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Ian Colvin that he had just received fresh information about Canaris's fate from a former acquaintance, Johannes Toeppen, who had been the Abwehr's chief accountant. Toeppen told Jenke that "Canaris was seen in Berlin about April 20th [1945] under close escort and...that he was subsequently told that the Admiral had been shot and buried in a bomb crater on April 23rd at a time when Hitler was ordering some of the last executions".* It would be incredibly ironic if the male corpse autopsied by the Soviets on 8 May 1945 had actually been that of Admiral Canaris. By June 1945, the Soviets could be virtually certain that they had not found Hitler's corpse. From that point onwards, however, rather than acknowledging the prospect that Hitler's body might never be found, Stalin endorsed the idea that Hitler had escaped from the bunker. While attending the Potsdam Conference in Berlin in July 1945, during conversations with US Secretary of State James F. Byrnes and Fleet Admiral William D. Leahy, Chairman of the American Joint Chiefs of Staff, Stalin expressed the firm conviction that Hitler was still alive. In fact, in August 1945, he accused the British of "concealing the real, living Adolf Hitler in their sector of Berlin". Ian Colvin that he had just received fresh information about announcement as this would be a natural ruse if Hitler decided to Canaris's fate from a former acquaintance, Johannes Toeppen, do what he has been reported to have planned to do—disappear, who had been the Abwehr's chief accountant. Toeppen told Jenke and 'go underground’, there to plan further crimes." that "Canaris was seen in Berlin about April 20th [1945] under In his war column published on the same page, DeWitt close escort and...that he was subsequently told that the Admiral Mackenzie asserted: had been shot and buried in a bomb crater on April 23rd at a time "The story of Hitler's death is almost to [sic] good to be true, and when Hitler was ordering some of the last executions".* It would certainly can't be accepted until proof is forthcoming, because be incredibly ironic if the male corpse autopsied by the Soviets on there's such a strong possibility of trickery.""' 8 May 1945 had actually been that of Admiral Canaris. A Gallup poll subsequently established that 68 per cent of those By June 1945, the Soviets could be virtually certain that they surveyed questioned whether Hitler was really dead.” had not found Hitler's corpse. From that point onwards, however, However, the question of whether Hitler was really dead was rather than acknowledging the prospect that Hitler's body might instantly eclipsed by the question of how he had died. This time, never be found, Stalin endorsed the idea that Hitler had escaped the New York Times was at the least sceptical end of the spectrum, from the bunker. While attending the Potsdam Conference in asserting in its editorial column that "there seems to be no good Berlin in July 1945, during conversations with US Secretary of reason to doubt that Hitler...died as the [German] announcement State James F. Byrnes and Fleet Admiral William D. Leahy, says he did".'’ The editorial made the persuasive point that such a Chairman of the American Joint Chiefs of Staff, Stalin expressed death would have helped "perpetuate the legend which formed the the firm conviction that Hitler was still alive. In fact, in August core of Nazi propaganda and by which [Hitler] rose to power— 945, he accused the British of "concealing the real, living Adolf the legend that he and the Nazis were shining knights in armor Hitler in their sector of Berlin".* fighting for European civilization against bolshevism—'to their last breath'." (My italics) The origins of the suicide legend At the other extreme, a British Foreign Office spokesman During the last week of April and first few days of May 1945, the world aboured under considerable dismissed the idea that Hitler had gone down fighting as the "most complete nonsense".'* To support this uncertainty as to Hitler's whereabouts. conclusion, the spokesman revealed Reports that Hitler had gone to Berlin At the other extreme, that several days earlier, "Himmler to conduct the city's defence were a British Foreign Office was said to have given the dismissed as propaganda. Among numerous’ reports published information that Hitler was likely to was die within 48 hours". He had given spokesman dismissed the concerning nis subject, several idea that Hitler had this information to a Swedis contact, claimed that Hitler was already dead. . . ‘ount Folke Bernadotte, who later The first such report came from a gone down fighting as the claimed that on this occasion "high diplomat" who had reached "most complete nonsense". Himmler had told him that he planned safety in Switzerland; on 28 April, he said that Hitler and Goebbels had to create "a Hitler legend which, after the fall of the Third Reich, would been shot three days earlier.° The play the same part as the 'stab in the next day, papers reported that according back’ phrase after the peace of to a "high British source" Himmler had had Hitler poisoned.’ Versailles".'° If Himmler really had said this, Bernadotte must The first official pronouncement on Hitler's fate came at 10.27 have relayed the information to the Allies very quickly, for, even pm on | May 1945, when Admiral Karl Doenitz declared over before anyone could even be sure that Hitler was dead, the Hamburg radio that Hitler had "fallen at his command post in the _ priority had shifted to insisting that Hitler "had met death in a Reich Chancery fighting to the last breath against Bolshevism and manner which would thwart any die-hard Nazi attempt to build a for Germany". Until they learned about this broadcast, the Allies Wagnerian legend about him"."” apparently had not known that Hitler was dead. But the British Intriguingly, an Associated Press report from London that was accepted the idea with enthusiasm. "The Foreign Office took the published in the Toronto Globe and Mail on 2 May 1945 asserted view that it was 'extremely unlikely’ Hitler's death would have that Doenitz's claim that Hitler had died a hero's death had been been announced by the Germans if it had not actually occurred, denounced by a "ghost voice": the [anonymous Foreign Office] commentator said." "Doenitz eulogized Hitler as a man who had dedicated his life While the certainty of the British media set the tone for other to Germany and to warring against ‘Bolshevism’, and who now countries in the Empire, such as Canada and Australia, scepticism had died a ‘hero's death’. A powerful ghost voice interrupted him, was widespread in the United States. An editorial in the New shouting: 'This is a lie!’ The ghost voice continued to heckle York Times cautioned: throughout the Doenitz speech.""* "The Nazis have made lies so much a part of their politics, and Whether this report of a "ghost voice" is true or not, it shows the reports about Hitler's alleged doubles have been so widely that the Foreign Office was anxious from the first to cast doubt on spread, that these announcements are bound to leave in many claims that Hitler had died as a result of enemy action. minds that the master liar is attempting to perpetrate one last great The next day, 3 May, probably at the request of his political hoax on the world in an effort to save himself, and perhaps prepare adviser, John Wheeler-Bennett of the Royal Institute of the way for his return at a later and more auspicious time."” International Affairs (the British equivalent of the Council on The Salamanca Republican-Press wrote in the same vein: Foreign Relations), US General Dwight D. Eisenhower laid his "The German radio is a creature of the Nazi regime, and one of _ considerable prestige behind what seemed at the time to be the the Nazi principles is that lying is not only permissible but best alternative theory of Hitler's demise. He backed up the praiseworthy if it will further Nazi purposes. Some such Foreign Office statement, explaining that early on the morning of At the other extreme, a British Foreign Office spokesman dismissed the idea that Hitler had gone down fighting as the "most complete nonsense". 36 = NEXUS www.nexusmagazine.com FEBRUARY — MARCH 2008