Hitler and Languages

[Nimrod]

Does anyone know how well Adolf Hitler could speak English and other languages?

[von Voltee]

For what I've gathered, Hitler only spoke German (with a heavy Austrian accent). For the most part, he used translators. However, don't get me wrong....he prob did say "Ciao" to Musso a few time though

Regards,
Justin von Voltee

"Man is neither angel nor beast, but as misfortune would have it, he who wishes to be the angel, more often times becomes the beast."[/code]

[AgentBach]

What does an Austrian accent sound like compared to a German accent?

[von Voltee]

I think it would be best described like this. Imagine if the US has a president who spoke with an Englishman's accent....or if you live in England...imagine your next king speaking with an American accent. I've heard this example used before when comparing what Hitler might have sounded like to the German people. Hope this helps.

Regards,
Justin von Voltee

"Man is neither angel nor beast, but as misfortune would have it, he who wishes to be the angel more often times becomes the beast."

[Nimrod]

I have seen some silent film footage of Hitler meeting former UK Primeminister David Lloyd George around 1936 I believe. He seems to be exchanging pleasantaries without any translator. Later he's sitting down eating, again chatting away with Lloyd George. There is also the time he met the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.

[White Leopard]

Hitler's only formal education in a language was in French. He recieved that during his schooldays. From the evidence of his school reports, he was none too fond of it. He had to retake an examination in it during his term. From this, and other testimony, people have assumed that foreign languages were anthema to him.

But Werner Maser, writing in his 1971 book, Hitler, Legend, Myth, and Reality was not sure of that conclusion. He puts forth the following information:

"...Hans Mend relates that during the Great War Hitler's knowledge of French never failed him, even in situations fraught with danger. Moreover, during his four years as headquarters runner he would have had every chance of improving that knowledge by mixing with the population in the rear areas. There can be no doubt that he had read, in the original French, books and other writings published in France before 1914, as may be verified by comparing the dates of publication with the dates of Hitler's comments on the works in question..."

Maser continues further:

"....Neither his school timetables nor his reports give any indication that ever learnt English as a boy. It would seem, however that by 1913 he hed acquired some knowledge of the language. No one knows where or when he applied himself seriously to the subject. Fifty-three years later Josef Popp junior, who had emigrated America, stated emphathically that Hitler was conversant with English, for on numerous occcasions between 1913 and 1914 he had sent young Popp to Munich libraries in search of English books and publications. And indeed, Hitler's remarks in Chapter 11 of Mein Kampf and elewhere about the organization of crowds clearly betrays the influence of McDougal's The Group Mind published in Cambridge in 1920 and as yet not translated into German. It is well known that later, and particularly after he had become Fuehrer and Reich Chancellor, Hitler enjoyed watching English and American films and that he read French and American newspapers.

In his highly subjective book, Adolf Hitler aus dem Leben dargestellt, Hans Severus Ziegler, a fluent English speaker, who had known Hitler personally for more than twenty years, writes: 'One would not expect a student of English, even after several terms at university to have as good a knowledge of the language as Hitler.'.....It is not surprising that he should have sometimes discussed, and this in some detail, the spirit and structure of English, French, and Italian. For instance on 7 March 1942, when considering the relative merits of German, English, and Italian, he remarked that English, 'though the simplest and clearest in expression and at the same time the most masculine in tone', did not lend itself to the expression of genrealities and abstract ideas...' "

Maser goes on to give a reason why Hitler would hide his linguistic lights under a bushel:

"....Hitler believed that men in prominent positions lost face if they admitted to incomplete knowledge or other deficencies. Hence he never divulged his knowledge of foreign languages save when he confided to his secretary, Christa Schroder, that he could follow conversations in English and French provided they were conducted slowly enough. The fact that he was able to hoodwink the more important members of his entourage on this score is evident from a remark made by his chief interpreter, Paul Otto Schmidt: 'Hitler seemed somehow to sense when an interlocutor's interest began to wane.' He could usually catch the gist of what an English or French speaker was saying, so that instead of listening to the interpreter, he would spend the interval devising an appropriate answer..."

[ "Hitler, Legend, Myth, and Reality", pgs 186, 187, and 189.]

It goes without saying that secretly knowing what somebody is saying, without the benefit of an interpreter, is a great tactical advantage as well. Hitler was crafty enough to make maxium use of his understanding and would use it to get both the jump and the upper hand on a foreign opponent. Maser believes that Hitler knew far more than he chose to let on when it came to foreign languages.

[Nimrod]

White Leapard, thanks for taking the time to write that out. It answers the question that Hitler could converse in other languages given the oppotunity. Though judging from the transcripts you have posted from Maser's book, I expect there is no available film/sound footage of Hitler actually speaking in other languages unless the film footage of Hitler with Lloyd George actually contained sound. It was a while since I saw it. I am sure it was taken around 1936 so it's quite plausible that sound would have been available then.

[Dan]

When you wrote this morning, I wondered if Lloyd George was speaking German, as the Welsh are well-known linguists, but I didn't find out anything about him speaking German.

Thanks, WP.

[Scott Smith]

I think he had a working knowledge of French and English but I don't think he was fluent in either. And even if so, he would want to use German as the lingua franca anyway, as would befit the Führer of the Greater German Reich.

[FL Jim]

I have seen some silent film footage of Hitler meeting former UK Primeminister David Lloyd George around 1936 I believe. He seems to be exchanging pleasantaries without any translator. Later he's sitting down eating, again chatting away with Lloyd George. There is also the time he met the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.

As far as the Duke of Windsor is concerned, the English royal family, being mostly of German blood, spoke German very well.

German was at that time, the language of science and many educated people, therefore Lloyd George may very well have spoken German, too.

Incidentally, up until World War I, German was the number one foreign language taught in American high schools.

[Psycho Mike]

Funny story- when Mussolini and Hitler first met, their egos prevented them from bringing translators with them. Benito argued against bothering the Jews, Hitler argued for an alliance (people forget that Hitler and Benito began by threatening each other).

Historians now agree that neither had any idea what the other was talking about!

[White Leopard]

Funny story- when Mussolini and Hitler first met, their egos prevented them from bringing translators with them. Benito argued against bothering the Jews, Hitler argued for an alliance (people forget that Hitler and Benito began by threatening each other).

Historians now agree that neither had any idea what the other was talking about!

Ridiculous! Mussolini spoke German. Probably better than Hitler spoke Italian.

[Psycho Mike]

I first read the story at http://www.comandosupremo.com which is an excellent site for the study of the Italian side of WW2. Here is an excerpt:
The first meeting between Hitler and Mussolini occurred on June 13, 1934. Mussolini understood some German so he refused a translatorfor this meeting. Hitler was advised not to wear a uniform, in order to appear more as a diplomat, rather than the war monger as perceived by the Italians. He appeared wrinkled and untidy compared to the authoritive, tailored unform of Mussolini. Hitler advised Mussolini to stop trying to protect Austria and that he wanted Chancellor Dollfuss replaced. Mussolini replied that the persecution of Jews was folly. Neither dictator may have understood what each was saying.

Hitler returned to Berlin assuming that the German acquisition of Austria was approved by Italy and Mussolini returned distrusting the Germans even more. On July 25, 1934, Nazi assassins killed Chancellor Dollfuss in his office . The day he was killed, Chancellor Dollfuss was scheduled to fly to Italy for a metting with Mussolini. His family was already there waiting for him. Once word spread of his murder, Mussolini had the difficult task of telling his family in Rome.

[Mike K.]

When and how did Goering learn English?

[Panzermahn]

According to John Toland's book, Mussolini can speak german but with a bravura accent that sometimes Hitler didn't get any sense of it..Mussolini was a former journalist..


Hitler does not really speak english, but of i wouldn't doubt it if Hitler knew words like Thank you, and Goodbye...

I saw the photo stills of Hitler meeting Chamberlain at Bad Godesberg, both of them smilling and it seems to me an indication that Hitler was saying something to Chamberlain while his interpreter, Schmidt was looking elsewhere...(it shows that Schmidt is not translatiing Hitler's words..)