ABSTRACT
As the Third Reich neared its end amid total military, industrial and financial collapse, a number of schemes were put forward to save what could be saved of the regime. In February 1945 Goebbels suggested that Hitler should remain Head of State, but that the Propaganda Minister should become Chancellor and Foreign Minister. Himmler was to be Minister of War and commander of the armed forces and Bormann Party Minister. In March Bormann produced a paper ‘On the Strengthening of the Leadership of the NSDAP’. In April SS-Standartenführer Franke-Grieksch presented proposals for a ‘Movement of Racial Comrades’ (Volksgenössische Bewegung) which involved a purification of the Party from ‘corrupt bosses’ and ‘rotten bureaucrats’ and sending out peace feelers to the western powers. It was suggested that this could save the country from the evils of capitalism, communism, Christianity, parliamentary democracy and separatism. Himmler was to become Reich Chancellor and would negotiate a peace which would result in a European confederation in which Germany would be free to go its own dictatorial and racially pure way.
