 He had final approval over civil service appointments, reviewed and approved legislation, and by 1943 had "de facto" control over all domestic matters.Bormann was one of the leading proponents of the ongoing persecution of the Christian churches and favoured harsh treatment of Jews and Slavs in the areas conquered by Germany during World War II.Bormann returned with Hitler to the "Führerbunker" in Berlin on 16 January 1945 as the Red Army approached the city.