Socyberty » Adolf Hitler

Hitler Used Secret Photos to Rehearse

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 22:50:20 +0000

A collection of Adolf Hitler‘s private photographs showing the Nazi leader in a series of bizarre poses to rehearse his public speeches has been released.

Taken by his personal photographer Heinrich Hoffmann, the album features black and white images of Hitler using expressive hand gestures and unusual poses.

In one, he is seen raising his fist in the air while in another, he appears to be pointing to an imaginary audience. He is also seen leaning against a tree wearing lederhosen, the Telegraph reported.

The photographs, taken in the late 1920s to show the dictator how he appeared to the German public, were later banned from being published by Hitler for being “beneath one’s dignity”.

But they were published in Hoffmann’s memoirs entitled Hitler was my Friend in the 1950s, which have now been re-issued in English.

Historian Roger Moorhouse, who wrote the introduction to the new book, said: “It makes perfect sense that he would be doing this.

“We have this image now of Hitler almost as a buffoon, but he had a lot of charisma and his speeches made people sincerely believe he would lead them back to greatness.

“He was an absolutely spellbinding public speaker and these pictures show that it was something he worked very hard on,” he stated.

The nine photographs were vetted by Hitler, who used them to decide how to address crowds. After seeing one in which he wore an SA cap, he ditched the hat and never wore it again.

Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini in Munich, Germany (Photo credit: Marion Doss)

Image via Wikipedia

Views Changing on Hitler’s Work

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 22:46:45 +0000

BERLIN — The city that was the center of Adolf Hitler’s empire is littered with reminders of the Nazi past, from the bullet holes that pit the fronts of many buildings to the hulking Luftwaffe headquarters that now houses the Finance Ministry.

What it doesn’t have, nor has it since 1945, are copies of Hitler’s autobiography and political manifesto, “Mein Kampf,” in its bookstores. The latest attempt to publish excerpts fizzled last week after the Bavarian government challenged it in court, although an expurgated copy appeared at newspaper kiosks around the country.

But in Germany — where keeping a tight lid on Hitler’s writings has become a rich tradition in itself — attitudes toward his book are slowly changing, and fewer people are objecting to its becoming more widely available.

No law bans “Mein Kampf” in Germany, but the government of Bavaria, where Hitler officially resided at the time of his 1945 suicide, holds the copyright and guards it ferociously. German-language copies that were printed before 1945 are legal, although they command a premium price, and the book is available in translation elsewhere in the world.

But the question of whether to publish it in the country where Hitler plotted his empire has lost some of its edge in the Google era, when a complete German-language copy of the book pops up as the second result on the local version of the search engine.

“To say this is a very dangerous book, we must ban it — this is ridiculous,” said Wolfgang Wippermann, a professor of modern history at the Free University of Berlin. “Maybe it was necessary once, but now it’s over, it makes no sense. You can find it so easily.”

The publisher of the excerpts, London-based Albertus, has said it will appeal the Bavarian government’s injunction. In 2009, the publisher beat charges of copyright violation and the illegal use of Nazi symbols after the Bavarian government seized reprinted copies of the Nazi Party’s in-house newspaper.

The attempt to publish portions of “Mein Kampf” on Thursday was scuttled at the last moment, although the publisher, ready to capitalize on the publicity, had printed two versions of the pamphlet. The version propped on top of a heap of celebrity magazines at a newsstand in Berlin’s central Friedrichstrasse station was a slender, blue, 16-page leaflet that has historical commentary in one column and an image of blurred text stamped with “Unreadable” in the other, accompanied by two reproductions of Nazi-era newspapers.

“Mein Kampf” “is an awful book, and the whole thinking is absolutely not ours, but we have another view on it regarding the idea of packing it away. This idea is just naive,” said Alexander Luckow, a spokesman for the publisher. “In a free country, you need to discuss these very bad parts of German history.”

Still, he said, there are limits, and using Hitler’s words as inspiration is where it crosses the line.

The debate will soon be over, whether or not the latest excerpts make it to newsstands. German law extends copyright 70 years after the author’s death; after 2015, “Mein Kampf” will be fair game.

Image via Wikipedia

Poland to Boost Tourism at Hitler’s Lair

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 22:35:10 +0000

Warsaw – Polish authorities said this week they plan to boost tourism at Nazi German dictator Adolf Hitler’s “Wolfsschanze” (Wolf’s Lair), which ended up on their territory after post-war border changes.

Artur Kurek, a senior official of the Polish forestry office, said it would invite tenders to run the 250-hectaresite of Hitler’s former command headquarters near Ketzryn in northern Poland.

“The new contract will include clauses obliging the management to draw children, as much as history buffs,” said Kurek, whose office is in charge of the tendering terms.

“We don’t want tourists to be coming just for a couple of hours,” he added.

Lying overgrown in a forest, the ruined concrete bunkers offer a chilling reminder of World War II, when Hitler turned his darkest dreams into reality.

The Wolfsschanze served as his command complex for much of the war, and is best known as the site of the failed July 1944 bomb plot against him by members of the German military.

It was located in East Prussia, a region awarded to Poland under the border changes that followed the Nazis’ crushing 1945 defeat.

The Polish state opened it to the public as a testimony to the Nazis’ crimes. In 1993, four years after the fall of Warsaw’s communist regime, the authorities devolved the management to Polish investors.

The site currently draws between 180 000 and 200 000 visitors a year, but officials estimate that a seven-million-zloty ($2.0-million) upgrade could raise the number by 20 percent.

The Wolfsschanze was the largest of 10 command bases used by Hitler across Germany and occupied Europe after World War II began with the Nazi and Soviet carve up of Poland in September 1939.

It was from here that he steered the brutal Nazi assault on the Soviet Union after turning on his erstwhile ally.

He arrived at the site on June 24, 1941, two days after the attack began. He left only on November 20, 1944, as the Soviets rolled back his forces.

In early 1945, as Soviet troops edged ever closer, German sappers used around 10 tonnes of explosives per bunker to try to destroy the site.

Hitler Wine Sales Deemed Legal in Austria

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 22:31:01 +0000

VIENNA – Officials say they have stopped investigating a man after finding no evidence that his sales of wine and schnapps with Adolf Hitler on the label were breaking a law against glorifying the Nazi era.

State prosecution official Heinz Rusch says the investigation has ended because of lack of proof the man broke that law.

The probe was launched last year after complaints that a website posting showed bottles with portraits of Hitler and the swastika. The site offered sales of spirits in “nostalgic bottles of former historical greats.”

The man was identified only as Roland M., in keeping with Austrian privacy laws. Legal officials say he was motivated by profit, not ideology.

The prosecutor’s office said Thursday the man stopped sales when legal action against him started.

Image via Wikipedia

Harrisburg Bishop Draws Criticism Over Hitler Remark

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 22:25:49 +0000

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A Catholic bishop in central Pennsylvania who compared the public school system to those under dictators Adolph Hitler and Benito Mussolini is drawing criticism from the American Civil Liberties Union.

Harrisburg Bishop Joseph McFadden said in an interview with WHTM-TV last week that totalitarian governments “would love our system” of education. He said Hitler and Mussolini also tried to set up systems that would educate children “in one set of beliefs and one way of doing things.”

McFadden told The Patriot-News in an email Wednesday he didn’t mean to cause offense. He says he was making a “dramatic illustration” of how public schools curtail parental choice during an interview about school vouchers.

ACLU of Pennsylvania legislative director Andy Hoover called McFadden’s comments inappropriate and noted the control of public schools is an open, democratic process.

Image via Wikipedia

Did Hitler Have Anything to Do with The U.s.?

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:21:28 +0000

Apparently not, but for handling policy and the end of the hypocritical policy as if he had something to do.
First it was Stalin who under suspicion of those involved in the war, try to make secret deals, that Hitler did not respect, did not want to share what he considered his unique achievements linked to their ego and arrogance of not giving anyone else merits than the same.
Never described such an association Germany-USA, an impossibility since his allies were Japan and Italy.
But lust for power running in the Americas and did not want to be displaced from world domination.
America has never been consistent as far as preaching and mouths full as acting covertly.
Wanted by all means become an ally of Germany devastating raged for years 1939-1943 who opposed their passage, winning the war at that time.
There was a secret pact, no doubt, as the Western power did not act and left without protection for their allies in Europe while waiting for the Nazis made any offer.
Hitler and his lust for power never end considerations echoed in U.S.
And under their premises acting hoping not to be attacked by those who wanted to be his ally.
Use collaboration was weighed mind-England but the English officers were suspicious of collaboration greatly gringa.
Invaded France, put much of Europe and the United Kingdom bombed from the side of America have been limited to playing if that party allied with the defeated or victorious quasi Nazis.
But Hitler scorn the power of all other powers at war who joined in his defense and his failure labrum not ally who was at the time.
Each side by side struggled to defend itself almost as interesting as others.
Hitler cornered with their foreheads, believe that only with its allies would win and not have to break the dish, full of pride not approve nor Stalin alliance with the United States.
Their arrogance reached the limits of madness and only delegated to his immediate superior who advised him were always allied to the Russians or the Americans, ignoring what he believed were impositions.
Very secret documents speak of the proposal of such an alliance, but as one who wins the war sets the conditions, you never know for sure, because Hitler did not accept.
Of domestic and international policies will always have their halo of double standards that each government always looks askance sake of their interests, no matter whose bend.
Each covenant always have your journalistic side, which is shown to the world and their secret things that someday will bring that truth to be so mean.

Government, Part Four of Four

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:47:02 +0000

A form of government that has been common in Latin American countries is the military dictatorship. The leader, or dictator, supported by the armed forces, has complete power. In many cases, dictators have seized that power by revolution.

Dictators control countries by force and destroy any opposition to their policies. They prohibit freedom of speech, of religion, and of the press. Two major dictators of the twentieth century were Adolf Hitler in Germany and Benito Mussolini in Italy. Dictatorships are one form of totalitarian government.

Many Communist governments could be called totalitarian. One political party dominates, and although elections are held, the people have only one candidate to vote for. The government has strong control over the daily lives of the people. The press is government controlled, and political opposition must be carried on in secret.

World War Ii, Part Fifteen

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 00:53:45 +0000

On December 16, Hitler launched a great counterattack on the Allies in the west by taking soldiers and materiel away from the eastern front. At first, Germany was successful in pushing the Allies back – creating a bulge in the Allied line. Hitler’s forces fought bitterly to keep their advantage in this Battle of the Bulge. But German losses were so high that they were forced to retreat on January 8, 1945.

During March and April, Allied forces took the great German industrial area in the Ruhr Valley. On April 25, U.S. and Soviet patrols met along the Elbe River. This was the eastern limit of the U.S. advance – 75 miles short of Berlin – that had been agreed upon between the Soviet Union and the Western Allies. U.S. forces under General Patton crossed to the southeast to take Austria. Germany was completely overrun.

On April 30, 1945, Adolf Hitler committed suicide at his underground headquarters in Berlin. Surrender terms were signed with Germany on May 7, and the war in Europe was officially over on May 8 (V-E Day). Hitler’s attempt at world domination had failed, Germany was in ruins, and the German people were prisoners of war in their own country.

World War Ii, Part Two

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 22:37:02 +0000

At the end of World War I, Europe was in a shambles. The Treaty of Versailles had exacted harsh repayment from Germany which that country was unable to provide. The United States did not join the League of Nations, preferring to stay out of European affairs. Nations became concerned with their own internal problems. Members of the League of Nations were not enthusiastic about enforcing international agreements made by the League.

In the early 1930s, a great economic depression hit the United States and Europe. In Germany, as in other countries, prices increased as wages and jobs decreased. The government leadership that had developed in Germany after World War I was unable to cope with the economic conditions.

Into this situation stepped Adolf Hitler, head of the Nazi (National Socialist) Party. On January 30, 1933, Hitler became Chancellor of Germany. He promised to make Germany the strongest nation on Earth and began increasing production of military supplies. Other countries recognized that Hitler was gaining power, but few people believed that he would actually go to war.

World War Ii, Part Five

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 02:47:40 +0000

On August 23, 1939, Hitler and Joseph Stalin (premier of the Soviet Union) signed a pact agreeing not to attack each other. They also agreed to invade and divide Poland. Great Britain and France warned that if Poland were attacked, they would declare war on Germany.

Hitler knew that neither France nor Britain could seriously attack Germany without help from the Soviet Union. On September 1, 1939, German forces crashed through Poland. On September 3, Britain and France, joined by countries of the Commonwealth of Nations, declared war on Germany.

German blitzkrieg (”lightning warfare”) tactics – a combination of tanks and motor artillery with air support (bombs) – were overwhelming. The Soviet Union attacked from the east, and after one month Poland fell.

Among Hitler’s troops was a special S.S. corps. “S.S.” stood for Schutzstaffel, meaning “protection staff” or “defense corps.” The S.S. troops were first organised in the 1920s as Hitler’s personal bodyguard. But the corps had since grown to tremendous strength and was under the direction of Heinrich Himmler, Hitler’s police chief.

The S.S. corps took over and ran a country once it was conquered. In Poland, as in other countries, the S.S. deliberately set out to kill all Jews (whom Hitler blamed for Germany’s troubles) and to kill all people capable of leadership.