Fuhrer's Last Day - April 30, 1945

“Der Fuhrer has retired to his personal office and doesn’t want to be disturbed.”, Goebbels said nervously.

The entire group sighed. Silently. The Fuhrer was growing more and more cranky as the days passed, and the Wehrmacht’s top command were terrified. They had tried explaining the fact that the war WAS lost, at least in the strategic part of it. The Allies; America, Great Britain and the rejuvenated France were slowly moving in from all sides. The Nazis had to evade capture at any cost. But they couldn’t leave their Fuhrer behind.

The Nazis were loyal to a fault.

……………………

Adolf Hitler was not a man to be budged easily.

His diplomatic brilliancy shone brightly during his 1932-1933 elections; he had a charismatic personality, attractive oratory and a lot of promises to eradicate poverty and to revoke the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. And he executed them. But his weird theory of ‘racial purity of the Aryans’ and the ghastly practices at the concentration camps became widely publicised and the name Hitler became a symbol of terror.

Had he stopped with his daunting bureaucracy and not entered into war, the future of Germany might’ve been different. Radical, to be exact.

It was the policy of ‘Lebensraum’, or natural expansion which led to the downfall of the mighty Nazi Dictatorship. The rest which followed was what we know now as modern history.

……………………….

Hans Krebs, being the diplomatic officer that he was, stepped up to offer his idea. “Can we ask Hermann Fegelein to parley with Der Fuhrer and Oberkommando der Luftwaffe Hermann Goring?”.

Burgdorf, the captain of the Fuhrer’s personal guard, shot up. “That upstart doesn’t have a pint of diplomatic sense in his pathetic little brain. And Goring? He’s had so much of crystal meth that he can’t even see straight. Krebs, are you s-”, when Krebs cut in.

“It’s endgame, boys. It’s too late now. Even if the Fuhrer wanted to do something now, all he can do is point at maps and yell at us. Fegelein is Eva Braun’s younger brother. Eva might be able to convince him. If patriotism towards one’s own country exceeds the sensible words of his trusted aides, then why not we try family? Family is a power to be reckoned with. Der Fuhrer and Eva just got married around 13 hours ago. Burgdorf, can’t we even try this? It’s for all of us.”, he said.

Burgdorf remained silent, but his mind said otherwise.

……………………….

“I thought you made some sense, Krebs. But what now? Fegelein was ordered to be executed last night by Gunsche for apparent ‘treason’ towards the Third Reich. (Reader’s tip : or the Third Realm.) Goring is out of the Fuhrer’s favour after he sent that damned letter saying that he considered Der Fuhrer incapacitated and asking for permission to take over the Nazi Government."

Heavy silence in the room. Burgdorf continued, "No way out, Krebs. Diplomacy is out of the question. Our honour lies in our hands, and in our hands alone now. WE can throw it away by running away from our beloved Fatherland or save it by dying-”, Burgdorf was interrupted by a loud BANG! from the Fuhrer’s quarters. Only a select few knew what had transpired in the Fuhrer's bedroom beforehand. And that was because the Fuhrer himself had informed them about the impending doom that awaited him and that he intended to escape it by taking matters into his own hands.

Murmurings were heard among the higher-ups. The group waited with bated breath, for they were unaware of the higher-ups’ decision. Gunsche, the Fuhrer's trusted aide and lieutenant entered the room, his face an impenetrable mask. Joseph Goebbels stood behind him, silently sobbing.

“Der Fuhrer’s dead.”

The reason?

They already knew.