299. Janßen/Tobias, 86–8, 91, 93–7.
300. Hoßbach, 127; Hans Bernd Gisevius, Bis zum bittern Ende (single vol. edn), Zürich, n.d. (1954?), 258; Janßen/Tobias, 90. This speaks directly against the well-versed argument that Fritsch’s dismissal was a consequence of his objections to Hitler’s remarks at the meeting on 5 November 1937, noted by Hoßbach. For this interpretation, see Peter Graf Kielmansegg, ‘Die militärisch-politische Tragweite der Hoßbach-Besprechung’, VfZ, 8 (1960), 268–75.
301. Janßen/Tobias, 86–7.
302. Gerhard Engel, Heeresadjutant bei Hitler 1938–1943. Aufzeichnungen des Majors Engel, ed. Hildegard von Kotze, Stuttgart, 1974, 20–21. Engel’s notes, though having the appearance of contemporary diary entries, were, in fact, compiled after the war, taken both from memory and, he claimed, from notes made at the time but subsequently lost. Since Engel was in Hitler’s immediate entourage for a period of five years, his notes remain of value though should not be taken as an authentic diary record.
303. Hoßbach, 125–7; Gisevius, Bis zum bittern Ende, (single vol. edn), 258–61; Janßen/Tobias, 99.
304. Hoßbach, 126–7; Wiedemann, 117–18.
305. Hoßbach, 127; Janßen/Tobias, 100.
306. Wiedemann, 117–18. See TBJG, 1/3, 417 (28 January 1938): ‘He was thus able to prepare himself. Who knows here what’s true and false! In any case, the situation is impossible. It’s being further investigated. But after that Fritsch will also have to go.’
307. Hoßbach, 127–8; Janßen/Tobias, 101–2.
308. Jaßen/Tobias, 102–3.
309. Hoßbach, 128–9; Below, 65; Generalfeldmarschall Keitel. Verbrecher oder Offizier? Erinnerungen, Briefe, Dokumente des Chefs OKW, ed. Walter Görlitz, Göttingen/Berlin/Frankfurt am Main, 1961 (=Keitel), 104ff.
310. Janßen/Tobias, 91. Schmidt had been in custody since 1935, and was sentenced in December 1936 to seven years’ imprisonment for numerous cases of blackmail and infringement of the laws on homosexuality. His criminal record stretched back to 1929. Janßen/Tobias, 91–2 and 277 n.33.
311. Janßen/Tobias, 104–5.
312. See the account of the extraordinary meeting in Hoßbach, 129–30; also Janßen/Tobias, 106.
313. Janßen/Tobias, 108.
314. Goebbels wrote: ‘Here is word against word: that of a homosexual blackmailer against that of the head of the army. And the Führer does not trust Fritsch any longer’ (TBJG, I/3, 421 (30 January 1938)).
315. Janßen/Tobias, 109–16, especially 113–14.
316. TBJG, I/3, 421 (30 January 1938).
317. Janßen/Tobias, 120–21. A second HJ boy was also looked after by Fritsch for a month (Janßen/Tobias, 101).
318. Janßen/Tobias, 122–3.
319. TBJG, I/3, 417 (28 January 1938).
320. The idea of separate ministries for the branches of the armed forces possibly came initially from Raeder (Janßen/Tobias, 126). As late as 31 January, Hitler and Goebbels were still discussing possible successors to Fritsch, with the Propaganda Minister favouring Beck {TBJG, I/3, 423 (1 February 1938)).
321. Janßen/Tobias, 125–6. See Hoßbach, 132 n.i (the post-war comments by Fritsch’s defender, Graf v.d. Goltz, of a conversation he had had in June 1945 with Blomberg); see also Keitel, 105 n.184; Below, 67.
322. Janßen/Tobias, 128–32. The sarcastic comment about Himmler was made after the war while in British internment by Field-Marshal Ewald von Kleist.
323. Janßen/Tobias, 126–7.
324. IMG, xxviii.358, Doc. 1780-PS, Jodl-Tagebuch; Keitel, 106–9; Janßen/Tobias, 127. Keitel and Jodl worked out the organizational structure (Janßen/Tobias, 136). Blomberg’s recommendation of Keitel had scarcely been enthusiastic. Hitler had asked who was in charge of Blomberg’s staff. Blomberg mentioned Keitel’s name, but dismissed the possibility of using him. ‘He’s nothing but the man who runs my office,’ he said. ‘That’s exactly the man I am looking for,’ Hitler replied (Walter Warlimont, Inside Hitler’s Headquarters, 1939–1945, London, 1964, 13).
325. Janßen/Tobias, 136.
326. Müller, Heer, 636.
327. Janßen/Tobias, 140.
328. TBJG, I/3, 424 (1 February 1938). Hitler had hinted to Keitel and Brauchitsch that the reshuffle was aimed at heading off the negative impression that could be prompted abroad at the departure of Blomberg and Fritsch (Keitel, 112).
329. TBJG, I/3, 423–4 (1 February 1938).
330. IMG, xxviii.362, Doc. 1780-PS, Jodl-Tagebuch (31 January 1938): ‘Führer will die Scheinwerfer von der Wehrmacht ablenken, Europa in Atem halten… Schußnig [sic] soll nicht Mut fassen sondern zittern.’
