Goebbels

Peter Longerich's biography of Joseph Goebbels stands as one of the most comprehensive and meticulously researched examinations of Hitler's propaganda minister ever published. Drawing extensively on Goebbels's personal diaries, which span from 1923 to 1945, Longerich constructs a detailed portrait of one of the Third Reich's most influential and devoted figures. The result is a work that illuminates not only the man himself but also the mechanisms of Nazi power and the role of propaganda in sustaining totalitarian rule.

Longerich, a distinguished historian who previously served as professor at Royal Holloway, University of London, brings methodical scholarship to a figure who remains both fascinating and repellent. The biography traces Goebbels from his early years as an aspiring writer with literary ambitions through his transformation into a fanatical Nazi and master of modern propaganda techniques. The author pays particular attention to Goebbels's psychological makeup, exploring his insecurities, his physical disability from childhood polio, and his desperate need for recognition and power.

One of the book's greatest strengths lies in its treatment of Goebbels's relationship with Adolf Hitler. Longerich demonstrates how Goebbels cultivated an almost religious devotion to the Führer, a loyalty that remained unshaken even as the Third Reich collapsed around them. This relationship was central to Goebbels's identity and career, and the biography shows how he consistently subordinated his own judgment to Hitler's will, even when he privately harbored doubts about strategic decisions.

The biography provides extensive coverage of Goebbels's role as Minister of Propaganda from 1933 onward. Longerich details how Goebbels systematically brought German cultural life under Nazi control, orchestrating book burnings, controlling the press, and transforming film and radio into instruments of indoctrination. The author examines Goebbels's innovative use of mass media and public spectacle, showing how he understood and exploited the power of modern communication technologies in ways that were unprecedented at the time.

Particularly valuable is Longerich's analysis of Goebbels's antisemitism and his central role in the persecution of Jews. The biography documents how Goebbels was instrumental in organizing the 1938 Kristallnacht pogrom and how he consistently pushed for increasingly radical measures against Jewish populations. Longerich makes clear that Goebbels was fully aware of and actively complicit in the Holocaust, demolishing any notion that he was merely a propagandist removed from the regime's worst crimes.

The book does not shy away from addressing Goebbels's personal life, including his marriage to Magda Goebbels and his numerous extramarital affairs. These sections reveal the contradictions between the public image Goebbels cultivated as a devoted family man and Nazi role model and his private behavior. The biography also examines how Goebbels attempted to maintain civilian morale during the war years, even as his propaganda became increasingly disconnected from battlefield realities.

Longerich's treatment of the final days of the Third Reich is particularly gripping. The biography follows Goebbels as he remained in Berlin with Hitler, helping orchestrate the defense of the capital and maintaining propaganda efforts until the very end. The account of Goebbels's decision to kill his six children and commit suicide alongside his wife in Hitler's bunker serves as a horrifying conclusion to a life dedicated to an evil cause.

The book's length, at over 700 pages in most editions, reflects the thoroughness of Longerich's research. While this makes for a substantial reading commitment, the detail proves necessary for understanding such a complex and significant historical figure. The author's prose remains accessible throughout, avoiding unnecessary academic jargon while maintaining scholarly rigor.

Some readers may find the reliance on Goebbels's own diaries problematic, given that they represent a subjective and often self-serving source. However, Longerich demonstrates sophisticated awareness of this issue, consistently contextualizing diary entries with other historical sources and analyzing Goebbels's self-presentation critically rather than taking his words at face value.

This biography succeeds in presenting Goebbels as a fully realized historical figure without ever excusing or minimizing his actions. Longerich maintains appropriate moral clarity about his subject's crimes while providing the historical context necessary to understand how such a person could rise to power and wield such devastating influence. The book serves as both an important historical document and a sobering reminder of the dangers posed by sophisticated propaganda in the service of totalitarian ideology.