Adolf Hitler Fast & Quotes: Final 24 Hours Before Death Revealed

A new book, titled Hitler's Last Day: Minute by Minute, recounts the last 24 hours of the Fuhrer's life in his Berlin Bunker.

The book reveals an account of Adolf Hitler and his bride Eva Braun in the day before their downfall over 70 years ago, as reported by Daily Mail UK.

7:00 a.m., Sunday, April 29, 1945

Armin Lehman, 16, a Hitler youth courier witnesses the desperation of starving citizens as they scampered for food.

10:00 a.m.

A Hitler youth runner reports that the Russians are closing in at about 500 m from the Reich Chancellery.

10:30 a.m.

General Krebs is informed by phone that the German defense is collapsing. The call ends as the radio-telephone communications are shot down.

Contact is now solely relied on Hitler youth couriers as they personally take messages to and from the Fuhrerbunker (where Hitler resides) and the army headquarters.

"It was a nightmare - a game of Russian Roulette," 16-year-old Armin Lehmann recalled. "Those who stepped out from cover were taking their life in their hands."

The boys who refused to follow orders were used examples to others. Lehmann was briefly arrested for staring at a boy of 13 who had been hanged from a post.

11:00 a.m.

Heinz Linge, Hitler's valet finds Hitler fully clothed sans his tie and lying on his bed. Linge does it up in seconds and Hitler checks the tie in the mirror.

August Wollenhaupt, Hitler's barber comes in next to trim his hair and moustache.

Linge then puts cocaine drops to Hitler's right eye and gives him a packet of pastilles for his master's stomach cramps and flatulence.

11:45 a.m.

The six children of Joseph and Magda Goebbels are excited to be playing in the upper bunker.

2:00 p.m.

Hitler eats lunch with Eva Braun and his two remaining secretaries. Braun and Hitler were married a few hours ago.

The dictator raises a difficult subject in the meal. "I'll never fall into the enemy's hands, dead or alive," he tells them. "I'm leaving orders for my body to be burned so no one can ever find it."

Hitler says, matter-of-factly, "The best way is to shoot yourself in the mouth. Your skull is shattered and you don't notice anything. Death is instantaneous."

Eva interjected that she wants to be a beautiful corpse. "I want to be a beautiful corpse. I'm going to take poison," she says. She shows the secretaries a little brass box containing a phial of cyanide, which she keeps in the pocket of her dress. "I wonder if it hurts very much," she says. "I'm so frightened of suffering for a long time. I'm ready to die heroically, but at least I want it to be painless."

Hilter reassured her that, "The nervous and respiratory systems are paralysed within seconds."

Junge and Gerda Christian exchange glances, then turn in unison to the Fuhrer. "Do you have any phials we could use?" Neither woman is keen to commit suicide but poison could be preferable to capture by the Russians.

"I'm very sorry I can't give you a better farewell present," Fuhrer says as he promised to make sure they each get one.

4:00 p.m.

A farewell party is held with about 40 people gathered. After the meal, Nazi fighting songs were sang by the Hitler youth and then German folk songs and lullabies.

About 10:00 p.m.

Hitler is still hopeful that Berlin can be saved. He orders a radio message to his commanders but his men believe that Berlin can no longer be salvaged.

12:30 a.m., Monday, April 30

Hitler learns that there is no German counter-attack.

1:30 a.m.

Hitler informs his staff that he intends to take his life than surrender to Russians.

"I don't want to be put on show like an exhibition in a museum," he says. He shakes the hands of each of his guards and servants and thanks them.

2:30 a.m.

A big party is commencing in the corridor of the upper bunker. Eva Hitler appears, sits, drinks, and joins the conversations.

3:00 a.m.

Hitler discusses his suicide plans with Eva and Dr. Haase by downing cyanide capsules and a single pistol shot at an eyebrow level.

6:00 a.m.

"How long can we hold out?," Hitler asks General Mohnke.

"Twenty or 24 hours at most, mein Fuhrer."

6:30 a.m.

Hitler is found by his valet lying in bed and fully clothed in uniform. He goes to the switchboard room and asks for an update from the commandant of Berlin - the Russians are near.

7:00 a.m.

Eva Hitler hurries to the Reich Chancellery garden "to see the sun once more". The Fuhrer follows half an hour later but turns around and made his way back down.

In the second installment, we will learn of how a pistol shot will change the course of the world.

Hitler's Last Day: Minute by Minute is by Jonathan Mayo and Emma Craigie and is currently available in Amazon.