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Reich Empire. Why was Germany called the "Third Reich"? Founding of the Holy Roman Empire

And the history of Russia in the twentieth century is closely connected with such events as the First World War, the October Revolution, the Great Patriotic War, stagnation, perestroika, and the collapse of the USSR. The most significant and terrible event in history, of course, was the war of 1941-1945, in which a victory was won over Nazi Germany, led by Hitler and the rule of which is closely associated with the concept of the Third Reich. But if we are talking about the third, it means that earlier there were both the first and second Reichs, about which practically nothing is known.

The first and, according to historians, the most powerful Reich existed in the period from 962, when the East Frankish king Otto I proclaimed the territory of Germany as the Holy Roman Empire. This happened after the Germans captured Italy and, in the opinion of Otto I, it was his state that should bear the name and continue the great traditions of the Romans. It is worth recognizing that subsequent generations of Germans did not destroy the hopes of the great king. They continued their victorious march, annexing new territories across Europe to Germany. In particular, Italy, Burgundy, Belgium, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Alsace, Silesia, the Netherlands, and Lorraine were occupied and named German territory. Unlike other countries, where power, as a rule, was transferred either by inheritance or as a result of coups in the new Roman Empire created by the Germans, the new emperor was elected by a college of electors and, by the way, had very limited rights. Starting from the end of the 15th century, the Reichstag became the main authority - the highest body of the imperial estates, which performed judicial and legislative functions. During the same period of time, a postscript was added to the name “Holy Roman Empire” - “German nation”, obviously so that the Germans would not be confused with representatives of ancient Rome. But gradually Germany, like many empires before, increasingly lost its supremacy in the world, and with it most of the territories that were trying in every possible way to get out from under the occupation yoke. It was Napoleon who finally destroyed the Holy Roman Empire of the German nation or the First Reich.

The history of the Second Reich begins in 1871, 65 years after the collapse of the First. It was in this year that King William I of Prussia and Chancellor Otto von Bismarck announced the beginning of the creation of a new German Empire. The motive for this was the defeat of the French army in the Franco-Prussian War in the period 1870-1871. First, defeated France paid indemnities amounting to five billion francs, which significantly strengthened the Prussian economy and military power. Secondly, the victory raised the authority of Prussia to a high level, and other German states began to join it. Even Austria, which at one time refused to become one of the components of the German Empire, subsequently entered into a long-term military alliance with it. But during this period of time, the economy of European states largely depended on the number of colonies they captured. Despite the fact that by the end of the 19th century Germany had founded its own colonies in Africa and Asia, this was not enough, and it was extremely difficult for the young empire to compete with the powerful England, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Portugal, Italy and other states that were much earlier began to colonize territories around the world. The German Empire's desire for economic and political dominance in Europe was the main reason for the outbreak of the First World War in 1914. But it is worth recognizing that the beginning of the war was also the beginning of the collapse of the Second Reich, which ceased to exist four years later in 1918.

In 1934, Adolf Hitler came to power in Germany, who pursued one goal - the world domination of Germany. He believed that there was only one race on the planet that was worthy to exist - the Aryans; all other peoples, in the Fuhrer's opinion, were created to serve. Hitler was inspired to create a unified German state by the book “The Third Reich” published in 1922, authored by Arthur Möller van den Broek. This idea was painful and extremely important for Germany at that time. The defeat in the First World War, started by the Germans themselves, gave rise to an economic crisis in Germany that dragged on for many years. The country, weakened by the war, lost most of the territories of organized colonies, production collapsed, agriculture fell into decay. Moreover, according to the Versailles Peace Treaty, the Germans were forced to pay huge reparations to the victorious states every year. The economic crisis that occurred throughout the world in the late 20s and early 30s brought hunger, poverty, and unemployment to the already weak Germany. But still, the once great people did not give up hopes of taking revenge for such a shameful defeat. Radical sentiments formed and grew in the state. Perhaps for this reason, in 1932, for the first time in elections in the Weimar Republic, the Communist Party received a majority of votes, and more and more people showed a desire to join the National Socialist Workers' Party (NSDAP). One thing was obvious - the days of the Weimar Republic were numbered. Now Germany had to make a choice which path of development to follow next: National Socialist or Communist. The main influence on the choice was the fire that occurred in the Reichstag building at the end of winter 1933. The Communists were accused of organizing the arson, which practically knocked the Communist Party out of the political race; as a result, in 1934, power was completely in the hands of representatives of the NSDAP, led by the inadequate and, in the opinion of most modern scientists, mentally ill Adolf Hitler. From that moment on, the history of the formation of the Third Reich began, which lasted until 1945.

But all of the above are real historical facts, but today there are versions about the possibility of the emergence of the Fourth Reich. They first started talking about this in 1990 after the famous Berlin Wall was destroyed and the unification of the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic began. This fact caused serious concern and many wondered whether unification would be the first step towards the creation of another Reich and subsequently to the Third World War? Literally two months before the fall of the Berlin Wall, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, in a personal conversation with USSR President Mikhail Gorbachev, expressed open concerns about this. But today’s German policy is not hostile, and this has to some extent calmed everyone down, and now almost no one is talking about the creation of the Fourth Reich.

In the story of the Fourth Reich, there is also a mythical version, which most experts call absurd, but there are also those who not only believe in it, but also provide reasoned evidence that the Fourth Reich exists. The founders of the new German Empire are called the Nazis, who managed to escape death after the fall of Nazi Germany.

Unconfirmed rumors that the Germans were building a secret base in Antarctica appeared in the late 30s of the twentieth century. Germany then organized expeditions to the crowded continent, and during the Second World War German ships, including submarines, were sent there quite often. For what? Many were convinced that the Third Reich was developing the territories to create the so-called New Swabia, where scientists, service personnel, military personnel, as well as prisoners of war were brought in and used as labor. According to supporters of the creation of such a base, it was here at the South Pole that the Nazis who escaped in 1945 found their refuge.

According to data unconfirmed by officials, in 1946 the United States attempted to destroy New Swabia, for which a squadron of warships was sent to the shores of Antarctica. But a year later, the United States refused to continue the operation and its ships returned to their main bases. There is information that not all ships returned. Perhaps the Americans were met by significant German forces who fought back. There is also an incredible version according to which the US government entered into a deal with the top of New Swabia and as a result of this agreement, the Americans received access to new technologies, and the Nazis received a guarantee that they would not be disturbed.

In the version with the Fourth Reich in Antarctica, there are many inaccuracies and obvious conjectures that completely refute even the theoretical possibility of the existence of New Swabia. First of all, this is the assertion that the Wehrmacht hidden in the ice of Antarctica is led by none other than Adolf Hitler. But this cannot be. The fact is that when Soviet troops entered Berlin in 1945, the Fuhrer’s body was never found. Two burned corpses were discovered in the garden of the Reich Chancellery, believed to be those of Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun. But a year later there were rumors that Hitler managed to escape. In order to confirm or refute such rumors, Soviet scientists conducted thorough excavations at the supposed site of the Fuhrer’s death and identified a jaw bone there, as well as a fragment of the skull. After checking Hitler's medical records, the researchers concluded that the bones belonged to the Nazi leader. And not so long ago, information was published that shocked the world: in fact, the discovered remains, which are stored in the FSB archive, belong to a woman! A similar conclusion was reached by US archaeologist Nick Bellantoni, who analyzed the DNA of the bones. Perhaps in 1946, Soviet scientists deliberately manipulated the facts with the sole purpose of stopping the spread of rumors about the possibility that Hitler survived and thereby reassure the people.

Historical dates of the collapses of the existing Reichs:

The glorious history of the First Reich ended in 1806, shortly after French troops led by Napoleon defeated the German army at the Battle of Austerlitz, as a result of which the last Emperor of Germany, Franz II, was forced to formally abdicate the throne.

The Second Reich ceased to exist in November 1918. This happened as a result of the fact that Germany lost the First World War and the people rebelled to overthrow Emperor Wilhelm, who was forced to leave the country, and the German Empire was renamed the Weimar Republic.

In May 1945, the Third Reich came to an end. Germany lost the outbreak of World War II, and its territory was divided among the Allies. As a result, two states of the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic appeared on the map of Europe.

The Third Reich is the informal name for Germany in the chronological period from the spring of 1933 to May 1945. Despite such a short life, he played a significant role in the history of the last century, leaving behind many still unsolved mysteries. Let's try to briefly describe the most significant stages in the fate of the state during that period. Naturally, we should start from the moment when Hitler came to power, remembering with what ideas he conquered the hearts of many Germans and poisoned their minds. But war is not the only thing that distinguished this politician. Under his wing, he gathered many outstanding scientists and gave them the opportunity to work and invent. This decision allowed Germany to acquire the most extraordinary technical devices, thanks to which the country quickly recovered from the horrific destruction.

origin of name

The phrase Drittes reich translated from German means “Third Empire”. Interestingly, it is translated into Russian differently. The term “Reich” can be interpreted as “state” and “empire”, but it is closest to the concept of “power”. But even in German it can acquire a mystical meaning. According to him, the Reich is a “kingdom”. The author of this concept was the German figure Arthur Möller van den Broek.

First and second Reichs

The Third Reich... This term is familiar to almost every person. But few can explain why the state was named that way. Why third? The fact is that van den Broek understood by this word an indivisible power, which was conceived as a haven for the entire German people. According to his ideas, the First Reich is the Roman Empire of the German nation.

Its destiny began in 962 and was interrupted in 1806 as a result of the defeat inflicted on it by Napoleon. The Second Reich was the name given to the German Empire, created in 1871, during the period when its history ended after the 1918 revolution. This is the so-called Kaiser's Germany. And the Third Reich, according to van den Broek, would act as the successor to the weakened Weimar Republic and should have become an ideal integral state. Adolf Hitler took this idea from him. Thus, the history of Germany, in short, just fit into the successive Reichs.

Short story

By the end of the 20s - early 30s. The world economy was under the grip of a global crisis, which also weakened Germany. The beginning of the fate of the Third Reich in 1934 is connected with this. The political situation in the state has become extremely tense. At the same time, the importance of the National Socialist Workers' Party increased. In the July 1932 elections, she received 37% of the vote. But, although it surpassed other parties, it was still not enough to form a government.

In the next elections the result was even lower (32%). All this year, President Hindenburg called on Hitler to become a member of the government and offered him the position of vice-chancellor. However, he agreed only to the position of Reich Chancellor. Only the following winter did Hindenburg succumb to these conditions. And already on January 30, Adolf Hitler took the post of Reich Chancellor.

Already in February, the Communist Party was banned, and severe persecution began against its leaders, to which almost half of its members were subjected.

The Reichstag was immediately dissolved, and the NDSAP won the elections held in March. The newly created government already at the first meeting, on March 23, approved Hitler’s emergency powers.

In July, all existing parties except the Nazi one were banned. Trade unions were also dissolved, and in their place the German Labor Front was formed. marked the beginning of the arrests and extermination of Jews.

Hitler's popularity was constantly growing. Propaganda played a significant role in this: the Kaiser’s Germany and the weak were condemned, and the defeat in the First World War was also recalled. Also, the rise in the Fuhrer's popularity was due to the end of the Great Depression and significant economic development. Particularly noteworthy is the fact that it was during this period that the country took a leading position in the production of metals such as aluminum and steel.

In 1938, Austria joined the Reich, followed by Czechoslovakia in 1939. The following year, the heads of the USSR and Germany signed a Non-Aggression Pact.

World War II and Third Reich

In September 1939, Reich soldiers entered Poland. France and Britain responded by declaring war on Germany. Over the next three years, the Reich defeated part of the European countries. In June 1941, Germany attacked the USSR, occupying some of its lands.

A regime of intimidation was established in the conquered areas. This provoked the emergence of partisan detachments.

In July 1944, there was a coup attempt (which failed) and a failed attempt on Hitler's life. Underground partisan detachments were organized in the state.

On May 7, 1945, an act of unconditional surrender of Germany was concluded. May 9 marked the end of hostilities. And already on May 23, the government of the Third Reich was arrested.

State and territorial structure of the Third Reich

The head of the empire was the chancellor. Executive power was concentrated in the hands of the government. The legislative body was the Imperial Diet, which was elected by the people. Within Germany, only the National Socialist Workers' Party was allowed to operate.

The Third Reich was divided into fourteen states and two cities.

Countries that entered the state as a result of expansion, and those in which mainly ethnic Germans lived, were included in it as imperial districts. They were called "Reichsgau". Thus, Austria was divided into seven such entities.

Reichskommissariats were organized in the remaining occupied lands. A total of five such formations were created, and four more were planned to be formed.

Symbols of the Third Reich

Perhaps the most famous and familiar symbol characterizing the Third Reich is the red flag with a swastika, which is still banned in many countries. By the way, she was depicted on almost all state paraphernalia. It is interesting that the Reich's weapons, primarily cold steel, were created taking into account the characteristics of the uniform and national symbols. Another attribute was an iron cross with flared ends. The coat of arms was an image of a black eagle with a swastika in its talons.

"Song of the Germans"

The anthem of the Third Reich is the “Song of the Germans” created almost a century before the start of Hitler’s reign. The author of the text was Hoffmann von Fallersleben. The musical score was composed by Joseph Haydn. The anthem of the Third Reich is now the main composition of the united Germany. Interestingly, the “Song of the Germans” these days does not evoke such strong negative associations, for example, as the swastika. However, this does not apply to the military marches of the Third Reich.

At least some of them. For example, the composition written by Horst Wessel was a march of the assault troops and the anthem of the ruling party. Today it is prohibited by criminal law in Germany and Austria.

Germany has long been called the main link of the European Union. The future of all of Europe directly depends on the Germans, as has happened more than once in . While the whole world is reading the bestseller “Germany: Self-Liquidation” and waiting for the German collapse promised in the book, completely different forecasts are being made at the same time. Historian, sociologist, political scientist Andrey FURSOV, director of the Center for Russian Studies at Moscow University for the Humanities, academician of the International Academy of Sciences (Innsbruck, Austria), shared his vision of today’s and tomorrow’s Germany with AN.

Awakening


– What is Germany’s place in Europe and the world today?

– Germany is the leader of Europe. Its GDP in 2011 was almost $3.6 trillion. The Western press constantly publishes articles that the time has come for German domination. In the British Daily Mail a year ago there was an article that directly stated: Germany will not stop there and will further strengthen its dominant position - the Fourth Reich is rising. True, the author of the article was somewhat mistaken in terminology. The Fourth Reich was created by Bormann, Müller and Kammler in 1943–1945 and, apparently, still exists: it is a network structure, which is also called the “Nazi international” (by the way, one of the sources of the European Union is associated with the Fourth Reich, and the first The model of the European Union was Hitler's). So now it is more correct to talk about the possibility of the emergence of a fifth Reich. The beginning of this process can be conventionally considered October 3, 2010, when a symbolic event occurred: Germany completed the payment of gigantic reparations following the First World War (these reparations are equivalent to 100 thousand tons of gold).

Another significant event occurred on April 4, 2012: the poem “What Must Be Said” by Günter Grass was published. The poem sharply criticizes Israel and puts it on the same level as Iran. But the most important thing is not this, but the places of simultaneous publication. There are four of them: Süddeutsche Zeitung (Germany), Repubblica (Italy), El Pais (Spain) and The New York Times (USA). It is clear that the decision to simultaneously publish a poem with such an ideological and political orientation in the West can only be made at the level of supranational structures of global coordination and governance. The main point of the poem is not criticism of Israel on the Middle East issue, but the fact that for the first time since 1945 the Germans gained the right to criticize Jews and the Jewish state - the dominant “enduring guilt of the Germans towards the Jews” collapses. And indirectly, Israel is also shown its place in the new Middle Eastern alignment. The figure of the author is indicative - a Nobel laureate in literature, who served in the Waffen SS in 1944-45 - this is also a symbol and a certain message.

Another symbolic event: it was German Chancellor Angela Merkel who fired the first salvo at multiculturalism, which, by the way, is an integral element of the neoliberal counter-revolution started by the Anglo-Saxons at the turn of the 1970s and 1980s. Others began to repeat this after her: British Prime Minister Cameron and French President Sarkozy. Moreover, Cameron did this in Germany, in Munich, where Hitler began his rise to power. Germany now sets the tone on very important issues.

– What is happening in the German intelligence services, in the army?

– The German intelligence services are being reformed in such a way as to best resist network structures. It is difficult for the state bureaucracy to fight such a “reality operator” as networkers, but the Germans have a wealth of experience to rely on - the experience of the Gestapo. By the mid-1930s, this relatively small but highly effective structure had almost completely defeated the Communists and concentrated on Freemasonry, which is mainly a network structure. The work has not gone away.

But the Germans have not yet succeeded in reforming the army as planned - it was thwarted, forcing Defense Minister Theodor zu Guttenberg to resign at the beginning of 2011, accusing him of plagiarism. Zu Guttenberg was going to reform, first of all, command and management structures, and this clearly did not gain him more supporters in the Bundeswehr. But I am convinced that he had serious opponents outside Germany. If the army reform had passed, it would have become one of the most powerful and modern armies. Do we need such a NATO?

– Who is not so interested in the rise of Germany?

– First of all, Great Britain and the closed supranational structures historically tied to it. The Germans are driving Albion into a corner on the issue of tightening budget regulations. London wants to preserve the independence of its sacred City, the main offshore of the modern world. A financial union in Europe on the German model will lead to a reconfiguration of the European Union, to its transformation into the United States of Europe under the leadership of Germany.

Hitler's European Union
– You mentioned the Nazi International, created at the end of the war...

– Bormann and Müller, with the help of the SS and Deutsche Bank, created 750 corporations: 233 in Sweden, 214 in Switzerland, 112 in Spain, 98 in Argentina, 58 in Portugal and 35 in Turkey. The Nazis also invested huge amounts of money in the drug trade in Latin America (thus they also exterminated the “subhumans”). By the way, at the origins of the Medellin cartel was the famous Klaus Barbier, who was hiding in Bolivia and was extradited to the French authorities in 1983.

The Nazis also took care of the post-war state apparatus of Germany. Since the end of 1943, they have carried out an absolutely fantastic operation. They chose 8–9 thousand mid-level officials truly loyal to the Reich, practically unknown outside the cities and towns where they served. They redid their dossier: they say he is a suspicious person, disloyal to the Reich. Sometimes they were given a fictitious six-month sentence, and sometimes they were even imprisoned for a month or two. With these documents, the person was sent to another city, where he calmly waited for the allies. When the Allies arrived, they appointed these very people to local administrations. Thus, a significant part of the administrative apparatus of the post-war Germany (and to a lesser extent the GDR) are former Nazis, most of whom remained loyal to the Reich and the Fuhrer.

The European Union as a project grows out of Hitler's European Union. And as a structure it was absolutely consistent with German economic and political interests. With the help of the European Union, the Germans peacefully achieved what they did not achieve militarily. For example, the eurozone has its own central bank, but does not have a common treasury or a common fiscal policy. The result: growing differences in the economic development of different countries and the strengthening of the strong, especially Germany. Two-thirds of Germany's economic growth in the last decade has been attributed to the introduction of the euro. Now you can abandon the euro (by the way, 51% of Germans want this).

– The Germans gave loans to other countries so that they could purchase German products. Now that Germany has to pull these countries out of the debt hole, do the Germans not need the European Union?

- Exactly. Germany does not need the European Union in its previous form; it rather needs the United States of Europe with a Carolingian (i.e. German) core. By the way, the European Union has prepared not only an economic, but also a political and administrative basis for German dominance. Few people write about this here (one of the exceptions is O.N. Chetverikova).

Since the 1970s, the process of regionalization of Europe has been actively underway - a project proposed primarily by German politicians. The goal is to allocate territories in states according to ethnolinguistic principles and transform state borders into administrative ones.

In the mid-1980s, two regional associations emerged - the Assembly of European Regions and the Council of Communities and Regions of Europe; in both the Germans set the tone; 250 regions are represented in the Association, whose documents formed the basis of the EU Constitution. The regionalization of Europe itself followed German patterns: the brutal version is Yugoslavia, and the soft version is Belgium, where the Flemings and Walloons coexist. As a result, almost all European countries are fragmented into ethnic pieces, and ethnically homogeneous Germany not only does not fragment, but, due to the disappearance of state borders, “attracts” Austria, parts of Switzerland and Italy; Silesia and Moravia are in question. So to speak, a peaceful Anschluss.


Ghost of Nazism

– Don’t you assume that the rise of Germany corresponds to some kind of pan-Western plan and is beneficial to the Anglo-Saxon elite?

– The modern world is a world not so much of states as of supranational structures and clans. Some Anglo-Saxons benefit, others don’t. In addition, there is no data on the repeal of the so-called Chancellor Act. According to information from retired Austrian intelligence officer General Camossa, at the end of the 1940s, the Americans and Germans signed an act according to which the candidacy of the Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, as well as, to a large extent, the education system, domestic and foreign policy were determined in Washington. The information field and spiritual life of Germany are largely under American control; the German elite is embedded in the world of Anglo-Saxon closed structures.

At the same time, in recent years the situation has begun to change. The rise of Germany is accompanied by a number of moments, many of which are unlikely to make us, and other peoples of Europe, happy. First of all, this is a softening of attitudes towards Hitler in Europe and the United States. At the same time, the demonization of Stalin, communism, and the USSR is intensifying. They are trying to present the Soviet regime as more criminal than the Nazi regime.

In October 2010, the exhibition “Hitler and the Germans” opened at the German Historical Museum in Berlin with the subtitle: “Hitler as the embodiment of the people's ideal of saving the nation.” Since 2004, the UN has voted every year on a document on the inadmissibility of xenophobia. The document specifically emphasizes: the glorification of Nazism is unacceptable. In 2011, 17 EU countries voted against this document. It turns out that it is possible to glorify Nazism.

A quotation book from Mein Kampf is due to be published in Germany this year. And in a few years, Mein Kampf itself will be republished. German publishers claim that the book was not released only because of the copyright situation. As soon as 70 years have passed since Hitler's death, his book can be republished.

– In the bestseller “Germany: Self-Liquidation” T. Sarrazin paints a completely different future for Germany.

- And he draws correctly. The German rise has a serious contradiction - between economic and political achievements, on the one hand, and the quality of human material, on the other. The number of Germans is declining: by the middle of the 21st century, instead of 82 million, there will be 59 million, and a large percentage will be Turks, Kurds, and Arabs.

Another aspect is quality. According to surveys, 40% of German men want to be housewives, 30% consider starting a family “an excessive responsibility.” With such material, not only the Reich - you can’t build anything at all. Ironically, or, as Hegel would say, the insidiousness of history, the Nazi international (Fourth Reich) spent the entire second half working on biomass, which does not need any Fifth Reich. And the ethnic composition of today's Germany would simply shock them. I just want to ask: “Is this what you fought for, old man Martin?”

And yet: if Europe is destined to rise and turn from a colossus with feet of clay into a real colossus, then only the Germans can do this.

John Woods was a good executioner. When his victim hung in the air, he grabbed her by the legs and hung with her, reducing the suffering of the dangling noose. But this is in his native Texas, where he has already executed more than three hundred people.
On the night of October 16, 1946, Woods abandoned his principles.


The American pro had to hang the bosses of the Third Reich: Goering, Ribbentrop, Keitel, Kaltenbrunner, Jodl, Sauckel, Streicher, Seys-Inquart, Frank, Frick and Rosenberg. In this group prison photo they are almost in full force.

The Nuremberg prison where the Nazis were held was in the American zone, so the executioner was also provided by the US government. In this photo, American Sergeant John Woods demonstrates his know-how - his legendary 13-knot loop.

Goering was supposed to be the first to ascend the scaffold, followed by Ribbentrop, but two hours before the execution, the Reichsmarshal committed suicide by taking a capsule of potassium cyanide, which (according to one possible version) his wife gave him with a farewell kiss during their last meeting in prison.

How Goering found out about the upcoming execution is unknown; its date was kept strictly secret from the condemned and the press. Before death, the convicts were even fed, offering one of two dishes to choose from: sausages with salad or pancakes with fruit.
Goering bit into the ampoule during dinner.

They were executed after midnight in the gym of Nuremberg prison. Woods built the gallows in just 24 hours: just the day before, the soldiers were still playing basketball in the hall. The idea seemed good to him: three gallows, replaceable ropes, body bags and, most importantly, hatches in the platforms under the feet of the guilty, into which they immediately had to fall when hanged.
No more than three hours were allotted for the entire execution, including the last word and conversation with the priest. Woods himself later proudly recalled that day: “Ten people in 103 minutes. That’s fast work.”
But the downside (or upside?) was that Woods hurriedly miscalculated the size of the hatches, making them very small. Falling inside the gallows, the executed person touched the edges of the hatch with his head and died, let’s say, not immediately...
Ribbentrop wheezed in the loop for 10 minutes, Jodl for 18, Keitel for 24.

After the execution, representatives of all the Allied powers examined the corpses and signed death certificates, and journalists photographed the bodies with and without clothes. Then the executed were loaded into spruce coffins, sealed and, under heavy escort, transported to the crematorium of the Eastern Cemetery of Munich.
On the evening of October 18, the mixed ashes of the criminals were poured into the Isar Canal from the Marienklausen Bridge.

Interior view of the solitary cell where the main German war criminals were kept.

People like Goering

Lunch of the defendants of the Nuremberg trials.

Goering at lunch in his cell.

Goering during lunch during a break in the Nuremberg trials in the common dining room for the accused.

Opposite him is Rudolf Hess

Goering, who lost 20 kg during the process.

Goering during a meeting with his lawyer.

Goering and Hess

Goering on trial

Kaltenbrunner in a wheelchair

The Foreign Minister of the Third Reich, Joachim von Ribbentrop, was the first to be hanged.

Colonel General Alfred Jodl

Chief of the SS Reich Security Directorate Ernst Kaltenbrunner

Chief of the Wehrmacht High Command Wilhelm Keitel

Reich Protector of Bohemia and Moravia Wilhelm Frick

Gauleiter of Franconia Julius Streicher

Alfred Rosenberg, head of the foreign policy department of the NSDAP

Reichskommissar of the Netherlands Arthur Seyss-Inquart

Gauleiter of Thuringia Friedrich Sauckel

Governor General of Poland, NSDAP lawyer Hans Frank

The corpse of Heinrich Himmler. The Reichsführer SS committed suicide on May 23, 1945, while being detained in the city of Luneburg, by taking potassium cyanide.

The corpses of the leader of the National Fascist Party Benito Mussolini and his mistress Clara Petacci, who shielded the Duce during the execution on April 28, 1945 on the outskirts of the village of Mezzegra.

The dead bodies of Mussolini and Petacci, along with six bodies of other fascist hierarchs, were transported to Milan and hung by their feet from the ceilings of a gas station in Piazzale Loreto.

Deputy Fuhrer for the party Rudolf Hess. The only one of the three defendants sentenced to life imprisonment who served the entire term - 41 years. In August 1987, 93-year-old Hess was found hanging from an electrical wire in the courtyard gazebo of Berlin's Spandau prison.

P.S. Nuremberg executioner John C. Woods died on July 21, 1950. According to legend, from electric shock when testing an electric chair of his own design. In life, everything is more prosaic: he actually died from an electric shock, but while repairing electrical wiring in his own house.

18.06.2015

Even school textbooks sometimes call Nazi Germany the Third Reich. This name has long been familiar to our ears, but where did it come from? In general, the “Reich” is a number of territories united into one state-political entity. In essence, it is a state.

The division of German history into the periods of the three Reichs appeared in the 20s. last century. Then the First Reich was called the largest state in Europe - the Holy Roman Empire, which included parts of modern Italy, Burgundy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Lorraine and other countries. Representatives of the “Reich theory” called Germany the core and unifying force of this powerful empire. The prosperous existence of the huge state lasted from 962 to 1806, that is, several centuries.

Then the time of the Second Reich came. This is a period covering the time from 1871 to 1918 (that is, until the end of the First World War). It is also called the time of the German Hohenzollern Empire. The beginning of the Third Reich is 1933. Hitler, who came to power at a time of severe economic crisis, bet that people tired of hunger and difficult living conditions would follow him - the leader who promised the revival of Germany and a happy life for the “true Aryans.”

Unfortunately, his calculation turned out to be correct: the common population of the country believed that the head of the National Socialist Party was really capable of building an ideal state in which they would be rich and cloudlessly happy. To this day it remains a mystery: what it was - some kind of mass hypnosis or simply the fear of being “on the other side of the barricades” (after all, reprisals threatened all dissidents), but the facts dispassionately prove that from 1933 to 1945. Germany really was building its ideal Third Reich, building its own little paradise on millions of ruined human lives.

Sometimes this Third Reich is given a certain mystical significance, linking it with the hypothesis of the era of the kingdom of the Holy Spirit on Earth, which appeared in the Middle Ages. This kingdom should last a thousand years. For Hitler, such “mystical support” could only be to his advantage: all this helped him convince people that only the perfect race - that is, the real Aryans - has the right to life, everyone else either should be its slaves, or should be completely destroyed.

The terrible Third Reich spanned “only” 12 years and ended with the defeat of Nazi Germany in the war. But this time - no more than a second in the history of mankind - showed all of humanity how terrible the consequences can be if someone imagines himself to be the master of life on Earth, disposing of life and death at his own discretion. I would like to believe that humanity has learned this terrible lesson and will never allow something like this to happen again.



 


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