An order of November 1, 1944 to the Air Force (when the German military already knew that the war had been lost) stated that anyone who expressed doubt about the Fuehrer—criticized him or his measures or defamed him—was a person without honor who “deserved to die.”

Lecturing his SS-men, Himmler stated that if anyone should ever be disloyal to the Fuehrer or the Reich “even if only in thought”—it was up to them to see to it that this man “departs from the brotherhood.”