Joseph Goebbels
Dr. Paul Joseph Goebbels (October 29, 1897–May 1, 1945) was Adolf Hitler's Propaganda Minister (see Propagandaministerium) in Nazi Germany. He was a prominent figure of the regime, known for his great rhetorical skills.
He was born to the accountant Friedrich Goebbels and his wife Marian (née Oldenhausen) in Rheydt in the Rhineland. Because of a club foot he was rejected when he volunteered for military service at the beginning of World War I. Joining the Nazi Party in 1922, he initially opposed Hitler's membership, but later changed sides to support him.
He played a large role in helping the Nazis achieve and retain power by creating propaganda to present the Nazi ideology to the German people in a favourable light. He was also a committed anti-Semite, being involved with Kristallnacht in 1938, and later connected with the Nazi Final Solution, especially the deportation of Jews from Berlin.
During the final stages of the war, before his suicide, Hitler appointed Goebbels Chancellor of Germany in his will (with Karl Dönitz as President - the Führer title was not granted in the will). His government, which only ended up lasting a few hours, was not recognised by the Allied powers. On May 1, 1945, Goebbels and his wife killed themselves with the help of SS bodyguards, as well as their six children:
- Helga Susanne (born, Sep 1 1932 † 12)
- Hildegard (Hilde) Traudel (born Apr 13, 1934 † 11)
- Hellmut Christian born (Oct 2 1935 † 9)
- Hedwig (Hedda) Johanna (born Feb 19, 1937 † 8)
- Holdine (Holde) Kathrin (born May 1, 1938 † 7) and
- Heidrun (Heide) Elisabeth (born Oct 20, 1940 † 4)
Like Hitler's final moments, the details of the death of the Goebbels family remain unclear. While it is assumed that they were all poisoned with cyanide, some contend that he shot his wife Magda Goebbels and himself afterwards; however, when their bodies were found by the Soviets, they were apparently too charred to discern whether this was true.
