and pumped bullets into the ambassador’s deputy, an impulsive
action that was the beginning of the Jews’ long journey into
darkness, because a vengeful speech by Goebbels triggered a po-
grom throughout Germany and Austria a dusk of agonizing
screams, of arson, and of shattered shop windows that would go
down in history as “Crystal Night.”
Unquestionably, Göring approved of punishing the whole
Jewish community in some way for the diplomat’s murder. “The
swine will think twice,” he said, “before they inflict a second
murder on us.” But the unthinking and needlessly destructive
mode of revenge that Goebbels had selected outraged him. As
his limousine made its way through the shards in Berlin the next
morning, November , he got fighting mad and called a terse
meeting of the Nazi party leaders at the Air Ministry building.
Walther Darré heard Göring call the pogrom “a bloody out-
rage.” The field marshal lectured them all on their “lack of dis-
cipline.” He reserved his most pained language for Dr. Joseph
Goebbels. “I buy most of my works of art from Jewish dealers,”
he cried.
Goebbels rushed yelping to the Führer’s lunch table but
found little sympathy. Hitler had spent the night in Munich
issuing orders to stop the outrages and sending out his adjutants
to protect Jewish businesses like Bernheimer’s, the antique deal-
ers. Himmler was also furious with Goebbels for having made
free with the local SS units to stage the pogrom. Over at the
Chancellery that afternoon, November , Göring waded into
Goebbels. “This is going to cost us a bloody fortune abroad,” he
shouted, “and I’m the one who’s got to earn it all!”
Hitler did not take sides but expressed concern to Göring
over the undisciplined approach to “the Jewish problem” and
ordered him to draw up stringent laws immediately. Later that
day he telephoned Göring to make the point: “All the key meas-