Hitler and Languages

[varjag]

Some above posts and analysis confirms that Hitler had passable understanding of French and could also 'get by' with English phraseology but hardly in discussion, a knowledge that he for tactical reasons obviously kept to himself. As for Mussolini, a good witness is Skorzeny who claims that Mussolini spoke reasonably good German and would have had few problems bringing his points over to Hitler. German grammar - 'was invented by the devil' - but even without it - most Germans understand very well what a non-fluent speaker is trying to say.

[Jeff O]

I was under the impression that Hitler spent some time in England after WW1...does anyone know if there is any truth to that?

[ozs86]

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..

mussolini lived in südtirol for a few years thats probably why...

[Nimrod]

When and how did Goering learn English?

This doesn't answer your question, but while we're on the subject I read that Goring was very popular with American troops after he was captured, sharing jokes and stories etc.

[Dan]

His wife was half-Irish. And don't forget he was of aristocratic stock, so world-wise.

[DarExc]

This doesn't answer your question, but while we're on the subject I read that Goring was very popular with American troops after he was captured, sharing jokes and stories etc.

Goering was a very friendly person and everyone who knew him only has good things to say about him. He is said to have been the human face of the party although he did partake in some of the evils behind the scenes. The Americans threw him a party when he surrendered and it took some time before MP's came and took him away for trials, before that he hadn't even been locked up.

As for Mussolini he did indeed speak German and he spoke to German citizens at ralies a few times during visits to Germany.

[sparkasse]

I belive Hitler spoke only German. He was a nationalist, so why bother to learn another language? If others wanted to speak to him they had to know German.

[sparkasse]

I believe he spoke only German. He was a nationalist so why bother learning some other language?

[White Leopard]

The point of the discussion was not if he could speak, or choose to speak, another language but if he could understand one.

[michael mills]

Dan wrote:

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.

Oedd Hitler yn gallu siarad Cymraeg?

[AHLF]

The point of the discussion was not if he could speak, or choose to speak, another language but if he could understand one.

According to his translator, Schmidt, he could.
He used the time when the translator talked, to think about the maximum appropriate answer.

[Nimrod]

I have scanned countless websites containing Nazi film and sound footage but alas there is nothing available, it seems of Hitler speaking in English. Although from the comments already given in this thread clearly he had a good understanding of the English language. From trying to lip read the conversation he is having with David Lloyd-George, it does appear they are both speaking English. Perhaps a lip reading expert could clarify this.

[wenty]

I had already put in a post on another topic on here regarding this that i thought he may have spoken a few words in English, but not a lot. But after reading the posts on here, i now beliee he could speak passable English, which is well possible. Nimrod, i would like to visit some of the sites with film on them, etc. Could you tell me some of them? Thanks. Cheers.

[Oderint Dvm Metvant]

Imagine if the US has a president who spoke with an Englishman's accent....or if you live in England...

It isn't THAT severe - I'd put it more along the lines of the various city accents within England - to outsiders theres a noticable difference but to insiders it's much more pronounced

[Nimrod]

I had already put in a post on another topic on here regarding this that i thought he may have spoken a few words in English, but not a lot. But after reading the posts on here, i now beliee he could speak passable English, which is well possible. Nimrod, i would like to visit some of the sites with film on them, etc. Could you tell me some of them? Thanks. Cheers.

I have the meeting between Hitler and Llyod-George on home video, taped from a documentry. The same footage available on mpeg from the net is a lot poorer in quality and indecipherable. Unless someone has a link to the footage in decent quaility, would greatly assist me in my search to evaluate what Hitler and Lloyd-George actually said to each other.

As for other archive Nazi film and audio, I hope this [website] helps you Wenty