General der Artillerie Helmuth Weidling Quotes in Downfall (2004)

Generalfeldmarschall Wilhelm Keitel: Your report impressed the Führer. He has appointed you commander of Berlin's defenses.

General der Artillerie Helmuth Weidling: I'd rather be shot than have this honor.

Oberleutnant: [after the telephone line is cut] Orders, sir?

General der Artillerie Helmuth Weidling: I am to be shot.

Oberleutnant: What? Why?

General der Artillerie Helmuth Weidling: They believe I moved my command post to the West, away from the enemy!

Oberleutnant: Not a bad idea, General.

Joseph Goebbels: Surrender? Never! This is outrageous! I've conquered Berlin against the Reds several years ago, and will defend the city to the last breath against them! The few hours that I've yet to live as German Chancellor, I will not use them to put my signature on a document of surrender!

General der Artillerie Helmuth Weidling: We must protect the civilian population!

General der Infanterie Hans Krebs: The Führer's order is final!

General der Infanterie Wilhelm Burgdorf: No matter what happens, we will protect to the end!

General der Infanterie Hans Krebs: We cannot give up!

[Fritzsche steps out to Rochus Misch]

Walter Hewel: We have to start negotiations!

Joseph Goebbels: I repeat: I will never sign to a surrender!

[Burgdorf follows Fritzsche]

Hans Fritzsche: I need you to send a telegraph to Marshal Zhukov immediately.

Rochus Misch: Marshal Zhukov?

General der Infanterie Wilhelm Burgdorf: What's going on here?

Hans Fritzsche: This is madness. We have to give the city to the Russians.

[Burgdorf pulls out a gun]

General der Infanterie Wilhelm Burgdorf: Then I have to shoot you. The Führer commands to prohibit any surrender!

[Wielding grabs Burgdorf's arm as the latter shoots]

Adolf Hitler: You see, gentlemen? I'll be proved right. Wenck will come.

[leaves generals]

Adolf Hitler: Wenck will come.

[passes by guards who salute to him]

General der Artillerie Helmuth Weidling: I want to immediately know if it's possible for Wenck to attack or not.

General der Infanterie Hans Krebs: It's unlikely that Wenck's small force can attack the Red Army...

Joseph Goebbels: [interrupts Krebs] How dare you say it's unlikely?

General der Infanterie Hans Krebs: Wenck has nothing to confront the Red Army!

General der Artillerie Helmuth Weidling: Why don't you tell the Führer? Have you all gone crazy?

General der Infanterie Wilhelm Burgdorf: The Führer knows it himself, but he will never surrender, and we won't either! I went through that before, and once is enough!

General der Artillerie Helmuth Weidling: Come on, I have to get out of here.

[leaves with Mohnke]

General der Artillerie Helmuth Weidling: I am to be shot.

General der Artillerie Helmuth Weidling: My Führer, as a soldier I suggest we try to break through the encirclement. During the fight for Berlin we've already lost 15-20,000 of the younger officers.

Adolf Hitler: But that's what young men are for.