Recently declassified documents reveal that Adolf Hitler had a chilling plan to launch nuclear strikes against the Soviet Union in June 1945. A close associate of Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels testified that Germany was developing atomic bombs and intended to use them against Soviet military centers. However, the plan was foiled when Soviet forces captured Berlin in May 1945, just before Hitler could execute his deadly scheme. These revelations come as a stark reminder of the catastrophic potential of the nuclear arms race, coinciding with the 79th anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing.
In June 1945, Adolf Hitler had a chilling plan to use nuclear weapons against the Soviet Union, according to a newly revealed testimony by Werner Waechter, a close associate of Nazi Germany’s propaganda minister, Joseph Goebbels. This shocking revelation comes from a declassified document published by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), which coincides with the 79th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima by the United States.
The testimony shows that Nazi Germany was much closer to creating and using an atomic bomb than many might have thought. In 1945, the Nazis were working on a plan to launch nuclear attacks on the Soviet Union’s military centers in the Ural Mountains, using advanced, long-range bombers.
Waechter revealed in his testimony that he first learned about Nazi atomic research in 1943. A German engineer told him that their scientists had successfully split the atom and were developing ways to use this discovery as a powerful weapon. This was a significant breakthrough because, back in the late 1930s, German scientists had already discovered how to split uranium atoms, laying the groundwork for nuclear physics. In fact, Nazi Germany was the first country to start a project aimed at building an atomic bomb.
By 1945, this project had progressed to the point where the German Ministry of Armaments was getting ready to deploy an atomic bomb. According to Waechter, the plan was to equip these bombs onto newly designed aircraft stationed at an airfield near Celle, a town in northern Germany.
Although Waechter wasn’t sure of the exact timing, he believed that June 1945 was when Hitler intended to launch the nuclear attack. His reasoning was partly based on the fact that Goebbels, the Nazi propaganda chief, had ordered a special horoscope for Hitler for that month. The Nazis often used astrology as part of their propaganda, crafting predictions to manipulate public perception and rally support.
However, Hitler’s terrifying plan was never realized. In May 1945, just before the planned nuclear strike could take place, Soviet forces captured Berlin, forcing Nazi Germany to surrender and bringing an end to the war in Europe.
Although Germany was the first to explore the possibility of creating a nuclear weapon, their project was never completed. Meanwhile, the United States succeeded in developing the atomic bomb and made history by using it in warfare. On August 6 and 9, 1945, the U.S. dropped two atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, resulting in the deaths of over 200,000 people, most of whom were civilians. These bombings marked the only time nuclear weapons have been used in conflict, serving as a grim reminder of the devastating power of such weapons.
