blood and everything else. Rudolf Hess refused to do this, saying: "Why would I do this when I have admirals and generals, let them clean up."

In the first years of his imprisonment, he did not leave the cell, did not exercise, did not attend church. He kept talking about not feeling well. No one came to see him on a date, and he himself did not ask anyone about it. Known cases – at least three tries – when he tried to commit suicide. He was terrified of being poisoned. He covered the drinking glasses with paper and tied them with threads.

Subsequently, when Hess was the only prisoner in prison, his behavior changed dramatically. He seemed to feel an interest in life, and it should be noted that the attitude of the prison administration towards him was more than amazing. In the history of keeping criminals of this magnitude in the twentieth century, it is difficult to find examples that are at least somewhat similar to this one.

Here's what he said Petr Lipeyko, checking the guard in Spandau in 1985-1987: “For his birthday and Christmas, he demanded grapes and some other products that he liked. From the stories of the head of the prison it follows that there were often cases when a special plane was sent to Europe for provisions.

In prison, Rudolf Hess studied the moon. There is a legend that the Americans, before landing on the moon, allegedly sent a specialist to his cell with the permission of the director, who consulted with Hess on the lunar landscape.

According to eyewitnesses, having spent a total of 46 years in prisons in England and in Spandau, Hess was not broken either mentally or physically. He still hoped to be free. The circumstances seemed to be in his favor - reports were leaked to the press that the Soviet side was ready to consider this issue.

He speaks Roy Medvedev: “Even my good friend Academician Sakharov wrote in one of his journalistic articles that the problem of the unfortunate Hess must be solved. Then the Soviet press attacked Sakharov for allegedly defending a war criminal. I asked him why he does it. “It's a pity, the helpless old man is in prison, he is guarded by four states. Senseless situation. We need to free him."

“Mr. Hess was already 92 years old, continues the story Tagir Chekushin. – And, of course, he really wanted to be released. During the last years, when I supervised him, he was looking forward to meeting his family.”

On August 17, 1987, at 6:35 p.m., a telephone rang in the house of Hess's son Wolf Rudiger. The administration of the Spandau prison officially informed him of the death of his father. According to the official version, prisoner No. 7, 92-year-old Rudolf Hess, committed suicide. Taking advantage of the fact that the guards left him alone for several minutes in a summer house inside the prison yard, the prisoner ties one end of a flexible cord from an electric lamp to the window, wraps the other tightly around his neck and throws himself on the ground. Death by hanging.

The first to reject the official version lawyer Hess Dr. Seidl, who stated that his client was simply not physically able to end his life in this way: “The elderly prisoner could not even raise his hand above his head and tie his shoelaces or put on a sweater on his own. His desire to free himself was very powerful. And, accordingly, I think that he died a violent death.

Casts doubt on the version of suicide and sensational statement Gennady Savin, Director of the Spandau International Prison in 1978-1983: “The prison protected by four states had a loophole, and someone used it. Hess had his own channels of communication in addition to the official ones. I had no proof, but Hess learned some things bypassing our channels. The statement of the son of Hess caused a scandal – an investigation began, during which it turned out that on the day of death, his orderly was not allowed to see Hess. He hardly breaks through to the garden house and sees two strangers above the lifeless body of his ward. One of them began to give Hess artificial respiration, and with such zeal that, as the autopsy showed, he broke nine of his ribs and tore several internal organs.

Here it is necessary to note several points. First: if a person had simply laid hands on himself, that is, suicide had taken place, his ribs would not have been broken. And Hess, as far as I know, had several broken ribs during the autopsy. So he got the injuries that led to this. Second: there were abrasions on the face, on the torso, bruises. It speaks of a physical effect. Thirdly, I think that he received these injuries when he still had normal cardiac activity, there was good blood flow, since bruises do not form in a dead person. These factors suggest that it was a violent death.”

On August 24, the Spandau prison is demolished and the house is burned down. Who benefited? Wolf Rudiger is convinced: to the British intelligence services.

The Institute for Forensic Medicine in Munich, upon re-examination of the body, establishes: Rudolf Hess was strangled twice. What did he throw himself out of his chair twice? So there has been a murder.

“If my father got out of prison,- claimed Wolf Rudiger, – then, to put it mildly, problems would arise, my father was not going to remain silent ".

Hess knew that he had every chance to leave the walls of Spandau, and once told his guard that he would soon make a statement that would make the world shudder. It is possible that he could have made some statements exposing the British, revealing the essence of the negotiations that Hess conducted while in England. Such facts could be a serious blow to the prestige of the country. Thus, the British are the only ones who could be interested in removing Hess after a long stay in Spandau.

When during the investigation it became clear that the official version - suicide - was falling apart before our eyes, the British Attorney General Alan Green ordered the investigation to be closed without explanation. What is this strange solution?

It is known that at the end of May 1941, under pressure from public opinion, Churchill was preparing a report on the purpose of Hess's arrival, which was going to be read out in parliament. However, the report was never read - its text is sent to the archive. In the part of the archive opened today, a draft was found, in the margins of which there is a curious note made by hand Churchill: "Hess also made other statements that it is not in the public interest to disclose.".

Was it not these statements that Hess wanted to report when he was interrupted by the British representative at the Nuremberg Trials? And who shut his mouth before he made another attempt after 46 years in prison? The full archives of the Hess case will only be declassified by the UK in 2017. It is unlikely that until this moment we can count on the full truth. One thing is certain: England did not accept Hitler's proposal through his close friend Rudolf Hess. But if history had decreed otherwise, perhaps the world map would now be dominated by black.

Martin Borman

He was seen in Italy and Spain, Paraguay and Australia. He was searched in Indonesia and Egypt, in Africa and Antarctica. He was greeted under different names, and different prosecutor's offices issued warrants for his arrest.

His graves are in Italy, in Argentina, and even at the Lefortovo cemetery in Moscow. Date of birth - 1900 - coincides. The name - Martin Bormann - corresponds.

The evidence for his suicide on May 2, 1945 in Berlin seems indisputable, but his long post-war life looks no less indisputable. Bormann was called the shadow of the Fuhrer. During his lifetime, he was known as a cruel pragmatist, and after his disappearance he turned into an elusive mysterious mystical creature, into a ghost, into a mirage, into a legend.

The Fuhrer Bunker, a historical monument of the 20th century, witnessed the historical events of April-May 1945. German writer Felix Kellerhof described this place as follows: “This is the place where the Fuhrer of the German Reich committed suicide. From this place began the most terrible crimes ever committed in Europe, and here the Fuhrer decided to die from responsibility and from a fair trial of the peoples. Here, at this place where the parking lot is now, there is a concrete slab at a depth of eight and a half meters. This is the only thing left of the former Reich Chancellery of the Fuhrer. Over time, this issue has become overgrown with numerous legends and myths, but what actually happened in the bunker is no less interesting and important.”

In the biography of Martin Bormann, who joined the NSDAP in February 1927 (party number 60508), Reichsleiter, SS Gruppenführer, Hitler's secretary, there were indeed many blank spots, conflicting events and facts.

Martin Bormann was born on June 17, 1900. The beginning of his biography is not of particular interest. In fact, it begins in 1924, when Bormann and several landowners from Mecklenburg were arrested for participating in the sadistic murder of the teacher Kadov. All of them, including Kadov, were members of one of the militaristic unions, of which there were dozens in Germany in those years. Such reprisals, the so-called Fehme trials, against former accomplices in these unions were not uncommon. Justice, which did not want to interfere in the affairs of the Feme courts, qualified the murder as unintentional, so the participants in the murder received 10-12 years in prison, and Bormann only a year.

In 1926, a year after his release, Bormann joined the Nazi Party, where he began his activities with small assignments. His diligence, strong-willed qualities, and quick reaction were soon noticed, and Bormann received an influential position as head of the party fund for mutual assistance. Bormann's next step is to marry Gerda Buch.

Bormann's son says Adolf Martin Bormann: “My mother was 19 when she got married. I do not think that she was a convinced Nazi from childhood, although her father was a party judge and in 1933 became the official supreme judge of the Nazi party. But in 1929, by the time of the wedding, at which Hitler was a witness from the side of the groom, that is, my father, my mother was already a fanatical follower of Hitler.

Now Bormann was among the people close to Hitler. A diligent manager, Bormann performed the most routine clerical work, which was refused by the Fuhrer's confidants. Hitler realized that he needed this efficient and dedicated performer. Determined to advance further, Bormann chose a simple tactic: to prove to Hitler that he was indispensable. The method turned out to be correct - in 1933 he already headed the office of Hess.

Hitler created the Chancellery as an apparatus of personal power, a feature of work in this position was the breadth and uncertainty of powers. This gave Bormann the opportunity to interfere in the activities of any services of the Third Reich. His influence grew. He wrote down all the thoughts of Hitler, even those spoken by chance. From his notebook notes, Bormann compiled a card file of Hitler's statements, which laid the foundation for the archive. Then the archive was replenished with dossiers on each of the members of the state and party nomenclature of the Reich, they consisted of a biography, significant and minor life facts, as well as compromising evidence.

Over time, all the Fuhrer's financial affairs passed to Bormann, he managed not only Hitler's fees, his personal finances, but also the amount of 100,000,000 Reichmarks, the contribution of German entrepreneurs to the Hitler German Industry Foundation. Even Hitler's beloved depended on Bormann, because Hitler entrusted her support to him. " I know,- said Adolf Gitler, – that Bormann does everything thoroughly. I am confident that Bormann will carry out my orders, in spite of all obstacles. Bormann's papers are so designed that I only have to answer "yes" or "no". With him, I coordinate a lot of documents in 10 minutes, for which it would take hours with other gentlemen.

Recalls Adolf Martin Bormann: “I asked what National Socialism really was, to which my father replied: “National Socialism – it is the will of the Fuhrer." That is, Hitler's will was for him a kind of higher concept, a measure of all things in the National Socialist world order. It was only later that I realized to what extent my father was at the mercy of Hitler.

Soon everyone in Hitler's entourage received a circular marked “Personally. Top secret". It explained that from now on all documents and reports to the Fuhrer should be submitted to Bormann, everyone who wants to get to Hitler must first report to Bormann the purpose of their visit. Bormann achieved power. Now personnel promotions depended on him, the successes of some and the failures of others depended on his reports to Hitler. Once, when asked by Goebbels where his report was, Bormann simply replied that he did not consider it necessary to pass it on to Hitler.

Martin Bormann - Gerde Bormann, December 12, 1943: « It is not good that wins in the world and the universe, but the strong triumphs over the weak. That is why we must cultivate firmness and determination in our people, temper them.”

The elite of the Third Reich did not like Bormann and were afraid. He was called an uncouth hillbilly, a pig in a potato field. A vivid and deadly characterization of Bormann was given by his sworn enemy Hermann Goering: "Little secretary, big schemer and dirty pig". But Bormann did not care about the opinions of others, Hitler loved him and trusted him infinitely. "A few critical words of Hitler, Reichsminister noted Albrecht Speer, – and all Bormann's enemies would have seized him by the throat. But Hitler never tired of Bormann and never uttered these critical words.

Bormann preferred the power of the gray cardinal to all kinds of power. He skillfully manipulated people, using their human weaknesses. He found a young wife for the elderly financial tycoon Hjalmar Schacht, also helped Himmler, and Bormann's wife Gerda became the best friend of the Reichsfuhrer's young mistress. In addition, he provided Himmler with money, giving him a round sum from the party fund. Bormann subjugated Hess to his influence, taking it upon himself to supply the Führer's assistant with partners for non-traditional sexual fun.

Tells Elena Syanova, historian, writer: « He was a master of quarreling everyone, he excelled everyone in this. He quarreled between Hitler's adjutants, he quarreled with people who were to, as we would now put it, participate in the same project, and the project fell apart. He quarreled between husbands and wives, he managed to quarrel Goebbels with Magda when they had already officially reconciled, they decided that after all the conflicts they would live together, pretend that they lived together, – and he managed to quarrel them so that it was hardly possible to hush it up. That is, it was a person who had a lot of energy.”

On May 2, 1945, the game ended. Nazi Germany was crushed, ahead of the void. Bormann could not imagine that when his body collapsed onto the rails of the railway bridge near the Lehrter station, one Bormann would suddenly turn into three different people, and for a very long time it would be impossible to understand which of them was real and which was invented - a Nazi criminal who lies with glass on the teeth from a crushed vial of poison, or the great Soviet intelligence agent, quietly living out his days in Moscow, or the elusive head of the worldwide brotherhood of the Nazis, hiding in the South American jungle.

It was all over, Hitler was dead. Goebbels followed his Fuhrer with his wife and children. Goering was declared a traitor. Himmler is convicted of having links with the enemy. Friends, enemies, competitors no longer existed, and in the hands was the will of the Fuhrer, in which he, Bormann, was declared Minister for Party Affairs. The Third Reich was living its last hours, and the power over the Fourth Reich belonged to him. According to the official version, on the night of May 1-2, Bormann, with a group of SS men, decided on a desperate breakthrough through the location of Soviet troops. Several hours passed and he disappeared. On the morning of May 2, specially created teams from SMERSH units began combing the numerous rooms of the bunker and the surrounding area - step by step, meter by meter. Bormann was neither among the living nor among the dead. Together with Bormann, the party's gold reserves, which amounted to an astronomical amount, also disappeared.

Soon, posters were put up all over Germany with an announcement about the wanted Martin Bormann. For any information about the location of the Reichleiter, the Americans promised a fabulous amount for that time - $ 1,000. Radio Hamburg tirelessly transmitted his special signs. Soviet intelligence about their search for Nazi number 2 preferred to remain silent. She had in her hands those who spent the last days in the bunker, those who, together with Bormann, tried to break through: Hitler's personal chauffeur Erich Kempka, Hitler's personal pilot Bauer, the Fuhrer of the German youth Arthur Axmann, Hitler's adjutant Günsche and others.

But the interrogation of eyewitnesses only confused the picture, out of nine witnesses, eight claimed to have seen how Bormann was killed, only the place and circumstances of his death sounded different each time. One saw Bormann's corpse in the tank, another near the tank, a third on the bridge, and a fourth in the middle of Invalidenstrasse. The investigators who conducted the inquiry were convinced that they were being led by the nose, that the witnesses, who had agreed in advance to convince the Russians that Bormann was dead, for objective reasons, could not agree on the details. Interrogation of the highest ranks of the General Staff and information received from front-line intelligence provided the following information: “Secret. Marshal of the Soviet Union Comrade Stalin. I report: a report by the head of the intelligence department of the headquarters of the First Belorussian Front about the fate of Hitler, Goebbels, Himmler, Goering and other statesmen and political figures of Germany, compiled according to the testimony of prisoners of war generals of the German army. Bormann, according to the testimony of the prisoners, is among those who broke through to present the Fuhrer's will to Grand Admiral Doenitz. Head of the Main Intelligence Directorate General Kuznetsov».

Tells historian Konstantin Zalessky: “The Western allies, even after the surrender, did not actively begin to disarm the armed forces of Germany. Entire armed units simply stood in the camps, they could be used at any moment. And in this case, Martin Bormann, and Karl Doenitz, and other leaders could count on being taken for equal partners and, accordingly, not for criminals.

On July 17, 1945, Soviet radio broadcast an official message that Bormann was alive and with the Allies. Montgomery's British staff responded irritably, "We don't have it." “And we don’t have it,” the Americans hastened to respond. Thousands of people were thrown in search of the missing Nazi, they were looking for him in all the occupation zones of Germany, in Italy, in Austria, in Spain and Denmark. For the first time, American and British intelligence experts used technology based on methods of studying the enemy from a distance. This technology was based on the work of an ancient history specialist, Oxford professor Ronald Syme, who could "revive" the Roman emperor through a thorough study of his entourage. The experts' findings stunned US and British leaders. Bormann, experts insisted, had been posing as another person for many years, leading a double life.

He speaks Adolf Martin Bormann: “He was not a tyrant, he tried to be a good father, but since the beginning of the war he was almost never at home, like other fathers. I will add to this that in my father's study in the house on the Obersalzberg hung Kant's dictum, his famous categorical imperative: "Act in such a way that your behavior can serve as a moral law for everyone." The father’s mistake was that he chose Hitler as an example to follow and a moral teacher.”

Martin Bormann - Gerde Bormann, February 4, 1944: « Silence – usually the most reasonable course of action. The truth should be told only when it is really necessary. You can never be completely sure of the people around you.

The impression he made was absolutely inconsistent with the real power of the Reichsleiter. A small stocky man with a decent paunch and a head always drawn into his shoulders. Always hanging in a bag of military uniform. A shapeless briefcase, constantly sticking out from under his arm. An ordinary and harmless provincial accountant. But it was enough to look closely at his face to understand that this impression is deceptive. The head is on a short strong neck, the face of a bulldog with powerful jaws. A tightly compressed mouth, a hard strong-willed look of dark eyes. This man was extremely dangerous, everyone was afraid of him. And no wonder: many fell victim to his intrigues, from Hitler's bodyguards and influential generals to such political heavyweights as Himmler, Goebbels and Goering. It was rumored that Hitler himself was afraid of him. He was surrounded by the total hatred of the generals and the supreme rulers of the Reich. The arch-villain, the evil spirit, Hitler's Lucifer, the archangel of evil, the brown Bolshevik - this is not a complete list of the nicknames that his closest party comrades awarded him. Goebbels, about whom there was a stable opinion as a genius, could not defeat Bormann, this uncouth, unintelligent and dishonest intriguer in the struggle for the favor of the Fuhrer.

Tells Konstantin Zalessky: “He was a mysterious figure for the allies and for us too. That is, they understood that this person had great influence, and such information, of course, reached them through the line of their intelligence. Because the party apparatus knew who Bormann was, and this information was received by them and, accordingly, this caused interest – who is Mr. Bormann, who is Mr. Bormann.

The first months of searching for Bormann did not bring any result, but at the end of July 1945, the German writer Heinrich Lenau claimed that he had met the Reichsleiter on a train from Hamburg to Flensburg. The anti-Nazi writer who spent several years in a concentration camp could hardly be accused of pursuing a cheap sensation. His testimony convinced the judges of the Nuremberg Tribunal that Bormann was alive, and therefore should be tried. He was the only defendant to be tried in absentia.

From the verdict of the International Military Tribunal: “In accordance with the sections of the indictment under which the defendants were found guilty, and in accordance with Article 27 of the Charter, the International Military Tribunal sentenced: Martin Bormann – to death by hanging."

When asked where Martin Bormann, one of the defendants of the Nuremberg Tribunal, could be now, Hermann Göring, angrily replied: "I hope he's on fire right now."

This statement of one of the main Nazi criminals looks at least strange. He, like many other leaders of the Third Reich, did not like Bormann, but still he was his party ally. What could give Goering reason to hate Bormann so much? The judges did not share Goering's hope, they were sure that Bormann was somewhere nearby and was closely following the progress of the process, so the tribunal put Bormann on the international wanted list. The price for information on his whereabouts rose to 100,000 marks. And then messages poured in from all over the world. Bormann was seen in Australia, then in Egypt, then in Italy, Bormann was seen by journalists and diplomats, pilots and sailors, the ghost of a parteigenosse appeared at the same time to different people in different places. All this resembled a global hoax with the participation of many voluntary false witnesses.

Recalls Andrey Martynov, candidate of philosophical sciences: “Martin Bormann was looked for everywhere, where they were buried, and how many times they were not buried. He was seen in completely different countries and with completely different names: Manfredo Berg, Kurt Gauch, Van Klouten, Jose Esero, Luigi Bolivier, Eliazar Goldstein, Josef Jan, Martino Pormaggiore, these are, as it were, his names. Seen in Italy, in Rome, even a specific place was called – the monastery of San Antonio, a Franciscan monastery; Argentina, Chile, priest in Poland, Spain, Ito city in Paraguay. Years of death: 52nd year, Italy, 59th year, Paraguay, 73rd year, USSR, 75th year, Argentina, 89th year, Great Britain.

Even during the war, the US Office of Strategic Services managed to intercept radio messages exchanged between Moscow and its agents in Switzerland and Germany. Their deciphering took years, but the result justified the effort. It turned out that Moscow received operational, secret and important information from the very heart of Nazi Germany. The agent, hiding under the pseudonym Werther, could instantly answer any question about the deployment and movement of Wehrmacht divisions, described in detail their staffing and weapons, and revealed strategic and operational plans.