At Hitler's Side by von Below, Nicolaus -- Read -- Imperial Library of Trantor

Index

Cover Half Title Full Title Copyright Page Contents

List of Illustrations List of Abbreviations Introduction

My Career Prior to Appointment The Daily Routine of the Luftwaffe Adjutant Hitler’s Staff The Führer’s Residences Hitler and the Luftwaffe The Polish Question and the Path to War

Chapter One: 1939

The FHQ The Polish Campaign The Battle for Warsaw Hitler’s Style of Leadership Hitler, Halder and Brauchitsch Decision for a Campaign in the West Assassination at the Bürgerbräukeller Hitler’s Thought on the Operational Plan Developments at the End of the Year

Chapter Two: 1940

Preparing for ‘Weserübung’ Discussing the Operational Plan Fritz Todt The Visit of Sumner Welles ‘Weserübung’ Attack in the West Dunkirk Victory and Armistice Continuation of the War Against Britain Planning ‘Seelöwe’ Promotions Reichstag Sitting, 19 July Air War over Britain The Question of ‘Seelöwe’ Domestic Dramas Meetings with Pétain, Laval, Franco Russia, Britain, the Balkans, Gibraltar Molotov in Berlin ‘Barbarossa’ Priorities in Armaments Critical Voices

Chapter Three: 1941

Decisions The Mediterranean and North Africa Planning for ‘Barbarossa’ Before the Balkan Campaign Operation ‘Marita’ Matsuoka Hitler’s Attitude to the Russian Enemy The Balkan Campaign The Flight of Rudolf Hess Crete Battleship Bismarck Final Preparations for 22 June Wolfschanze First Successes Mölders and Galland Discussions Concerning the Attack Mussolini and Horthy at the Front Private Arguments The ‘Final Solution’ Autumn 1941: Russia, Bohemia and Moravia, and North Africa Equipping the Luftwaffe Cure at Constance At War with the United States Winter Crisis A Separate Peace with Russia? Stresses and Strains Hitler and the Army Generals Udet and Milch

Chapter Four: 1942

Malta The ‘Channel Dash’ Höpner Relieved of Duty Speer Succeeds Todt Stabilisation in Spring The AirWar Intensifies Planning the Summer Offensive Reichstag Session, 26 April Conquest of the Crimea Flying to See Kesselring and Rommel Göring’s StarWanes Summer Offensive Halder Dismissed My 35th Birthday Towns Bombed and Industry Destroyed Threatening Developments in the East British Offensive in North Africa Stalingrad

Chapter Five: 1943

Raeder Steps Down Casablanca, North Africa Manstein and Hitler Manstein’s Offensive Accusations Against the Luftwaffe Planning for ‘Zitadelle’ Tunis Visits by Allies Hitler Demands Stronger AA Defences Holiday in Prague and Vienna Hitler Criticises the Luftwaffe ‘Zitadelle’ Sperrle’s Forty Years Break with the Italians The Suffering of Hamburg Jeschonnek’s Suicide Pressure on the Eastern Front Codeword ‘Achse’ A Separate Peace? Exit Engel Landings in Italy Further Intensification of the AirWar Hitler’s Intransigence Getting Ready for the Invasion Firmness in Defence The Me 262 Displayed Teheran Situation at the End of 1943

Chapter Six: 1944

Armaments Conference The Crimea Lost Manstein and Kleist Relieved War in Italy Air Attacks on Armaments Plants Rumours of Assassination Hanna Reitsch Führerbefehl 11 My Uncle’s Funeral Hungary Occupied New Moves in Armaments Production A New FHQ? The Death of Hube Speer’s Return Hitler and Göring Peaceful Days at the Berghof Anger Over the Me 262 Attacks on Our Hydrogen Works A New Job Invasion The V-1 Allied Advances in the West The Death of Dietl A Second Landing? Army Group Centre Shattered Final Days at Obersalzberg The 20 July Bomb Plot Retribution My Health Deteriorates Convalescence and Recovery Szymonski’s Visits Return to Wolfschanze Intentions, Reflections, Illusions The ‘Areopag’ A Hopeless Situation The Ardennes Offensive No Way Out

Chapter Seven: 1945

Military Command in Crisis Dresden Last Speech to the Gauleiters Hopes for the Me 262 The Noose Tightens Farewell to My Wife Last Days in the Bunker Göring Dismissed; Greim Appointed The Last Days Flight from Berlin

Notes Index