The End of the Reich Trivia Quiz

Answer: He felt betrayed by the German Army and the Luftwaffe

During one of Hitler's final conferences with his staff, he learned that an attack he had ordered through SS Obergruppenführer Felix Steiner to repulse the Russian onslaught had never even mobilized. At this, Hitler dismissed everyone from the room except for Generals Keitel, Jodl, Krebs, and Burgdorf.

He then flew into a rage, saying that the army had betrayed and fought against his orders from the very beginning. For the first time, he admitted that all was lost. Later that evening, Hermann Goering sent a telegram reminding Hitler of his Order of Succession that made him next in line as leader of the Reich should something happen to him.

He said that if he didn't hear back from Hitler by 10:00 PM that evening, he would consider him "incapacitated", and assume command. Martin Bormann got his hands on the telegram first, and made it sound as though Goering was giving Hitler an ultimatum, and trying to stage a coup. Hitler ordered that Goering be stripped of all offices and expelled from the party.

The Luftwaffe was now out of the picture. The final straw for the SS came when, a few days later, Hitler received news of Himmler's secret negotiations with the Western powers. Heartbroken at the betrayal of "Loyal Himmler", he also ordered his expulsion from the party. The German Navy was the only branch of the armed forces not proven treacherous, even though they had ceased to be any kind of decisive force long ago, so Grand Admiral Doenitz was named as Hitler's successor. Later, Doenitz blamed Speer for his sudden rise, saying "This is all your fault" while they were imprisoned in Spandau after the Nuremberg trials.

Answer: Magda Goebbels

After Hitler and Braun had said their goodbyes to their closest confidantes in the Bunker and retired to their room to seal their fates, Magda Goebbels rushed up to Otto Guensche, who was guarding the door, and tearfully begged him to let her in. After some hesitation, Hitler came to the door. Magda then fell on her knees and clutched at his jacket, sobbing and imploring him not to leave them alone, asking what was to become of them when he was gone. Hitler said nothing and went back to his study.

At this point Goebbels broke down completely and fell to the floor. It was fairly well known that she had been in love with Hitler for some time, but her reasons for begging him to live were two-fold. Now she would feel compelled to kill her children as well. Several relatives and Bunker visitors had begged her to get the children to safety and at one point, Joseph Goebbels seemed much more inclined to accept the help.

But as Magda had told Albert Speer during his final visit, a world without National Socialism was not a world worth living in. Without Hitler, Nazism as she knew it would die, and her children would follow.

Answer: Hitler had betrayed the German people and killed himself

Although Doenitz stated in his radio broadcast that Hitler had gone down fighting for the Reich, General Weidling, however, drove through the ruined streets of Berlin in an armored tank, using a megaphone to broadcast the truth of their glorious leader, and ordering all soldiers and civilians to lay down their arms at once.

Factoid: Upon hearing the false news that Hitler had died fighting for Berlin, Irish President Eamon de Valera personally sent his condolences to the German Consulate in Ireland. While his actions were not diplomatically wrong, with Ireland being a neutral nation, they were greatly frowned upon by many of the Allied Powers.

Answer: The Hitler Youth

Many of the Russians who fought in the Battle of Berlin said that the members of the Hitler Youth they encountered were vicious and merciless in their attacks against them. Most of them had hardly known a world without National Socialism, and therefore had been indoctrinated fully into the "No Surrender, No Retreat" mentality.

They were more than willing to lay their lives down for their leader, and more than willing to take as many Russians with them as they could.

Answer: Count Folke Bernadotte

Count Bernadotte was a Swedish diplomat and Vice-President of the Swedish Red Cross during the war. He was well known for his efforts that saved the lives of more than 15,000 concentration camp inmates in 1943-1944, bringing them through Germany into neutral Sweden at great personal risk. In 1945 he met with Himmler, who asked that he deliver terms to the Western Allies stating that Germany would unconditionally surrender to them, so long as they be allowed to continue resistance to the Soviets. Both Eisenhower and Churchill rejected his offer, though Himmler was convinced Eisenhower would see him personally. (He had even asked his aide, Fegelein, if he should greet him with a handshake or the Nazi salute!) Folke Bernadotte was assassinated in 1948 by the Zionist extremist group Lehi (more widely known as the Stern Gang). They regarded him as a pawn of the British and their allies in the Arab community, and therefore a serious threat to the state of Israel.

Per Anger, Raoul Wallenberg, and Carl Lutz were all also Swedish or Swiss nationals who helped in the rescue of innocent lives during the war. Wallenberg's story is perhaps the most well known. After his efforts saved the lives of over 100,000 Hungarian Jews during the final year of the war, he disappeared in the city of Debrecen in 1945. It is believed that the Russians thought he was a spy. (He received his funding from the US-based War Refugee Board and spoke English well, immediately arousing suspicion). The Russians' official story is that he died of a heart attack in the Lubyanka Prison in 1947. So many witnesses came forth to say they knew for certain he was not dead in 1947, and the Russians' story changed so many times throughout the years that nobody knew what to believe, but his family and countless others around the world refused to believe he is dead, and are still unsure of the truth to this date. It is most likely he was executed by the Russians at some point. Wallenberg is one of only six people who has been named an Honorary Citizen of the United States by an act of Congress or direct Presidential Authorization. The others are Winston Churchill, Mother Theresa, William and Hannah Penn, and General Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert-DuMotier Lafayette.

Answer: Berchtesgaden

Goering and his family were holed up on their own property close to Hitler's Berghof, where several members of his staff had also retreated, when the Americans came calling. Goering actually gave a televised interview and seemed rather relaxed during the procedure. A picture taken as he was being driven off to prison showed Edda waving to her father as Emmy clutched her tightly.

Answer: April 20, 1945

Hitler appeared to the outside world one final time on his 56th birthday, to hand out medals to several members of the Hitler Youth for bravery. It is also the last known time Hitler was captured on camera.

Answer: The Panzerfaust

The main weapon of the Volkssturm was called the Panzerfaust (Tank Killer), a preloaded recoilless gun with a charge-shaped warhead. Its main use was, as the name suggests, for the destruction of Russian tanks. Overall, the Volkssturm were ill-equipped and undertrained, consisting mainly of old men and boys as young as 11.

There were over a million members, with only around 9,000 guns to go round. Most of them only learned how to use their guns when they were in combat situations. Membership was compulsory, the price of desertion was hanging, no matter what the age or physical condition of the person might be.

Answer: He told them who he was

Himmler was considered a liability by Doenitz, who was by now heading the new Government in Flensburg. Therefore, he was not wanted when he asked if he had a place in whatever was to come. He then decided to shave his moustache, put on an eyepatch, and wear the uniform of a member of the Gestapo.

He also obtained false documents giving his name as "Heinrich Hitzinger". The British were suspicious of someone who had their papers in such perfect order in the chaotic atmosphere, and arrested him. Before any kind of interrogation could take place, he removed his eyepatch, said "Ich bin Heinrich Himmler", and bit on a cyanide capsule he had hidden in his mouth. Doctors reportedly tried to stitch his tongue down, pump his stomach, and dunk his head in a bucket of water to revive him, all to no avail.

His body is said to have been buried in an unmarked grave in Lüneburg.

Answer: Kissed Eva Braun on the lips

After Hitler's meeting following the revelation that Steiner had not attacked, he told his two secretaries to change their clothing and be ready to board a plane that would take them away, stating that everything was hopelessly lost. Eva, who had arrived at the Bunker on April 15th against Hitler's orders, rushed forth and said "You know I will stay with you. You could never send me away." He then leaned forward and kissed her on the mouth, to the stunned and awkward silence of those gathered in the hallway. "If only my generals were as brave as you," he told her, before taking her hand and walking away with her.