Joseph Goebbels


Dr. Paul Joseph Goebbels (October 29, 1897-May 1, 1945) was Adolf Hitler's
Propaganda Minister (Propaganda Ministerium) in Nazi Germany. He was a
prominent figure of the regime, known for his great rhetorical skills. He
played a large role in helping the Nazis achieve and retain power by
creating propaganda to present the Nazi ideology to the German people in a
favourable light.

During the final stages of the war, before his suicide, Hitler appointed
Goebbels Chancellor of Germany in his will (with Karl Doenitz as FŸhrer).
However, the next day, May 1, 1945, Goebbels and his wife also killed
themselves, as well as their six children.

Like Hitler's final moments, the details of the death of the Goebbels family
remains unclear. While it is certain that they were all poisoned with
cyanide, some contend that he shot himself and his wife afterwards, though
when their bodies were found by the Russians, they were apparently too
charred to discern whether this was true.