DOWNFALL (Bopchoi123@Gmail.com)

I feel as if I should be angry
with that child, that...

naive young girl.
Or that I must not forgive her...

for not recognising the nature of that monster.

For not being aware of what she was getting into.

And especially that I went
along without thinking.

Because I wasn't a fanatical Nazi.
I could have said, in Berlin:

'No, I'm not doing it. I don't want
to go to the Führer's headquarters.'

But I didn't do that.
I was too curious.

I also didn't realise...

that destiny would take me
somewhere I didn't want to be.

But, nevertheless, I find
it hard to forgive myself.

The ladies are here.

It's confirmed.
- They can pass.

'Wolfsschanze' headquarters of the Führer

November 1942 Rastenburg, East-Prussia

Sit down, ladies.

One moment. The Führer is feeding
his dog. He'll see you in a short while.

Can you tell us... How are we
supposed to address the Führer?

The Führer first speaks to you and
then you reply: Heil, mein Führer.

And the Nazi salute?

That won't be necessary...

since the Führer isn't looking for
a soldier, but for a secretary.

Act as normal and calm as you can.

I'll see if he has time for you.

Mein Führer,
the ladies from Berlin are here.

Thank you for coming in the middle of the night.

Sometimes, during a war,
one is not in control of time.

Can I ask your name?
- Margarethe Lorenz.

Where are you from?
- From Fulda.

And what is your name?
- Ursula Puttkammer. Heil, mein Führer.

No need for that.
Where are you from?

Frankfurt am Main, mein Füh...

Hannah Potrovsky,
born and raised in Berlin.

In Pankow, to be precise.

Hedwig Brandt from Crailsheim, Schwaben.

And you are?
- Traudl Humps. I'm from Munich.

A lady from Munich.

Shall we start then,
Fräulein Humps?

My Blondi won't hurt you.
She's very intelligent.

She's much smarter than most people.

First, sit down, please.

Don't be nervous. I make
many mistakes during dictation.

You won't make nearly as many.

You're very young.

How old are you?
- 22, mein Führer.

My German fellow-countrymen and women...

fellow party members.

It is, I think, rather special...

that, after 20 years of service, a man
still stands in front of his supporters...

and that in all those 20 years, his
program never needed to be modified.

I suggest we try it again.

I did it.
He hired me.

Two and a half years later.
Berlin - 20 April 1945, Hitler's 56th birthday.

Take cover.

Hurry. Continue.
Get that off the street.

Take cover.

That's artillery fire.

Don't be silly.
Where would it be coming from?

You're right. These are no planes,
this is artillery.

It's the Russians.
What a birthday present.

Where is that cannon fire coming from?

Happy Birthday,
mein Führer.

The city centre of Berlin is under fire.

Grenades have hit near the
Brandenburger Tor and the Reichstag.

Where did they come from?
- We don't know yet.

I have Koller on the line.
- Give me Koller.

Koller, do you know Berlin
is under artillery fire?

No.
- Can't you hear the shooting?

No, I'm in Wildpark-Werder.
- Berlin is chaotic.

Apparently, the Russians captured
a railway bridge over the Oder.

The enemy has no railway artillery near the Oder.

It's not long-range artillery.

The anti-aircraft defence near the
Zoo-Bunker reports they're 10 to 12...

cm calibres. The Russians have
positions near Marzahn.

That's only 12 kilometres from the
centre. Are the Russians that close?

They should hang the entire Luftwaffe leadership.

This is unheard-of.

The Russians are at 12 kilometres
from the city centre.

Nobody told me anything.
I had to ask.

Maybe it's long-range artillery,
after all.

That railway bridge over the Oder...
- Nonsense.

That Himmler,
such a pompous buffoon.

Party bosses, everywhere.
They make me so sick.

The Führer starts 'Clausewitz' today.

Berlin as a front city.
He won't be able to keep the city.

If the Führer stays here,
the Reich will go down with him.

We have to talk him out of it.
Talk to Hewel.

He's the only diplomat with any influence on him.

Hewel tried everything.
It's useless.

Talk to your sister-in-law, then.

Why not? You're married
to the sister of Eva Braun.

We must try everything.
Berlin is almost surrounded.

You're still young.
You'll be a father soon.

Do you want to die here?
- Absolutely not.

Gentlemen, the Führer.

Everything out. Quickly.
We're leaving in two hours.

What's going on?
- We're leaving.

'Clausewitz' has started.

All the ministries and departments
are leaving Berlin.

And who's going to look after
the people and the soldiers?

Don't ask me, professor.
- This is insane.

Professor.

I won't allow the evacuation of my office.

Is that so?
- Food supply would collapse.

A good soldier can always find food.

And when there's fighting all over the city,
where does he get it? The population.

It's irresponsible.
- It's an order from the Führer.

As department head, I
report to the SS and to Himmler.

But as a doctor, I'm part of the
Wehrmacht and they're not leaving yet.

Keep that in mind.

The professor stays in Berlin.
Get him the proper papers.

We're leaving.

Everything for Germany.
Heil, mein Führer.

Führer, I...
Heil, mein Führer.

They're in such a hurry to get away from here.

The brown nosing is the worst.

They say 'Sieg Heil'. but they
think 'Lick my... you know what.'

Mein Führer, I beg you: Leave Berlin.
It is not too late yet.

Too late?

Hewel, come here for a moment.

I'm sure you agree we should
contact the Allies...

and start conducting politics.
- Certainly. We need politics.

Politics?
I don't do politics anymore.

I'm fed up with it.

When I'm dead, you'll have
plenty of time for politics.

It's good, dear Himmler.
My loyal Heinrich.

It's good.
Just go.

He has no strength left.

What did you expect from a
vegetarian teetotaller?

Seriously, though, Fegelein.
I'm taking control now.

Berlin will fall in a couple of days.

When the Führer's dead, who will
the Allies negotiate with?

Why do you think they'll negotiate with you?

The Nazi state and my SS
are needed to maintain order.

One hour with Eisenhower
and he'll feel the same way.

The first contact has been made.
- Careful, that's high treason.

Fegelein, I have other concerns.

Should I give Eisenhower the
Nazi salute or shake his hand?

Look at that.

The best guests always arrive late.

Leaving already, gentlemen?
I wanted to talk to you.

The scorched-earth order...
- I really have to go now.

Come and see me one day in Hohenlychen.

I'm going north to help with the
battle of Berlin there.

You know, Speer... There's an
advantage to those bombings.

It's easier to clean up debris
than to demolish everything ourselves.

When the war will be over,
reconstruction will be quick.

We spent thousands of hours
together with these replicas.

You're a true genius, Speer.

Yes, absolutely. Only you and I know that
the Third Reich would be inconceivable...

with only warehouses and factories.
Skyscrapers and hotels.

This Third Reich will be a treasury
full of art and culture...

that will survive thousands of years.

We see, before us, the ancient
cities, the Acropolis...

We see the medieval cities...
the cathedrals...

and we know that the people need that.

Indeed, Speer.

That was my vision...

and it still is.

Mein Führer, if you want to realize
these plans, you must leave Berlin.

Eva, you say something.

He's the Führer.
He knows what's best.

You must leave Berlin.
The Russians almost have us isolated.

I can't do that, my child.

I would be like a lama priest
with an empty prayer wheel.

I have to solve the problem,
here in Berlin, or perish.

Speer...

what do you think?

You have to be on the stage
when the curtain falls.

Reload.

Go away. Leave me alone.

How old are you? Twelve?
And you? Fourteen?

Why are you here?
To play at war? Go home.

Who are you? What do you want?
I want my son. Alive.

You should be proud.
He destroyed two tanks.

The Führer will decorate him for it, today.

You're still young.
At which front did you fight?

I haven't had the honour yet.

Count yourself lucky.
Send the children home.

We'll defend this position to the last man.

Which position?
This is not a position, it's a trap.

The Russians will come from two sides
and you won't be able to get out.

We'll shoot back.
- What with?

With the anti-aircraft guns.

The Russians will arrive with several
armies, tanks and heavy artillery.

Do you really think you'll
last even five minutes?

We promised the Führer.

Don't you understand?
The war is lost.

Coward.

Go away. Right now.

If you're still here when the Russians
arrive, you'll all be dead.

The 9th army had to retreat
or they would have been decimated...

We won't retreat the 9th army.
Busse must fight where he stands.

Führer, then the 9th army is lost.

We'll push back the Soviet armies
in the north and east...

with a ruthless, mighty attack.

Using which units?

Steiner will attack from the north
and join the 9th army.

The 9th army is unable to move.

The enemy outnumbers us ten times.

Wenck's 12th army must support them.

The 12th army is approaching the Elbe.
- Then it must turn around.

Then the western front would be open.
- Do you doubt my orders?

I think I've been clear enough.

The Allies will see that only we
can stop the Bolsheviks.

We have to keep Berlin and
make a deal with the Americans.

Mohnke, you're here.
- Mein Führer.

Today, 'Clausewitz' started.
Berlin will be a front city.

You will be the commander of the
defensive circle around the citadel.

We'll fight until the last man, in Berlin.

There are still three million civilians
here. They have to be evacuated.

I understand your concern, Mohnke.
But we have to be cold as ice.

We can't spend any energy on so-called civilians.

With all due respect, what will
happen to the women and children...

and the thousands of wounded and elderly?

In a war such as this one,
there are no civilians.

The Führer has lost all sense of reality.

He's moving divisions around
that no longer exist.

Gruppe Steiner has been scattered,
yet Steiner must attack. Madness.

But why don't you tell him that?
- He doesn't listen to reason.

Something has to happen.
- Are you crazy? He'll throw us out.

We're soldiers.
We took an oath.

Does that mean we can't use
our own brains anymore?

And that's coming from you?
A ruthless careerist?

I beg your pardon?

Where were you?
- None of your business.

The most successful tank hunters of the
Berlin Hitler-Jugend stand before you.

I'm proud of you.

This boy took out two tanks
using anti-tank shells.

His name is Peter Kranz.
- So you're Peter.

I wish my generals were as brave as you.

Very good.

You've made history.

And when Germania will rise from these ruins...

you will be the heroes.

Heil, to you.

I don't know about you,
but I prefer air raids.

What will happen to us?
- I could go if I wanted to.

But everybody is deserting him.
We can't all go, can we?

I can't go either.

I wouldn't know where to go.

My parents and all my friends warned me.

Don't get involved with the Nazis.

What should I say: 'Hello, I made a mistake'?

'When things went wrong,
I admitted my mistake.'

Life will go on.

What do you think, Herr Oberst?
- We have to go.

Go where?
- I don't know.

Wherever they need us.

Let's go upstairs.
We'll party.

Come on.

Come, children.

We should have fun today.

Wherever the enemy goes,
all they find is destruction.

That's the death sentence for the German people.

No power, no gas, no drinking
water, no coal, no traffic.

If you destroy everything, our country
will go back to the Middle Ages.

This order denies the people
any chance of survival.

If the war is lost, what does it
matter that the people are lost too?

The primary necessities of life of the
German people aren't relevant, right now.

On the contrary.
We'd best destroy them ourselves.

Our people turned out weak...

and according to the laws of nature,
they should die out.

They're your people.
You're their Führer.

What remains after this battle...

is only the inferior.
The superior will have fallen.

Come along. You have to dance.

Care to dance, Fräulein Braun?
- I'd love to.

May I?
- Go ahead.

What's wrong?

We have to leave Berlin, Eva.
You must convince him.

Or else, come with me.

You'll die.

Can somebody play some music?
I want to dance.

Dance.

Do you have a request?
- As long as it swings.

Traudl.

It's all so unreal.

It's like a dream you can't get out of.

It keeps on going.

Gerda, I don't feel well.

Traudl, come.

I did not move...

I did not move my command post.

To the west? How so?

I'm at 1,000 meters from the enemy.
- General.

And, general?

I'll be executed.
- What? Why?

They think I moved my command post to the west.

Be sensible, general.
- Come along.

Schenck.
- Mohnke.

I'm under the chancellery.
I'm commander of the citadel now.

I need help.
- That will be difficult. Everything's gone.

My assistant and I are the only ones here.

You're a doctor, aren't you?
- Yes, an internist.

Commandeer a car and bring all the medication...

you can find, to me.

I'll do my best.
- Thanks. Hurry.

I need to talk to the Führer.

What about?
- I'm going to be executed.

Wait here.

Your weapon, please.

Not here.

Guard post 2.
Understood.

General...

Not you.

What's going on here?
Why am I going to be executed?

You know that any evasive manoeuvre
towards the west is forbidden.

Officers who don't obey,
must be executed.

What do you mean? My troops
have been fighting for days.

My command post is a kilometre
away from the front line.

Continue.

Do you see this? I don't want you
to use that tone with me.

And now, do whatever you feel you must.

It's best if you tell this to the
Führer yourself. Come along.

You can't pass, Oberst.
- Orders from brigade führer Mohnke:

I have to get into the hospital.
We need medication.

There's nobody left.
They all took off.

And the wounded?
- How should I know?

I'm going to have a look.
You stay here.

Be very careful.
There are lots of Russians here.

See that? That's where the Reich
ends. Behind it, is Russkie land.

May I?

He's damned stubborn.
Why doesn't he let me do that?

I should have been back by now. Are
you sure the Führer still needs me?

Drink.
- Führer's orders.

You made a big impression on the Führer.

But you don't think Steiner will attack, do you?

I doubt whether Steiner
is able to do anything...

but you probably know that better than I do.

If Steiner doesn't attack,
Berlin is lost.

The Führer was impressed with your report.

He puts you in command of the defence of Berlin.

I'd have preferred it if he executed me.

Let them get closer.

Tank alert.

Take it easy. Wait, kid.
They're still too far.

Is it German artillery that I hear?
- I'm afraid not.

But hasn't Steiner's attack started?

You have to go as fast as you can.
Time is running out.

But the Führer has the situation under control.

Steiner will make all the difference.

He says it will change military history.

Everybody, but the Führer, knows
that's a fantasy.

I even wonder if he believes it himself.
- Why would he be playing games?

What does he have to lose?

I don't believe a word of it.

The enemy made a breakthrough.

They took Zossen and are advancing
towards Stahnsdorf.

They're at the northern city border,
between Frohnau and Pankow.

In the east, they reached
Lichtenberg, Mahlsdorf and Karlshorst.

If Steiner attacks,
everything will be alright.

Mein Führer...

Steiner...

Steiner didn't have enough force.

The attack didn't take place.

The following stay here:
Keitel, Jodl, Krebs and Burgdorf.

That was an order.
Steiner's attack was an order.

How dare you ignore my orders?

Is this what it came to?

The military, everybody lied to me. Even the SS.

The generals are no more than
a bunch of disloyal cowards.

I don't allow that...

Cowards, traitors and incompetents.
- Führer, this is outrageous.

The generals are the scum of the German people.

No sense of honour.

You call yourself general because
you spent years at the academy...

where you only learnt to use knife and fork.

For years, the military obstructed me.

All you ever did is thwart me.

I should have had...

all the high officers executed.
Like Stalin did.

I never went to the academy.

But I conquered all of Europe on my own.

Traitors.

I've been betrayed and deceived from the start.

Such enormous betrayal of the German people.

But all these traitors will pay.
With their own blood.

They will drown in their own blood.

Calm, Gerda.

All my orders have been ignored.

How can I be a leader under these circumstances?

It's over.

The war is lost.

But if you think this means I'll leave Berlin...

you're wrong. I'd rather
shoot a bullet through my head.

Do what you want.

The Führer wasn't serious about
killing himself, was he?

Frau Junge, Frau Christian.

Get changed. In one hour,
a plane will take you south.

Everything is lost.

Completely lost.

You know I'll stay with you.
You can't send me away.

I'm staying too, mein Führer.

Now what?

Time to end this charade.

Do you want us to stop fighting?
That's inconceivable.

The Führer doesn't want us to capitulate.
No more November 1918. Ever.

But he doesn't want to be in charge
anymore. He said: 'Do what you want'.

Nobody can replace him.
He's the Führer.

The Führer's confused.
He'll recover.

Great. And then what?

No capitulation. That was never his intention.

We owe it to him.
- Hollow phrases.

We have to act now.
Or it will be too late.

You're only looking after yourself.
- Mind your words.

Damn.

We'll never get out of here alive.
It's all over.

We've got to wait.

Even the Führer doesn't believe in
it anymore. What will happen to us?

Günsche says there's a tunnel
that goes under the Russian lines.

Why did you say you wanted to stay with him?

I don't know.
Honestly.

It stopped.
Let's go for a walk.

Traudl.

Look here.

I'm lighting another one.

Let's go down again.

Where do they come from?
- Volkssturm. Drafted this afternoon.

They have to get out of the field of fire.

The Volkssturm is under the
direct command of Dr. Goebbels.

I want them to go away from there.
This is insane.

I'll take the responsibility.

I think this is wrong.
- Great.

Stop. Lights out.

Stop. Stay where you are.

Stay where you are.
- Alright, Germans.

Help. They want to kill us.
- What is all this?

A Greifkommando.
- You're kidding.

Stop it. Let those men go.

What's this?
You have no authority here.

These men are on the run.
Traitors will be killed.

They're old men. Civilians.
You can't do this.

Who's going to stop me?
You maybe?

Stop it. That's enough.

Dismissed.

This man's a doctor.

Can you operate?
- Not really.

Don't let the children take too many toys.

And not too much nightwear.
That's no longer needed.

Herr Minister...
- Frau Junge, my family will arrive soon.

Can you look after them for a moment? Thank you.

Brigade führer,
what can I do for you?

Your Volkssturm is an easy prey for the Russians.

They have neither combat
experience nor good weapons.

Their unconditional belief in the
final victory makes up for that.

Herr Minister, without weapons
these men can't fight.

Their deaths will be pointless.

I don't pity them.

I repeat: I don't pity them.

The people called this upon themselves.

This may come as a surprise
to you. Don't fool yourself.

We didn't force the people.
They gave us a mandate.

And now they're paying for it.

Eva, you have to leave the Führer.

Don't be stupid.
This is about life and death.

How can you say that?
Where are you?

I decided not to die in Berlin.

Does my sister know where you are?
- Think about it. I'll call you back.

Children, your room is to the right.

Wait for me.

Hello, Frau Goebbels.
- Good to see you, Frau Junge.

Line up, children.

Helga, come. Line up.

Let's make ourselves look good and
then we go say hello to uncle Hitler.

Do you remember the song?

The best thing to do is to
shoot yourself in the mouth.

You won't feel a thing.
You'll be dead right away.

I want to be a beautiful corpse.
I'll take poison.

If I have to die,
at least without any pain.

That's definitely painless.

It paralyses the nervous system
and the respiratory system.

A matter of seconds.

Can I have one too?
- Me too.

Himmler provided me well.

Thank you.

I would have liked to give you a nicer present.

Berlin, 23 April 1945.

Dear sister. I'm sorry to write you this.

But this is how it is. It could
be over any moment.

First of all: Hermann isn't with us.

But I'm sure you'll see him again.

He'll get through this
and he'll fight from Bavaria.

The Führer lost all hope of a good outcome.

Dear son. I don't know
if you'll receive this letter.

Maybe someone will allow me
to send you a last greeting.

I stayed with daddy against his will.

Last Sunday, the Führer wanted to help me escape.

But you know your mother.
We have the same blood.

I won't even think about it. Our
ideology's going down the drain...

and with it, everything that made
life beautiful and worthwhile.

After the Führer and National Socialism,
there's nothing left to live for.

That's why I brought the children too.

They're too good for the life that awaits them.

God will have mercy on me
if I bring them redemption myself.

I'll wear my bracelet with the
green stone until the very end.

After that, I want you to always wear it.

Unfortunately, my diamond watch
is with the watchmaker.

I included the address below.
I hope you're lucky enough to get it.

I want you to get it.

You'll also get the bracelet
with the topaz pendant.

A birthday present from the Führer.

I owe some money to the Heise company.

There may be more debts, but
no more than 1,500 Reichsmarks.

All correspondence with the Führer must be burnt.

I'm sending you some food and tobacco.
The coffee is also for Lindner and Kathl.

The cigarettes are for Mandi, the tobacco
for daddy, the chocolate for mummy.

I can't think of anything else.
That's it for today.

Dear sister, I wish you lots of happiness.

And remember,
you will see Hermann again.

The warmest regards and a kiss from...

your sister.

Inge.

Listen, Keitel.
I want you to leave this evening.

Go to Dönitz and help him with the organisation.

Things have to be started up again.

I don't understand you.

We have no more oil fields.
That's catastrophic.

It makes any serious operation impossible.

When everything has been solved
here, we must get the oil fields back.

Any questions?
- No, mein Führer.

Good.
Have a good trip.

Mein Führer! Is it agreeable to
you after your decision...

to remain in the fortified zone of
Berlin as your representative...

do you agree that I take charge...

with complete freedom of action?

If I receive no reply by 22:00 hours...

I'll assume you have been incapacitated.

I will then act on behalf of
the country and the motherland.

That's high treason.
And betrayal of you.

Göring's concerns are not entirely unjustified.

If our communication system fails...

we'll be cut off from the outside world.

We won't be able to issue orders anymore.

I think Göring wants to seize the power.

I never trusted his clique on the Obersalzberg.

This looks like a coup.

The loser, the sponger.

A parvenu, a lazy bastard.

How dare he say I'm incapacitated?

Hello.
- How did you get into Berlin?

It wasn't easy,
but I must speak to the Führer.

If I were you,
I'd wait a bit.

The Luftwaffe.
What did he turn that into?

For that alone,
he should be executed.

This morphine addict corrupted the country.

And now this.

He's betraying me.

Me of all people.

I want Göring stripped of his power, right away.

And, in case I don't survive the war...

he must be executed immediately.

What's going to happen to us?
Is there any hope left?

Frau Junge, leave from here before it's too late.

The Führer wants to stay.
We can't leave him behind, can we?

He doesn't need anybody for what
awaits him. And least of all you.

But Herr Goebbels and his wife
stay here. And the children.

But the children...

I have always believed...

that there was a way out.

Come in.

Albert. Hello.

You have a fever.

Albert, I can't stand it anymore.

Why don't you leave with the children, Magda?

Leave?
And go where?

I can arrange for you to be
taken to Schwanenwerder by barge.

You can hide until everything's over.

It won't be long now anyway.

I thought about it.

My children cannot grow up in a
world without National Socialism.

Think about it. The children
have a right to a future.

If National Socialism dies,
there will be no future.

I can't believe you really want that.

Go now.

Come in.

I knew you'd come.

You wouldn't desert the Führer.

I've come to say goodbye to the Führer.
I'm going back to Hamburg tonight.

Of course, you must go.
Sit down.

I took some furniture you designed.

I couldn't leave it behind.

Please, you must not have eaten all day.

That's true.

It's very important that you came.
It shows him you're on his side.

Did he ever doubt that?

Lately, he often thought
you were against him too.

I always said you'd come and here you are.

I think he liked it that you
advised him to stay in Berlin.

I also think it's best.

And, you know...

it may sound strange...

but I'm really happy here.
And I'm not afraid.

You came.
- Mein Führer, I...

It's good.

Let's sit down.

I had great plans for the Germans and the world.

Nobody understood me.
Not even my old brothers in arms.

The opportunities we had.
The whole world was ours to grab.

Too late.

I can only be proud for openly
fighting the Jews...

and for cleansing the Lebensraum
from the Jewish poison.

I don't find it hard to continue.
One brief moment...

and then eternal peace.

But please spare the people,
mein Führer.

If my people cannot endure this ordeal...

I won't shed a tear.

They get what they deserve.

They called this fate upon themselves.

For months...

I have to tell you this...

for months I have sabotaged
your orders for destruction.

I not only ignored your orders,
but even acted against them.

I had to tell you.

This never compromised
my personal loyalty to you.

So you're leaving.

Good.

Goodbye.

I wish you all the best.

Eat well, gentlemen.

Peter.

It's alright, son.

He has a fever.

Yes, but he's alive.

Loyalty and courage still exist in this world.

Ritter von Greim
and Fräulein Reitsch, how good...

that the both of you arrived
more or less unharmed.

Sit down.

We came under heavy fire, but
still arrived in Gatow.

From there,
we couldn't continue.

We flew in a Fieseler Storch,
over the Russian lines...

and landed on the East-West axis, close to here.

Before landing, the Soviets had a go at us.

General Von Greim, I appoint you
supreme commander of the Luftwaffe.

I hereby promote you to General-Feldmarschall.

A big responsibility rests on your shoulders.

You have to rebuild the Luftwaffe from scratch.

Many mistakes have been made.
Be ruthless.

Life doesn't forgive weakness.

This so-called humanity is religious drivel.

Compassion is an eternal sin.
To feel compassion for the weak...

is a betrayal of nature.

The strong can only triumph
if the weak are exterminated.

Being loyal to this law,
I've never had compassion.

I've always been ruthless
when faced with internal...

opposition from other races.
And that's the only way.

Apes, for instance...

kill all the odd ones.

And what applies to apes,
must definitely apply to humans.

Himmler made an offer to surrender...

to the allied powers.

Via Count Bernadotte.

A message from the English radio.

Himmler.
Himmler of all people.

The most loyal of my loyals.
That's the worst betrayal.

Göring, he was corrupt.
Always has been.

Speer, an absent-minded artist.
All the others: yes.

But Himmler?
Has he gone insane?

He must have told them I'm sick.

Maybe even dead.

Leave me alone with Ritter Von Greim
and Fräulein Reitsch.

And get Fegelein.
- We don't know where he is.

What? He's Himmler's assistant.
He must be available.

We haven't seen him for days.
- I want a report immediately.

Please stay here, Doctor.

You and Greim must go as quickly
as possible. Fly to Dönitz.

Tell him to do anything
it takes to punish Himmler.

We've decided to die with you.

Thank you for this proof of loyalty.

But Himmler must die.
He committed treason.

He's no longer privvy to my plans.

Mein Führer?

Do you think I'll sit and wait until
those Jewish swine slaughter me?

This is part of a huge decoy operation.
I've allowed the enemy...

to invade the Reich and they think they've won.

But mark my words: they have
another thing coming.

Dönitz is mobilising in the north.
Kesselring in the south.

We'll surround the enemy and crush them.

From Prague, three armies will attack the
Russians, simultaneously, from the back.

I didn't know we still had
so many reserve troops.

I made sure you'll soon have
a 1,000 of the most modern...

jets at your disposal.

With those, you can make the
Luftwaffe ready for battle again.

I kneel to your genius, at the
altar of the motherland.

Heil, mein Führer.

You also request to leave Berlin?

Mein Führer, as you know,
all medical departments...

that fall under the SS and Himmler,
have left Berlin.

Himmler is a traitor.
He won't escape punishment.

Mein Führer, as Reichsarzt SS,
I have no more work here.

Your request to leave Berlin is unacceptable.

My family...

If the Russians...
I must leave.

You did nothing wrong.

Future generations will thank you
for you medical research.

I take all the responsibility.

We'll talk about it later.

Gruppenführer Fegelein cannot
be found. He's not in the bunker.

What, you can't find Fegelein?

Keep searching.
I need to talk to him. Immediately.

If he left just like that,
that's desertion. Treason.

Bring me Fegelein.

Fegelein. Fegelein.

Daddy, why are you wearing your Sunday uniform?

Ernst, is something wrong?
- No.

Thank you.

Brigitte is hungry too.

Ilse, you should eat something as well.

Thank you.
- There you go.

Thank you.

What is it?
- Gruppenführer, you're under arrest.

What?
- You're suspected of desertion.

Get dressed.
You'll come with us.

Search the room.

Let go of me.
You can't give me orders.

You can't have Hermann executed, can you?

There's no doubt.
He wanted to flee.

What does it matter?
Everything's over.

Think of my poor sister.
She's pregnant by Hermann.

He collaborated with Himmler.
He's a traitor.

There's no mercy for traitors.
No compassion for them.

He'll be court-martialled and executed.

What's the point of that?

It is my wish.

You're the Führer.

Speak.

The Russians are advancing more and more.

There are no more reserves.
Supplies from the air are impossible.

There is no ammunition coming in anymore.

In the north, the Russians are standing
in front of the Weidendammer bridge.

In the east: Lustgarten.
South: Potsdammer Platz.

West: Tiergarten, about 400 metres
away from the chancellery.

How long can you hold out?
- At most, two days.

Including the government area?
- Yes.

As a soldier, I suggest we
flee Berlin. It's surrounded.

The battle of Berlin killed about
20,000 of our best officers.

That's what young people are for.

What you suggest is insane.
Ridiculous.

Think of the thousands of wounded.
We can't help them.

Mein Führer, the orders have
been written. I give you my word...

The Führer cannot make a honourless
disappearance from world history.

Even if an advance is successful...

I'll end up in another troublesome situation.

I'd have to stay in the open air or on a farm...

and wait for the end.

Wenck is advancing with the
12th army. He can join the 9th...

and give the Russians the final blow.

Wenck's an excellent fellow.
Send a telegram to Keitel:

Immediately report to me the following:
1. Where are Wenck's vanguard located?

2. When will they attack again?

3. Where is the 9th army?
4. Where will the 9th make a breakthrough?

You'll see, gentlemen.
I'll be right.

Wenck will come.

Wenck will come.

I want to know if Wenck can do anything at all.

It's unlikely that Wenck's
small amount of troops...

What's unlikely about the offensive?
- Wenck can't do anything anymore.

Then why don't you tell the Führer
that? Has everybody gone mad?

Do you think the Führer doesn't
know? He'll never surrender.

And neither will we. I've been
through that once. Never again.

Come along. I have to go.

Stop right there.

Heil Hitler.

Excuse me. I fell asleep.

Did you get some rest, my child?

In shorthand.

My political will.

More than 30 years have passed...

since I made my contribution as a volunteer...

during the first World War.

During those 30 years,
I learnt to think, act and live...

out of love and loyalty for my people.

Excuse me. The shooting.
- Please sit down.

Centuries will pass...

but from the ruins
of our cities and monuments...

the hatred of the people...

who did this to us,
will continue to flare up.

International Judaism and its allies.

What is it, Herr Minister?

Imagine this. The Führer wants
me to leave Berlin.

He ordered it.

I've never ignored an order from the Führer.

But I will ignore this order.
I'll stay with the Führer.

Please, Frau Junge...

I want to dictate my will to you.

I'm typing the Führer's will.

Good.

I understand.
Some other time.

Mein Führer, according to the
racial law I'm obliged to ask you:

Mein Führer, are you of Aryan descent?

Can I see your identity card?

You're talking to the Führer here.
- Alright then.

And you, Fräulein Braun,
are you of Aryan descent?

Then there's nothing to stop us.

I'm asking you now:
Do you, mein Führer, Adolf Hitler...

take Eva Braun, present here,
as your wife? Answer 'yes'.

Do you, Eva Braun, take Führer
Adolf Hitler, present here...

as your husband? Answer 'yes'.

Then I declare you man and wife.

Two men here.

Everything will be alright.

You must go to the Führer right away.
- Now?

How long can we hold out?
- Twenty hours, no more.

The Russians are close. At the
moment, we forced them to stop.

You know, Mohnke. The western
democracies are decadent.

They'll succumb to the people from the east.

All the best. Thank you.

It wasn't just for Germany.

A message from Keitel.

1. Wenck's vanguard are
stuck south of Schwielowsee.

2. The 12th army can't continue
the attack on Berlin.

3. The 9th army is completely surrounded.

What do we do when the last
ammunition reserves have been exhausted?

I'll never surrender. Never.

I forbid you, and the other
commanders, to surrender.

Listen, Günsche. My wife and I
are going to commit suicide.

I don't want my corpse exposed by the Russians.

I don't want them to get me,
dead or alive.

I want to be burnt and never to be found.

Günsche, I want you to promise me...

that you will do all that it takes.

Mein Führer...

this is a terrible order,
but I will execute it.

Kempka.
- Erich, I need 200 litres of petrol.

Are you mad?
Where should I find them?

From the parked vehicles.

What's all that petrol for?
- I can't say.

Come, please.
The Führer wants to see us.

Should I tell the Führer you're indisposed?

It's only my collapsed lung.

I'll die soon anyway.

Excuse me.

Over here, Herr Professor.

One moment, please.

Excuse me.

I'm sorry to interrupt your important work.

Mein Führer, keep faith in the final victory.

Lead us and we shall follow.

Come along.

Join the gang.

Come. Have a drink.

Besides drinking, there's little we can do.
- Do sit down.

That's better. Yes, the
situation is pretty shitty.

Can we sit down?
- Please do, Fräulein...

Frau...
- That's Frau Hitler.

It's alright.

A pity we can't go outside anymore.

Only if you want to die a heroic death.

Fritz, control yourself a bit.
- Yes. Control.

Take cover.

What are you doing here?
- I have to report to the Führer.

You can't right now.
Sit down.

Sit. Drink.

Let me introduce Frau Hitler.

So young and so many decorations.
You must be proud.

Excuse me.
I'm not used to drinking anymore.

You can use our toilet.

If your hand shakes, the bullet
might only hit an optic nerve.

That's why it's good to also take the poison.

When you bite through the capsule,
pull the trigger.

Will I have enough time?

The poison starts working
after one or two seconds.

Tornow, you too.

Come Blondi.

You know, Frau Junge,
I've known...

my husband for more than 15 years.

But when I think about it,
I know nothing about him.

Even though he likes to talk.

I longed for Berlin,
but he's so different now.

He only talks about dogs and vegetarian food now.

I hate Blondi.

I sometimes kick her and Adolf
then wonders why she acts strange.

I think he doesn't want anybody
to really know him.

he can be so caring in his private life.

And then he uses that rude language again.

When he's the Führer, you mean?

Come, let's smoke another one.

I'm sorry.

You have so many worries and here I am, whining.

Frau Junge, I'm giving you
this coat as a goodbye present.

I like fashionable ladies.
I want you to enjoy it.

What a surprise. Thank you.

I just don't know where and when I can wear it.

Please, try to get out of here.

Promise me.

Thank you. That was very good,
Fräulein Manziarly.

The time has come. It's finished.

The Führer wants to say goodbye.
Come with me.

You're the bravest mother of the Reich.

Führer, you made me the happiest
woman in Germany.

Salute my beautiful Bavaria.

Children, what are you doing here?

We want to see aunt Eva and uncle Hitler.

Have you eaten anything yet?
- Only breakfast.

Stay here, I'll get something
to eat. I'll be right back.

Comrades, this is the
latest news from the outside.

Berlin is full of warehouses: There were
houses here, there were houses there.

Herr Günsche,
I want to speak to the Führer.

Please, I have to.

Frau Goebbels, the Führer
doesn't want to be disturbed.

Please, Günsche,
just for a moment.

Please.

Mein Führer,
Frau Goebbels is here.

What is it?

Mein Führer, I beg you: Leave Berlin.

Don't leave us Führer.
What will become of us?

Tomorrow, I'll be cursed by
millions, but that's how it is.

Get up. Come.

Come.

Aunt Traudl, I like it when it thunders.

Why?
- Nothing can happen to us here.

Can it?
- No.

Gotcha.

Reichsleiter, it's over.

The Führer is dead.

There's daddy.

Are you crazy?
For that damned petrol of yours...

Erich, shut up.

Stand back.

Come on, continue.

Continue.

No, don't.

Let grandpa go.

Order. Order.
We must have order.

Order has to return.

This way. We know the way.
You can trust us.

Hurry.

I was on the side of the Red Beasts.

I supported the Bolsheviks.

Let's hope the Russians got our message.

We'll soon find out.
- Or not.

What news do you have, General?

Adolf Hitler and his wife
committed suicide in the bunker.

The new government authorised me...

to start peace talks...

between our countries, that both
suffered severe losses.

General, if you were me,
would you make peace with you?

My government will never accept
unconditional surrender.

Given the situation,
you have no other choice.

Surrender? Never.
That's shameful.

Years ago, I conquered Berlin on the Reds...

and I'll defend the city to my dying day.

In the short time I have as Chancellor...

I'll never sign a surrender treaty.

It's for the sake of the people.
- The Führer's orders are final.

This is crazy.
We have to start negotiations.

I repeat, gentlemen: I do not surrender.

Send a message to Marshal Zhukov.
- Zhukov?

What's happening?
- We're surrendering.

Then I must kill you.
The Führer forbids any surrender.

How long does it work?
- Around four hours.

Children, the doctor has the
medication I told you about.

It's a bit bitter,
but it will work.

A sip for everybody.

Who wants to go first?

Heide, you're always so brave?

Have another sip.

See? That wasn't so bad.

Well done.
Helmut.

This medication makes sure you don't
get ill in this humid bunker.

But it's not humid in the bunker.

Well done.

Helga.

I don't want to.

What's that? Do you want to get sick?
- Please, mama. I don't want to drink it.

Don't cry, baby.
That doesn't help.

You have to drink the medicine.

Helga.

Come on, open your mouth.

Goodnight, children.

One day the lie will fall apart...

and there will be light in the darkness.

Please read that.

One day the lie will fall apart
and there will be light in the darkness.

Let's do it differently.
One day the lie will collapse...

and truth will triumph once again.

At that moment, we will stand above everybody...

pure and...

immaculate.

We don't stand a chance.
- So what? I want to get away.

How do we get through the lines?

Doesn't matter.
I'm not staying another minute.

We'll die.
- It won't be that bad, surely.

If we stay, the Russians will get us for sure.

All the best.

Come, let's go.

On 30 April 1945, the Führer
committed suicide...

and in doing so, he deserted
everybody who was loyal to him.

You, German soldiers, were loyal to
the Führer and were prepared...

to continue the battle for Berlin,
although ammunition was in short supply...

and further resistance was pointless.

I hereby declare an immediate cease-fire.

Each hour you continue fighting...

prolongs the suffering of the people
of Berlin and of our wounded.

In agreement with the supreme
command of the Soviet troops...

I order you to stop fighting immediately.

Weidling, former commander
of the Berlin defence area.

A glass of water, please.

I don't need you anymore.

The game's over.

It's time.
- Don't you see what's going on here?

I insist that you help us,
as a doctor.

Alright, then.

Go. You did a lot.
Thank you.

Schädle, hurry. Come on.
- I'm not going anywhere anymore.

Come along.

Are you alright?
- Keep going.

Sturmmann Krüger and his group
defended the Wolf Bridge...

and he receives the Iron Cross.

Sturmmann Wagner took out two
machine-gun nests...

and therefore, receives the Iron Cross.

Sturmmann Rauch has gotten
messages through the lines...

and receives the Iron Cross.

The others are coming.

Take cover, Müller.

Who's that?

A German.

Herr Hewel?

Thank God, you're alive.

Where are the others?

I don't know, Frau Junge.
Somewhere. Maybe.

Most people from my group must be dead.

I should never have left that bunker.

I should have shot myself,
but I couldn't.

Eat something first. There's
always enough time to die.

You stay with the women.

Come along.

The Russians have surrounded us.
- What's going to happen to us?

Maybe you can get through.
You could try.

I'm not taking another step.

Think about it. The Russians are after us.

As a woman, you might have a chance. Try it.

Good luck.

When you walk past the Russians,
don't look them in the eyes.

Remember that well. All the best.

The Russians.

Gerda, let's go.
- You go.

I'm exhausted.
- Please.

I have to give it a try.
Don't be angry with me.

I'll be alright.

Herr Doktor.

My comrades want to surrender.
Can I join you?

The Führer's dead. Do you want
to continue the war on your own?

I'm obliged by my oath.

Then you'd better go to the Brigadeführer.

The Russians are evacuating the square.
- So?

No opposition.
No shooting.

Then they'll be here within the hour.

What shall we do?

We can't surrender.
- What exactly do you mean?

When the Russians come,
we'll empty our weapons on them.

The last bullets are for ourselves.
- That's radical.

Is this prestigious murder
and suicide our only option?

We're SS officers.
We can't survive the Führer.

Who agrees with me?

Come and sit down with me?
- Please.

Why do you want to continue living?
- And you? Why do you want to die?

See this?

The Führer gave it to me personally.

As a last decoration?
- Maybe.

A goodbye present from Hitler.
I had to promise him something.

If the Russians get me,
I have to kill myself.

Did he make you promise that?
But why?

Maybe he didn't want me to be forced...

to say anything bad about him.

But, as a diplomat, you're
under international protection.

Who will benefit if you stick to your deal?

There they are.

Don't shoot, comrades.

We surrendered.
The war is over.

It's over.

Complete surrender took place on 7 May 1945.

Hostilities were suspended on 8 May.

The war took the lives of more
than 50 million people.

6 million Jews were killed
in German concentration camps.

Gerda Christian managed to escape
and avoid imprisonment.

She died in Düsseldorf on 14 April 1997.

Dr. Schenck was released in 1953 by the Soviets.

He died in Aachen on 21 December 1998.

Wilhelm Mohnke was released
by the Soviets in 1955.

He died in Damp, near Eckernförde,
on 6 August 2001.

Helmut Weidling died in captivity, in 1955.

Werner Haase was arrested
in the bunker, by the Red Army.

He died in captivity, in 1945.

Otto Günsche was arrested by the Soviets.

He was released in 1956 and
died in Lohmar, in 2003.

Hanna Reitsch survived the war
and would break many flying records.

She died on 28 August 1979.

Robert Ritter von Greim committed
suicide on 24 May 1945.

Linge and Hentschel were arrested by the Soviets.

Linge was released in 1955 and died in 1980.

Hentschel was released in 1949 and died in 1982.

Constanze Manziarly disappeared
without a trace, during her flight.

Albert Speer was arrested in Flensburg, in 1945.

He was sentenced to 20 years, in Nuremberg.

He was released in 1966 and
died in London, in 1981.

Keitel and Jodl were sentenced to
death in Nuremberg and executed.

Hermann Göring was sentenced to death.

He committed suicide in his cell,
shortly before his execution.

Heinrich Himmler tried to escape
using a false name.

After he was found out,
he committed suicide.

Martin Bormann and Ludwig
Stumpfegger committed suicide...

on 2 May 1945, near the Lehrter Bahnhof.

Rochus Misch was released by the Soviets in 1955.

He still lives in Berlin.

Traudl Junge was classified
as a 'young follower'.

She worked as a secretary and lived
in Munich, until her death in 2002.

All the horror I heard about during
the Nuremberg trial...

the 6 million Jews, dissidents
or people of another race...

who died, shocked me deeply.

But I hadn't made the connection
with my own past yet.

I reassured myself by thinking
I wasn't personally guilty of it.

And that I hadn't known
about the sheer size of it.

But one day, I walked
past a commemorative plaque...

for Sophie Scholl,
here in the Franz-Joseph-Strasse.

I saw that she was my age...

and that she was executed in
the year I joined Hitler.

And only then did I realise...

that youth is no excuse.

And that it might have been
possible to find out the truth.

DOWNFALL