History of Europe

What happened to the people closest Hitler?

The fates of the people closest to Hitler varied greatly, with some meeting tragic ends while others managed to escape or even thrive after the war. Here are some key figures and their outcomes:

1. Eva Braun: Hitler's longtime companion and wife of less than 40 hours, Eva Braun committed suicide alongside Hitler in the Führerbunker in Berlin on April 30, 1945.

2. Joseph Goebbels: The Nazi Propaganda Minister and one of Hitler's most loyal followers, Goebbels also committed suicide in the Führerbunker, along with his wife Magda and their six children, on May 1, 1945.

3. Heinrich Himmler: The head of the SS and chief architect of the Holocaust, Himmler attempted to negotiate with the Western Allies in the final days of the war. Upon realizing his efforts had failed, he committed suicide by biting into a cyanide capsule during his arrest on May 23, 1945.

4. Hermann Göring: Göring, the powerful leader of the Luftwaffe, surrendered to the Americans on May 9, 1945, and was held as a prisoner of war. Facing trial at the Nuremberg Tribunal, he committed suicide on October 15, 1946, the night before his scheduled execution.

5. Albert Speer: Hitler's Minister of Armaments and War Production, Speer was the only major Nazi figure at Nuremberg to express remorse for his actions. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison and used his time to write memoirs. After his release in 1966, he became an architect and author.

6. Martin Bormann: The private secretary to Hitler and head of the Nazi Party Chancellery, Bormann's fate remains uncertain. He disappeared from the Führerbunker during the final days of the war, and his body was never conclusively found. Many believe he escaped and fled Germany, but others argue he killed himself in Berlin.

7. Magda Goebbels: The wife of Joseph Goebbels, Magda committed suicide alongside her husband and their children in the Führerbunker. Tragically, she killed her children with cyanide before taking her own life.

8. Hans Krebs: The Chief of Staff of the German Army, Krebs committed suicide alongside Goebbels and others in the Führerbunker on May 1, 1945.

9. Wilhelm Keitel: Chief of the German High Command, Keitel was present at the signing of the unconditional surrender of Germany at Reims on May 7, 1945. He was later tried and executed at Nuremberg on October 16, 1946.

In addition to these key figures, Hitler's inner circle included several notable individuals associated with the Nazi regime, such as Joachim von Ribbentrop (the Foreign Minister), Robert Ley (the Labor Front leader), and Rudolf Hess (Hitler's deputy before the war). Their fates also include suicides, convictions at Nuremberg, imprisonment, and attempts to escape justice.