Letters to Hitler: correspondence from 1924 - 1945 discovered in Russian Archive
Letters written by ordinary Germans to Adolf Hitler during the dark days of Nazi Germany have been discovered in a Russian archive.
The fascinating correspondence, which will surprise many with their critical tone, begins in 1924 and goes right through to the Fuhrer’s last days as he cowered in a Berlin bunker in 1945.
The documents, which were found in a Russian archive, have now been translated into English and reveal a side of the Nazis that is rarely considered.
They show how the popularity of Hitler’s National Socialists party was carefully managed as support grew among the German population - and beyond.
But, more surprisingly, the letters also show how ‘shaky’ Hitler’s hold on power was at times and how unpopular the Second World War became among the masses.
His office even received, and replied to, letters from Jews complaining about his party’s increasingly anti-Semitic stance.
Chillingly, the British editor of a book publishing the correspondence, Letter To Hitler, claims the collection shows how a similarly totalitarian regime could emerge today.
Dr Victoria Harris said: ‘Some letters from people who idolise him are totally fawning, but you get the impression from the others that he could easily lose his approval.
‘The biggest lesson I learned was how shaky his popularity was and how the regime had to work hard to maintain popularity.
‘What is chilling is that you can see how he built his support and how you could see it happening elsewhere.’