The Goebbels Rants Scene is a scene in Downfall that is quite commonly used due to the ranting in this scene, and is usually referred to as Goebbels Rants.
Joseph Goebbels yells that he will never surrender and that it would be a shameful act. He goes on to say that years ago, he conquered Berlin from the Reds (i.e. the Communist Party of Germany), and swears that he will defend it to the day he dies. Later, he goes on that in his short time as chancellor, he will never sign a surrender treaty.
An argument erupts between Helmuth Weidling, who states surrendering is for the better of the people, while Hans Krebs counters by saying that the Führer's orders are final. Walther Hewel states again that they have to commence negotiations, which sparks a firestorm of debate. As a result, Hans Fritzsche leaves. Goebbels repeats to everyone that he wouldn't surrender, while Wilhelm Burgdorf follows Fritzsche in suspicion.
Fritzsche tells Rochus Misch to send a message to Marshal Georgy Zhukov, to which he responds with surprise. Burgdorf arrives and asks what's happening, to which Fritzsche declares that they must surrender Berlin to the Russians. This makes Burgdorf raise his gun, telling Fritzsche who now stares at the barrel of the gun nervously that he must shoot him, as the Führer forbade any surrender. Weidling arrives just in time to grab Burgdorf's arm and disturb his aim, shoving Krebs who is standing behind Burgdorf away, causing his shot to miss and hit the ceiling instead. Magda Goebbels and Ludwig Stumpfegger are startled to hear the gunshot while preparing the anesthesia for her children.
In Parodies[]
This scene sees large use in parodies, enough that it became regarded as an alternative to the Original Bunker Scene because Goebbels is the main ranter instead of Adolf Hitler. It is also used for two superweapon parodies: the first line "Kapitulieren? Niemals!" is used for Goebbels' Pencil of Rantmageddon, while the scene where Burgdorf shoots Fritzsche is used for Burgdorf's Pistol of Doom.
Like the Original Bunker Scene, Goebbels can also rant about a wide range of topics, ranging from:
Hitler's suicide
Just who is the world's most glamorous female tennis player or the world's best male player
Fegelein's antics
Goebbels having the same Zodiac star sign as Fegelein and his wife
At several points in the scene, it sounds like he is saying "giggity" in English, a humorous point which has not gone unnoticed by countless untergangers.
The part where Magda Goebbels and Stumpfegger look up after hearing Burgdorf's gunshot is also frequently used on its own and added to parodies to show something drastic is happening nearby or within the bunker, comparable to the scene where Traudl, Gerda and Constanze wake up to artillery fire. An example of which is Adolf Hitler vs a Fly, where Hitler tries to defeat the eponymous creature with his pencil of doom, who's explosion causes the entire bunker to shake.
Transcript[]
German transcript and English translation
Speaker
German
English
GOEBBELS
Kapitulieren?
Capitulate?
Niemals!
No way!
Das ist empörend!
It is outrageous!
Ich habe Berlin von Jahren gegen die Roten erobert, und werde die Stadt bis zum letzten Atemzug gegen die Roten verteidigen!
I have conquered Berlin against the Reds for years and will defend the city against the Reds until my last breath!
Die wenigen Stunden, die ich noch als deutscher Reichskanzler zu leben habe werde ich nicht dazu benutzen meine Unterschrift unter eine Kapitulationsurkunde zu setzen!
I will not use the few hours that I still have to live as the German Chancellor to put my signature under a capitulation document!
WEIDLING
Wir müssen die Zivilvölkerung schützen!
We have to protect the civilian population!
KREBS
Der Befehl des Führers ist unumstößlich!
The Führer's order is irrefutable!
BURGDORF[1]
Egal, was passiert! Wir werden durchhalten bis zum Ende!
No matter what happens! We will hold on until the end!
KREBS[1]
Wir können nicht kapitulieren.
We cannot surrender.
HEWEL [1]
Wir müssen Verhandlungen aufnehmen.
We have to start negotiations.
GOEBBELS
Ich wiederhole, meine Herren:
I repeat, gentlemen,
Eine Kapitulation unterschreibe ich niemals!
I never sign a capitulation!
FRITZSCHE
Setzen Sie sofort ein schreiben an Marschall Schukow auf!
Immediately write a letter to Marshal Zhukov!
MISCH
An Marschall Schukow?
To Marshal Zhukov?
BURGDORF
Was geht hier vor?
What's going on here?
FRITZSCHE
Das ist doch alles Wahnsinn, wir müssen die Stadt den Russen übergeben!
It's all insane, we have to hand the city over to the Russians!
BURGDORF
Dann muss ich Sie erschießen.
Then I have to shoot you.
Der Führerbefehl verbietet jede Kapitulation!
The Führer's order prohibits any surrender!
[1] The three are speaking simultaneously, so non-native speakers and subtitles couldn't cope in understanding and translating the dialogues.
Trivia[]
This is the most popular scene with somebody else other than Hitler ranting.
This is the only scene where Hewel gets angry.
In the theatrical version of the movie, Rochus Misch speaks his only line in this scene.
This scene is also notable for Burgdorf almost shooting Fritzsche.
This is one of the most dramatic scenes used for parody making because it features somebodyranting, a large debate, and another somebody firing a gun.
Left to right: Bernd Freytag von Loringhoven, Hans Krebs, Hans Fritzsche, Martin Bormann, and Wilhelm Burgdorf
An unknown Hauptsturmführer makes an appearance in the scene. It could possibly be Günther Schwägermann, who was Joseph Goebbels' adjutant.
A YouTuber known as AngryGermanKid82 had this scene in one parody inserted partway through the Original Bunker Scene when Goebbles defends the subject Hitler is ranting about[1].
In Other Media[]
In the book "The Nuremberg Trials", by Joe Heydecker and Johannes Leeb, the scene with Fritzsche is presented slightly different:
He [Fritzsche] informs several military hospitals, command bunkers and several Wehrmacht units of the decision [Berlin capitulation]. He then writes a letter to the Soviet Marshall [Zhukov]. Junius, a translator from the Bureau of Informations translates the letter into Russian.
At that moment the door opens.
General Wilhelm Burgdorf bursts in the basement and his eyes seem to shoot flames.
"You want to capitulate?", he shouts at Fritzsche.
"Yes", Fritzsche's cold reply.
"Then I have to shoot you!", Burgdorf shouts. "In his will, the Führer has forbidden any form of capitulation. We must fight until the last man!"
"And woman?", Fritzsche asks.
The general pulls his gun. But Fritzsche and a radio-telephone operator [possibly Misch] are swifter. They throw themselves on Burgdorf. A gunshot is heard, the bullet ricochets from the ceiling, whizzing. By joining forces, the two push the adjutant out the door.
Burgdorf will return again to the Reich Chancellery. This time he'll point the gun at himself, ending his life.
Gallery[]
Weidling kicks off the argument between the generals.
Krebs disagrees and gives his own opinion.
Burgdorf settles the argument.
The part where the generals are arguing simultaneously, sometimes it is hard to interpret what they are really saying.
Fritzsche storms out of the rant to give a command to Misch.
Go after Fritzsche, Burgdorf!
Marschall Schukow?
Fritzsche in the scene, confronting Burgdorf.
Burgdorf realizes who stole his booze.
Burgdorf about to use his Gun of Armageddon.
As Weidling stops him, Burgdorf's gun fails to succeed.
