Download PDF for 519cd81c993294098d516433 - CIA FOIA

-JRET
: Could he have =egally?
L: No, in that case he would haVe had to put it on,paper.;-
,
G: Now I ask you, HERR LAMMERS, do you relay ,believ 1ia1
after the ,FUHRER had publicly declared my appoiritmehas.,
his successor, and since he further announced'myallnes;;or
my withdrawal from office, he would not nave been'able.tO'.:
announce ovet the radio such an important change as,i-Uat,,
• " •
of his successor?
G: It was' ordered from elsewhere .. He (HITLER). threateneAtO.-,.
shoot me or to throw me out of all jobs' eXeSpt.thy:app,o.int,
merit as his successor.
1.0.: NOT to relieve you as his successor?'
No. That has no connection with any office:.
I.O.: You admit that you did not actually resign?
No. I was forced to do so. etherwise•I Would hav,ei,
ted immediately.
Is: I would like to point out another thing .„-whi.W1i0O„ 700ft .-
ance. After this action (GORING's
appeared which stated that the resigned a '
Commander of the Air Force, because of ailmet.
he still retained his title as REICHSMARSCHALLahher,'
decree (about HITLER's successor) wae the'refoie:still'Peffbo
lye.
I.O.: Now, I'd like to know, did you withdraw from all yo.r dUt4.es
because of ill health, or was this step
‘
oidered'fro0166-
where?
4WY4- ,,vp
G: Well,I must say, these damn coup
that is outstanding.... I have alwaya.knoWnthati.C,
even't' of something happening to the-PUHRERiig0(614:
be ii the greatest danger for the following48hogrs*
that time I would have performed thesWearineinVandi
would have been a legal fact, t any srateiwbulde46.1'
dANN within 48 hours
would have carr es ou wo personal- ac ions Mi. ddia,te;y::..,.:
the 'arrest of BORMANN and the firing of RIBBENTROP;.:..-.Tliey::.
were the two thorns in my:side ..• • • •
. • `.., • . ,
C . : I told some GAULEITERs who were close to me, about a year .
and a half ago, when everything became clear to me l that if
fate ever designated me as (HITLER's) ,successori I woftld. .
place a High Court over me; I told myself that no man shoUld
assume the responsibility of not having anybody over him...
A dictatorship must never come again, it doesInot-work.
see it now. As long as a man is good, as HITtER was in the
beginning, everything is wonderful... but (then) it'came to
extremes.
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