The Battle of Britain Five Months That Changed History, May—October 1940 by James Holland (z-lib.org).epub

quickly,’ wrote Christa Schroeder. In Berlin, Else Wendel’s life had not
much improved – she was still estranged from her sons and without the love
of a good man – but even she was swept along by the carnival atmosphere
of victory. ‘What stupendous successes!’ she wrote. ‘All my fears
disappeared for there was hope again. I loved that spring and summer, and
so did everyone in Berlin. Victory flags, victory music, victory gaiety.
Everything was all right in Germany.’ She also thought it was brilliant of
Hitler to sign the armistice in the same railway carriage as had been used in
1918. As far as she was concerned, France and Britain had asked for and
got it. Germany stood once more in her true place in Europe. ‘A great
people,’ she added, ‘who had proved themselves more than equal to the rest
of the world.’
Hilda Müller, still training for Siemens, had been following the war
carefully. It was unavoidable, for at the Siemens office there was a large
map on which glass-headed pins were moved every time the Germans
advanced. The radio would also be on. ‘We listened to the radio at work,’
she says. ‘It was known as Goebbels’ Gob.’ A loudspeaker had been set up,
so that everyone could hear it. Whenever there was a success, there would
be a special announcement on the radio and a Franz Liszt prelude would be
played, followed by an announcement.
Hilda was pleased that the war seemed to be nearly over, but best of all
was the announcement that the dance halls were to be reopened. ‘To be
honest,’ she says, ‘France wasn’t so important to me as the fact that I could
go dancing again.’
Hitler was determined to take a short break too, visiting the battlefields
where he had served during the First World War, and to Dunkirk too, where
he was delighted to find so much intact British kit strewn all over the place.
‘They thought only of their skins,’ he said contemptuously. ‘They can
certainly beat their colonial subjects with whips, but on the battlefield they
are miserable cowards.’ He also made a brief visit to Paris. ‘F. talked again
about trip to Paris,’ noted Gerhard Engel, ‘which had impressed him
deeply; praised Napoleon and French kings, who had really thought and
planned on the grand scale.’
But what was the world’s greatest warlord going to do about Britain?
The war was not over – not until Britain gave up the fight as well. He felt
sure she would sue for peace, and in the flush of victory he was feeling