Chapter 180 Chapter 29 The last counterattack (1)

1944.7.21-1945.1.17 On the same day, Hitler issued an order calling for "fanatic determination" from capable fighters fighting on the Western Front.The U.S. military has reached the German border, and south of Aachen, the defense line has been broken. "As far as we are concerned, there will be no large-scale fighting. All we can do is hold our ground." It appears that Hitler's call to hold on to the homeland was actually a ruse designed to fool the enemy (he suspected The enemy has a spy in the Supreme Command, and the spy is familiar with all orders. Of course, this spy is none other than "super" secret).As soon as the regular summit meeting was over, Hitler invited four people into the inner chamber - the new conference room.Keitel and Jodl walked ahead, followed by Chief of Staff Guderian and Goering's representative, General Kleiper.Just as they were murmuring that the Führer had something amazing to tell them, Hitler stooped in.He was still pale and lethargic from his third heart attack.His absent-minded blue eyes were watery, and his mouth was loose.

He nodded to Yoddle.Jodl briefly stated the situation: their allies had either been wiped out, or had been or were trying to turn.The armed forces totaled more than 9 million, but in the past three months the casualties amounted to more than 1.2 million—almost half of them on the Western Front.There was a brief lull in the east, as the Soviet summer offensive appeared to be over. "But on the Western Front, we are being put to a real test in the Ardennes." This is the last of the hills in Belgium and Luxembourg - where the Germans passed through as early as World War I and in 1940. The road to victory.

As soon as he heard "Ardennes", Hitler immediately became active again.He waved his hand and shouted: "Don't mention it!" There was no sound in the room.In the end, it was Hitler himself who said: "I have made a major decision. I want to counterattack. Here, outside the Ardennes!" He slammed his left fist at the open map. "Cross the Meuse and head towards Antwerp!" The others were stunned and looked at each other.His chest was straight, his eyes sparkled, and the signs of fatigue and disease were gone.Hitler at this time was the energetic Hitler in 1940.For several days afterward, he was as energetic as ever, urging all preparations for a large-scale counteroffensive.He ordered the reconstruction of a mechanized army, and tried every means to transport 250,000 people and thousands of machines to Ardennes in absolute secret.

Only then did he agree to an X-ray of his head. At dusk on September 19, he drove to the Army Hospital in Rustenburg and was taken into the radiation room—a room that had been searched carefully in case someone planted explosives.After the examination, he went to visit the wounded officers again; this time, seeing Schmundt's imminent death, he shed tears (after Schmundt died, Hitler shed tears again. "Don't think I will comfort you", He said to Mrs. Schmondt. "You should comfort me, because I have suffered a great loss.").Outside the hospital, a crowd of citizens and recuperating wounded cheered him, chanting "Victory!"It was understandable that they would be so excited to see their Führer—perhaps for the first time—but it was the blazing enthusiasm in the eyes of the amputated and other seriously wounded who stuck with Dr. Gissing most.

The next morning, Gissing and Morell checked three X-ray films.Morel surprised Gissing by treating the cheekbone as a fistula.Since then, they have visited the bunker every day to check on patients.Gissing noticed that under the light, Hitler's face appeared a strange reddish color.Later, because of unbearable stomach pain, Hitler insisted on taking the "black pill" prescribed by Dr. Morell, which consisted of five or six pills at a time. As the dose continued to increase, Dr. Gissing was very concerned and began to question carefully.Ringo showed him the vial.The instructions on the medicine bottle read: "Disinfection pills, Dr. Coster, Berlin, concentrated belladonna pills, 0.04; concentrated belladonna tablets, 0.04."

Gissing was shocked.Hitler had been taking two poisons - strychnine and atropine.His body is getting weaker and weaker, he has heart attacks several times, his irritability and photophobia, his hoarse throat and strange reddish skin color, etc., may be the reason for this.Both ECGs showed T-shaped waves.It could be arteriosclerosis or high blood pressure, but, whatever it was, it was scary enough given his other ailments.During regular checkups, Hitler complained to Dr. Gissing about his bowel and stomach discomfort. "The convulsions were so severe that sometimes I couldn't help crying out."

On September 25, after treating him again, Gissing happened to see his patient outside the bunker.Strangely, in the sun, Hitler's skin was not red, but yellow.His eyes were also starting to turn yellow—apparently, he was suffering from jaundice.Hitler was unable to get out of bed the next morning because of the unbearable pain he had suffered all night.His secretaries, adjutants, and servants were all in a state of panic; no one could remember a time when the Führer was unable to get out of bed, no matter the severity of his illness.He didn't want to see anyone, and he didn't want to eat.Genscher told Traudl Jung anxiously that he had never seen the Führer so restless and indifferent.Even such a critical situation on the Eastern Front could not cheer him up.

Morell kept him in bed all day, but he insisted on getting up to be examined by Dr. Gissing.Gissing again persuaded not to use cocaine for treatment, but Hitler shook his head wearily. "No, doctor," he said. "I feel like I'm going to be so weak the first few days, mainly because of a bad stomach and stomach cramps." Gissing hesitates; he tells his patients to take care, or the body will collapse again.On the way out he took a bottle of Dr. Morell's black pills and showed it to Dr. Hasselbach.He was also shocked when he learned that the pills contained strychnine and atropine.He advised Gissing to keep quiet until he consulted with Dr. Brandt.

At the same time, Morel ordered that no other doctor should be allowed to treat the Führer. On the 27th, when Gissing came to treat the head of state, Linge drove him out.Even Professor Eiken, who came from Berlin to treat the Führer's fistula, was turned away.Over the next few days, Morel made every effort to isolate his patient from the other doctors.He insisted that the Führer was not suffering from jaundice, but rather acute cholecystitis.During this time, Hitler lost 6 pounds and was bedridden in pain.He doesn't eat or drink, and has little interest in front-line warfare.Occasionally he wanted to see his secretaries, but when he did, he told them to go away almost immediately. "It made me despair," recalls Traudl Jung. "He could have prevented this tragedy with a stroke of a pen, but he lay in bed, interested in nothing, and looked around with weary eyes—and all around him was hell. It seemed to me that he had suddenly realized that the strength of the brain and the will had stopped working, and how meaningless it was. As soon as he lay down, he said, 'I don't want to do anything anymore.'”

Physical pain was not the only reason for Hitler's mental breakdown.In the safe of Tsosen's army headquarters, many assassination evidences were unexpectedly found.A large number of army leaders were involved.This dealt a blow to the Führer.Some of his close staff felt that the cause of his nervous breakdown was more the matter than the jaundice or stomach pain (which he had suffered for years). On the 29th Dr. Brandt returned to the "Wolf's Lair".Brandt was delighted and enthusiastic about finally having the opportunity to expose the charlatan Morell for what he was, and entered Hitler's room that afternoon.At first, Hitler took Brandt's accusations seriously; however, Morell said that he had done nothing wrong, and the Führer was convinced.If the antiseptic pills had side effects on Hitler, it was because he increased the dose on his own initiative.Brandt was very sad; it had to be left to his colleagues to expose Morell.Hasselbach found Bowman.Bowman was a man who should never be associated with a doctor, because he had been plotting and trying to get rid of Brandt for several months.He saw Brandt as an accomplice of Speer - whose "dangerous" influence over the Führer must be weakened at all costs.After politely listening to Hasselbach's statement and expressing shock at the pill, Bormann immediately went to Hitler and warned the Fuhrer that in order to achieve his own goals, Brandt, Hasselbach, Gissing and others, Efforts are being made to destroy poor Dr. Morel.

Except for Morel, no doctor was allowed to see Hitler.It appears that Bowman has won. At dusk on October 1, Linge called Gissing and said that the Führer had a terrible headache and told him to go to him immediately.The Führer was lying on a simple bed in his nightgown.Seeing Ji Xin coming in, he lifted his head up to show his greeting, but his head immediately fell back on the pillow.His eyes were empty and expressionless.He complained of excruciating head pain and was unable to breathe through his left nostril.After Gissing sat down on the edge of the bed, Hitler suddenly changed the subject. "Doctor," he asked, "how did you know about the disinfectant pill?" Gissing explained.Hitler frowned. "Why don't you come to me directly? Don't you know that I trust you so much?" Dr. Gissin felt chills all over his body—not because the air conditioner in the room was too cold.He hastened to explain that he was not allowed to come.Hitler shrugged it off.Gissing believed that his gastroenteritis was caused by strychnine.Hitler shrugged again.He said that similar situations have happened to him many times, but not as serious. "The constant worry and anger made me restless. I had to think and work day and night for the sake of the German people." He was already feeling better and would be out of bed in a few days. "You startled Morel," he said. "He was pale with fright, worried, and blaming himself. But I've convinced him. I've always believed myself that a simple pill would absorb the gas in my bowels. Every time I take it, I feel very sick. Comfortable." Gissing explained that the feeling of comfort is an illusion. "You may be right," put in Hitler, "but the medicine doesn't do any harm. During the past month my bowels have been convulsed anyway because of my high nervous tension. The 20th of July still haunts me sometimes." There is a reaction in my body. So far, I still have the perseverance to hide this in my heart-now, it has exploded." Gissing's diagnosis was that he was suffering from jaundice, but Hitler denied it. "No, you're trying to turn me into your cholecystitis patient! Come on, check my gallbladder." He rolled back the quilt for Gissing to examine.This is the first time Gissing has performed a full-body examination on his patient.He examined Hitler's nervous responses, his parotid glands, and every part of his body.Gissing was satisfied: the rumors, for example, that the Führer had defective sex organs were pure misinformation.His sex organs are normal and intact.At least two other doctors performed a full physical examination on Hitler.Dr. Morell found that his sex organs were "perfectly normal".Shortly after the Führer came to power, he was also examined by a doctor at the "West End Hospital" in Berlin, who had heard that Hitler "had a tendency to be homosexual and paid special attention to his penis and testicles." . Hitler was fascinated by every process of the examination and became a medical student again. "You know, doctor," said Ringo and Gissing as they helped him into his nightgown, "except for the hyperactive nervous system, the rest of the nervous system is very healthy. I hope everything will be back to normal soon." As he spoke, he It seems to be caught in a false sense of happiness.He expressed his gratitude to Ji Xin for relieving him of his pain. "Now, fate sent you to find out about this antiseptic pill again, so as to save me from further damage. Because, if it weren't for you, I would still take this medicine after my body recovers." This conclusion is inconsistent, But he suddenly praised Ji Xin so much that he couldn't figure it out. "My dear doctor, God sent you to perform this examination and find something that no other doctor noticed. In any case, I am grateful for what you have done for me. I will remain faithful to you as always— You attacked Morel though—thank you again for everything." He took Gissing's hands, squeezed them, and demanded another dose of "the cocaine thing."Immediately after the treatment, the Führer suffered from diarrhea.He said that his mind was gradually clearing up and he could get out of bed soon.But his voice weakened, his eyes rolled, and his face turned completely white.Ji Xin hurriedly signaled his pulse: the pulse was weak and fast. "My Führer, are you all right?" There was no answer.Hitler was in a coma. Ji Xin looked around, but saw no one.Ringo had gone to the door—there was a knock.Gissing suddenly realized that Hitler's life or death depended entirely on whether he was merciful.Before him lay a tyrant—who knew his people very poorly. "At that moment," he wrote in his diary, "I really don't want to let such a person live, and I don't want him to control people's life and death completely according to his subjective wishes." Driven by some inner order, He dipped a swab into the cocaine—one more dose could be fatal—bottle and gave his nostrils a quick wash with the drug that had just knocked him out.After Gissing washed his left nostril, a voice startled him: "How long will it take?" The voice was Ringo. Gissing had no choice but to say that it was almost over.Just then, Hitler's face (whiter than before) twitched and his legs pulled up as if in pain. "The Führer is suffering from intestinal spasms again," Linge explained. "Let him rest." Gissin was calm on the surface, said goodbye to Ringer, got on his bicycle, and hurried back to the Army Hospital.After arriving at the hospital, he was still beating drums in his heart, wondering if he had put Hitler to death.In horror, he called Hasselbach, told him what had happened, and took a day off, saying he was going to see the office in Berlin because it had been bombed. The next day, Gissing made a phone call from the capital and learned that Hitler was still alive.No one suspected the double cocaine treatment.Going back to the "wolf's lair" will be no problem.He came back in an atmosphere of doubt.But this doubt does not come from the Führer.The Führer remains as friendly as ever.Still, the Führer said he wanted to make things clear.He said the pill matter was over because he had "complete confidence" in Morell.He wants to clarify the matter himself.For this purpose he had sent for Dr. Brandt to come that afternoon. Hitler closed the matter by firing both Brandt and Hasselbach.That night, Gissing was called to Bowman's residence. "But, my dear doctor," said Bowman, seeing him in full military uniform, "why are you so formal? I just want to discuss something with you." Gissing was a little apprehensive; Bowman found it amusing. "There is no need to make this matter so sad, we have nothing against you. On the contrary, the Führer is full of praise for you and asked me to forward this letter to you." This is a thank you letter, thank you He did an excellent job with the treatment.There was also a check for 10,000 marks in the letter.The doctor put the check on the table.But Bowman forced the check to him, saying that the refusal would be an insult to the head of state. After packing his bags, Gissing went to the bunker to bid farewell to the head of state.Hitler held out a hand to him. "You will understand," he said, "the matter of the antiseptic pills must be clarified. I know that your actions are purely idealistic and motivated by pure business." He thanked him again for his excellent treatment and promoted him on the spot. his job. In this way, the matter of the little black pill came to an end-the dismissal of three famous doctors.At this time, there were more and more rumors that Dr. Morel intended to poison the Führer, but the Führer's personal staff did not believe it at all.Gerda Christian thought that Morel, though disheveled and informal, was a good doctor.Most people agree with this sentiment.Even the three doctors who accused Morel of his incompetence did not believe that he would poison the Führer.They recall the look of shock on Brandt's face when he pointed out that the pills—which were harmless in small doses—contained strychnine.It appears that Morell never read the instructions on the bottle carefully, only the name of the medicine.It was a blow to the head to discover that the drug was actually a seed containing strychnine. By the time Hitler got out of his hospital bed, the evidence of Rommel's involvement in the bomb plot was overwhelming.The Führer called in two generals and set them off on a nasty task: to advise him to end his life. On October 14 they visited Rommel, who was recuperating from a car accident in a castle near Urum. 1 hour later.They are gone."I'm going to die in 15 minutes," he told his wife, explaining that he was accused of participating in a plot to assassinate Hitler.Hitler proposed two ways out for him to choose: commit suicide by taking poison or go to the people's court. After saying goodbye to his wife and children, he pulled the adjutant aside. "Aldinger," he said, "it happened like this." He told him exactly what Hitler's proposal and plan was: he was to drive to Urum with the two generals, taking poison on the way.Half an hour later, the news of the death in the car accident was announced to the whole country.The authorities will give him a state funeral; the family will not be persecuted.Aldinger implored him to resist, which Rommel said was impossible because the village was surrounded by SS troops and the lines of communication with his army had been cut. "I've decided to do what I obviously have to do." At 1:50 p.m., wearing his Africa Corps leather jacket and field marshal's staff, he set off by car.On the way to Urum Hospital, Rommel committed suicide by taking poison.According to his medical report, his death was the result of a cerebral thrombosis caused by a previous rupture of the skull.On the face of Field Marshal Rommel, according to his relatives, there appeared "a very contemptuous expression".