Has anyone seen this? Hitler discussing tactics with Mannerheim

[nedcorleone1]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClR9tcpKZec&feature=player_embedded#at=130

Really cool to hear about some of the things they discuss about the USSR. It really sheds some light on how the German high command underestimated the strength of the Russians.

Some things to take note... Hitler talks about how:

-A two front war would have broken Germany
-Even if they knew of the real strength of the USSR, he would have invaded anyway because they had no choice
-The German armaments were 'good-weather' armaments which work very well in the West but it was 'impossible' to conduct a 'winter war'
-The German tanks were not tested for a winter war
-Hitler wanted to eliminate France in '39 but bad weather (rain) prevented him from doing so delaying him an extra year and thus delaying the Russian invasion
-The weakness of the Italians in North Africa and in the Grecian area hindered the German invasion as they had to split their air and tank forces

There is more but I'll leave the rest up to what is said in the video.

[Priapus1]

wow, what a fascinating exchange. Thanks so much for sharing this!

[Captain]

apparently, that recording was made without Hitler being aware of it. It is supposedly the only recording of him speaking in a normal voice and is often used by actors who play him to get a sense of his voice, notably, the actor who played Hitler in "Downfall".

It was recorded in june 1942 when Hitler visited Marshal Mannerheim for his 75th birthday:

During the visit, an engineer of the Finnish broadcasting company YLE, Thor Damen, succeeded in recording the first 11 minutes of Hitler's and Mannerheim's private conversation. This had to be done secretly, as Hitler never allowed others to record him off-guard. Damen was given the assignment to record the official birthday speeches and Mannerheim's responses and following those orders added microphones to certain railway cars. Unfortunately, Mannerheim and his guests chose to go to a car that didn't have a microphone in it. Damen acted quickly, pushing a microphone through one of the car windows to a netshelf just above were Hitler and Mannerheim were sitting. After 11 minutes of Hitler's and Mannerheim's private conversation, Hitler's SS bodyguards spotted the cords coming out of the window and realized that the Finnish engineer was recording the conversation. They gestured to him to stop recording immediately, and he complied. The SS bodyguards demanded that the tape be immediately destroyed, but YLE was allowed to keep the reel, after promising to keep it in a sealed container. It was given to the head of the state censors' office Kustaa Vilkuna and in 1957 returned to YLE. It was made available to the public a few years later. It is the only known recording of Hitler speaking in an unofficial tone.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Gusta ... olf_Hitler

[Apollo11]

Hi all,

Very interesting - thanks!

BTW, I was not aware of that recording...


Leo "Apollo11"

[Pascal_slith]

There is a tv documentary that goes into a number of these unofficial recordings of AH. There are a few existing from Berchtesgaden.

[Caltone]

I had read somewhere that this tape existed but had never listened to it. Thanks for sharing the link, fascinating stuff.