Tapping Hitler's Generals

PFUHLSTEIN: Finally I was released, and then came the vital point, I had to report to General BURGDORF, Chief of the Army Personnel Directorate, and he informed me that I have been discharged from the service since 14 September without the right to call myself ‘Generalmajor’, without the right to wear uniform, but with a pension. It was their intention to give me an opportunity to make good my offence by seeking death in the front line and their intention was to call me up as a ‘Major’ available for further employment so that I should still be in time to give my life for HITLER at the front. But my health was in such a bad state that they gave me a reprieve to recuperate with my family. I went to WERTHEIM AM MAIN and was with my family when the Americans arrived.

THOMA: How was it that you got off so lightly in connection with the 20 July affair?

PFUHLSTEIN: They knew that I was to occupy a section of BERLIN and that I was to carry out the disarming of the SS artillery school. They found out that much but they didn’t find out that I knew that it was a matter of bringing about the death of HITLER.

PFUHLSTEIN: For three months I never left my cell except to go to the lavatory or to another part of the building. For three months I saw neither sun, nor moon, nor cloud, nor people, nor tree; I had no newspaper and, of course no clock. I never spoke to a soul, I had to do mouth exercises in my cell because I noticed that speaking had become difficult. I did tongue exercises so that I shouldn’t lose the power of speech. For three months the light was on day and night. I was in a little cell underground with a high-powered bulb shining on my head. Day and night, night and day; for three months, from 1 September to 24 November, to be exact, the thing was never turned off. I didn’t go mad, but I was near it, and I don’t even know if I’m normal now. On either side were people who–different faces every day, new ones kept coming and the old ones went. You saw these hangmen peeping through the door–when someone was hanged they were allowed to have his toilet articles–and you saw them looking to see what they could steal. They took his washing things, we’ll say he had a good piece of soap, and you saw them squinting at the soap. Then the next day the cell was empty, two hours later someone else was in it and the soap had been stolen.

Document 166

CSDIC (UK), GRGG 294

Report on information obtained from Senior Officers (PW) on 2–5 May 45 [TNA, WO 208/4177]

[Generalleutnant KIRCHHEIM on his broadcast appeal over Luxembourg Radio to Feldmarschall KEITEL to bring fighting to an end]

KIRCHHEIM: When it came to it, I told myself that there was still some point in it, because every day not only so-and-so many soldiers were dying, but also women and children. Then I said to myself: It’s necessary too that it should be officially stated in public that we have really had nothing to do with these appaling horrors. We didn’t know that 50,000, 100,000–and in REVIN[475] there were two Generals, one of whom was General BRUNS, who was in the Ordnance Branch, and he said he himself had seen how 42,000 Jews were shot. He described that in the most dramatic, terrifying way. The second was a ‘Generalmajor’ from a Thuringian family, who had latterly been in command of a ‘Panzerkorps’,[476] and he said he had actually seen how 100 civilians in FRANCE were locked up in a church which was then set on fire. When I heard that I said: ‘HITLER must know about it, I won’t wear his Knight’s Cross any longer.’

KIRCHHEIM: I listened at the trial of a gentleman from the Foreign Office called TROTT ZU SOLZ; he behaved excellently.[477] For instance when he was asked whether he knew anything about the plot, he said: ‘Of course; I have admitted that on more than one occasion.’ He always stuck to that. Finally the presiding judge,[478] that infamous–who managed the first proceedings so frightfully roughly and brutally, and who said to HOEPNER:[479] ‘Well, you certainly are a swine’–said to him finally: ‘How can you reconcile that with your obligation of loyalty to the FÜHRER?’ ‘Oh,’ he said, ‘a tie of loyalty has never existed between me and the FÜHRER.’ Finally he said: ‘Why, your honour, are you having all this questioning done at all? I have admitted everything and I know quite well that it is punishable by death. I was fully aware of that when I decided to take part in this plot.’ Then this man, who had treated the others so roughly, said: ‘Well, even if you refuse to continue your defence, this court, which really wants to find out the truth, will not agree to it. We want to find out the exact motives, in order that we might perhaps be able to pronounce a milder sentence after all.’ Then came a ‘Major’ from the reserve, who was acquitted; then a third on whom judgment was deferred. Then came the Police President of BERLIN, Graf HELLDORF,[480] and then unfortunately I had to go. I didn’t hear his trial.