Chapter 160 Chapter Twenty-Six With the Family (3)

In early April, Hitler and his entourage boarded a train bound for Berchtesgaden.A break in Berchtesgaden is quite welcome because of the gloomy surroundings of the "Her Hole".Although it was a winter night, the weather was not cold and the sky was clear.Traudl Hemps was sad to be leaving the snow-covered forests of Rastenburg, but rejoiced at the thought of what was to come.There are various facilities on the train, including a special carriage, which can be bathed, with both spray and basin.The meals on board are also delicious; the seats can also be converted into comfortable beds.The next morning, as the train sprinted silently toward its destination, she couldn't help but think of other trains in the empire—no lights, no heat, and the passengers starved and cold.Someone interrupted her thoughts by asking her to have lunch with the Führer.The next morning, it was not the dignitaries of the previous day who had breakfast with her, but servants and secretaries.They were talking about Eva Braun—she was going to get on the bus in Munich.In their minds she was "Mrs. Berghofli"; all the guests accepted this title too, with the exception of the wives of Ribbentrop, Göring and Goebbels.Ribbentrop's wife, with her own dignity, ignored her; the other two openly sneered at her, although the Fuehrer had asked her to be treated with courtesy.

An older secretary showed Traudel around the Berghof.They started to visit from the second floor where the head of state lived.The walls on both sides of the aisle are covered with masterpieces of old-school painters; the aisle is also decorated with beautiful sculptures and gorgeous vases of all kinds.Everything was so wonderful, Traudel thought, and so foreign and natural.Since the head of state was still in his dream, the surroundings were completely silent and deadly.In front of a door sat two black Scotch dogs with short-legged shaggy coats—Eva's pet dogs, Stacey and Nichols.The next room was Hitler's bedroom.The two bedrooms were connected to each other by a large bathroom; apparently they lived secretly as a couple.Traudl was shown downstairs into the large drawing room.The living room was separated from the house famous for its picture windows only by a large velvet curtain.Although the decoration in the hall is luxurious, although the Gaoshilin silk curtain is beautiful, and although the carpet is thick, she also has a feeling of indifference.The living conditions are far superior to those of the "Wolf Den", but she feels uncomfortable all over.Here, though she is a guest, she is not here voluntarily, but an employee.

In the Berghof, the daily work, although routine, was a bit of an effort.Hitler's noon briefings never ended before 3 pm, and the last officer usually left at 4 pm.Only then did the Führer enter the drawing room, where the hungry guests were waiting.As if a signal had been passed, Eva appeared in time, accompanied by the two jumping puppies.Hitler first kissed Eva's hand, and then he greeted everyone and shook hands.It is surprising, and a little comical, that a head of state, burdened with the tragedy of war, should suddenly become a hospitable and happy host.In fact, in terms of private life, he is not far from a successful businessman.

The gentlemen called Eva "Miss Dear," with a slight bow; the ladies called her "Miss Braun."Some seem close, notably her middle school classmate Herda Schneider.Upon meeting, the ladies began talking about children, fashion and personal affairs.Hitler interjected, mocking Eva's pet dog as a "hand sweeper," and Eva pointedly retorted that Hitler's pet dog, "Blondi," was a calf. The guests and the host are together, chatting and chatting, which is quite happy in the first place, and with a little pre-dinner wine, everyone feels even more happy physically and mentally.The conversation came to an end when Hitler accompanied a certain lady to a table.Bowman and Eva also took their seats.Eva hated Bowman very much, mainly because he was unfaithful to women, and he was indifferent (*He also convinced his wife-he made her pregnant continuously-most of his infidelities were for the sake of National Socialism Therefore, in a letter, she performed very well and suggested that he take his newest mistress M to his home in Berchtesgaden, hoping that "M will have a baby this year, and she will have a baby next year. In this way, you will go wherever you want." Each has a wife."). "Anyone who wears a skirt, no matter what it is, is his goal," commented an adjutant. "Of course, Eva is an exception."

The guests liked the goulash, but Hitler insisted on a vegetarian diet—his pilaf was cooked in Berchtesgaden under the supervision of Dr. Werner Zabel and sent to the Berghof kitchen to warm up.The Führer drank thick rice porridge and oatmeal soup, and ate baked potato chips dipped in sesame oil; no matter how much he tempted Eva to take a bite, she would never eat it.The head of state is also happy with Eva's simple food. "When I first met you," he said, "you were delightfully fat. Now, you're pretty thin." The reason why women make these sacrifices, he says ironically, "is simply to make their girlfriends jealous." ".

The conversation was rambling and cheerful.Unexpectedly, in order to promote the benefits of vegetarianism, Hitler actually described in detail the horrible situation of a slaughterhouse he saw not long ago in Ukraine, saying that the female workers working there were wearing boots and standing in a pool of blood up to their ankles work.Everyone was disgusted and their faces were pale.One of the guests, Otto Dietrich, put down his knife and fork and said he was no longer hungry. After lunch, Hitler walked 20 minutes to the teahouse he frequented.He does this every day.This is a round stone building located below the Berghof.Some guests said that this building is like a cellar for storing grass, and also like a power plant.Tea was drunk in a large round room with six large windows offering a wide view.Looking from one end of the house, you can see the Axi River pouring down from the middle of the houses that look like matchboxes on the side of the mountain, which is really beautiful.In the distance, the baroque towers of Salzburg are faintly visible.

Hitler sat drinking apple-skin tea.Eva talked about plays and movies on the sidelines.His only comment was that he couldn't go to the movies when so many people were making sacrifices. "In addition, I have to save my eyesight to read maps and battle reports." The conversation that day bored Hitler.He closed his eyes and fell asleep in a while.The guests lowered their voices and continued to chat.As soon as the Führer woke up, he chatted with everyone, as if he hadn't fallen asleep just now and just closed his eyes and thought for a while. At seven o'clock in the morning, a convoy arrived from the Berghof, and the business resumed.Two hours later, Hitler left the meeting room and led everyone into the dining hall.He ate mashed potatoes and potato salad; the guests ate cold cuts.He told the crowd the story of his youth, so that they listened with gusto.Later, he found the lipstick on Eva's napkin.He asked, do you know what ingredients are in lipstick?Eva retorted, saying she only uses the best ingredients for French lipsticks.Hitler smiled pitifully, "If you women knew that lipstick, especially in Paris, is made of fat from waste water, you wouldn't paint your lips anymore." Everyone laughed.He wins again - but no one else agrees.

An adjutant whispered to Hitler that all those attending the evening military meeting were present.He told the guests to sit where they were because he didn't want them, especially the women, to meet his generals. "I'll be back soon," he said with his head down, walking steadily.At the end of the meeting, the secretaries went to the office one after another to type out the air raid situation on their typewriters.Eva and most of the guests went down to the basement to watch a movie.The phone rang before the movie was over: a servant reported that the meeting was over and the Führer was waiting for them in the hall.Eva hurried inside to remake her makeup; her sister Gretel, after smoking her last cigarette, chewed mints to cover up the smell; the rest of the guests went obediently to the lobby.It was nearly midnight when Hitler came down the stairs.He sat by the fireplace next to Eva and her two dogs.

Since the two puppies did not get along well with "Blonde", the latter was excluded-unless Hitler told Eva to abandon her two babies and let his pet dog show off, which was rare. Drinks were served, but Hitler only drank tea and ate apple cake.People sat silently around the fireplace in the semi-darkness, and Yuan was the first to open up the chatterbox.He raised his voice and explained the evils of smoking.His dentist said that smoking disinfects the mouth and, if done in moderation, is not dangerous.Hitler disagreed. "I will never give up smoking to the people I admire or love, and I don't want to harm them. Everyone admits that people who don't smoke live longer than smokers, and when they are sick, they have stronger resistance." Against polluting the body He was tireless and never bored in the Crusades. In this circle, if someone quits smoking, he will receive a bonus watch. This promise is valid forever.He issued an ultimatum to Eva: "Quit smoking or lose me, it must be one of the two."

The debate turned to drinks—which he didn't think were so dangerous—and painting.Dr. Morel, who had had only one glass of wine, was struggling to keep from falling asleep.He leaned lazily, with a pair of fat hands on his stomach, and his eyes were suddenly closed.Under the magnification of the depth glasses he wears, his eyes look downright terrifying.Colonel Bello nudged Morel.He woke up with a start and laughed out loud, thinking the Führer had just told a joke. "Are you tired, Morel?" Hitler asked. "Not tired, my Führer, I'm thinking about something," he said.In order to prove that he was awake, he repeated the commonplace, talking about what happened to him in North Africa.The Führer mouthed a popular song.No, Eva said, that's how the song should be sung.They argued amicably again.She wants to bet.Hitler complained that if he won, he would have to give up the bet in a spirit of generosity; if she won, he would pay.Eva refused to give an inch, saying that she would play the tune and see who was right.Albert Bowman obediently took notes.The victor is Eva. "It was the composer who was wrong," said Hitler, who had written an opera as a young man. "If he was really talented, he would have used my melody." Hitler's joke made everyone laugh.Finally, at 4 p.m., Hitler called a servant and asked if the report of the air raid had arrived; he could not go to his house to rest until it was proved that there were no enemy planes over Germany.

Hitler, hoping to convey some of his fighting spirit to Mussolini, asked to meet him again. On April 7, he went to the Salzburg train station to meet his allies.After the two dictators met, they had mixed feelings.The sunken cheeks and pale face of Mussolini.To Hitler's surprise.During the four-day meeting, Mussolini mostly hid in his room in Kleischheimburg, and rarely saw outsiders except meeting Hitler.All talks were held in secrecy; Mussolini was in low spirits.Hitler concluded that Mussolini's problem was old age—sixty and in poor health.He kept this in mind all the time, and during the talks, he tried his best to cheer for Mussolini.The purpose of the Italian Prime Minister's trip was to persuade Hitler to make peace with the Soviets and to withdraw all Italian troops from abroad. However, due to his weak health, he failed to realize his determination, and also because of his mental depression, Hitler's persuasion failed. lift his spirits.After the last round of talks on April 10, the two descended from the magnificent hall stairs at the same time.Most Italian delegates had seen Mussolini for the first time since his arrival. "Like two patients," whispered an Italian representative. "More like two corpses," commented Mussolini's personal physician. That afternoon, an adjutant telephoned Berghof that the Führer was leaving Kreischheim.The Führer asked all his guests to wait for him in the teahouse, so that he could resume his private life as the head of the family upon his arrival.A character created by Dostoevsky said: "It is a rule that people, even the wicked, are much more childish and simple-minded than we think. We are also like this." Soon, a convoy came galloping.Immediately, the Berghof was filled with people in uniform.Then the Führer himself arrived.Without much fuss, he led a group of people to the teahouse on foot.Evidently, he was pleased with the meeting with Mussolini; the atmosphere became lighter as a result.He had become a business man, and his private life remained the same as before, with little variety.When watching silent documentaries, the narrator's lieutenant made the usual misreading—for example, he announced that a battle was going on, but a group of village women appeared on the screen—he laughed, as usual ,. While he rarely mentioned war or politics "at home," he also expressed regret at having to wear military uniform. "After the war, I'll hang it up. I'll retire right here and let other people run the business. By then I'll be old and old and writing my memoirs, and only the brightest will be around me. ’ He turned pale at the thought that after his death the Berghof would become a museum. "I can also see the tour guide in Berchtesgaden leading a group of visitors to the various houses in my apartment: 'This is where he eats breakfast!'" He would rather be with everything in the Berghof Ashes together - it is "a fine pyre for cremation!" Traudl couldn't hold back. "My Führer, when will the war end?" Uncle Adi's kind face changed immediately (*Egon Hanfstagel called him "Uncle Dolf", Gilly called him "Uncle Adolf" ). "I don't know," he said roughly. "But it's only over after victory!" The sudden change of emotion made everyone in the room shudder.Something similar happened on Good Friday.Hencoet von Schirach, who had just returned from the Netherlands, boasted that he had a long-term friendship with Hitler, so he talked about the tragedy she saw in Amsterdam: Jewish women were dragged out of bed in the middle of the night, Escorted out of the country.There was a dead silence that was excruciating.As she was about to go on to criticize other restrictions in the Netherlands, Hitler was incensed.The guests were embarrassed and turned their heads away.Hitler turned to her.His face was elongated, and his skin and eyes seemed bloodless. "The devil is eating him," she thought--though the thought was odd. He stared at her for a while, then slowly stood up.She also got up.On the surface, he was trying to control his emotions, but suddenly he shouted very angrily: "You are too emotional! What does this have to do with you? You don't need to worry about those Jewish women!" He was still shouting; She hurried into her room.An adjutant catches up to her before she closes the door. "Why are you talking about that?" he said. "You're making him angry. Get out of here, please!" On the eve of his 54th birthday, to celebrate his birthday, Hitler also brought his pet dog "Blondi" to the teahouse and let him perform.It performed begging, played schoolgirls, and even gave concerts—the more the master praised it, the more energetic it was.At midnight the doors flew open and orderlies brought champagne on trays—except Hitler's, which was sweet white wine. After the last ring at 12 o'clock, everyone clinked glasses, some of the guests congratulated in a low voice, and some made short birthday speeches. On April 20, Hitler went downstairs earlier than usual in order to see the birthday ceremony.At lunch, Traudel was accompanied by Himmler.She hated him not because he gave her a cruel impression, but because he always wanted to please her.He kissed her hand, and spoke softly, with an old, kindly face, and even his eyes could not stop smiling.Goebbels made a deep impression on her. "He was not good-looking at all," she recalls, "but now I understand why the girls from the Chancellery ran to the windows to see him when the Propaganda Minister left the ministry. They hardly paid any attention to the Führer ’” He noticed that at the Berghof most women courted him, partly because he was a wit and partly because of his attractive looks. Shortly after celebrating his birthday, Hitler heard that Traudel was engaged to one of his valets, Hans Jung. "I've been really unlucky with people," he said with a mock sigh over lunch, "first Christian married 'Dara' and took away one of my best secretaries. Then I found a satisfied and now Traudel Hemps is leaving me again—with my best squire." He suggested that they marry at once, since Jung was soon going to the Eastern Front.Due to the short time of acquaintance, Traudl requested that this decisive step be postponed. "But you are in love!" Hitler's answer was surprising. "You'd better get married right away. You know, when you're married, if someone bullies you, I can protect you; I can't do that if you're only engaged. You can still work for me when you're married." Traudl Holding back a laugh, I really wanted to ask him, if love is so important, why didn't he marry Eva Braun.