When Hitler’s death was announced on May 1, 1945, Heinrich Himmler was not named as his successor. The Führer had chosen Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz instead. Himmler, who had spent months maneuvering for power and even negotiating secretly with the Western Allies, was stunned. But he didn’t retreat.
He became an unwelcome, pushy presence at Dönitz’s new headquarters in Plön, demanding a position in the new government. He asked to be Dönitz’s number two, effectively prime minister. Dönitz refused, but he had to tread carefully. Himmler still commanded the loyalty of thousands of SS troops in Schleswig-Holstein, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Norway.
He had the muscle to overthrow Dönitz by force, but once again, he shrank from violence, trying instead to weasel his way into a legitimate role. Dönitz humored him, even as Himmler forced the removal of Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop, one of his enemies, and pushed for his own political agenda. Himmler believed Dönitz didn’t understand his secret maneuvers toward the Western Allies. He had been trying to end the war on terms that would leave him in charge of Germany under Western protection.
British Prime Minister Winston Churchill had been playing secret games with Himmler for months, and on May 1, Churchill sent a top-secret telegram to Field Marshal Alexander, saying he had information that they were “perhaps only a day or two from surrender on all fronts through Himmler. ”
That same day, Himmler issued orders to SS-Obergruppenführer Gottlob Berger, who commanded remnants of the 13th SS Army Corps in the Alps. “Collect the SS units militarily under your command and lead them yourself. Defend the entrances to the Alps for me,” he ordered.
This made sense given Himmler’s later move south. Berger was effectively in command of the semi-mythical Alpine Redoubt, a mountainous area Himmler considered a last refuge for the SS. In reality, it was largely a propaganda exercise to fool the Americans. On May 2, Himmler contacted General August Ritter von Ringel, commanding Army Group Ostmark in Austria and western Czechoslovakia, with the same exhortation.
He also countered the idea that he had betrayed Hitler, blaming “greatest intrigue by Martin Bormann from Berlin. ”
Dönitz was a realist. He had his own reasons for continuing the war: Operation Hannibal, a naval rescue of German soldiers and civilians trapped on the Baltic coast from the Soviets. But he was ready to negotiate a surrender, slowly, as he said in a meeting on May 2: “The military situation is hopeless.
At this stage, the main objective of the government must be to save as many German people from annihilation by the Bolsheviks. ”
At 11:50 a. m. , Dönitz met with von Krosigk, Keitel, and Himmler.
The military situation in Schleswig-Holstein was rated as good, with supplies sufficient for weeks. A further meeting at 1:10 brought news that the Gauleiter of Hamburg, Karl Kaufmann, was asking permission to surrender the city to the British. Dönitz and Himmler agreed. At 8:00 p.
m. , as British forces approached Plön, Dönitz began evacuating his headquarters to the Naval Academy at Flensburg-Mürwik, near the Danish border. Himmler made changes to his own headquarters. His adjutant, Heinz Macher, was ordered to take command of 15 hand-picked SS men as Himmler’s personal protection detail, after his 600-man guard battalion had been committed to the fighting in Berlin.
Himmler’s total headquarters staff now numbered about 150 SS. Before Dönitz left, Himmler discussed at length the possibility of an armistice with the Western Allies and whether he should remain in the new government. Dönitz wanted Himmler gone but had to humor him to prevent a coup. Later that day, Himmler was seen sitting in the Führer’s car in the market square of Bramstedt Lund, reviewing the 12th SS Panzergrenadier Training and Replacement Battalion of the fanatical SS Hitler Youth Division.
Dönitz was not the complete master of his own house; Himmler was effectively a shadow government. On the night of May 2-3, Himmler drove to Flensburg, dodging Allied air attacks. He gave a lift to SS-Obergruppenführer Dr. Werner Best, the civil administrator of occupied Denmark.
During the journey, Himmler filled Best in on recent events. “In recent times, the Führer was no longer the same,” he said. He told Best how Bormann and the Armed Forces High Command had used their influence against him. “If I could just talk to Eisenhower for 2 hours, then I would convince that together we need to go against the Russians.
” Best observed Himmler carefully, noting he was nervous, absent-minded, moody, and despondent. He had had an exciting and exhausting time behind him, and before him he saw a way out, but no job. Best was sure that if they had been surprised by enemy troops that night, Himmler would have taken poison. But by the end, his nerves and intentions had moderated.
Himmler moved into a new headquarters at the requisitioned Lorenzen farm, 10 km southeast of Flensburg. This would be his base until about May 7. Interestingly, the location became the focus of a big search effort after Himmler’s death, as one of his bodyguards, Wilhelm Walter, had told British interrogators that the farm was where Himmler had buried files. What files?
We don’t know, but important enough to bury, perhaps as some kind of insurance policy. The farmer and his daughter were intensively interrogated by the British, but the files had been moved, and searches came up empty-handed. Allegedly. On May 3, Himmler convened meetings with high SS officials.
He met with the police president of Flensburg, Hans Hinch, and the chief of the Order Police, Alfred Wünnenberg, who admitted that any defense of the region was futile. At 9:30 a. m. , he arrived at Dönitz’s headquarters for a meeting with Dönitz, von Krosigk, Keitel, Jodl, and Albert Speer.
Himmler discussed the Bohemia question, that part of western Czechoslovakia still in German hands. He seemed interested in transferring the new government to Bohemia. At 6:30 p. m.
, Himmler gatecrashed a meeting between Dönitz and the German leaders in Norway, Reichskommissar Josef Terboven and General Franz Böhme. Himmler was accompanied by his spy chief, Walter Schellenberg. Böhme reported that Norway, home to a 350,000-man garrison and several U-boat bases, remained quiet. Schellenberg suggested that Dönitz should offer to surrender Norway to Sweden, allowing the German occupation force to enter Sweden and go into internment camps.
Himmler said he had already discussed this with Sweden via Count Bernadotte, and Sweden was willing. Dönitz was suspicious, thinking Sweden would not act without British approval. Schellenberg was asked to find out. At 8:00 p.
m. , Himmler met privately with Dönitz. Negotiations to surrender German forces in northwest Europe to the British were ongoing, and at 11:00 p. m.
, Generaladmiral von Friedeburg returned from negotiations at Montgomery’s headquarters to report progress. Following this, Himmler sent orders for what remained of the concentration camp inspectorate to report to him at Flensburg. He met SS-Obersturmführer Rudolf Höss, the former commandant of Auschwitz-Birkenau, for the last time. Himmler said he had just come from a government meeting.
Höss said Himmler was hale and hearty and in the best of humor. Himmler ordered the senior concentration camp officers to disguise themselves as army NCOs and cross into Denmark that night as military stragglers. All future concentration camp matters were to be dealt with by Standartenführer Hinch. Höss said, “He shook each of us by the hand.
We were dismissed. ” Höss had the impression that Himmler intended to go into hiding, perhaps in Sweden. Himmler told SS-Gruppenführer Richard Glücks and Standartenführer Gerhard Maurer that he was getting in touch with Montgomery to arrange an armistice with the Western Allies in order to carry on the war against Russia, and advised these two war criminals to go into hiding for some weeks, by which time, said Himmler, all grievances would be forgotten. All the concentration camp administrative leaders then obtained fake papers and went their own ways.
On May 4, Generalfeldmarschall Ernst Busch, commanding Army Group Northwest, set up his headquarters at the Johannes Christensen farm in Kollerup. The village was sealed off. Himmler immediately visited Busch. Incredibly, during their discussions, Himmler demanded from Busch an army paybook that he could use.
Busch refused. Clearly, Himmler was thinking about fleeing in the not-too-distant future. At 12:25, Dönitz, Himmler, von Krosigk, and Arthur Seyss-Inquart discussed the ongoing surrender negotiations with Montgomery. Albert Speer, also present, revealed that despite Flensburg being threatened by the advancing British, Dönitz refused to leave.
Speer also said that Himmler was thinking about flying to Prague in still German-occupied Czech areas, where he had a power base. Indeed, Himmler’s Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor aircraft was held for such an eventuality at Neumünster Airfield. At 6:30 p. m.
, General Admiral von Friedeburg signed the surrender document in a tent at Montgomery’s Lüneburg Heath headquarters. The following generals agreed to capitulate: Johannes Blaskowitz in the Netherlands, Generalfeldmarschall Busch in the Netherlands and Northwestern Germany and the Frisian Islands, and Generaloberst Georg Lindemann commanding all German troops in Denmark. This left the Nazis in control of Schleswig-Holstein, Norway, parts of Czechoslovakia, a little bit of Bavaria and Austria, the Channel Islands, and the Atlantic coast ports of La Rochelle, Lorient, and Saint-Nazaire, plus Dunkirk. In the east, the Heiligenbeil pocket in East Prussia, the Hel Peninsula in Poland, and the city of Breslau under siege.
And the islands of Crete and Rhodes in the Aegean Sea. That was pretty much what was left of the Third Reich. The surrender came into effect at 8:00 a. m.
on May 5, 1945. The capitulation at Lüneburg was not only the signal of Germany’s total defeat, it was the signal for the liberation of those countries still under German occupation. The British fleet sailed into Copenhagen Harbor. Denmark was free after five years.
The German cruiser Prinz Eugen fell prize to the British Navy. Field Marshal Montgomery came to the Danish capital as victor and liberator. Himmler next met General Böhme, the German military commander in Norway. He told Böhme that he had actually retained all his offices of state, contrary to what had been reported, that they had been formally stripped by Hitler on April 28.
Himmler said that as Reichsführer SS, he had also taken over responsibility for the maintenance of law and order. On the morning of May 5, the capitulation became effective. A government reshuffle was undertaken in Flensburg. Walter Schellenberg was appointed envoy with plenary powers, meaning he was given complete and executive power to conduct peace negotiations.
This referred to his mission to Sweden to have the German garrison in Norway interned and to accept the German surrender. In England, Bletchley Park intercepted a radio message from Keitel concerning the treatment of POWs. It said that, in agreement with Himmler, all prisoners of war, foreign workers, and concentration camp inmates were to be handed over to the enemy under a small guard. May 5 saw Himmler’s last conference with his Obergruppenführers, his cabal of lieutenant generals.
Thirteen were present. Himmler told these men that Martin Bormann had admonished him for having initiated peace parleys with the Western powers without the Führer’s authority. He said his intention was to establish a reformed government in Schleswig-Holstein, where it could conduct peace negotiations with the Western powers on its own territory. One of those present, Obergruppenführer Maximilian von Herff, later said that all present were unanimous in their opinion that Himmler was unduly optimistic in his estimation of future events.
Von Herff would later tell Gottlob Berger, in British captivity, that Himmler had seemed very positive, that it would probably come about that Schleswig-Holstein would remain as a refuge where the government could at least work in an extremely small area. The SS should then be used as a police force and show what they were made of, so that their worth shall be acknowledged by the English. Obergruppenführer Hans Jüttner recalled that Himmler stated that he had no intention to end his own life or be killed, but on the contrary was full of vitality. All he now wanted was an interview with Montgomery.
Jüttner said that he and some of the others got the impression that Himmler intended to strike some sort of bargain with the Western Allies in order to save his own life. They also added the impression that he was quite sure to succeed with his plan. Food for thought indeed, considering his later very mysterious end on May 23 in British captivity, and these pesky files Himmler apparently had buried on a farm that the British couldn’t find. Are they in some way connected?
At this point a document appeared that is much discussed concerning Himmler: his letter to Field Marshal Montgomery. Heinz Macher, one of Himmler’s two adjutants, saw this letter on May 5 or 6. Himmler’s order was that the letter be handed to Keitel or Jodl for delivery by military courier to Montgomery. Macher recalled its general contents: that Himmler recognized that he was defeated and Montgomery was the victor, but that there remain many things to be done in re-establishing order in Germany.
In view of these things, and the possible help that Himmler could give, a meeting was suggested. Werner Grothmann, Himmler’s other SS adjutant, added that Himmler wanted to place the Waffen SS at the disposal of Montgomery for the fight against the Soviet Union. On May 6, Bletchley Park intercepted a radio message from Himmler to Obergruppenführer Dr. Ernst Kaltenbrunner, the dreaded head of the Reich Main Security Office and Gestapo, that the King of the Belgians, until that point held hostage by Himmler, with his family, be driven to the Swiss frontier and released.
It was evidently another gesture towards the Allies. At 5:00 p. m. that afternoon, Grand Admiral Dönitz formally dispensed of Himmler’s services.
He was no longer recognized as Minister of the Interior, Chief of the Replacement Army, and Head of the Police. Dönitz appeared to feel confident enough that the surrender was imminent, and any pretense of further flattering Himmler could now be ended. Obergruppenführer Otto Ohlendorf said that after this meeting, Himmler gave the impression that he wanted to disappear and go underground. Though he still had a 150-man headquarters staff, and always had four large fuel cars at his disposal, plus a radio truck, and traveled constantly with many armed guards and aides.
The surrender was in fact fast approaching. Colonel General Jodl arrived at Eisenhower’s headquarters at Reims, in France, on the afternoon of May 6, to sign the capitulation documents for all German armed forces in Europe. Himmler had asked Jodl for his advice before he left for Reims, asking what he should do next. Whether he should fly by night fighter to southern Germany where a considerable number of SS troops remained under arms.
Wilhelm Walter of Himmler’s staff later told his interrogators that Himmler had given 24 members of his staff instructions to go to Bavaria and Austria, presumably for some important reason. Himmler transferred his headquarters to another farm near Satrup, just south of Flensburg, closer to Field Marshal Busch’s headquarters at Kollrup. Members of his staff made frequent flying visits to Flensburg in search of news. The next day at 2:21 a.
m. , Jodl signed the unconditional surrender at Eisenhower’s headquarters. It would become effective the following day. On May 8, Dönitz made a radio address to the German people announcing the end of the war.
Himmler also signed an order to all troops under his command on the western front to surrender. Himmler retained an escort unit of about 12 officers and men under the command of Standartenführer Josef Kiermaier and four large cars. The following day at 11:01 p. m.
, the total German surrender became effective. At some point, Himmler had given his letter, addressed to Montgomery, to Jodl for delivery to the German liaison officer at Montgomery’s headquarters, General Eberhard Kinzel. Albert Speer later said at Nuremberg that the letter included a plea from Himmler to Montgomery that Himmler be given a safe conduct for the meeting that he was proposing, that if he be taken prisoner, he expected under the laws of war that he had a right to be treated as a high-ranking general since he had commanded Army Group Vistula on the Eastern Front. But Himmler’s letter was never delivered.
Jodl later admitted that he had torn it up. Himmler’s plan now appeared to be to go into hiding whilst he awaited a reply to his letter. Macher said that on May 9 or 10, 1945, he had received orders from Himmler to go with him to the Harz Mountains as a bodyguard. On May 10, Himmler’s party, consisting of the Reichsführer and just over a dozen officers and men, extremely well-armed, would drive south in four large fuel cars.
Grothmann said that since no reply had been received from Montgomery, Himmler of course having no idea that Colonel General Jodl had destroyed the precious letter, Himmler had decided to move in order to remain at liberty and to be able to talk to Montgomery as a free man, not as a captive. Himmler remained in contact with some of his men in the Flensburg area and checked daily for a reply from Montgomery. Grothmann was explicit regarding where Himmler was going: the isolated Harz Mountains region of central Germany, where it was felt the group could remain safely in hiding for a considerable time. Himmler had a large stash of gold coins and foreign currency hidden in a local bank, sufficient to finance his further evasion south if needed.
Himmler, according to Grothmann, would, if Montgomery refused to reply to his letter, eventually move down to the Alps and was determined to stay out of Allied hands as long as possible. In the next installment of this series, I will tell you of my discovery of another hidden cash of money, this time in the Alps, put in place by Himmler for just such an eventuality, showing that Himmler had a very well-thought-out plan of escape and survival before he left his last headquarters at Satrup in Schleswig-Holstein on May 10. It is a stash that is almost unknown to historians.
Himmler was, of course, a master of organization, a master planner, and I believe a man absolutely determined to survive.
