The Truth Behind Hitler’s Choices to Spare Joseph Goebbels and Rudolf Hess

Hitler's decision-making often baffles historians and the general public. One of the most perplexing aspects is why he did not kill Joseph Goebbels, who had a physical disability, and Rudolf Hess, who was allegedly mentally ill. In reality, these decisions were not based on racial or ideological purity motives, but rather financial and strategic considerations.

Context: Goebbels and Eugenics

Joseph Goebbels' Disability

Joseph Goebbels' disability was not hereditary. It arose from a childhood infection that affected his foot, a condition that did not pass on to future generations. Despite this, the Nazi regime was practicing its twisted version of eugenics, where they aimed to create a pure Aryan race. However, the annals of history often fail to highlight the true intentions behind these policies.

Historically, the Nazis classified disabled individuals as a burden, and many were committed to horrific euthanasia programs. Aktion T4, for instance, was an initiative aimed at eliminating disabled individuals to alleviate financial pressures on the state.

Nazi Propaganda and Hess's Mental Illness

Rudolf Hess and Mental Health

Rudolf Hess was not considered mentally ill until his flight to Scotland. The story that his instability was purely a result of mental illness was a hurried and concocted propaganda narrative, primarily aimed at the German public. This narrative was designed to cover up the true reason behind his actions, which was likely strategic and related to personal motives rather than his mental health.

Historians agree that Hess’s actions were cunning and likely politically motivated, aimed at appearing as a peace-seeking gesture. The Germans, at that point, were disillusioned with the war, and Hess hoped to negotiate an armistice with the British.

Money and Pure Logic

The decisions surrounding Goebbels and Hess were not driven by ideological zeal but by practical and financial concerns.

State Support for Disabled Individuals

Disabled individuals under Nazism were actually supported by the state, and the state would cover their bills. The Aktion T4 program, designed to eliminate disabled individuals, was primarily a budgetary measure. Families had the choice to either take in their disabled family members or pay for their care in state-run institutions. The majority of families chose to have their disabled relatives killed, which was a terrible and often overlooked aspect of the program.

This calculus of cost versus benefit was applied to all groups deemed unfit or burdensome. The program was not about racial purity but about fiscal responsibility and resource allocation.

Operation to Eliminate Disabled Soldiers

Within Aktion T4, there was even a clandestine initiative called Aktion Topf, which targeted disabled soldiers in field hospitals near the front lines. Nurses were specially chosen to administer lethal injections to soldiers who were deemed unlikely to contribute to society. The decision to kill or save was often made by a doctor, underscoring the pragmatic and financial motivations behind these actions.

These acts highlight the chilling logic of the Nazi regime, where human lives were valued in terms of their utility to the state, rather than their inherent worth.

Hitler’s Judaism and His Own Ancestry

It is crucial to understand that Hitler's decision not to kill himself due to his Jewish ancestry was possibly just as influenced by practical considerations. Goebbels, too, was not killed for his Jewish ancestry but rather for his utility and role as a media icon. Throughout their lives, both Goebbels and Hess were close comrades, and their fates were intertwined with the rise and fall of the Nazi regime.

By the time of the Normandy invasion, Hitler’s state may have been too unstable to make coherent decisions. The strain of the war, combined with his deteriorating physical and mental health, may have contributed to his indecision about whether to kill his comrades or let them live.

Looking at the broader context, it is evident that Hitler's actions were not always ideologically driven but also influenced by money, utility, and pragmatic considerations. The propaganda of Nazi Germany masked these underlying motives, but historians continue to uncover the true nature of these decisions.