it is June 1945 a senior officers interrogation facility near Bad Kissing in Germany sits under a quiet summer sun inside a small office paper crinkles general lieutenant Heinrich von Breido sits straight in his chair he is 58 years old he is an infantry general from Saxony a career officer since 190 7 his uniform is clean his boots are polished he looks across a wooden table at an American intelligence officer Von Bradow reaches into his pocket and places a document on the table it is a typed statement 14 pages of clean black ink
the general clears his throat he states firmly that he was never a Nazi he states he never met Adolf Hitler he claims his service was purely professional a duty to the German nation not to the political party he looks the American in the eye a single photograph will shatter his carefully rehearsed lie this is the story of what Patton did when a German general claimed he never met Hitler and the single photograph that shattered his carefully rehearsed lie before we continue make sure you subscribe we tell the World War 2 stories that show what happened
when the loser still thinks he is the master captain Daniel Brenner was 33 years old from Brooklyn New York he served as an intelligence officer in the United States Army assigned to the processing and interrogation of high ranking prisoners of war Brenner was the American born son of German Jewish immigrants who had fled the Old World for the promise of the new the war had exacted a terrible intimate price from his family as three of his first cousins in Germany had been rounded up and deported to Auschwitz in 1942
never to return Brenner spoke fluent flawless German retaining the precise cadence of his parents’native tongue for two long months he had sat in damp rooms listening to captured officers rewrite their own pasts hearing variations of the same apolitical excuse from roughly 80 different men he had grown weary of the theater but he had also grown meticulous spending his late nights in the archives matching arrogant faces to old propaganda film reels his evening work had yielded a thick cardboard file on the man currently sitting across from him
General Lieutenant Heinrich von Bradeau was 58 years old a traditional infantry general from Saxony who had worn a military uniform since 1907 he joined the Nazi Party in 1934 an action he now claimed was an automatic bureaucratic enrollment completed entirely without his explicit consent Von Braidow had commanded an entire division during the rapid invasions of Poland in 1939 and France in 1940 later driving his men into the freezing MUD during the early stages of Operation Barbarossa by 1943 his relentless execution of orders
earned him a promotion to core command and the Knight’s Cross with oak leaves he sat in the interrogation room carrying the visible marks of unearned privilege from his perfectly tailored field tunic to the clean silver trim on his collar he believed the retreating forces had burned the records leaving his wartime record clean and his reputation intact he sat with his hands folded entirely confident that the Americans had never seen the photographic evidence of his devotion g German war weapons gem tweeting analysis
German war weapons deny home team Thai Fan Hoy to Germany Hay Day AI one time coach Ally June 1945 a senior officers interrogation facility near Bad Kissing in Germany the door opened without a knock general George S Patton stepped into the small wood paneled room he did not smile he wore his immaculately pressed olive drab uniform four silver stars gleamed on his collar and his helmet at his waist sat the famous ivory handled revolvers every man in the room stood at attention instantly Captain Brenner saluted general lieutenant von Bredow
snapped his heels together his chin held high trying to maintain the rigid posture of a Prussian corps commander Patton did not look at him he nodded to Brenner then sat down at the small wooden table he placed a thick Manila folder on the bare wood the room was perfectly silent except for the faint tick of a watch Patton studied the German general for a long cold moment Patton spoke his voice was quiet it carried a sharp metallic edge general Lieutenant von Bredow he said I have read your statement you claim you never met the führer personally
and that you maintained a strict professional distance from the regime general my service was entirely military von Bredow said his voice steady I had no political role I served Germany not the party Patton leaned back slightly general lieutenant would you describe your relationship with Adolf Hitler as distant strictly distant general von Braydow answered I never spoke with him personally I attended large ceremonies where he was present of course but I never had a personal conversation with him never had a personal conversation
Patton asked never general to my recollection von Bradow said Patton opened his folder he did not rush he pulled out a large glossy photograph and slid it across the table it rested between them under the harsh light the image showed Adolf Hitler smiling broadly shaking hands with von Bredow inside the Reich Chancellery von Bredow was wearing his full dress uniform with the Knight’s cross around his neck they were looking directly at each other clearly mid sentence General Lieutenant Patton said his voice dropping an octave
this is you shaking hands with Adolf Hitler in July 1944 the Reich Chancellery photographer captioned it the Fuhrer congratulates General Lieutenant von Brauch on his oak leaves decoration they discussed the Eastern Front situation for approximately 20 minutes 20 minutes general lieutenant that is quite a never had a conversation the color drained from von Bredow’s face his jaw tightened general the photograph I had forgotten that specific ceremony he muttered it was a formal occasion the handshake was merely protocol
Patton did not answer he reached into the folder and slid a second photograph onto the table this one showed Hitler and von Bradow leaning over a large map table pointing at tactical lines the date on the back was October 1943 and this forgotten meeting Patton asked you appear to be advising the Fuhrer on strategic matters I was asked to brief him on my Corps actions Von Brauch said a bead of sweat forming near his temple it was a professional consultation Patton did not speak he pulled three more photographs from the folder
and dropped them on the table then another three then the rest 11 photographs in total each one captured von Bredow smiling with Hitler walking with Hitler receiving medals from Hitler the paper scratched against the table like dry leaves general lieutenant I have 11 photographs in this folder Patton said 11 personal meetings personal conversations strategic consultations outward ceremonies where he pinned medals on your chest your claim of never met personally is a lie your 14 page statement is a lie your denazification application is a fraud
Von Bradow stared down at the sea of black and white evidence he remained silent general lieutenant you have a choice Patton said his voice flat and absolute option 1 revise your statement to accurately describe your relationship with Hitler and the Nazi regime kind the 11 meetings the kind your party membership which you claimed was automatic but which records show was a voluntary application in 1934 dine your participation in the planning of operations on the Eastern Front tell the truth your processing will then proceed
based on accurate information Patton paused letting the silence fill the room option 2 Patton continued maintain your current lies we will use these photographs as evidence in your denazification proceedings immediately you will be classified as a major offender and processed accordingly that means immediate transfer to a maximum security enclosure imprisonment until trial and possible prosecution for war crimes related to operations on the Eastern Front choose von Braydow looked from the photographs to Patton’s face
the silence stretched for 10 seconds the German general’s shoulders slumped the Prussian posture collapsed I will revise my statement von Bredow said Captain Brenner placed a fresh stack of blank paper and a fountain pen on the table Patten turned without another word and walked out of the room his boots clicking rhythmically against the stone floor Von Bredow sat down heavily the room smelled of old paper sweat and the sharp ink from the pen outside the window the engine of Patton’s Jeep roared to life then faded into the distance
for the next four hours the German general did not look up he wrote furiously his hand shaking slightly as he filled page after page with a tight hurried script he no longer spoke of professional distance the new statement totaled 22 pages it detailed every handshake it documented the October mapping session it confessed to the 1934 voluntary party application that he had hidden for months he detailed his strategic consultations on the Eastern front and concluded the document with a desperate written plea for leniency
in light of his full cooperation Captain Brenner gathered the pages checking each sheet before placing them into the official file the public myth of the apolitical Vermokt general had evaporated on a single wooden table witnessed only by a junior officer and the empty chair where Patton had delivered his terms Captain Brenner delivered the 22 page confession directly to Patton’s headquarters Patten read the new document initialed the final page and filed it away without comment despite his written plea for leniency
von Bradaw’s extensive cooperation could not erase the documented reality of his wartime service the western occupation authorities classified him as a major offender he was transferred to a high security military prison where he remained until his release in 1949 he returned to a quiet gray existence in a small town in Westphalia where the local population knew nothing of his 11 handshakes with the führer he secured a low paying position as an insurance clerk counting figures in a dim office until his retirement
he died in obscurity in 1962 during his final years Von Bradow drafted a lengthy memoir intended to restore his name but the manuscript was never published his children inherited the typed pages after his death and discovered a single bitter passage near the end I lied to General Patton about my relationship with Hitler Von Bradow had written he had the photographs I had only my honor which as it turned out was less than I thought finding the admission too humiliating for the family name his children burned the manuscript in a backyard furnace
Patton himself never spoke of the interrogation to the press he kept a duplicate set of the 11 photographs in the back drawer of his personal desk for the remainder of his life in a letter to his wife dated two days after the incident he noted simply the German generals are trying to rewrite the history of this war before the ink on the surrender is even dry I met one today who forgot he had advised Hitler for 20 minutes I showed him a picture of his own face and his memory returned quite suddenly some historians argue
that Patton’s confrontational use of intelligence material was overly theatrical bypassing standard judicial protocols for denazification in favor of a dramatic personal ambush they suggest that forcing immediate confessions under the threat of war crimes prosecution blurred the line between intelligence gathering and legal prosecution others argue the opposite maintaining that such decisive measures were absolutely necessary to shatter the wall of denial constructed by the German officer core they contend that without absolute proof
the myth of the clean Vermacht would have hardened much sooner what is certain is that the 22 page confession Patton extracted remained a permanent part of von Bredow’s official military record preventing him from ever holding public office or military command in the post war era if you had been in Patton’s position would you have done the same or would you have left the investigation to standard civilian denazification boards let us know in the comments and if you want more stories about when the loser still thinks he is the master
make sure to subscribe
A German Civilian Offered His Hand… Everyone Went Silent
it is June 1945 a senior officers interrogation facility near Bad Kissing in Germany sits under a quiet summer sun inside a small office paper crinkles general lieutenant Heinrich von Breido sits straight in his chair he is 58 years old he is an infantry general from Saxony a career officer since 190 7 his uniform is clean his boots are polished he looks across a wooden table at an American intelligence officer Von Bradow reaches into his pocket and places a document on the table it is a typed statement 14 pages of clean black ink
the general clears his throat he states firmly that he was never a Nazi he states he never met Adolf Hitler he claims his service was purely professional a duty to the German nation not to the political party he looks the American in the eye a single photograph will shatter his carefully rehearsed lie this is the story of what Patton did when a German general claimed he never met Hitler and the single photograph that shattered his carefully rehearsed lie before we continue make sure you subscribe we tell the World War 2 stories that show what happened
when the loser still thinks he is the master captain Daniel Brenner was 33 years old from Brooklyn New York he served as an intelligence officer in the United States Army assigned to the processing and interrogation of high ranking prisoners of war Brenner was the American born son of German Jewish immigrants who had fled the Old World for the promise of the new the war had exacted a terrible intimate price from his family as three of his first cousins in Germany had been rounded up and deported to Auschwitz in 1942
never to return Brenner spoke fluent flawless German retaining the precise cadence of his parents’native tongue for two long months he had sat in damp rooms listening to captured officers rewrite their own pasts hearing variations of the same apolitical excuse from roughly 80 different men he had grown weary of the theater but he had also grown meticulous spending his late nights in the archives matching arrogant faces to old propaganda film reels his evening work had yielded a thick cardboard file on the man currently sitting across from him
General Lieutenant Heinrich von Bradeau was 58 years old a traditional infantry general from Saxony who had worn a military uniform since 1907 he joined the Nazi Party in 1934 an action he now claimed was an automatic bureaucratic enrollment completed entirely without his explicit consent Von Braidow had commanded an entire division during the rapid invasions of Poland in 1939 and France in 1940 later driving his men into the freezing MUD during the early stages of Operation Barbarossa by 1943 his relentless execution of orders
earned him a promotion to core command and the Knight’s Cross with oak leaves he sat in the interrogation room carrying the visible marks of unearned privilege from his perfectly tailored field tunic to the clean silver trim on his collar he believed the retreating forces had burned the records leaving his wartime record clean and his reputation intact he sat with his hands folded entirely confident that the Americans had never seen the photographic evidence of his devotion g German war weapons gem tweeting analysis
German war weapons deny home team Thai Fan Hoy to Germany Hay Day AI one time coach Ally June 1945 a senior officers interrogation facility near Bad Kissing in Germany the door opened without a knock general George S Patton stepped into the small wood paneled room he did not smile he wore his immaculately pressed olive drab uniform four silver stars gleamed on his collar and his helmet at his waist sat the famous ivory handled revolvers every man in the room stood at attention instantly Captain Brenner saluted general lieutenant von Bredow
snapped his heels together his chin held high trying to maintain the rigid posture of a Prussian corps commander Patton did not look at him he nodded to Brenner then sat down at the small wooden table he placed a thick Manila folder on the bare wood the room was perfectly silent except for the faint tick of a watch Patton studied the German general for a long cold moment Patton spoke his voice was quiet it carried a sharp metallic edge general Lieutenant von Bredow he said I have read your statement you claim you never met the führer personally
and that you maintained a strict professional distance from the regime general my service was entirely military von Bredow said his voice steady I had no political role I served Germany not the party Patton leaned back slightly general lieutenant would you describe your relationship with Adolf Hitler as distant strictly distant general von Braydow answered I never spoke with him personally I attended large ceremonies where he was present of course but I never had a personal conversation with him never had a personal conversation
Patton asked never general to my recollection von Bradow said Patton opened his folder he did not rush he pulled out a large glossy photograph and slid it across the table it rested between them under the harsh light the image showed Adolf Hitler smiling broadly shaking hands with von Bredow inside the Reich Chancellery von Bredow was wearing his full dress uniform with the Knight’s cross around his neck they were looking directly at each other clearly mid sentence General Lieutenant Patton said his voice dropping an octave
this is you shaking hands with Adolf Hitler in July 1944 the Reich Chancellery photographer captioned it the Fuhrer congratulates General Lieutenant von Brauch on his oak leaves decoration they discussed the Eastern Front situation for approximately 20 minutes 20 minutes general lieutenant that is quite a never had a conversation the color drained from von Bredow’s face his jaw tightened general the photograph I had forgotten that specific ceremony he muttered it was a formal occasion the handshake was merely protocol
Patton did not answer he reached into the folder and slid a second photograph onto the table this one showed Hitler and von Bradow leaning over a large map table pointing at tactical lines the date on the back was October 1943 and this forgotten meeting Patton asked you appear to be advising the Fuhrer on strategic matters I was asked to brief him on my Corps actions Von Brauch said a bead of sweat forming near his temple it was a professional consultation Patton did not speak he pulled three more photographs from the folder
and dropped them on the table then another three then the rest 11 photographs in total each one captured von Bredow smiling with Hitler walking with Hitler receiving medals from Hitler the paper scratched against the table like dry leaves general lieutenant I have 11 photographs in this folder Patton said 11 personal meetings personal conversations strategic consultations outward ceremonies where he pinned medals on your chest your claim of never met personally is a lie your 14 page statement is a lie your denazification application is a fraud
Von Bradow stared down at the sea of black and white evidence he remained silent general lieutenant you have a choice Patton said his voice flat and absolute option 1 revise your statement to accurately describe your relationship with Hitler and the Nazi regime kind the 11 meetings the kind your party membership which you claimed was automatic but which records show was a voluntary application in 1934 dine your participation in the planning of operations on the Eastern Front tell the truth your processing will then proceed
based on accurate information Patton paused letting the silence fill the room option 2 Patton continued maintain your current lies we will use these photographs as evidence in your denazification proceedings immediately you will be classified as a major offender and processed accordingly that means immediate transfer to a maximum security enclosure imprisonment until trial and possible prosecution for war crimes related to operations on the Eastern Front choose von Braydow looked from the photographs to Patton’s face
the silence stretched for 10 seconds the German general’s shoulders slumped the Prussian posture collapsed I will revise my statement von Bredow said Captain Brenner placed a fresh stack of blank paper and a fountain pen on the table Patten turned without another word and walked out of the room his boots clicking rhythmically against the stone floor Von Bredow sat down heavily the room smelled of old paper sweat and the sharp ink from the pen outside the window the engine of Patton’s Jeep roared to life then faded into the distance
for the next four hours the German general did not look up he wrote furiously his hand shaking slightly as he filled page after page with a tight hurried script he no longer spoke of professional distance the new statement totaled 22 pages it detailed every handshake it documented the October mapping session it confessed to the 1934 voluntary party application that he had hidden for months he detailed his strategic consultations on the Eastern front and concluded the document with a desperate written plea for leniency
in light of his full cooperation Captain Brenner gathered the pages checking each sheet before placing them into the official file the public myth of the apolitical Vermokt general had evaporated on a single wooden table witnessed only by a junior officer and the empty chair where Patton had delivered his terms Captain Brenner delivered the 22 page confession directly to Patton’s headquarters Patten read the new document initialed the final page and filed it away without comment despite his written plea for leniency
von Bradaw’s extensive cooperation could not erase the documented reality of his wartime service the western occupation authorities classified him as a major offender he was transferred to a high security military prison where he remained until his release in 1949 he returned to a quiet gray existence in a small town in Westphalia where the local population knew nothing of his 11 handshakes with the führer he secured a low paying position as an insurance clerk counting figures in a dim office until his retirement
he died in obscurity in 1962 during his final years Von Bradow drafted a lengthy memoir intended to restore his name but the manuscript was never published his children inherited the typed pages after his death and discovered a single bitter passage near the end I lied to General Patton about my relationship with Hitler Von Bradow had written he had the photographs I had only my honor which as it turned out was less than I thought finding the admission too humiliating for the family name his children burned the manuscript in a backyard furnace
Patton himself never spoke of the interrogation to the press he kept a duplicate set of the 11 photographs in the back drawer of his personal desk for the remainder of his life in a letter to his wife dated two days after the incident he noted simply the German generals are trying to rewrite the history of this war before the ink on the surrender is even dry I met one today who forgot he had advised Hitler for 20 minutes I showed him a picture of his own face and his memory returned quite suddenly some historians argue
that Patton’s confrontational use of intelligence material was overly theatrical bypassing standard judicial protocols for denazification in favor of a dramatic personal ambush they suggest that forcing immediate confessions under the threat of war crimes prosecution blurred the line between intelligence gathering and legal prosecution others argue the opposite maintaining that such decisive measures were absolutely necessary to shatter the wall of denial constructed by the German officer core they contend that without absolute proof
the myth of the clean Vermacht would have hardened much sooner what is certain is that the 22 page confession Patton extracted remained a permanent part of von Bredow’s official military record preventing him from ever holding public office or military command in the post war era if you had been in Patton’s position would you have done the same or would you have left the investigation to standard civilian denazification boards let us know in the comments and if you want more stories about when the loser still thinks he is the master
make sure to subscribe
