Reichsleiter Martin Bormann was Adolf Hitler's private secretary as well as the secretary of the Nazi Party. (PROSE: The Shadow in the Glass)
Biography[]
Administration of the Reich[]
After Hitler and the Nazis came to power in Germany in 1933, Bormann managed paperwork and administration roles involved in the governance of the Third Reich - tasks which Hitler himself had little interest in.
In late 1936, Bormann was present in Hitler's office when Joachim von Ribbentrop, as German ambassador to the United Kingdom, promised the Führer he was on the cusp of securing an alliance with the British government. However, when Ribbentrop failed and reported back to Hitler, the latter wrecked his office in an intense rage, (PROSE: Players) amplified by the presence of the Timewyrm within his mind. (PROSE: Timewyrm: Exodus) Bormann, noting the alarming frequency of these fits, enlisted the service of Dr. Felix Kriegslieter for assistance. (PROSE: Players)
At the end of August 1939, the Seventh Doctor met Bormann at a party rally in Nuremberg. Bormann was quickly on the scene when Hitler succumbed to the Timewyrm's powers again. The Doctor guessed that Bormann had a calming effect on Hitler, hence why none of his fits ever happened in Bormann's presence. Bormann grew suspicious of Kriegslieter's proximity to the vulnerable Führer but saw few other options given that he knew little about Hitler's condition.
A few days later, on 3 September 1939 two hours before the declaration of war by Britain and France, Bormann appeared outside Hitler's office alongside Ribbentrop and Hermann Goering. They brought news of setbacks encountered by the German forces during the campaign in Poland that required Hitler's attention. (PROSE: Timewyrm: Exodus)
Wartime[]
In August 1942, Bormann accompanied Hitler and his secret lover, Eva Braun, to a ball in Berlin. He was one of the only people Hitler trusted enough to tell him about the relationship. He oversaw the couple's blood tests conducted by Major General Johann Schmitt and Brigadier General Braun to ensure their racial compatibility.
By August 1944, Bormann had accepted that Germany was likely to lose the war. He began planning Operation Eagle Flight, laying the groundwork for the continuation of the Nazi crusade even after defeat. He called a secret meeting with German business leaders in Strasbourg to gather the necessary financial resources to fund such an ambitious venture. Over 700 front corporations set up by Bormann were used to spirit away money, gold, bonds, copyrights and patents, all of which went detected by the Allies.
In April 1945, Bormann was among the senior-ranking Nazis who retreated into the Führerbunker as Berlin was invaded by the Soviets. Along with Joseph Goebbels, he remained one of the only party leaders to maintain his loyalty to Hitler.
Hitler and Eva announced to everyone their intention to commit suicide but Bormann was part of a top-secret plan to smuggle the pregnant Eva out of the city. On 30 April, Hitler killed himself while Eva was merely placed into a death-like state. Bormann murdered Claire Aldwych and used her body as a decoy for Eva Braun's, burning her alongside Hitler. Bormann and Eva then escaped Berlin in a plane flown by Hans Baur. They arrived in Hamburg and escaped via submarine to Neuschwabenland before the British forces arrived.
Post-war[]
Hitler and Eva's child, Adolf Hitler, Jr., was later born and raised under the guidance of Bormann to become a figurehead of the Fourth Reich, following in the footsteps of his father. The resources Bormann had hidden away in the closing months of the war proved very valuable to the hidden Neo-Nazi cells.
Bormann died circa 2001 after living into old age. Hitler Jr. was critical of Bormann's cautious approach which he felt had delayed the coming of the Fourth Reich. However, he also admired Bormann's "excellent grasp of the big picture" and "incisive and analytical way of looking at things", and affectionately added that he would be missed. (PROSE: The Shadow in the Glass)
Behind the scenes[]
In the historical note for The Shadow in the Glass, Stephen Cole and Justin Richards clarify that Bormann's initiative to raise funds for the continuation of the Reich was a real-life venture. He raised (in 2001 terms) somewhere around a trillion dollars. His escape from Berlin and his survival into old age as detailed in the novel, however, was fictionalised for story purposes. Although it was believed he had escaped for many years after the Battle of Berlin, what was "almost certainly" his body was discovered in West Berlin in 1972 alongside that of "(again probably)" Doctor Ludwig Stumpfegger. (REF: The Shadow in the Glass)