Joseph Goebbels

Joseph Goebbels (October 29, 1897-1945)

Adolf Hitler's propaganda minister in Nazi Germany. He was a prominent figure of the regime, known for his great rhetorical abilities. 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 the Third Reich in his will (with Karl Doenitz as president). 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.