…zum Tode verurteilt – Condemned to Death, Adolf Hitler – A double-sided propaganda leaflet dropped by Allied forces over German positions following the capture of the city of Aachen in October 1944. Intended to strike fear in the hearts of German soldiers and encourage surrender or desertion. German.
Under the headline: “Condemned to Death, Adolf Hitler”, the following was printed: “The ruins of the ancient imperial city of Aachen and the bodies of hundreds of German soldiers bear witness to Hitler’s bloody guilt. The order ‘to the last house’ is a death sentence for every German city. The order ‘to the last man’ is a death sentence for every German soldier. Aachen is a warning for every German city. Aachen is a warning for you.
With the fall of Aachen, the hour of destiny has come for the ‘Westwall’ fortification line. And you are in the Westwall. The death of German soldiers in Aachen marks the fateful hour for all who fight ‘to the last man.’ And the same is expected of you: to fight ‘to the last man.’ Only those who left their bunkers in Aachen in time and came over to us – live today and are safe. And only those who leave their bunkers in the Westwall in time and come over to us – will live and be safe tomorrow…”. At the bottom, in large letters: “Zerreiße Dein Todesurteil und tausche es ein gegen einen Freibrief fürs Leben!” – Tear up your death sentence and exchange it for a pass to life!”
On the reverse side of the leaflet, under the heading: “Thus Fell Aachen, ” the flyer provides a detailed, real-time account of the German army’s defeat in Aachen, step by step: “When every rational person understood that the situation was hopeless, Count von Schwerin, the commanding general of the 116th Panzer Grenadier Division, decided to declare Aachen an ‘open city’ in order to save the lives of thousands of civilians and soldiers. But in Berlin, it was decided to sacrifice Aachen and its inhabitants. Lieutenant General von Schwerin was dismissed by Hitler from his position, and the 116th Division was transferred from Aachen to Holland. On October 10 at 10:50 AM, the Americans delivered a 24-hour ultimatum to Aachen’s new commander, Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel) Leyherr. The fate of the city and its people now depended on his decision – whether they would be saved or destroyed. The population of Aachen, informed by Allied propaganda leaflets, immediately expressed its will to put an end to the senseless destruction. Civilians raised white flags above their bunkers. They emerged from shelters – from the Frankenberg bunker, from the bunker on Burgstrasse – to try, by demonstrating in front of headquarters, to pressure the commander into accepting the ultimatum. With clubs and pistols, SA men dispersed the citizens of Aachen. In the Hansmannplatz bunker alone, eight innocent German civilians were murdered by the SA. That same day, hundreds of German soldiers crossed over to the Allied side. On October 11 at 10:50 AM, the ultimatum expired. No reply was given. Following Hitler’s orders, the commander chose to abandon one of Germany’s oldest cities, its tens of thousands of civilians, and countless German soldiers – to total destruction. Today, Aachen is in American hands. The hundreds of dead and the ruins of the proud city testify to Hitler’s determination to destroy German lives and German cities – in order to save himself.”
The fall of Aachen marked one of the key milestones in the Allied forces’ advance into Nazi Germany. Located near the Belgian border, the city was the first German city to be captured by the United States Army during the Western Front of World War II. The battle for the city took place from October 2 to October 21, 1944, and ended with the surrender of the German commander, Colonel Gerhard Wilck, after fierce and stubborn house-to-house combat. Strategically, Aachen was part of the western defensive line known as the Siegfried Line (or Westwall), and its defense was considered critical to protecting the German heartland. Although the military situation was hopeless, Hitler’s order was to fight “to the last man, ” and local officers’ attempts to declare the city an “open city” were rejected. The city was surrounded, shelled, and captured at a high cost in blood – for both the German and American armies. Beyond its tactical importance, the fall of Aachen carried great symbolic weight: it was the first time a German urban stronghold had fallen to foreign forces since the war began, and it underscored the crumbling of the Reich’s defensive lines. American propaganda made extensive use of the event – as reflected in the leaflets dropped over German positions – to encourage desertion and persuade German soldiers that there was no longer any point in defending German cities.
[1] One leaf. 12×14 cm. Very good condition.
