Former Nazi secretary Traudl Junge is interviewed about her time with fanatical Nazi leader
Adolf Hitler, recalling the events that led to her survival after the war.
On a cold late night on November 1942, 22-year-old Traudl and a few young German ladies are being
relocated to the Wolf's Lair in East Prussia as they prepare for a personal assessment
from the Nazi leader for a secretary position.
Traudl is chosen and led inside the dictator's room to type every word of his speech as he
dictates.
Minutes later, the young woman leaves the room looking forlorn, only to happily surprise
the others she got accepted.
Two and a half years later, in Berlin, Hitler is celebrating his 56th birthday amid World
War II.
Traudl and her friends wake up from the sound of enemy artillery fire near their dormitory.
In the Führerbunker, Hitler becomes angry when he is informed that the Soviet Red Army
will soon be approaching the city center.
Later, as high-ranking Nazi officials gather in the hall, Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler
and SS-Gruppenführer Hermann Fegelein debate whether Hitler should relocate elsewhere to
keep the Reich alive if Berlin falls into Russian hands.
Not long after, Hitler enters the room, hiding his hand behind his back as it shakes uncontrollably.
In another part of Berlin, SS doctor Obersturmbannführer Ernst-Günther Schenck watches as documents
are being burned in his building due to Operation Clausewitz.
He learns from a superior officer that Berlin will make its last stand, forcing evacuation
procedures for all government officials.
Bound by his Hippocratic oath, the doctor persuades him to let him stay to aid the injured
and provide food.
Later, after Hitler convenes with his officials, Himmler shakes the dictator's hand while telling
him that it is not too late to arrange a political compromise with the Allied forces, only for
Hitler to refuse.
Disappointed by this decision, Himmler confides with Fegelein about Berlin's imminent fall,
revealing he will contact the Allies without Hitler's knowledge, despite the warning that
he will commit treason.
He abruptly leaves as Oberbefehlsleiter Albert Speer arrives, saying he is headed to Hohenlychen
to aid the northerners in the Battle of Berlin.
Later, Speer meets with Hitler and lets him inspect the models he had constructed of his
vision for the Reich's future.
Fegelein and Traudl implore Hitler to leave Berlin if he wants the Reich to flourish as
he envisioned.
However, Speer believes he must stand by Germany.
Meanwhile, as families scramble along the wartorn streets of Berlin, Hitler Youth child
soldiers, including Peter Kranz, are reprimanded by his father for defending the city when
the war has already been lost to the Russians.
Peter calls him a coward and runs away, disappointed that he is not proud of him for destroying
two enemy tanks and getting awarded by Hitler.
At a meeting in the Führerbunker, Hitler forbids the 9th Division Army from retreating,
ordering that Obergruppenführer Felix Steiner's units launch a counterattack from the north.
The officials, including Generaloberst Alfred Jodl, argue about the plan's efficacy, leaving
the dictator enraged.
Hitler then orders SS-Brigadeführer Wilhelm Mohnke that his army must protect Berlin until
the end without evacuating civilians.
The meeting causes the officers to debate whether Hitler is getting out of control and
if they must take action.
Later, Hitler steps out of the Bunker to award Peter his medal, hailing him and the youth
soldiers as heroes of Germany.
As the night grows, Hitler's wife, Eva Braun, throws a party in the Reich Chancellery.
At the same time, Hitler and Speer discussed the proposed 'Scorched Earth' policy.
The Oberbefehlsleiter worries about obliterating Germany, but Hitler believes the German people
have become irrelevant, exposing their weakness and must die through their hands.
Meanwhile, Fegelein confronts Eva, imploring her to evacuate the city with Hitler, but
she dismisses him and continues partying despite the bombings outside.
However, the celebration halts as artillery fire blasts the Chancellery.
The following day, General Helmuth Weidling is accused of treason for moving a command
post and will be executed.
He tries to clear his name at the Bunker, justifying his actions were necessary.
He is later informed that Hitler promoted him to Commander of Berlin's defense after
feeling impressed with his report.
Elsewhere, as Russians approach the city, Doctor Schenck sneaks inside a wartorn hospital
to look for survivors, only to find the staff slaughtered and elderly patients left in a
room.
Meanwhile, Peter attempts to disable the enemy tank but forcibly retreats upon seeing the
Soviets bombard the area.
Inside the Bunker, Traudl and her friend, Gerda, worry about the attacks above ground,
believing Steiner's forces should have arrived and defended the city against the Red Army.
Fegelein informs them to flee while there is still time, diminishing the possibility
of Steiner's counterattack happening anytime soon.
Later, the mood in the situation room becomes tense as a dissatisfied Hitler begins a furious
tirade, pointing out the failures of his officers and declaring them cowardly traitors for ignoring
his orders.
Exhausted, he states the war is lost, though he would rather kill himself than leave Berlin.
Eva kisses him as he leaves the room, promising never to leave his side.
Fegelein tells the officials that they can freely make their own decisions, with Hitler
deeming himself unfit to lead, but they refuse to become disloyal.
Later, Eva invites Traudl and her friend for a smoke outside before a siren signals another
attack.
In the evening, Schenck witnesses an unlawful execution of elderly males by military police,
feeling powerless to stop it.
Upon seeing the wounded and displaced German citizens at a temporary evacuation site, he
becomes forlorn.
That night, Hitler enjoys the evening watching children perform a song.
Afterward, he discusses the most efficient suicide methods with Eva, Traudl, and Gerda.
Later, Eva and Joseph Goebbels' wife, Magda, write letters for their loved ones about the
events in Berlin.
Meanwhile, Traudl retrieves a document and sees a lonely Hitler feeling defeated as he
stares at a painting.
Above ground, Peter sadly discovers his friends from the youth squad have perished and decides
to reunite with his family.
Elsewhere, Hitler receives Reichsmarschall Hermann Goring's message requesting a state
leadership position.
Believing it is a blatant coup attempt, he becomes enraged, declaring him a traitor and
that he must be stripped of his ranks immediately and prosecuted.
Simultaneously, Speer arrives, checking in on a sickly Magda to convince her to flee
to Schwanenwerder by barge.
He then visits Eva, who is thrilled he remains loyal to the leader.
However, he informs her that he will leave for Hamburg and must depart from Hitler's
stead.
He meets Hitler personally to tell him about his sudden departure while admitting he would
never follow through with the 'Scorched Earth' policy.
Surprisingly, Hitler calmly accepts his decision, though he refuses to shake his hand as he
departs.
Later, Hitler visits an officer, Robert Ritter von Greim, and aviator Hanna Reitsch in the
infirmary as the latter recounts the tale of their survival from the Red Army.
At dinner, he promotes von Greim to Supreme Commander of the Luftwaffe, reminding him
to be ruthless and to never feel compassion because it shows weakness.
During the discussion, he reads the radio message from the Allied forces about Himmler's
negotiation with a Swedish diplomat, Count Bernadotte.
Hitler loses his temper and rambles, feeling betrayed by Himmler's action since he was
his most trusted officer.
He asks everyone to clear out except for Goebbels, von Greim, and Reitsch, who he requests fly
to Karl Dönitz forces to relay an order to eliminate Himmler.
He also elaborates on unrealistic ways to win the war.
Later, he denies SS physician Obergruppenführer Ernst-Robert Grawitz's request to leave with
his family, believing his medical research must continue for the future of Germany.
Another officer enters the room to inform Hitler about Fegelein's sudden disappearance,
which he furiously insists might be an act of desertion and subject to execution.
Meanwhile, Grawitz leaves the Bunker and enjoys one more dinner with his family before pulling
the pin of his grenades to commit familicide.
Meanwhile, SS officers storm inside the building where Fegelein is hiding and arrest the Gruppenführer
for treason.
Eva pleas with Hitler to spare his brother-in-law from execution for the sake of her pregnant
sister, but the Fuhrer believes he collaborated with Himmler, deeming him a traitor to the
Reich.
In the situation room, he claims Lieutenant General Walther Wenck will lead Berlin in
a counterattack against the Russians, much to the officials' doubt that Wenck's small
army can turn the tides of war.
Later, after Fegelein's execution, Traudl awakens from slumber and rushes to the Fuhrer's
office to type his political will as he dictates.
Shortly after returning to her room to check the draft, Goebbels breaks down as he prepares
to stay in Berlin with Hitler and ignores the evacuation order.
She then witnesses Hitler marry Eva from across the hall.
As the Soviet Red Army gets closer to the Chancellery, Hitler convenes with his officials
but becomes disheartened by a report that Wenck's 9th Army failed their counterattack
after being outnumbered.
Unfortunately, he continues insisting on never surrendering to the Allies.
Leaving the room, he informs SS-Sturmbannführer Otto Günsche he will commit suicide with
Eva, requesting his corpse be burned to prevent the Soviets from taking it to Russia.
Günsche then phones another officer to procure 200 liters of petrol from parked vehicles.
Shortly after, Doctor Schenck and a nurse fetch Dr. Werner Haase, suffering greatly
from his collapsed lung, and take him to the Bunker to see Hitler.
They wait outside and partake in a drinking session with the inebriated officers and Eva,
joining shortly after.
Doctor Schenck excuses himself to use the bathroom, only to overhear Dr. Haase and Hitler
discussing the upcoming suicide attempt in great detail.
He later witnesses Hitler's dog forcibly fed with the suicide pill to observe its effects.
Meanwhile, while enjoying a smoke, Eva confides with Traudl about feeling disconnected from
Hitler because of his secrets and work.
Seeing the young girl emotional, Eva gifts her coat and requests that she promptly leave
Berlin.
Later, an ailing Hitler has one final dinner with his female apprentices, with Traudl noticing
the Fuhrer's hand shaking uncontrollably.
He later bids a heartfelt goodbye to everyone in the Bunker.
He prepares to lock himself and Eva in the office before Traudl storms out in horror.
Minutes later, Magda tearfully pleads with Hitler to leave Berlin, but the Furher stands
firm in his decision and returns inside the room.
Meanwhile, Traudl feeds Magda's children to prevent them from seeing Hitler in his office.
Suddenly, a gunshot is heard as the Fuhrer and his wife kill themselves.
Günsche confirms the suicide in the situation room and immediately tasks the officers to
retrieve the bodies and take them outside to be burned, despite the chaos in the city.
Afterward, Goebbels assumes the Chancellorship effective immediately.
Sometime later, General Hans Krebs fails a peaceful negotiation with Soviet Marshal Vasily
Chuikov, who requests the Reich's unconditional surrender, much to the ire of Goebbels, refusing
to disobey Hitler.
Meanwhile, Magda administers a drink to induce sleep so her children can injure the suicide
pills while unconscious.
Shortly after, Goebbels tells Traudl to type his political statement to be broadcast all
over the city.
The Bunker is later cleared out, leaving Krebs and General Burgdorf to commit suicide.
Above ground, a vehicle goes around town above ground, spreading Weidling's announcement
of Germany's surrender.
Peter hears the news and returns home to find his parents have died.
Simultaneously, the Goebbels fatally shoot each other outside the Bunker, and officers
burn their corpses.
Elsewhere, Traudl and the others escape the city, sneaking past the enemy in the middle
of heavy gunfire.
In the morning, she meets with Schenck at a rendezvous point and is told she and Gerda
may pass through Russian patrols because they are women, though the latter wishes to stay
behind.
The rest of the SS officers prepare to face the Russians, only to find out Germany has
wholly surrendered.
Shortly after, Traudl tries blending in as she walks through the Red Army, along with
Peter, who suddenly holds her hand.
Fortunately, they leave unscathed.
The pair ride a bike to escape following the news of the surrender on May 7th, 1945.
Before her final days in Munich in 2002, Traudl admits regrets about her choices during the
war.