THEPRIVATEANDPOLITICALTESTAMENTSOFHITLER,

APRIL29,1945
[UnitedStates,OfficeofUnitedStatesChiefofCounselfor
ProsecutionofAxisCriminality,NaziConspiracyandAggression,
8vols.and2suppl.vols.(GovernmentPrintingOffice,
Washington,19461948),VI,259263,Doc.No.3569PS.]
MyPrivateWillandTestament
AsIdidnotconsiderthatIcouldtakeresponsibility,duringthe
yearsofstruggle,ofcontractingamarriage,Ihavenowdecided,
beforetheclosingofmyearthlycareer,totakeasmywifethatgirl
who,aftermanyyearsoffaithfulfriendship,entered,ofherown
freewill,thepracticallybesiegedtowninordertoshareherdestiny
withme.Atherowndesireshegoesasmywifewithmeinto
death.Itwillcompensateusforwhatwebothlostthroughmy
workintheserviceofmypeople.
WhatIpossessbelongsinsofarasithasanyvaluetotheParty.
Shouldthisnolongerexist,totheState;shouldtheStatealsobe
destroyed,nofurtherdecisionofmineisnecessary.
Mypictures,inthecollectionswhichIhaveboughtthecourseof
years,haveneverbeencollectedforprivatepurposes,butonlyfor
theextensionofagalleryinmyhometownofLinza.d.Donau.
Itismymostsincerewishthatthisbequestmaybedulyexecuted.
InominateasmyExecutormymostfaithfulPartcomrade,Martin
Bormann
HeisgivenfulllegalauthoritytomakealldecisionHeispermitted
totakeouteverythingthathasasentmentalvalueorisnecessary
forthemaintenanceofamodestsimplelife,formybrothersand
sisters,alsoaboveallforthemotherofmywifeandmyfaithful
coworkerswhoarewellknowntohim,principallymyodd
SecretariesFrauWinter,etc.whohaveformanyyearsaidedmeby
theirwork.
Imyselfandmywifeinordertoescapethedisgraceof
depositionorcapitulationchoosedeath.Itisourwishtobeburnt

immediatelyonthespotwhereIhavecarriedoutthegreatestpart
ofmydailyworkinthecourseoftwelveyears'servicetomy
people.
GiveninBerlin,29thApril1945,4:00o'clock
(Signed)A.HITLER
MyPoliticalTestament
MorethanthirtyyearshavenowpassedsinceIin1914mademy
modestcontributionasavolunteerinthefirstworldwarthatwas
forcedupontheReich.
InthesethreedecadesIhavebeenactuatedsolelybyloveand
loyaltytomypeopleinallmythoughts,acts,andlife.Theygave
methestrengthtomakethemostdifficultdecisionswhichhave
everconfrontedmortalman.Ihavespentmytime,myworking
strength,andmyhealthinthesethreedecades.
ItisuntruethatIoranyoneelseinGermanywantedthewarin
1939.Itwasdesiredandinstigatedexclusivelybythose
internationalstatesmenwhowereeitherofJewishdescentor
workedforJewishinterests.Ihavemadetoomanyoffersforthe
controlandlimitationofarmaments,whichposteritywillnotfor
alltimebeabletodisregardfortheresponsibilityfortheoutbreak
ofthiswartobelaidonme.Ihavefurtherneverwishedthatafter
thefirstfatalworldwarasecondagainstEngland,orevenagainst
America,shouldbreakout.Centurieswillpassaway,butoutofthe
ruinsofourtownsandmonumentsthehatredagainstthosefinally
responsiblewhomwehavetothankforeverything,international
Jewryanditshelpers,willgrow.
ThreedaysbeforetheoutbreakoftheGermanPolishwarIagain
proposedtotheBritishambassadorinBerlinasolutiontothe
GermanPolishproblemsimilartothatinthecaseoftheSaar
district,underinternationalcontrol.Thisofferalsocannotbe
denied.ItwasonlyrejectedbecausetheleadingcirclesinEnglish
politicswantedthewar,partlyonaccountofthebusinesshoped
forandpartlyunderinfluenceofpropagandaorganizedby

internationalJewry.
Ihavealsomadeitquiteplainthat,ifthenationsofEuropeare
againtoberegardedasmeresharestobeboughtandsoldbythese
internationalconspiratorsinmoneyandfinance,thenthatrace,
Jewry,whichistherealcriminalofthismurderousstruggle,will
besaddledwiththeresponsibility.Ifurtherleftnooneindoubt
thatthistimenotonlywouldmillionsofchildrenofEurope's
Aryanpeoplesdieofhunger,notonlywouldmillionsofgrown
mensufferdeath,andnotonlyhundredsofthousandsofwomen
andchildrenbeburntandbombedtodeathinthetowns,without
therealcriminalhavingtoatoneforthisguilt,evenifbymore
humanemeans.
Aftersixyearsofwar,whichinspiteofallsetbackswillgodown
onedayinhistoryasthemostgloriousandvaliantdemonstration
ofanation'slifepurpose,Icannotforsakethecitywhichisthe
capitalofthisReich.Astheforcesaretoosmalltomakeany
furtherstandagainsttheenemyattackatthisplace,andour
resistanceisgraduallybeingweakenedbymenwhoareasdeluded
astheyarelackingininitiative,Ishouldlike,byremaininginthis
town,tosharemyfatewiththose,themillionsofothers,whohave
alsotakenuponthemselvestodoso.MoreoverIdonotwishtofall
intothehandsofanenemywhorequiresanewspectacleorganized
bytheJewsfortheamusementoftheirhystericalmasses.
IhavedecidedthereforetoremaininBerlinandthereofmyown
freewilltochoosedeathatthemomentwhenIbelievetheposition
oftheFuehrerandChancelloritselfcannolongerbeheld.
Idiewithahappyheart,awareoftheimmeasurabledeedsand
achievementsofoursoldiersatthefront,ourwomenathome,the
achievementsofourfarmersandworkersandthework,uniquein
history,ofouryouthwhobearmyname.
ThatfromthebottomofmyheartIexpressmythankstoyouall,is
justasselfevidentasmywishthatyoushould,becauseofthat,on
noaccountgiveupthestrugglebutrathercontinueitagainstthe

enemiesoftheFatherland,nomatterwhere,truetothecreedofa
greatClausewitz.Fromthesacrificeofoursoldiersandfrommy
ownunitywiththemuntodeath,willinanycasespringupinthe
historyofGermany,theseedofaradiantrenaissanceofthe
NationalSocialistmovementandthusoftherealizationofatrue
communityofnations.
Manyofthemostcourageousmenandwomenhavedecidedto
unitetheirliveswithmineuntiltheverylastIhavebeggedand
finallyorderedthemnottodothis,buttotakepartinthefurther
battleoftheNation.IbegtheheadsoftheArmies,theNavy,and
theAirForcetostrengthenbyallpossiblemeansthespiritof
resistanceofoursoldiersintheNationalSocialistsense,with
specialreferencetothefactthatalsoImyself,asfounderand
creatorofthismovement,havepreferreddeathtocowardly
abdicationorevencapitulation.
Mayit,atsomefuturetime,becomepartofthecodeofhonourof
theGermanofficerasisalreadythecaseinourNavythatthe
surrenderofadistrictorofatownisimpossible,andthataboveall
theleadersheremustmarchaheadasshiningexamples,faithfully
fulfillingtheirdutyuntodeath.
SecondPartofthePoliticalTestament
BeforemydeathIexpeltheformerReichsmarschallHermann
Goeringfromthepartyanddeprivehimofallrightswhichhemay
enjoybyvirtueofthedecreeofJune29th,1941;andalsobyvirtue
ofmystatementintheReichstagonSeptember1st,1939,Iappoint
inhisplaceGrossadmiralDoenitz,PresidentoftheReichand
SupremeCommanderoftheArmedForces.
BeforemydeathIexpeltheformerReichsfuehrerSSandMinister
oftheInterior,HeinrichHimmler,fromthepartyandfromall
officesofState.InhissteadIappointGauleiterKarlHankeas
ReichsfuehrerSSandChiefoftheGermanPolice,andGauleiter
PaulGieslerasReichMinisteroftheInterior.
GoeringandHimmler,quiteapartfromtheirdisloyaltytomy

person,havedoneimmeasurableharmtothecountryandthe
wholenationbysecretnegotiationswiththeenemy,whichthey
conductedwithoutmyknowledgeandagainstmywishes,andby
illegallyattemptingtoseizepowerintheStateforthemselves.
InordertogivetheGermanpeopleagovernmentcomposedof
honourablemen,agovernmentwhichwillfulfillitspledgeto
continuethewarbyeverymeansIappointthefollowing
membersofthenewCabinetasleadersofthenation:
PresidentoftheReich:DOENITZ
ChancelloroftheReich:DR.GOEBBELS
PartyMinister:BORMANN
ForeignMinister:SEYSSINQUART
[Herefollowfifteenothers.]
Althoughanumberofthesemen,suchasMartinBormann,Dr.
Goebbels,etc.,togetherwiththeirwives,havejoinedmeoftheir
ownfreewillanddidnotwishtoleavethecapitaloftheReich
underanycircumstances,butwerewillingtoperishwithmehere,I
mustneverthelessaskthemtoobeymyrequest,andinthiscaseset
theinterestsofthenationabovetheirownfeelings.Bytheirwork
andloyaltyascomradestheywillbejustasclosetomeafterdeath,
asIhopethatmyspiritwilllingeramongthemandalwaysgowith
them.Letthembehard,butneverunjust,aboveallletthemnever
allowfeartoinfluencetheiractions,andsetthehonourofthe
nationaboveeverythingintheworld.Finally,letthembe
consciousofthefactthatourtask,thatofcontinuingthebuilding
ofaNationalSocialistState,representstheworkofthecoming
centuries,whichplaceseverysinglepersonunderanobligation
alwaystoservethecommoninterestandtosubordinatehisown
advantagetothisend.IdemandofallGermans,allNational
Socialists,men,women,andallthemenoftheArmedForces,that
theybefaithfulandobedientuntodeathtothenewgovernment
anditsPresident.
AboveallIchargetheleadersofthenationandthoseunderthem

toscrupulousobservanceofthelawsofraceandtomerciless
oppositiontotheuniversalpoisonerofallpeoples,international
Jewry.
GiveninBerlin,this29thdayofApril1945.4:00A.M.
ADOLFHITLER