Goebbels: Mastermind of the Third Reich

by David Irving

Height only five-foot four; a figure of Ghandi-like emaciation barely tipping the scales at one hundred pounds; a head too large for his body; a clubfoot for which he was taunted as both man and boy - all the cards seemed stacked against him. Goebbels blamed the world at large; he hated the human race, and he boasted of his hatred in his secret diaries.
Historian David Irving is the first to make use of the entire 80,000 pages of the Goebbels diaries - diaries that lay unrecognized for fifty years in the Red Army's "Trophy" archives in Moscow. From this extraordinary trove, to which Irving has added six years' research into the archives of the Western World, he has written the first full-scale biography of Adolf Hitler's confidant and evil genius, Dr. Joseph Goebbels.
Here for the first time are Goebbels's secret, unpublished writings on the Reichstag Fire, the Night of the Long Knives, the Dollfuss murder, the Saar plebiscite, the invasion of Prague, Pearl Harbor, and scores of other turning points in modern history. Dr. Goebbels faithfully records Hitler's innermost councils, documenting the hidden methods and strategies of Nazi leadership.

Genres: History, Biography, World War II, Nonfiction, War, Germany, Politics

722 pages, Hardcover

First published August 15, 1989

About the author

David John Cawdell Irving is an English author who has written on the military and political history of World War II, especially Nazi Germany. He was found to be a Holocaust denier in a UK court in 2000 as a result of a failed libel case.

Irving's works include The Destruction of Dresden (1963), Hitler's War (1977), Churchill's War (1987) and Goebbels: Mastermind of the Third Reich (1996). In his works, he argued that Adolf Hitler did not know of the extermination of Jews, or, if he did, he opposed it. Though Irving's negationist claims and views of German war crimes in World War II (and Hitler's responsibility for them) were never taken seriously by mainstream historians, he was once recognised for his knowledge of Nazi Germany and his ability to unearth new historical documents, which he held closely but stated were fully supportive of his conclusions. His 1964 book The Mare's Nest about Germany's V-weapons campaign of 1944-45 was praised for its deep research but criticised for minimising Nazi slave labour programmes.

By the late 1980s, Irving had placed himself outside the mainstream of the study of history, and had begun to turn from "'soft-core' to 'hard-core' Holocaust denial", possibly influenced by the 1988 trial of Holocaust denier Ernst Zündel. That trial, and his reading of the pseudoscientific Leuchter report, led him to openly espouse Holocaust denial, specifically denying that Jews were murdered by gassing at the Auschwitz concentration camp.

Irving's reputation as a historian was further discredited in 2000, when, in the course of an unsuccessful libel case he filed against the American historian Deborah Lipstadt and Penguin Books, High Court Judge Charles Gray determined in his ruling that Irving willfully misrepresented historical evidence to promote Holocaust denial and whitewash the Nazis, a view shared by many prominent historians. The English court found that Irving was an active Holocaust denier, antisemite and racist, who "for his own ideological reasons persistently and deliberately misrepresented and manipulated historical evidence". In addition, the court found that Irving's books had distorted the history of Hitler's role in the Holocaust to depict Hitler in a favourable light.

Reviews

[Grigory · Rating 5 out of 5]

I understand why some people were offended by this book: it breaks with the tradition of describing Nazi Germany as something demonic and other-worldly, and doesn't reproduce the cinematic impression that from 1933 on all the intelligent people "saw it coming". Therefore there is no feeling of imminent doom. But I think that it is advisable to understand that without hindsight very few in the 1930-s knew about coming massacre and concentration camps and there surely wasn't dramatic suspenseful music every time Hitler or Goebbels spoke (effect we are so used to in the movies).

It is clear where Irving's ideas (revisionist, holocaust denial, whatever) are coming from: you can't write such thorough works without interest in the subject, you can't have such deep interest without becoming fascinated at some point. As I understand this book was written long before Irving became notorious, but already you can see that he is into some weird stuff. He's surely already holding something against Jews (but then again, many people do), what's strange is he constantly trashes Goebbels' son who died at the age of ten.

It also gives you an idea that should next Hitler come about, he doesn't have to be a mad maniac and a psychopath (at least an open psychopath). Surely Nazi didn't position themselves that way. They were quite business-friendly, patriotic, cost-benefit analysis doing, attack-to-protect-their-vital-interests-and-security kind of folks. And that is much more common in politics than daemons with horns and weird mustaches.

[John Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has taken me forever to read. Two main reasons for this:

1. I found that a little bit of Dr Goebbels went a very long way, particularly at first. Unless I was being duped by David Irving (and various branches of the Thought Police would have me believe that this is so) he feels much the same about him as a person as I do.
2. Access to the book. I was unable to get my hands on a physical copy, so needed to read it via an online library. This worked for quite a while and then access was suddenly “forbidden”. Now I’m no doubt on a list of miscreants somewhere or other. So, I needed to find an alternative site. Fortunately I managed.

It is very detailed, well researched as far as I could tell (though the jury still seems to be out on the validity of the Moscow archive which the author seems to rely heavily upon). It was readable in bite sized chunks until the outbreak of the war in ‘39. After this, I was carried breathlessly along to the end of the book. Undoubtedly informative. Monster he may have been – diminutive and deformed – the worst kind, history would have us believe.... But top of his game – propaganda – in all its forms. A formidable enemy but sufficiently professional to admire the strengths (and sniff out the weaknesses) of his foes, Churchill and Stalin in particular.

One of the ablest figures of the regime, totally committed to and the key driver of the Final Solution. His relationship with the Fuhrer is absorbing.

The book seemed to end abruptly with no assessment/ justification / conclusion by the author as to whether Goebbels was the Reich’s mastermind. Perhaps the latter version I was reading was abridged and I was missing Irving’s conclusion?

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings on this book. It is very interesting and well-written. If I was reviewing it as fiction, it would be a 4-star. Maybe Irving should have gone for a career in historical fiction. He probably would have done very well and there would be no controversy surrounding his name.

The most problematic aspect, in my opinion, is the constant use of descriptors such as: "pridefully," "with biting sarcasm" "expressed his triumphant zeal" when subjects in the book are speaking or thinking. He included a lot of detailed thoughts and tiny actions, such as 'he permitted himself a contented grin" when Goebbels was on a train held-up by troop carriers. "Grinning evilly' and "eyes gleaming" appear a few times. I thought there was entirely too much embellishment of emotions, motivations, and demeanor for a non-fiction publication. The author couldn't possibly know how these people thought, spoke, and acted in such minute detail on so many occasions. Goebbels diary explains his thoughts and the author did cite many entries, but he added quite a bit of detail he couldn't have acquired from reading anything. Nothing is impossible, but there aren't many written sources that include detailed descriptions of thoughts, habits, gestures, tone of voice, and demeanor of participants in an event or conversation.

I've read so much about this period in history that I learned to read German because quite a bit of material (documents, memoirs, letters, etc) wasn't translated into English. Its also possible that I just couldn't locate English translations, but the problem was solved by learning the language. I don't consider myself fluent and I'm still learning, but learning German wasn't as hard as I anticipated. I don't know if I picked up German language concepts and terms from reading so much about the WW2 era and pre/post war years or if German really is the closest language to English. I've tried to learn Russian too, and that is an entirely different story. Its much more difficult.

I also read 'denier' literature. I am not a Holocaust denier by any means, but I don't view literature written by deniers as dangerous. I have enough confidence in my own knowledge to read content I don't agree with, and I firmly believe that censorship and banning books will backfire and give deniers more legitimacy in some circles, along the lines of "See, we told you 'they' don't want you to know this.' Banning books makes it seem like there is something to hide.

There are always discrepancies in historical accounts. I noticed several accounts in this biography that differ significantly from descriptions of the same events in other sources. I didn't notice anything that could be classified as 'denial' in this book though. Irving made several references to Jews. He didn't make any anti-Holocaust claims, although he didn't go into detail on the treatment and eventual fate of the Jews either. On the positive side, I did come across two events that I had never heard of before and researched those specific incidents on my own after I finished reading. Other sources I was able to find were in agreement with Irving, and I was quite happy to learn something completely new.

I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in this period in history, but no one should read just one account of anything. There's an amazing amount of literature concerning WW2, Nazi Germany, and everything related to that era. Its impossible to learn too much. I think this biography has value as long as everything in it isn't taken as unassailable fact.

[Alex Frame · Rating 5 out of 5]

Say what you will about Irving but he knows how to write a page turner.
He does seem to go out of his way at times to deflect blame from Hitler for the Holocaust but other than that his access to Goebbel's diaries in Moscow allowed him to construct this less known part of Nazi history .

[Deckmaster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Изключителна история за възхода и падението на доктор Йозеф Гьобелс. Ървинг пак е надминал себе си в описанието на живота на прочутия пропагандатор от Третия Райх. Все пак авторът е първият, който е допуснат до пълния набор от дневници на Хер Гьобелс, съхранявани в Московския архив. Чрез тях той ни разкрива историята му по неподправен начин. От детството му в малкия град Райт, близо до Мьонхенгладбах, до горчивия край в бункера на Хитлер под Райхканцеларията.

За мен най-интересната част бяха т.нар. "години на борба" или периодът до взимането на властта от Хитлер и националсоциалистическата партия. Отрязък от време, с който не съм добре запознат предвид факта, че предпочитам главно военна история. Изключително интересни са и взаимотношенията между "елита" на Райха. Прикритата или открита неприязън между най-влиятелните хора в държавата, често подкрепяна от самия Хитлер.

Определено препоръчвам книгата на всеки с интерес в периода, който също така иска да види една не толкова доминирана от съюзниците гледна точка. Ървинг определено представя и другата гледна точка.

[Thorsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

as usual, fabulous historic research by My Irvin, whether on agrees or not with all the vies, there are a number of things brought to light that have simply been kept in the dark. Interesting reading. Enjoyed it

[Miltiadis Michalopoulos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exhaustively detailed. It was an overdose. Certainly much more than I could take on the period. Despite Irving's vivid style I found the story, (Goebbels's life), rather boring. This has nothing to do with the book. I would recommend it to all WWII enthusiasts.

[Nathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

You should read this if you want to understand Goebbels.

[Nick · Rating 5 out of 5]

"There was one feature about the little Doctor, even in death, that caught the Soviet pathologist’s attention. His fists were raised, as though spoiling for a fight. Perhaps, somewhere, for Dr. Joseph Goebbels the dialectical battle was already beginning anew." (533)

Incredible journey and exploration of the Reich's minister of Cultural Enlightenment and Propaganda. This sober and insightful exhibition of the struggle for power, and the rise and fall of the NSDAP. Hitler always gets the credit (and blame) for the success and failures of the Reich, but Goebbels had quite the influential backbone that rallied the masses and inspired Hitler to become the powerful leader he eventually became. Nonetheless,
Goebbels is the true star of the Reich, he was wickedly remarkable, his courage, political intuition, cultural and intellectual capacity sets him vastly aside from the other inept bureaucrats that surrounded Hitler (Bormann, Speer, Ribbentrop, etc.). Additionally, with Goebbels' methods of propaganda: influencing social perceptions, culture through art/music/literature, intellectual writings, etc. We can see a brilliant mind at work. There are few in history that I know of, that possessed such dynamic charisma and insight into the human psyche in regards to politics. Goebbels should be regarded as among, if not, the finest Machiavellian of the 20th century.

Irving did an amazing job at sifting through thousands of sources and reading the 175,000 pages that entailed the Goebbels' diaries.

I highly recommend, the very best biography on a German figure that I have ever read on anything pertaining to World War 2.

[Gary · Rating 1 out of 5]

vomit

[Kurt · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book should be renamed to 'Goebbels: the Archetypal Chud.'

If this book is a distillation of a set of diaries, this review is a distillation of that, clocking in at 180-proof.

Here are a few quotes that support my proposed rebranding and proof metric:

Quote 1

‘Seems it’s all over,’ he writes afterwards, perplexed. ‘Nothing I can do will change that. I’ve tried my utmost. But if that’s how it is, so be it.

Quote 2

He received a shocking telephone call from Hitler who asked him, voice breaking, to go over straight away. ‘It’s all over,’ was all that he would say.

Last and opposite of least, Quote 3

Economic ruin faced Germany. Goebbels neither noticed, nor protested, nor cared. His head was in the clouds. He even cast plans to emigrate to India. But since that would cost money too, he lay on his bed at home and drank in Oswald Spengler’s writings on the decline of the west instead.

P.S., it is quite fascinating the effect that this era's propaganda has had on history. I understand how hard it must be for historians to disentangle propaganda from truth. After reading a book like this with notable quotes such as "to attract people, to win over people to that which I have realised as being true, that is called propaganda," I appreciate the mammoth 1600-pager I read on the war last year even more.

Goebbels would have said literally anything (including, frequently, 'it's over').

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Controversial when it was first published, "Goebbels: Mastermind of the Third Reich" is another deeply researched and well presented account of a person that we all think we know, Joseph Gobbels, but when you scrape away at the surface an altogether different picture presents itself of this man, via his own writings. Joseph Goebbels was a clever manipulating man, not some ranting lunatic of the Third Reich. Using the personal diaries of Joseph Goebbels (accessed by Mr Irving at the Moscow archives in 1992) the author uses the daily diary entries to give a very detailed insight into the murky world of Goebbels and his role as the Reich Minister for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda. However, some entries in the diaries are not even true, so if you are going to tell lies in your own diary how can anything you have said publicly be believed? Although this book only deals with a selection from the complete set of diaries, this is a fascinating read for anyone that has the interest to read the details of this man, his thoughts and ideas.

[Gregory Klages · Rating 3 out of 5]

Irving is, and this is a generous assessment, one of the most controversial aspirants to the title of 'historian' to address the Second World War era. He has been described as a 'revisionist', and a 'denier'. His work appears, at first glance, as impressive; full of lengthy citations of archival and interview sources, criticism of scholarly work, and distinctions that to a casual reader seem to suggest an encyclopedic knowledge of relevant material. As Irving's increasingly erratic and extreme pronouncements indicate a wilder and ever-more problematic approach to history, politics, and professionalism, however, most of his writing has come under criticism.

All of this being said, a few themes emerged from my reading of Goebbels: Mastermind of the Third Reich (that at over 900 pages - could easily be argued is too long for its own good).

For more comments, see:
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[Chan Li · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another keeper from Irving. Exceptionally well researched page turner about an unlikely womaniser. Intelligent, talented and astute certainly, but also vindictive and egotistical, a very flawed individual indeed.

The book itself is a must read for those with an interest in 1920's Berlin and the NSDAP in general.

Only quibbles were the font size, which I found a tad too small and the paper type used, which creased too easily and felt like fax paper, but that is a minor concern.

[Lewis Weinstein · Rating 2 out of 5]

I only read a few chapters. Not much of value, compared to other histories/biographies.

[T.H Rumelia · Rating 3 out of 5]

exhaustively boring, overly plain. Something you wouldn't expect out of the life of Germany's second greatest orator

[Steven Kaminski · Rating 3 out of 5]

Scary how relevant this book is. The personal notes of Goebbels (who was Hitler's minister for propaganda) really reflect that in many ways mass communication doesn't have to modulate much. Keep the message simple, hammer at the same themes over and over again. Even if you know something is a lie repeat it long enough it becomes the truth. For the sake of history it is worth reading just because as history teaches us those who do not learn from it are due to repeat it...