Berlin полностью

In the winter of 1939/40 Berlin presented a mixed picture. The nightly blackouts and shorter days gave one the impression of living in near-constant darkness. Nor did it help that the temperature dropped to minus fifteen degrees Celsius, and that coal deliveries were curtailed. The American diplomat George Kennan, who had been transferred from Prague to Berlin at the beginning of the war, recalled that winter as “a difficult one. Canals were frozen. Fuel was short. Whole blocks of huge apartment houses could not be heated at all and had to be evacuated in zero weather.” Berliners had to put up with incessant requests for “voluntary” donations to the Winter Relief, supposedly a charity for the poor but actually a collection for the war effort. The regime also began collecting paper and metals from the population. Hitler was said to be replacing the bronze doors of the Neue Reichskanzlei with wooden ones as an example of patriotic sacrifice. At the same time, however, the regime eased the rationing regulations at Christmas to promote a happy Yule-tide spirit. A pamphlet entitled “Christmas in the Third Reich” featured twelve poems about Hitler, one with the inspiring lines: “Silent night, Holy night / All is calm, all is bright / Only the Chancellor stays on guard / Germany’s future to watch and to ward / Guiding our nation aright.” Berliners were officially encouraged to patronize the city’s cultural and amusement centers. The entertainment on hand that winter was heavily American: the Marmorhaus cinema showed Südsee-Nächte (South Sea Nights) with Eleonor Powell and Robert Young, while the Kurbel featured Micky-Maus and Dick-und-Doof (Laurel and Hardy).

In spring and early summer 1940 the fare in Berlin’s cinemas turned more martial, with the Wochenschau (weekly news) programs recording the amazing progress of Germany’s offensive in the west against Norway, Denmark, the Low Countries, and France. Nevertheless, according to Shirer, the German capital remained blase. There was “no evidence,” wrote the reporter, “that the Berliners, at least, are greatly exercised at the battle for their thousand-year existence.” Conquest of the Low Countries and key victories over French and British armies in France elicited similar indifference, though all the Berlin papers carried the stories under banner headlines. According to Kennan, even the announcement of the fall of Paris “was received with the same inscrutable silence and reserve.” Instead of victory, the “talk was all of food cards and the price of stockings.”

It was only when the Nazi regime staged celebrations in Berlin in July 1940 to mark the victory over France that the citizenry showed much excitement. Tens of thousands turned out to greet their Führer upon his return from a brief victory trip to Paris on July 6. The enthusiasm expressed for Hitler was undoubtedly genuine. On July 18 the 218th Infantry Division marched through the Brandenburg Gate amidst the ringing of church bells and hosannas from the masses. The buildings on Unter den Linden were draped in red and white banners. The mood was all the more festive because the returning troops had brought home all sorts of wonderful booty from the conquered countries: French champagne and cognac, silk stockings, satin underwear, Dutch gin and cigars, silver fox coats from Norway. Another reason for celebrating was the belief that the war might soon be over. With France defeated and the Wehrmacht ensconced on the English Channel, Berliners were sure that Britain would sue for peace.

Fortress Berlin

Instead of suing for peace, Winston Churchill, Britain’s new prime minister, went on the air to announce his nation’s determination to fight on come what may. Churchill’s tenacity infuriated Hitler, hardening his resolve to crush the island kingdom. Like Napoleon, he understood that this might require invading England, but he hoped that air strikes on British shipping would bring the country to its knees. In July 1940 the Luftwaffe began pounding British shipping in the Channel as well as selected ports and harbors. To the dismay of Air Marshal Göring, who had promised a quick victory, the Royal Air Force proved an able match for the Luftwaffe, knocking down high percentages of the German bombers as they struggled to reach their targets. In addition to courageous pilots, the RAF had the advantage of radar, which enabled its Spitfires and Hurricanes to scramble into position just as the Germans reached the English coast. To reporters watching the aerial duels from the White Cliffs of Dover, the sight of British planes holding their own provided the first ray of hope since the beginning of the war. As the American correspondent Vincent Sheean wrote: