Venturing into Podcast land

Over the past six months, along with my amazing producer Sam Loy, I have been recording a podcast.

It tells, in truncated form, the story of the German resistance to Hitler, and calls on the research I have done for my book TREASON.

The process has been fascinating for someone like me, who did not know what was involved. 

First, the scripts had to be written, edited, debated, settled.

Then, we recorded. We did this for a morning a week over about 3 months.

With the words recorded, Sam would work on the sound edit, which included writing music, sourcing sound effects and music, mixing – and a lot more that I don’t understand. 

He would send a first draft, and I would provide feedback, and then a final draft would emerge.

I had to select a podcast platform, and after research I chose Buzzsprout. I’ve been very happy with their service. With their help, I am now on all the hosting platforms.

As well as sound, a podcast needs graphics, and I engaged my friend and design guru Mike Vernon – known for his MakeBooks Australia business – to produce artwork for the podcast. He has done a great job, producing generic artwork as well as artwork for each episode.

Selling a podcast is pretty hard. I had great help from my daughter Georgia, who researched an approach to this, and filmed and edited a number of film clips for promotion.

We released a trailer in late June, and then on 6 July dropped the first three episodes – 1, 2 and 3. The fourth went out on 13 July, and they’ll be once a week from now on.

The 80^th anniversary of the July plot is upon us, and this seems a fitting tribute to mark the occasion.

The great people at Northern Books are organising a launch for Treason.

It will be at the Taproom, Shedshaker Brewing, at the Mill in Castlemaine, on Tuesday 10 January at 6 pm.

I will be in conversation with the wonderful Helen Symon KC.

You will need to book your attendance here.

Look forward to seeing you there!

The Best Books on the Plot to Kill Hitler

 I was asked to compile this list on Shepherd.

See what you think.

Anschluss

In 1938, threatened with a Nazi takeover, and without international support, Austrian chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg called for a national plebiscite on the nation’s future. It was to be held on Sunday 13 March. He expected a vote to keep Austria independent, and there can be little doubt he would have received overwhelming support.

Kurt von Schuschnigg, Chancellor of Austria

Hitler learned of the proposal on Wednesday 9 March – just four days before the plebiscite. He was furious about this ‘dirty trick’. The last thing he wanted was a popular expression of support for Austrian independence. He summoned his advisers (many of whom were out of the country). He sent a message to Mussolini asking for his support. Despite the lack of any plan of attack, Hitler sent tanks and troops rolling towards the border.

Before dawn, on Friday 11 March, the Germans closed the border with Austria.

Hitler delivered an ultimatum: postpone the plebiscite for three weeks, or the Wehrmacht will invade. Early that afternoon, the Austrians agreed. Then the Germans sent a further ultimatum demanding the resignation of Schuschnigg and his entire government, and the appointment of Dr Arthur Seyss-Inquart (the Nazi leader in Austria) as Federal Chancellor, otherwise the German Wehrmacht would march in that very evening.

Shortly after four in the afternoon, the Austrian government resigned.

Dr Arthur Seyss-Inquart

But President Miklas did not wish to appoint a Nazi as Chancellor. Göring bellowed at Seyss-Inquart over the telephone to go with the German military attaché and threaten Miklas with immediate invasion by the troops massing along the Austrian border.

The German radio delivered a stream of hysterical propaganda. There had been a bloody communist revolt, the reports asserted, which the Austrian government was powerless to control. There were hundreds of casualties. In reality, everything was calm except for Nazis beginning to show themselves on the streets.

At about eight that evening, from the room where Dollfuss had bled to death, Schuschnigg broadcast to the nation:

The German government today handed to President Miklas an ultimatum with a time limit attached, ordering him to nominate as Chancellor a person to be designated by the German government and to appoint members of a cabinet on the orders of the German government; otherwise German troops would invade Austria. I declare before the world that the reports issued about Austria concerning disorders created by the workers and the shedding of streams of blood, and the allegations that the situation has got out of control of the government were lies from A to Z. President Miklas asks me to tell the people of Austria that we have yielded to force.

Shortly before midnight, President Miklas appointed Seyss-Inquart chancellor.

President Miklas

 Göring now told Seyss-Inquart to request the assistance of German troops to restore order in Austria. Seyss-Inquart, still not aware of the part he was required to play, protested: ‘Well, that’s one thing I need not do because everything is quiet here in Austria, so far.’

The Germans ignored him, announcing that he had invited German troops to enter the country.

At dawn on 12 March 1938, at many points along the frontier, German troops crossed into Austria.

Austrian officials raise barriers to let German troops cross the frontier

Soldiers drove past cheering crowds throwing out Nazi salutes.

German troops march into Austria

That day Hitler drove across the Austrian border to his home town, Linz. In Vienna, the SS arrested Schuschnigg – he was not freed for more than seven years, by which time many proud European cities were smoking ruins. He was fortunate to survive.

Seyss-Inquart was chancellor of Austria for less than two days. The new Austrian government passed a law that made Austria ‘a province of the German Reich’. On Monday 14 March, Hitler made his triumphant entry into Vienna. The Anschluss ('union') was complete.

Hitler's entry into Vienna - 14 March 1938

Even as the celebrations took place, the new regime began its mass arrests, and the former Austrian Minister for War was assassinated.

This is an edited extract from TREASON: Claus von Stauffenberg and the Plot to Kill Hitler

Reoccupation of the Rhineland

On the morning of 7 March 1936, Hitler’s foreign minister, Konstantin von Neurath, convened a meeting of the French, British, Italian and Belgian ambassadors. He proposed a twenty-five-year non-aggression pact, including demilitarisation on both banks of the Rhine and limitations on air forces of all parties.

At noon that day, Hitler announced that Germany would reoccupy the Rhineland – the area west of the Rhine and bordering France and the low countries which had been demilitarised since the Versailles Treaty. By then, German columns were already streaming across the border of the zone. Hitler bamboozled the western leaders by announcing that the occupation was purely symbolic.

German troops march into the Rhineland

Hitler’s generals knew Germany was not ready for military confrontation with the major powers. Had there been the slightest show of force from Britain or France, they would have forced Hitler to withdraw. In the end, apart from solemn hand wringing and protests from the Western Powers, nothing was done.

Hitler commenced fortifying this area, leaving him free to pursue other adventures to the east – and providing him a focal point for attack more than 150 kilometres closer to Paris. It was from the Rhineland that the German attack on France would develop most powerfully in 1940.

Hitler had shown that the western powers would not stand against determined action. He greatly enhanced his prestige and that of the Nazi regime. To the world he proclaimed: ‘All Germany’s territorial ambitions have now been satisfied.’

This is an edited extract from TREASON: Claus von Stauffenberg and the Plot to Kill Hitler

The Reichstag Fire

Berliners watch the Reichstag burn

President Hindenburg finally agreed to install Adolf Hitler as chancellor on 30 January 1933 as part of a coalition – in the hope that Hitler might be able to garner a majority in the fractious and divided Reichstag (parliament). The coalition ministry contained only two other Nazis – Wilhelm Frick and Hermann Göring.

In response to the appointment, the Nazis staged torchlight processions – trumpeting the dawn of a new age for Germany.

Hitler failed to negotiate parliamentary support. On 1 February Hindenburg dissolved the Reichstag and ordered elections for 5 March.

On 27 February 1933, the immense Reichstag building, the focal point of Berlin’s imperial district, was set on fire and destroyed. Only the shell remained. It was a shocking act of terrorism.

In the midst of the public alarm that followed, Hitler presented President Hindenburg with an emergency decree, drafted by non-Nazi public servants, ‘for the protection of the people and the state’.

The decree abrogated basic civil rights. Hitler said that with this decree he could ‘try enemies of the state legally and deal with them in a way that will put an end to conspiracies once and for all.’

In the final week of the campaign, the Nazis rode the panic about the fire shamelessly – loudly blaming the Communist Party and whipping up hysteria about the communist menace. Today, there is widespread suspicion that the Nazis burnt the Reichstag.

Hermann Göring was Prussian minister for the interior – giving him control of security for almost two thirds of Germany. Immediately he installed Nazis in key positions. He ordered police not to interfere with Nazi brownshirts (the Sturmabteilung – storm troopers, or SA, which constituted the paramilitary wing of the Nazi party) but to shoot at communists. He also established a force of 50,000 auxiliary police – mostly brawling thugs of the Nazi SA and SS (the Schutzstaffel, or ‘guard detachment’ – or blackshirts – at this stage a small elite force theoretically part of the SA) – who simply pulled a white armband over their brown or black shirts to become the law.

On 5 March, having rigged the result, the Nazis increased their vote to 43.9 per cent (the highest they had ever received). It was still short of a majority, but the Nazis had enough coalition support for Hitler to remain as chancellor. There would be no need for more free elections.

The alleged perpetrators of the Reichstag fire were tried before judges of Germany's highest court - the Reichsgericht. Marinus van der Lubbe was convicted and executed. However, the four co-accused - Ernst Torgler, Georgi Dimitrov, Blagoi Popov and Vasil Tanev - all officials of the Communist Party - were acquitted. Those acquittals prompted a furious Adolf Hitler to establish a 'People's Court' which would deal with so-called 'political' crimes.

This is an edited extract from TREASON: Claus von Stauffenberg and the Plot to Kill Hitler

Fritz Wiedemann

Born on 16 August 1891, Fritz Wiedemann was a colourful character who was Hitler’s commander in the First World War, later Hitler's personal adjutant, and then a diplomat - before he turned on Hitler.

Hitler’s superior during the First World War, Wiedemann provided strong support for the Austrian soldier. He nominated Hitler for the Iron Cross First Class on several occasions before it was eventually awarded in 1918.

After the war, Wiedemann refused an invitation from Hitler to organise the SA.

When Hitler came to power, Wiedemann accepted an offer to serve as his adjutant. He accompanied the Führer on state visits, answered correspondence and kept his diary.

In July 1938, Wiedemann travelled to London, with Hitler’s approval, and met with Lord Halifax (British Foreign Secretary) to discuss the Sudeten issue. Halifax told Wiedemann that a solution of the Sudeten German question by force would not be calmly accepted by the British people.

Wiedemann told Halifax that the latest possible date for a solution was March 1939, having obtained that date from Hitler and having it confirmed by the OKW (Oberkommando der Wehrmacht – High Command of the Armed Forces).

On Wiedemann’s return, Hitler did not let him report in detail. Hitler’s dismissive response hardened Ludwig Beck (at that time still the Chief of Staff of the German Army) to the view that reasoned argument would no longer be effective with Hitler.

Wiedemann let his London contacts know that Hitler intended to solve the Sudeten question by force in the immediate future.

In 1937, Wiedemann commenced an affair with Princess Stephanie von Hohenlohe – a relationship which annoyed the Führer. In January 1939, no longer in favour with Hitler, Wiedemann was appointed German Consul-General in San Francisco. Princess von Hohenlohe joined him in the United States.

Whilst there he privately warned British representatives that Hitler’s support at home was not as strong as might appear, and that Hitler had an unstable personality and was very dangerous. He urged the British to strike at Hitler as soon as possible.

He offered to US authorities to publicly denounce the German regime, but the US did not want this embarrassment at the time.

Wiedemann was subsequently sent to Tianjin in Japanese-occupied China.

After the war Wiedemann gave evidence at Nuremberg.

He died on 17 January 1970.

This is an edited extract from TREASON: Claus von Stauffenberg and the Plot to Kill Hitler