On 30 April 1945, as the Red Army closed in on Berlin, Adolf Hitler died in his bunker beneath the Reich Chancellery.

In this On This Day episode, Roger Moorhouse and Antonia Senior reconstruct Hitler’s final hours—his physical decline, the collapse of Nazi Germany, and the chillingly mundane routine of his last day. From his marriage to Eva Braun to the burning of their bodies in the Chancellery garden, this is the story of how the Third Reich ended at its source.

But that’s only half the story.

We also dig into the enduring conspiracy theories:
Did Hitler really die in Berlin? Why did Joseph Stalin briefly cast doubt on his death? And how did poor forensics, Soviet secrecy, and Cold War politics help fuel decades of speculation?

From dental evidence to Nazi escape routes, this episode separates fact from fiction—and explains why some myths refuse to die.

• The Last Days of Hitler by Hugh Trevor-Roper
  The original investigation (1946), written by a British intelligence officer on the ground. Still gripping and foundational.
• Inside Hitler's Bunker by Joachim Fest
  A powerful narrative reconstruction of Hitler’s final days, drawing on eyewitness testimony.
• Hitler's Death by Luke Daly-Groves
  A modern, forensic dismantling of conspiracy theories, using newly available evidence.

• The military collapse of Berlin in April 1945
• Hitler’s mindset: why he refused to flee
• The final day inside the bunker
• How Hitler and Eva Braun died
• The destruction of the bodies—and why it mattered
• Soviet investigations and the role of dental evidence
• Stalin’s shifting narrative and early Cold War propaganda
• Why Hitler survival myths persist

For sharp, intelligent history in short form—plus deep dives, book reviews, and expert interviews—subscribe to History Book Buffs.

Hitler death, April 30 1945, Berlin bunker, Eva Braun, Stalin, Red Army Berlin, Nazi Germany collapse, Hitler conspiracy theory, did Hitler escape, World War II history, Third Reich, History Book Buffs, Roger Moorhouse, Hitler bunker story, Nazi myths