Higher-ranking officers, for example, Major General Gerhard Bassenge, were particularly concerned about being held responsible for the things that had been carried out with or without Hitler’s knowledge:
BASSENGE: We have been completely deceived by our FÜHRER. We were…… with completely wrong assumptions—the path was forced on us. The oath was sworn in 1933, when HINDENBURG was still there, and when conditions were quite different. After one year things were quite different—by then we had taken the oath!518
Soldiers’ disappointment that the future was almost certainly not going to be as bright as had been promised revealed the emotional significance of the National Socialist project and their faith in the Führer. Colonel Reimann, for instance, was clearly frustrated:
REIMANN: It had all gone so well. It was all so marvellous and so perfect, and then with that damned RUSSIA it all went awry. There are two people who didn’t know that in RUSSIA it is cold in winter; one was NAPOLEON BONAPARTE, and the other was the FÜHRER, the dilettante general, but everyone else knew.519
“What is the difference between CHRIST and HITLER? With CHRIST one died for all.” (Laughter.)
After the 6th Army capitulated in Stalingrad in February 1943, doubts began to multiply as to whether final victory was still possible. Even if the majority of soldiers did not point the finger of blame at Hitler, the number of statements critical of him grew. “I must admit that ADOLF isn’t all he should be, for instance, his treatment of the Jews isn’t right,” a Private First Class Harnisch complained.521 Colonel Helmuth Rohrbach even believed: “Apparently the FÜHRER doesn’t listen to our generals, it’s lamentable. One man can’t be a politician, a statesman and a general at the same time. That’s madness.”522
In 1944, Sergeant Doetsch and First Sergeant Bräutigam arrived at a remarkable conclusion considering their socialization as young fighter pilots:
DOETSCH: A few days before these new raids on LONDON began, some bigwig came to see us and made a speech. I can’t remember who he was, but he behaved like a hysterical woman.
BRÄUTIGAM: Was it perhaps the leader of operations in ENGLAND?
DOETSCH: That’s possible. He shouted: “Set fire to their houses, so that I can go to the FÜHRER and say the GAF has been over ENGLAND again.” He actually implored us: “You mustn’t fail, put your last ounce into it!” He was quite hysterical.
BRÄUTIGAM: Yes, taking after the FÜHRER.
DOETSCH: When you think what a dreadful mess HITLER has made of things, as a good German you can’t help coming to the conclusion that he really ought to be shot.
BRÄUTIGAM: You are right there, but one must not say so.
DOETSCH: I certainly won’t say so to the people here.523
Of course, most of the critical remarks about Hitler contained remnants of personal sympathy and traces of faith. For instance, a sharpshooter named Caesar pondered what he would do if he were to encounter the leaders of his country:
