The front cover of Time magazine, May 7, 1945. Although he had committed suicide on April 30 and German radio reported Hitler had died in battle on May 1, his death was widely presumed but not yet confirmed (this portrait is historically inaccurate since Hitler's eyes were light blue, not brown).^[1]

For fiction about Hitler's death see Hitler in popular culture

The generally accepted cause of the death of Adolf Hitler on April 30, 1945 is suicide by gunshot and cyanide poisoning. The dual method and other circumstances surrounding the event encouraged rumours that Adolf Hitler may have survived the end of World War II along with speculation about what happened to his remains. The 1993 opening of records kept by the Russian KGB and FSB confirmed the widely accepted version of the death of Hitler as described by Hugh Trevor-Roper in his book The Last Days of Hitler published in 1947. The Russian archives did, however, shed some new light on what happened to the cadaver. Image File history File links Hitlertime. ... Image File history File links Hitlertime. ... “TIME” redirects here. ... is the 127th day of the year (128th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ... is the 120th day of the year (121st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 121st day of the year (122nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... is the 120th day of the year (121st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ... For other uses, see Suicide (disambiguation). ... This article is about the chemical compound. ... A rumor (British English: rumour) is a piece of purportedly true information that is circulated without substantiating evidence. ... Hitler redirects here. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... This article is about the KGB of the Soviet Union. ... For other uses, see FSB. Minor emblem of FSB The FSB (Federal Security Service) (Russian: ФСБ, Федера́льная слу́жба безопа́сности; Federalnaya Sluzhba Bezopasnosti) is a domestic state security agency of the Russian Federation and the main successor of the Soviet Cheka, NKVD, and KGB. Its headquarters are in Lubyanka Square, Moscow. ... Hugh Redwald Trevor-Roper, Baron Dacre of Glanton (January 15, 1914 - January 26, 2003) was a notable historian of early modern Britain and Nazi Germany. ...

Suicide

Hitler took up residence in the Führerbunker on January 16, 1945 where he presided over a rapidly disintegrating Third Reich as the Allies advanced from both east and west. By late April Soviet forces had entered Berlin and were battling their way to the centre of the city where the Chancellery was located. On April 22 Hitler had what some historians later described as a nervous breakdown during one of his military situation conferences, admitting defeat was imminent and Germany would lose the war. He expressed his intent to kill himself and later asked physician Werner Haase to recommend a reliable method of suicide. Haase suggested combining a dose of cyanide with a gunshot to the head. This is a reconstruction of the layout of the Führerbunker. ... is the 16th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ... Nazi Germany, or the Third Reich, commonly refers to Germany in the years 1933–1945, when it was under the firm control of the totalitarian and fascist ideology of the Nazi Party, with the Führer Adolf Hitler as dictator. ... Look up ally in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... CCCP redirects here. ... This article is about the capital of Germany. ... Exterior view of the entrance of the New Reich Chancellery. ... is the 112th day of the year (113th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Werner Haase in Soviet captivity Werner Haase (2 August 1900 - 30 November 1950), German professor of medicine and SS officer, was one of Adolf Hitlers personal physicians. ... This article is about the chemical compound. ...

Hitler had a supply of cyanide capsules which he had obtained through the SS. Meanwhile on April 28 Hitler learned of Heinrich Himmler's attempt to independently negotiate a peace treaty. Hitler considered this treason and began to show signs of paranoia, expressing worries the cyanide capsules he had received through Himmler's SS were fake. To verify the capsules' potency he ordered Dr. Haase to try them on his dog Blondi and the animal died as a result. SS redirects here. ... is the 118th day of the year (119th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Heinrich Luitpold Himmler ( ; 7 October 1900 – 23 May 1945) was commander of the Schutzstaffel (SS) and one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany and the Nazi hierarchy. ... For other uses, see Treason (disambiguation) or Traitor (disambiguation). ... For other senses of this word, see paranoia (disambiguation). ... Hitler and his dog Blondi on the terrace of the Berghof Blondi (1934 – April 29, 1945) was the name of Adolf Hitlers German Shepherd dog. ...

After midnight on 29 April,^[2] Hitler married Eva Braun in a small civil ceremony in a map room within the bunker complex. Antony Beevor states that after hosting a modest wedding breakfast with his new wife, Hitler took a secretary, Traudl Junge, to another room and dictated his last will and testament. He signed these documents at 04:00 and then retired to bed, (some sources say Hitler dictated the last will and testament immediately before the wedding, but all sources agree on the timing of the signing).^[3][4] is the 119th day of the year (120th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Eva Anna Paula Braun, died Eva Hitler[1] (February 6, 1912 – April 30, 1945) was the longtime companion of Adolf Hitler and briefly his wife. ... Antony Beevor (born on December 14, 1946) is a British historian, educated at Winchester College and Sandhurst. ... Traudl Junge just after World War II. Traudl Junge (born Gertraud Humps; 16 March 1920 – 10 February 2002) was Adolf Hitlers youngest personal private secretary, from December 1942 to April 1945. ... The last will and testament of Adolf Hitler was dictated by Hitler to his secretary Traudl Junge in his Berlin Führerbunker on April 29, 1945, the day he and Eva Braun married. ...

Hitler and Braun lived together as man and wife in the bunker for less than 40 hours. Late in the morning of April 30, with the Soviets less than 500 meters from the bunker, Hitler had a meeting with General Helmuth Weidling, commander of the Berlin Defense Area, who informed Hitler the Berlin garrison would probably run out of ammunition that night. Weidling asked Hitler for permission to break out, a request he had made unsuccessfully before. Hitler did not answer at first and Weidling went back to his headquarters in the Bendlerblock where at about 13:00 he got Hitler's permission to try a breakout that night.^[5] Hitler, two secretaries and his personal cook then had a light lunch consisting of spaghetti with light sauce, after which Hitler and Eva Braun said their personal farewells to members of the Führerbunker staff and fellow occupants, including the Goebbels family, Bormann, the secretaries and several military officers. At around 14:30 Adolf and Eva Hitler went into Hitler's personal study. is the 120th day of the year (121st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... General Helmuth Weidling was the German officer who surrended Berlin to the Soviet forces in the final stages of world war two. ... The Bendlerblock is a building in Berlin, near Tiergarten. ... Paul Joseph Goebbels (German pronunciation: IPA: ; English generally IPA: ) (October 29, 1897 – May 1, 1945) was a German politician and Minister for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda during the National Socialist regime from 1933 to 1945. ...

Some witnesses later reported hearing a loud gunshot at around 15:30 (the Goebbels' young son is said to have declared, "A direct hit!" thinking it was a bomb overhead). After waiting a few minutes, Hitler's valet Heinz Linge, with Bormann at his side, opened the door to the small study. Linge later stated he immediately noted a scent of burned almonds, a common observation made in the presence of prussic acid, the gaseous form of cyanide. The Hitlers were both sitting on a small sofa, Eva on the left, Adolf to her right. Eva's body slumped away from Adolf's. Hitler appeared to have shot himself in the right temple (there was an exit wound towards the top, left side of his head) with a 7.65 mm pistol which lay at his feet. Blood dripping from Adolf's temple and chin had made a large stain on the right arm of the sofa and was pooling on the floor/carpet. Eva had no visible physical wounds and Linge assumed she had poisoned herself. Heinz Linge (1913-1980) was one of Adolf Hitlers servants at his headquarters. ... R-phrases , , , , . S-phrases , , , , , , , , . Flash point −17. ... This article is about the chemical compound. ... The Walther PP series pistols include the Walther PP, PPK, and PPK/S. They are blowback-operated semiautomatic pistols manufactured by Carl Walther GmbH Sportwaffen in Germany and under license from Walther in France and the United States [1]. These pistols feature an exposed hammer, a double-action trigger mechanism...

Several witnesses said the two bodies were carried up to ground level and through the bunker's emergency exit to a small, bombed-out garden behind the Chancellery where they were doused with petrol and set alight by Linge and members of Hitler's personal SS bodyguard. The SS guards and Linge later noted the fire did not completely destroy the corpses but Soviet shelling of the bunker compound made further cremation attempts impossible and the remains were later covered up in a shallow bomb crater after 18:00. Gasoline, as it is known in North America, or petrol, in many Commonwealth countries (sometimes also called motor spirit) is a petroleum-derived liquid mixture consisting primarily of hydrocarbons, used as fuel in internal combustion engines. ... SS redirects here. ...

Ashes dumped in the Elbe river

Cover of US newspaper The Stars and Stripes, May 2, 1945.

In 1969 Soviet journalist Lev Bezymensky's book on the SMERSH autopsy report was published in the west but because of earlier disinformation attempts historians may have thought it untrustworthy.^[6] However in 1993 the KGB/FSB publicly released the autopsy records and other statements by former KGB members. Drawing from these, historians reached a consensus about what happened to the bodies of Hitler and Braun. Image File history File links Stars_&_Stripes_&_Hitler_Dead2. ... Image File history File links Stars_&_Stripes_&_Hitler_Dead2. ... Stars and Stripes is the newspaper published for the United States Armed Forces overseas. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... This article is about the medical procedure. ... For other uses, see Disinformation (disambiguation). ... This article is about the KGB of the Soviet Union. ... The Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (Федера́льная слу́жба безопа́сности Росси́йск&#1086...

Red Army troops began storming the Chancellery at approximately 23:00, about 7 hours and 30 minutes after Hitler's death. On May 2 the remains of Hitler, Braun and two dogs (thought to be Blondi and her offspring Wulf) were discovered in a shell crater by Ivan Churakov of the 79th Rifle Corps (otherwise known as 79th SMERSH). Hitler and his dog Blondi on the terrace of the Berghof Blondi (1934 – April 29, 1945) was the name of Adolf Hitlers German Shepherd dog. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

After the autopsy, which (contrary to public reports authorized by Stalin in 1945) recorded both gunshot damage to Hitler's skull and glass shards in his jaw, their remains were frequently buried and exhumed by SMERSH during the unit's relocation from Berlin to a new facility at 30-32 Klausnerstrasse in Magdeburg where they (along with the charred remains of propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels and those of his wife Magda and their six children) were permanently buried in an unmarked grave beneath a paved section of the front courtyard and the location was kept highly secret. This article is about the German city. ...

By 1970 the SMERSH facility (now controlled by the KGB) was scheduled to be handed over to the East German government. Fearing the possibility any Hitler burial site might become a Neo-Nazi shrine, KGB director Yuri Andropov authorised a special operation to destroy the remains. On April 4, 1970 a Soviet KGB team (which had been given detailed burial charts) secretly exhumed the bodies and thoroughly burned them before dumping the ashes in the Elbe river. This article is about the state which existed from 1949 to 1990. ... The terms Neo-Nazism and Neo-Fascism refer to any social or political movement to revive Nazism or Fascism, respectively, and postdates the Second World War. ... Andropov, then the LKSM KFSSR First Secretary, speaks at the May 9, 1945, victory celebrations Yuri Vladimirovich Andropov (Russian: , Jurij Vladimirovič Andropov) (June 15 [O.S. June 2] 1914 – February 9, 1984) was a Soviet politician and General Secretary of the CPSU from November 12, 1982 until his death just... is the 94th day of the year (95th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about a river in Central Europe. ...

See also

• List of suicides
• Nazi mysticism
• Führer Headquarters

This is an incomplete list, which may never be able to satisfy certain standards for completeness. ... Nazi mysticism is a quasi-religious undercurrent of Nazism; it denotes the mixture of Nazism with occultism, esotericism, cryptohistory, and/or the paranormal — especially in the traditions of Germanic mysticism. ... Map showing the locations of the Führer Headquarters throughout Europe. ...

Dramatizations

• Hitler: The Last Ten Days (1973) is a movie depicting the days leading up to Adolf Hitler's death, starring Sir Alec Guinness but has been criticized for many inaccuracies.
• The Bunker (1978) by James O'Donnell describes the last days in the Führerbunker from 1945-01-17 to 1945-05-02. Made into the TV movie The Bunker (1981), starring Anthony Hopkins.
• Der Untergang (engl. Downfall) (2004) is a German movie about the last days of Adolf Hitler and the Third Reich. It also features interviews with Traudl Junge.

Hitler: The Last Ten Days is a 1973 film depicting the days leading up to Adolf Hitlers suicide. ... Sir Alec Guinness CH, CBE (April 2, 1914 – August 5, 2000) was an Academy Award and Tony Award-winning English actor who became one of the most versatile and best-loved performers of his generation. ... The Bunker is an account, written by American journalist James ODonnell, of the history of the Fuehrerbunker in early 1945, as well as the last days of Adolf Hitler. ... This is a reconstruction of the layout of the Führerbunker. ... Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ... is the 17th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ... May 2 is the 122nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (123rd in leap years). ... The Bunker is an account, written by American journalist James ODonnell, of the history of the Fuehrerbunker in early 1945, as well as the last days of Adolf Hitler. ... Der Untergang (2004; international English title Downfall) is a German film depicting the final days of Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany in 1945. ... Look up Downfall on Wiktionary, the free dictionary Operation Downfall: The Allied plan for the invasion of Japan at the end of World War II. Der Untergang: D/A 2004 film about the last days of Adolf Hitler - shown in English-speaking countries as Downfall. ... Traudl Junge just after World War II. Traudl Junge (born Gertraud Humps; 16 March 1920 – 10 February 2002) was Adolf Hitlers youngest personal private secretary, from December 1942 to April 1945. ...

References

• Beevor, Antony, Berlin - The Downfall 1945, Penguin Books, 2002, ISBN 0-670-88695-5
• Trevor-Roper, Hugh (1947). The Last Days of Hitler, University Of Chicago Press; Reprint 1992, ISBN 0-226-81224-3

Antony Beevor (born on December 14, 1946) is a British historian, educated at Winchester College and Sandhurst. ... Hugh Redwald Trevor-Roper, Baron Dacre of Glanton (January 15, 1914 - January 26, 2003) was a notable historian of early modern Britain and Nazi Germany. ...

Further reading

Main article: List of Adolf Hitler books

Books

• Ryan, Cornelius, The Last Battle, Simon and Schuster, New York, 1966
• Fest,Joachim. Inside Hitler's Bunker : The Last Days of the Third Reich by , ISBN 0-374-13577-0
• Gardner, Dave. The Last of the Hitlers, BMM, Worcester, UK, 2001. ISBN 0-9541544-0-1
• O'Donnell, James - The Bunker. - New York: Da Capo Press; Reprint(2001). - ISBN 0-306-80958-3.
• Petrova, Ada. The Death of Hitler: The Full Story With New Evidence from Secret Russian Archives, W W Norton & Co Inc (May 1, 1995), ISBN 0-393-03914-5
• William L. Shirer (1959), The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, Simon & Schuster; ISBN 0-671-62420-2
• Waite, Robert G.L. (1977). The Psychopathic God: Adolf Hitler, New York: First DaCapo Press Edition, 1993, ISBN 0-306-80514-6.

Articles

• Gavin, Philip. The Death of Hitler , history historyplace.com. An by Philip Gavin on his website.
• Mollo, Andrew No.61 Special Edition: The Berlin Führerbunker: The thirteenth hole, website After the Battle, Battle of Britain International Ltd, 1988, London
• Petrova, Ada, and Watson, Peter. The Death of Hitler: The Full Story with New Evidence from Secret Russian Archives, Washington Post, 1995
• Staff, Russia displays 'Hitler skull fragment', BBC, 26 April, 2000.

This List of Adolf Hitler Books is an annotated bibliography using APA style citations of the many books related to Adolf Hitler. ... Cornelius Ryan, (5 June 1920 – 23 November 1974) was an Irish journalist and author mainly known for his writings on popular military history, especially World War II. // Born in Dublin and educated at Christian Brothers School Synge Street, South Circular Road, Dublin, Ryan moved to London in 1940, and became... Joachim C. Fest (December 8, 1926 – September 11, 2006) was a German journalist and author, best known in English-speaking countries for his work with Albert Speer while writing his memoirs and his biography of Adolf Hitler. ... The Bunker is an account, written by American journalist James ODonnell, of the history of the Fuehrerbunker in early 1945, as well as the last days of Adolf Hitler. ... is the 121st day of the year (122nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ... William Lawrence Shirer (1904 - 1993), U.S. historian & journalist. ... ... For other uses, see BBC (disambiguation). ... is the 116th day of the year (117th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Footnotes

1. ^ "The most impressive feature of his otherwise coarse and rather undistinguished face was his eyes. They were extraordinarily light blue in color, with a faint touch of greenish-gray" (page 6) -- Robert G. L. Waite. The Psychopathic God: Adolf Hitler. Da Capo Press, 1993. ISBN 0306805146.
2. ^ Hitler's last days: "Hitler's will and marriage" "In the small hours of 28-29 April.."
3. ^ Beevor References p. 343. Records the marriage as taking place before Hitler had dictated the last will and testament
4. ^ Hitler's last days: "Hitler's will and marriage" on the website of MI5 using the sources available to Trevor Roper (an WWII MI5 agent) The Last Days of Hitler records the marriage as taking place after Hitler had dictated the last will and testament.
5. ^ Beevor, References p.358
6. ^ JSTOR bibliographical note