The theory that Hitler did not commit suicide , but instead escaped with his wife , was promoted by the Soviet government as part of its state-sponsored disinformation campaign . The myth was first presented to the public by Marshal Georgy Zhukov at a press conference on 9 June 1945 , on orders from Soviet leader Joseph Stalin . When asked at the Potsdam Conference in July 1945 how Hitler had died , Stalin said he was living " in Spain or Argentina . " This has been a springboard for various conspiracy theories , despite the official conclusion by Western powers and the consensus of historians , that Hitler killed himself on 30 April 1945
Potsdam Conference
Potsdam Conference
Conspiracy theories about Adolf Hitler's death