One of the last images of Hitler, with Ferdinand Schörner. Hitler wears the same grey tunic and uniform badges as when he shot himself. On 5 April 1945, Schörner was promoted to Field Marshal. He was named as the new commander-in-chief of the German Army High Command (OKH, Oberkommando des Heeres) in Hitler's last testament.
A ruthless disciplinarian, with summary justice for soldiers found not on the frontline with no written orders. "Deserters get no mercy from him", Goebbels wrote of Schörner on 11 March 1945. "They are hanged from the nearest tree with a placard around their necks saying 'I am a deserter. I have declined to defend German women and children and therefore I have been hanged'". Hitler spoke approvingly of his methods. He was convicted of war crimes by the USSR and, after returning to the West in 1955, of the manslaughter of German soldiers by West Germany.
Hitler dictated his political testament to his secretary, Traudi Junge, late on the 28th April 1945, and she did not finish typing up the three copies until the early hours of the 29th.
Hitler expected the war to continue and appointed new commanders. He denounced Himmler and Goering as traitors for attempting to negotiate with the Allies. A translation of part of the testament.
“Now he has done it, the bastard. Too bad he could not be taken alive.”
This was the reported reaction of Stalin when he heard of Hitler's suicide. For a long time the Soviets claimed that Hitler had simply taken poison, which in their eyes made it an even more 'unworthy death', even though they had access to the closest witnesses to the incident.
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