dark-haired, sallow-featured man with penetrating dark eyes
had the physiognomy of a criminal. He passed some photo-
graphs across the desk, and Schmidt easily picked out the one of
Fritsch. Later, Göring would bluff the accused general, saying
that the accomplice, Weingärtner, had also identified him from
pictures; this was not true. Schmidt, however, seemed convinc-
ing enough. “It is quite possible,” conceded Fritsch later, “and I
shall do them the honor of so assuming, that both the Führer
and Göring genuinely believed that the available evidence amply
proved that I indulged in homosexual acts.”
Such, at any rate, was the prelude to one of the most un-
likely confrontations in the history of the German high com-
mand. Early on January , , the Wehrmacht adjutant
Hossbach tipped off Fritsch about the allegations. The general
stormed around to the Chancellery and demanded to see Hitler.
He was left to cool his heels until : .., when he was shown
into the library where Hitler and Göring were awaiting him.
The Führer [wrote Fritsch in his private papers] de-
clared at once that I stood accused of homosexual ac-
tivity.... If I confessed, he said, I should be required
to go away on a long journey and that would be the
end of it. Göring also spoke in this vein.Greedy for a quick decision, Göring tried bluffing a confession
out of Fritsch. There could be no doubt, he said. “This black-
mailer has consistently spoken the truth in over a hundred
other cases.”
Unexpectedly, Fritsch denied the charges but not an-
grily or heatedly, because he had been tipped off by Hossbach
hours before. He was altogether too cool about it in Hitler’s
view. Hitler handed over the Otto Schmidt file for the general