overseas jurists and journalists as unobjectionable from the

juristic point of view contributed to a great extent

to the lack of protest at there being no proper
trial. The accused did not deny their complicity and had
to expect execution in the event that their plot
failed. Hitler’s reaction when told on 20 July 1944 that
in the army command in Paris, underthe roof of
Stülpnagel and Kluge, his deathhad been prematurely
celebrated with champagne needs no description from me.
The suicide of Rommel in October 1944 and Kluge’s
suicide were connected events known about for
years. I mention these two names because they
meant more to Hitler than is generally known.53
Rommel’s suicide was obviously his own decision, but Hitler
doubted that Kluge’s suicide had been voluntary. He
suspected that ‘the English poisoned him’ after they had
‘failed to convince the Generalfeldmarschall to come
over to their side’. He even asked Frau Klugefor
permission to autopsy the body of her husband. The
result did not bear out his suspicion. Klugehad taken his
own life. This was another heavy blow for Hitler,
now constantly being urgedby Himmler in the background
‘to exterminate the whole gang’. That special
security measures were introduced after 20 July goes
without saying. Only aboutsixty people, whose names
Hitler had listed personally, were permitted access to him
without a prior body search. Briefcases and such-like
had to be left behind. Although I saw the need for
such measures, they depressed me. Generals, colonels, staff
officers, lieutenants,NCOs and simple privates with
the highest decorations came - men who had
risked their lives for Hitler - and had to be patted
down by the RSD like convicted thieves. Numerous
‘visitors’ declared that they ‘consideredit finallynecessary’ to
have to go through this procedure, but I was not
happy to see it every day. Soldiers with gold
close-combat clasps, gold wound badges, Iron
 Crosses and Knights Crosses, often still in their uniforms
direct from the front, had to be frisked for weapons
like gangsters. Until then I had neveracted off my own
bat, but now I did. I went to Högl and told him that
the Führer had ordered such searches to be
discontinued if the visitor was highly decorated. This
was done.When Hitler heard of my unauthorised
‘measure’, whichcould naturally have had the most serious
consequences for me, he said nothing but merely
looked at me and made me realise my position.
Feeling very uncertain, I explained: ‘Mein Führer, what
would a man think who arrives from the front to
receive his Knights Cross and is frisked beforehand
like a convicted murderer?’ Hitler’s reaction confirmed
what I had experienced of him time and again:
he would allow pre-emptive decisions
if they seemed justified.
A ‘glimmer of light’ in the ‘swamp’ now appeared to
him in the shape of Generalfeldmarschall Keitel,
whose ‘unpolitical way of thinking and lack of initiative’
was something of whichHitler had been a regular critic.
Overnight there was a completely different Keitel.
When Hitler had to confine himself to bed as
a result of the attempt on his life, it was not
to Bormann or Himmler that he handed affairs
but to Keitel. He who until then had been only the
obedient and powerless general proved at once that
he merited his high military rank and his impressive
position. Prudent, decisive, unperturbed by the
intercessions of Himmler and Bormann, he laid down what
had to be done until Hitler was fit to take back the
reins of power alone. When Hitler was on the
road to recovery, he resumed his short walksin the
FHQ terrain, usually accompanied by myself and
constantly by Blondi, his intelligent and lively German
Shepherd. One day during one such stroll, unfortunately
 I do not recall the date but it wasafter 20 July 1944.
Hitler broached the subject of peace negotiations.
As I was merely a listener, he did not need
answers to his questions, so as was his custom he
could develop his ideas without interruption. He did
not finish off, though, and for no apparent reason
changed the subject. When we were in his small
private room,Hewel’s representative and Albert
Bormann, Martin Bormann’s brother, appeared. Hitler had
them remain standing at the door, a comical situation,
the two of them were blocking the exit. Whatever Hitler
was intending was not clear to me. Apparently he
wanted me present as a witness without actually
saying so. Uncertainly, very cautiously, Albert
Bormann and his colleague began their reports on
the ‘peace negotiations’ in Stockholm. Hitler listened
for a while in silence. When Albert Bormann
stated that the Allies were not prepared to enter
serious negotiations so long as he, Hitler,
remained head of state, the NSDAP continued to exist
and the German forces were not readyto accept
unconditional surrender, Hitler bristled. Providence, he
retorted angrily, had not kept him alive on 20 July
from caprice. As before he had been chosen and
remained in position to give positive form to
Germany’s future. His enemies knew what outcome their
conditions would have. He was therefore no longer
prepared to allow the negotiations to proceed, he
ordered, and without any further ado he dismissed the
pair of them. The 20 July 1944 plot not only brought
abouta majorchange in Hitler’s life. I was quickly
saddled with tasks that Stauffenberg’s bombinitiated. New
faces