Gerhard Boldt was an officer in the German Army who wrote about his experiences during World War II.
World War II
On 4 August 1943, Boldt was awarded a Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for extreme bravery. He was a Senior-Lieutenant with the 58th Infantry Division on the Eastern Front. Boldt also served as a cavalry officer. During the last months of World War II, Boldt was seconded to Reinhard Gehlen's military intelligence staff. He was stationed in German dictator Adolf Hitler's Führerbunker. This was located below the Reich Chancellery in central Berlin. Boldt reported to General Hans Krebs and was summoned to a daily briefing session with Hitler, his generals, and closest associates - in particular Martin Bormann, Hermann Göring, and Joseph Goebbels. Boldt had a unique opportunity to observe at close quarters the leading members of the Nazi hierarchy during the Battle of Berlin. After the war, he wrote about his experiences during the last days in Nazi-held Berlin. Boldt's description of the atmosphere, first in the semi-ruined Reich Chancellery and then in the claustrophobic surroundings of the Führerbunker, convey a chilling impression of destruction and of the collapse of the entire Nazi system.
Background
By 21 April 1945, Soviet MarshalGeorgi Zhukov's1st Belorussian Front had broken through the defenses of German General Gotthard Heinrici's Army Group Vistula on the Seelow Heights. Having achieved the breakthrough, the Soviets were advancing towards Berlin with little to stop them. Adolf Hitler, ignoring the facts, saw salvation in the ragtag units commanded by one of his favorite generals, Felix Steiner. Steiner's command became known as "Army Detachment Steiner". Unfortunately for the Germans, Army Detachment Steiner was an army which existed primarily on paper: it was something more than a corps but less than an army. Hitler ordered Steiner to attack the northern flank of the huge salient created by Zhukov's breakthrough; and the German Ninth Army, commanded by General Theodor Busse, which had been pushed to the south of the salient, was ordered to attack northward in a pincer movement. Late on 21 April, Heinrici called Hans Krebs, chief of the German General Staff, and told him that Hitler's plan could not be implemented. Heinrici asked to speak to Hitler but was told by Krebs that Hitler was too busy to take his call.
Army Detachment Steiner fails to launch an attack
Of 22 April, Boldt wrote the following concerning Hitler's breakdown during one of his last conferences: Almost immediately after Hitler's plan for Steiner failed to launch, a new plan was created. The new plan involved General Walther Wenck and his Twelfth Army. Wenck's army faced the Americans to the west. The new plan had Wenck attack with his army to the east, link up with the Ninth Army of General Theodor Busse, and relieve Berlin. Of 25 April to 26 April, Boldt wrote the following about Hitler's order to flood the underground railway:
Of 28 April, Boldt documented the following discussions between Martin Bormann, Hans Krebs, and Wilhelm Burgdorf: Early on 29 April, Freytag-Loringhoven informed Boldt that Hitler had married Eva Braun. Boldt was laughing at the news when Krebs came from behind a curtain and chastised him: "Have you gone quite mad? How dare you laugh at your highest commander?"
Escape
On 29 April, three couriers left Berlin. Each left with a copy of the last will and testament of Adolf Hitler. Communications were down, the Soviets were closing in, and many were morbidly anticipating Hitler's suicide. Boldt's friend, Bernd von Freytag-Loringhoven, obtained permission for them to leave. That evening, Boldt left the Führerbunker with von Freytag-Loringhoven and Burgdorf's assistant, Lieutenant-Colonel Rudolf Weiss. Weiss became separated from his two companions and was captured. He endured five years of captivity in a Soviet POW camp in Poland. At night when Boldt and von Freytag-Loringhoven were hiding in a ditch in a forest, Boldt attempted to commit suicide by taking an overdose of morphine. Von Freytag-Loringhoven forced him to regorge the morphine and thus saved his life. On 12 May, after several close encounters with Soviet forces, the two other men parted company; Boldt going north to Lubeck and von Loringhoven heading towards Leipzig to join his wife and son.
Post-war
Boldt became a writer. He wrote Hitler's Last Days: An Eye-Witness Account. This book was translated by Sandra Bance and was used for the films and Downfall.
