HISTORICAL NOTES: Inside the G

Goebbels' diaries: mad hope amid a collapsing Third Reich

Driven by a hunger for information about the once seldom-discussed days of the Third Reich, West Germans keep devouring books about their Nazi past. Latest object of their fascination is Joseph Goebbels, the fiery orator and master of the Big Lie who served for twelve years as the Nazi Minister of Propaganda. Almost as soon as excerpts from his 1945 diary were published late last year, they shot onto the West German bestseller lists.* Because Goebbels apparently intended to use this diary primarily as source material for a book, he never...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!