Description:

HITLER ORDERS THE WRITING THE HISTORY OF THE THIRD REICH
Historic lot of three documents outlining Hitler's plan for recording Germany's successes at the height of World War II, obviously with the intention of leaving it for posterity once his plans for world domination had succeeded. The first document is a mimeographed declaration sent in the name of ADOLF HITLER, 1p. 4to., [Berlin], May 17, 1942. Hitler advises, in part: ‘…Since the titanic events of this war form a single whole, its history also needs to be written from a uniform standpoint. I have therefore made Colonel Scherff of the gen. staff of the army, who has had the task of producing the basic account of Great Germany's struggle for freedom, similarly responsible for the organization of all military history and have set him the objective of laying all the groundwork for this purpose. Colonel Scherff is authorized to enlist in his aid all the facilities for war…He is to report to me on any organizational requirements that arise from his task and to keep me regularly informed on the progress of his work…Colonel Scherff now has the additional service title of: The Fuhrer's representative for the writing of military history at the High Command of the Armed Forces…' Signed in type by Hitler at bottom. This copy was directed to a ‘Major Engel' whose initials appear at upper-right. Brittle with ragged margins not affecting text, otherwise very good. WALTER SCHERFF (1898-1945) was a major general who also served in World War I. He was a dedicated Nazi and was determined to write the history based only on Hitler's directives and orders. Scherff replaced the less sympathetic Gen. Friedrich von Rabenau who would be executed for his involvement in the July 20 plot. Coincidentally, Scherff himself was badly injured in the bomb explosion and later ordered the burning of the records of Hitler's military conferences. SOLD WITH: WOLFGANG FOERSTER (1875-1973), German officer and military historian, a senior military archivist. T.L.S. on official letterhead, 1p. 4to., Potsdam, Jan. 8 [1942], to RUDOLF SCHMUNDT (1896–1944), German officer and adjutant to Adolf Hitler. Foerster sends: ‘Vol. VII of the ‘Accounts of the Post-War Battles of German Troops and of the Volunteer Corps'…' and asks that Schmundt: ‘…be good enough to lay it before the Fuhrer and Reich Chancellor…' At the bottom of the letter, Schmundt handwrites and initials a note: ‘Request to the Fuhrer. Write letter of thanks with the Fuhrer's signature as usual.' WITH: a retained unsigned copy of the requested letter from Hitler, ‘Fuhrer Headquarters', Jan. 23, 1942 to Foerster sending ‘my very warm thanks to you…' for the volume. Three pieces, overall very good. Of course, with Germany's rapidly increasing defeats and Scherff's wounding, Hitler's ‘history of world domination' was never completed.

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December 4, 2024 10:00 AM EST
Elkton, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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