Hitler’s Henchmen Created for the session of Literature & the Holocaust by Ms. J. Harris

These masterminds of the horrors of Holocaust were found to be psychologically normal. They were men of fine standing, cultured, husbands who morning and night kissed their wives, fathers who tucked their children into bed...

Martin Bormann In terms of politics, he was second only to Hitler within the Third Reich. Began as a secretary Came up with the idea of promoting young officers to spy on higher-ranking officials Fanatically anti-clergy His influence would establish a friendship with Hitler. –Witnessed his marriage to Eva Braun –Child’s middle name = Adolf –Hitler was the godfather of his ten children –Watched Hitler commit suicide

Bormann (continued) Used his position as a secretary to keep out political opponents such as Himmler, Goebbels, and Heydrich. His fate is unknown due to insufficient DNA samples before his disappearance. –Theories Killed when his tank was blown up (trying to escape) Suicide Fled to a monastery Traveled to Argentina

Heinrich Himmler Believed Hitler to be the “Messiah that would lead Germany to greatness” (Hitler = a big fan of flattery) Came to rule over the Gestapo after the death of Diels Sabotaged other leaders (manufactured evidence w/ Heydrich that indicated Roehm was paid $12 million by the French to overthrow Hitler) Commander of the SS (Schutzstaffel)- personal bodyguard for Hitler

Schutzstaffel Himmler (continued) 2 nd in command- Ernst Kaltenbrunner (known for his brutality) Wore black pants and brown shirts like the SA with silver death’s head badges on black caps & black ties Hand-picked by Himmler to ensure only good Aryans were admitted Later changed wardrobe to all black Went from 52,000 men to 800,000 Subdivisions of this group were created: – Waffen SS (warring division of the SS) 594,000 men –Death’s Head Unit (Totenkopfverbande); concentration / extermination camps 24,000 men

Reinhard “Richard” Heydrich Joined the Nazi party after being fired from his job (got daughter of the boss pregnant) Member of the SS Formed the SD (Sicherheitsdienst) or intelligence service of the Third Reich became leader of the Gestapo (still under Himmler’s supervision) & of the chair of the Reich Security Administration Credited as being the man who got Stalin to join forces with Hitler –Convinced him that many of Russia’s generals were trying to overthrow him; led to the Great Purge)

Heydrich (continued) Eventually given control over Czechoslovakia and told to “Germanize the Czech vermin” Trusted due to his role in the Night of the Long Knives –Some Nazi leaders were suspected of treason –Rounded up –Executed –"In this hour I was responsible for the fate of the German people, and thereby I become the supreme judge of the German people. I gave the order to shoot the ringleaders in this treason.” –Spoken by Hitler

Heydrich (continued) Only Nazi leader that Allied power tried to assassinate Eventually killed by two Czechs with a grenade while in his car Retribution for his death: –Lidice, a town in Czechoslovakia, was annihilated –Thousands of Czechs were slaughtered by the Gestapo

Herman Göring (Goering) Nazism = “political love at first sight” Head of the SA or Sturm Abteilung Asked by Hitler to spy on other political party meetings and then disrupt them Helped push Hitler into power over the German national government One of Hitler’s ‘favorites’ –Presented him the position of the Reichstag President which resided over the German Parliament consisting of: Communists Social Democrats Catholics Nationalists Nazis

Göring (continued) Hitler’s legal heir Health Problems: –Morphine addict –Obese (280 + lbs.) Appointed Diels to the position of Chief of the Political Police or Gestapo (later he would be killed via a request from Himmler) Conceptualized the idea of concentration camps with Himmler In charge of the Luftwaffe, German Air Force Sentenced to die after his trial at Nuremberg –Swallowed potassium cyanide capsules instead –Issued to each officer of the Third Reich “God gave the savior to the German people. We have faith, deep and unshakeable faith, that he [Hitler] was sent to us by God to save Germany.”

Ernst Roehm Ally of Hitler’s in the Beer Hall Putsch (As a result of this, he was discharged from the German army.) Appointed by Goering to by the captain of the SA (storm troopers) –Powerful organization –Could remove any threat in its way…even the fuehrer himself – million members Well-liked by Hitler –Detested by others b/c: Of his belief in socialism Homosexuality During the Night of the Long Knives, he was arrested by the SS. Hitler pardoned him, then changed his mind. He offered Roehm the option of suicide. When the former didn’t comply, he was shot twice. Replaced by Victor Lutze (weak) who later allowed the SS to take over “Hitler can't walk over me as he might have done a year ago; I've seen to that. Don't forget that I have three million men, with every key position in the hands of my own people, Hitler knows that I have friends in the Reichswehr, you know! If Hitler is reasonable I shall settle the matter quietly; if he isn't I must be prepared to use force - not for my sake but for the sake of our revolution.”

Rudolf Hess Took part in the Beer Hall Putsch and ended up in jail with Hitler –Helped write / edit Mein Kampf Oversaw the Central Political Committee Mentally unbalanced- wanted to fly to England in a twin engine aircraft, take Churchill out of power, and prove to Russia that Germany was a worthy ally Captured in England –Sent to the Tower of London –Sentenced to life but mysteriously “hanged”himself 93 years-old 25 feet above the ground Electric extension cord “No matter what human beings do I shall some day stand before the judgment seat of the Eternal. I shall answer to Him, and I know he will judge me innocent.”

Adolf Eichmann Failed to complete engineering course of study SS Lt. Col. Who was Chief of Jewish Office (a Jewish “specialist”) Implemented the Final Solution at the request of Heydrich headed the Office for Jewish Immigration –Resettlement turned into death camps “I never personally had anything against the Jews.”

Eichmann (continued) Paper-pusher for the Third Reich Since he was not directly involved in the mass murders, Eichmann almost got away because it took so much time to link him to his actions. –Fled to Argentina –Sentenced to death during the Nuremberg Trials even though he was not there –Caught by Israeli secret agents –Executed

Rudolf Hoess Was noticed at an early age as having potential –Killed his former teacher after he was accused of treason Was the head SS officer at Dachau and then Auschwitz –Allowed 500,000 people to starve –Gave the orders for 2,500,000 people to be put to death “A true pioneer in his field.” Once pulled himself away from a family Christmas gathering to ensure that the gas chambers were functioning properly. Hanged at Auschwitz by the British

Joseph GoebbelsMaster of Propaganda "Hitler, I love you!" “A Jew is for me an object of disgust. I feel like vomiting when I see one. Christ could not possibly have been a Jew. It is not necessary to prove that scientifically-- it is a fact.” Julius Streicher “Germans must fight Jews, that organized body of world criminals against whom Christ, the greatest anti- Semite of all time, had fought.” Newspaper editor Called Hitler’s return to politics a “gift from God” Performed private interviews with Hitler (favorite reporter) Alfred RosenbergBelieved in the religion of the blood Jesus was distorted by fanatics like Matthew & Paul (actually Nordic) Jesus was a conquering hero, not a victim of crucifixtion.

-The End-