The Strange Death of Heinrich Himmler: A Forensic Investigation Hardcover

312 Pages·2016·56.2 MB·English

by  Hugh Thomas.

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THE STRANGE DEATH
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ISBN O-312-28923-5 $25-95
$38.95 CAN.
/fjj^ \ MAY 22, 1945, IN THE
ft PI immediate aftermath ofWorld
^^^^^ WarII,theAlliescelebratedthe
captureofthemostimportantmemberofthe
Nazihierarchy,Reichsfuhrer Heinrich
Himmler. The SS leaderwas arrested and
interrogatedbut committed suicidein Allied
custody by ingesting poison from a capsule
concealed inhis mouth. Thenhewasburied
at a secret site on Liineberg Heath. But
Himmlerdidnotrestinpeace, ifHimmlerit
waswhowasburiedthere.
MonthslatertheBritishdisinterred,reex-
amined,andcrematedhisbody.Yetin 1946,
MI6's most talented, if treacherous, agent,
Kim Philby, was still not convinced that the
story ofHimmler's death made any sense at
all. Philby realized that a man ofHimmler's
organizationalgenius,aplotterofgreatintri-
cacy and sophistication who recognized
Germany'sinevitabledefeatasearlyas 1943,
was unlikely to have justblundered into the
arms oftheAllies.Whatreallyhappened?
HughThomassetouttoanswerPhilby's
question and has uncovered a maze of cor-
ruption, high finance, politicalgambles, and
international intrigue. The Strange Death
of Heinrich Himmler unearths not just
Himmler's grave, but reveals secrets that
have long remained buried, and shadowy
figures who would rather stay thatway.

The Strange Death of
Heinrich Himmler

The Strange Death of
Heinrich Himmler
A
Forensic Investigation
Hugh Thomas
St. Martin's Press flA New York
THESTRANGEDEATHOFHEINRICHHIMMLER.Copyright©2001 byHughThomas.Allrights
reserved.PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica.Nopartofthisbookmaybeusedorrepro-
ducedinanymannerwhatsoeverwithoutwrittenpermissionexceptinthecaseofbriefquota-
tionsembodiedincriticalarticlesorreviews. Forinformation,addressSt.Martin'sPress, 175
FifthAvenue,NewYork,N.Y. 10010
www.stmartins.com
PictureAcknowledgements:AftertheBattlemagazine;AKGLondon;Archiv,
Monchengladbach;Bundesarchiv,Koblenz; HooverInstitutionArchives,StanfordUniversity;
HugoJaeger/TimePix/KatzPictures;HultonGetty;IllustratedLondonNews;ImperialWar
Museum;MirrorSyndicationInternational;PatheNews;PressAssociation;privatecollection.
ISBN0-312-28923-5
FirstpublishedinGreatBritainbyFourthEstate,ADivisionofHarperCollins/^/w^m,
underthetitle55-7:TheUnlikelyDeathofHeinrichHimmler
FirstU.S.Edition:March2002
10987654321
1
Contents
Acknowledgements vii
List ofIllustrations ix
Preface XI
i Reincarnation and Exorcism 1
2 SSl 1
3 The Vengeful Chameleon 17
4 The SS State 29
5 Peace 42
6 The Stockholm Connection 59
7 The Maison Rouge Meeting 73
8 Loose Ends 100
9 Preparations For Survival 122
io The Arrest ofHeinnch Hitzinger H3
11 Operation Globetrotter 183
12 Doubt 200
13 Sonderbevollmachtigter - the
'plenipotentiary extraordinary' 223
Appendix 251
Notes 253
Index 265