"Hitler's Table Talk" Study Hour: Episode 22
August 7, 2014
Adolf Hitler with Mussolini and his military adjutant Col. Hossbach in rear, driven by his personal Chaufferur Erich Kempka. Enlarge
Ray Goodwin and Carolyn Yeager read and comment on the Jan. 23-26, 1942 dinner table monologues by the German Leader, as taken down in shorthand by trusted aide, attorney Heinrich Heim. Included in this episode:
- Hitler enumerates the good qualities of the Czechs and the dangerous qualities of the Jews;
- England must choose between Europe and it's Eastern colonies;
- Taxes and the problem of bureaucratic overgrowth - Jodl and Himmler comment;
- Hitler waxes lyrical about Richard Wagner and family, which leads to how strenuous the annual Party Congress in Nuremberg is for him;
- Fuehrer chaufferurs, their training, and appreciation for motor-cars;
- Realities of marriage and why it's not for him, plus the joy of beautiful women.
The edition of Hitler's Table Talk being used was translated by Norman Cameron and R.H. Stevens, published by Enigma Books, New York, and can be found as a pdf here.
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Comments
Extermination, Beneš
Last week, I posted the etymology of extermination. It simply means expulsion, if needed by force.
Language changes. 100 years ago, gay meant happy, cool was not hot and propaganda simply meant presenting information.
Emotional attachments made extermination killing, gay homosexual, cool and hot mood indicators and propaganda evil Goebbelinian indoctrination. It could be argued that detaching the parasitic Jew from the European peoples would mean their death if they would live among themselves in a nation state without a host caring for them. But Hitler or anyone but the Jew would not be responsible for that if he'd refuse to change his way to care for himself as an honorable society.
Also, the Beneš decrees are still on the books. Sudetenland tried to join the German Reich in 1919 already with the rest of Austria. This current Czech President makes it all about Nazis to disregard this truth.
Hitler, modified arm greeting
I have noticed that Hitler sometimes greeted in a modified way, forming a 90 degree angle up with his elbow, resting the weight of the arm thereby.
As seen in this picture. http://m.theaustralian.com.au/news/latest-news/lord-baden-powell-offered-hitler-youth-hand-of-friendship/story-fn3dxity-1225838462256?nk=820c21e030057a88a67f0b8b56bbfc0f
This form of modified greeting became a form of the upper ups greeting subordinates in general sometimes. I have seen this among high ranking military, imitating it when greeting lower ranks, not for practical reasons to endure 4-5 hour parades, but for status, I believe.
the word "exterminate"
Regarding the translation into the word "exterminate"... the German word was probably "ausrotten," and that means basically "to get trid off" or to "destroy." There are many ways to get rid of something or someone without killing, though killing is also an option. It depends on what kind of man the leader is. Hitler was not a killer, so in his case it did not mean exterminate. The Germans love the word "ausrotten" because of the way it sounds and it applies to things and situations where one is agitated. The word is not usually used with people but with pests or bad actions. For example, if someone has a bad habit, like smoking, when frustrated or angry one might say, he must "ausrotten" this habit.
Another very enjoyable show. I believe the initials J.W. and Chr. Schr. on the night of 25th-26th January refer to Hitler's personal secretaries, Johanna Wolf and Christa Schroeder.
I don't believe Heinz Linge should be underestimated. As Hitler's valet he had more responsibility than most. He had to administer all of Hitler's staff, make the travel arrangements and ensure hundreds of boxes of equipment and personal luggage made it to the correct destination every time Hitler moved residence, which was often. I don't think it is surprising if he was occasionally forgetful with so much to do.
Ernst 'Putzi' Hanfstaengl's memoirs appear to be the basis for much of the awful film Hitler: The Rise of Evil (2003) with Robert Carlyle.
On the pronunciation of Hanfstaengl's name:
He [Hitler]looked at me with a hostile glance and said ― psychologists please note: "Da sind Sie ja, Mister Hanfstaengl! Hat man Sie denn noch nicht totgeschlagen?" ― "So there you are. Haven't they done you in yet?" He pronounced my name in the High German fashion, with 's' like an English 's'. This was always a storm signal. If he used the normal German 'sh' I knew things were more or less normal.
I really think I got black spots before the eyes. There was the 'Mister', too, a deliberately offensive reference to my Anglo-Saxon outlook.
My pdf shows Sehr
Thanks, Charles, for solving this puzzle Ray and I couldn't figure out. I first felt stupid for not coming up with Christa Schroeder, but then I remembered that the PDF copy I use had it as Sehr rather than Schr. Since "sehr" is a German word, it just confused me. I wouldn't have thought about Joanna Wood though, without being able to connect her with Schroeder! This is another example of how well the secretaries were accepted and respected.
It makes it all the more amusing and interesting to know that the two "crestfallen" ones were women. Hitler's comment to them and Schroeder's reply are both in the category of good-natured banter. We have probably missed other of this 'insider meaning' by not being able to identify all the initialed people.
By the time we've finished the book, we'll have it all figured out ... with the help of our listeners!