From: Everette (194cbteng@bellsouth.net)
Date: Mon Jan 16 2006 - 15:07:59 PST
January 16
1945 Hitler descends into his bunker
On this day, Adolf Hitler takes to his underground bunker, where he remains
for 105 days until he commits suicide.
Hitler retired to his bunker after deciding to remain in Berlin for the last
great siege of the war. Fifty-five feet under the chancellery (Hitler's
headquarters as chancellor), the shelter contained 18 small rooms and was
fully self-sufficient, with its own water and electrical supply. He left
only rarely (once to decorate a squadron of Hitler Youth) and spent most of
his time micromanaging what was left of German defenses and entertaining
Nazi colleagues like Hermann Goering, Heinrich Himmler, and Joachim von
Ribbentrop. Constantly at his side during this time were his companion, Eva
Braun, and his Alsatian, Blondi.
On April 29, Hitler married Eva in their bunker hideaway. Only hours
after they were united in marriage, both Hitler and Eva committed suicide.
Both he and his wife swallowed cyanide capsules (which had been tested for
their efficacy on his "beloved" dog and her pups). For good measure, he shot
himself with his pistol.
Everette
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.4 : Tue Jul 18 2006 - 21:39:32 PDT