Here are the 9 means to Hitler’s end . . . as envisioned by the Office of Strategic Services, a forerunner of the CIA.
WWII – the said office hired an American psychologist by the name of Henry Murray to give his take on the notorious German Fuehrer and eventually predict what would be the outcome of the notorious tyrant’s life. After his investigation, Murray handed a 229-page report to the office titled The Personality of Adolf Hitler.
His conclusion — Hitler suffered from schizophrenia and acted like a “paranoid utter wreck” who was not capable of handling or being in normal relationships with other human beings. Murray, then, went on to predict that the character of the brutal tyrant would be the cause of his downfall and cited 9 means which could possibly lead to the German leader’s demise [this was as of 1943].
1: A radical German group would capture the German dictator and imprison him in a fortress.
Murray cited that this as the most unlikely scenario among the 9 means to Hitler’s end as there was a widespread reverence of the dictator in Germany in those times but he was indeed captured, the psychologist was sure those who captured him would surely hand him over to the US forces. And once Hitler was out of power, Murray said that “the General Staff will no doubt become the rulers of Germany”.
2: Hitler might end up being assassinated by a German.
This was again, as Murray wrote, an unlikely situation as the Germans were not apt at assassinating their own leader. But then, even Hitler himself, being an “utter wreck” and very paranoid, was afraid he was either going to get shot by his enemies or poisoned. This was the reason behind why he wanted himself closely guarded to protect himself. He even had multiple food tasters just to make sure there was no poison in every morsel he placed inside his mouth!
3: He may arrange his own death via a close friend or a Jew.
Murray also wrote that there was the great possibility that Hitler would orchestrate his own death . . . in the hands of a close friend or even a Jew. The psychologist surmised how the German dictator plot an elaborate and dramatic death for his very self; something which would make him appear a hero taken so soon from his own country.
Dying at the hand of a loyal follower, similar to the ways Jesus Christ and Caesar died, ahd always appealed to the German dictator, Murray stated in his report.
“It might increase the fanaticism of the soldiers for a while and create a legend in conformity with the ancient pattern,” he wrote.
However, there was also the great possibility that Hitler might use a Jew as a means for his passing. This would validate the belief that all Jews were evil and would result to every German rising up and annihilating every Jew residing in Germany at that time.
4: Hitler may die leading his troops at the height of battle.
The German dictator had this battle cry “fight with fanatical death-defying energy to the bitter end.”
And, according to Murray, it was highly likable for the German dictator to use it to glorify his own death and make himself a brave and decisive leader to the eyes of the Germans during the WWII-era — dying in the front line of WWII while leading his troops.
5: Hitler would eventually go insane.
Per Murray’s assessment of the notorious dictator’s character, Hitler was a schizophrenic and had an unstable emotional health. He had frequent mental breakdowns and didn’t have mental clarity when in highly stressful situations and being in war was just that.
Hitler was also often described as very moody and lackadaisical and also suffered from insomnia. When he did go to sleep, he often had recurring violent nightmares. These factors, said Murray in his report, may greatly contribute to his ending up in a mental asylum.
6: He may escape into a neutral country and seek asylum there.
Though Murray included this possibility in his report, he pointed out that this would likely occur only if the German dictator would be drugged by one of his most trusted advisers and then sent off through plane to Switzerland. There, his loyal followers would urge and convince him to stay after he had woken up.
But this possibility would have displeased the German tyrant as it would label him a deserter and a coward.
7: He may have ended in the hands of the United Nations.
This was one prediction Murray did not elaborate in, he only described it as the least likely among all the 9 means but was also the most desirable outcome.
8: Hitler’s death caused by natural means.
Well, this is how every human being dies and the German Fuehrer wasn’t exempted.
9: Hitler would have died via suicide.
Murray based this possible scenario on Hitler’s skyrocketing pride — he would rather kill himself that surrender and end up imprisoned by his enemies.
Murray wrote that if the dictator did choose this course, he would do it at the last possible moment and in the most dramatic way possible. He predicted Hitler’s suicide as any of the following:
- Blow himself up with a dynamite at the Berchtesgaden
- Make a massive funeral pyre then throw himself into it
- Jump to his death from either a bridge or a high balcony
- Shoot himself using a silver bullet
https://youtube.com/watch?v=lyZICBPh0wc
Ultimately, Hitler did end up taking his own life by shooting himself while his wife of merely less than an hour, Eva Braun, took a cyanide pill at the Führerbunker in Berlin. That was on April 30, 1945.