Hitler in the Great War

[KF Kelly]

Hello all,

Came across this on the Aberdeen University Website and today's Guardian (p12):

Myth of a ‘heroic’ Hitler whose First World War experience led him to power dispelled by new book

A University of Aberdeen historian has uncovered a wealth of new archive material and personal documents which challenge popular understanding of Adolf Hitler and the origins of the Third Reich.

The only photo of Hitler included in the official 1932 regimental history of the List Regiment. Credit: Korbinian Rutz The new image of Hitler amongst his fellow dispatch runners taken in 1916 - the photo Dr Weber was given from the family of the Jewish officer - the copyright owner is Beverly Grant. Dr Thomas Weber: Hitler’s First War

Dr Thomas Weber has pieced together a dramatically different picture of the dictator from previously unseen material in his book Hitler’s First War, published in September.

Might be interesting when it comes out.

Kevin

[David Filsell]

True or not as a cynical old ex journo/public relations flak, I considere it great pre-publication publicity/public relations stuff, the author must be delighted,and the tie-up with the Guardian and the Mail covers both sides of the fence well. The fact is - whatever a truly horrific human being he became, however awful German Fascism - he did serve, was a runner and won the Iron Cross First Class - and they did not I believe "come up with the rations". Still it will be fascinating to see the book, not least to see the dates on the letters quoted in the article.

[fritz]

A short comment from German newspaper "Die Welt"

http://www.google.de/imgres?imgurl=http://www.welt.de/multimedia/archive/00601/Ypern_neu_1_DW_Kult_601578g.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.welt.de/kultur/article9673138/Adolf-Hitler-war-im-Ersten-Weltkrieg-ein-Feigling.html&usg=__9ErsxT-IZGZEBHowNnaJIMgki2g=&h=313&w=469&sz=44&hl=de&start=6&zoom=1&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=Pukezjkw4Mf40M:&tbnh=85&tbnw=128&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dbei%2Bypern%26um%3D1%26hl%3Dde%26sa%3DN%26rlz%3D1T4GPEA_deDE290DE291%26tbs%3Disch:1

Fritz

[Ken S.]

There is of course the preview at google books:

http://books.google.ca/books?id=apHywznYUbsC&printsec=frontcover&dq=%22Hitler%E2%80%99s+First+War%22&source=bl&ots=EXQPz463a8&sig=LkHTswuEZocmvrQfCo1syUuQ9hw&hl=en&ei=pluxTOXGO4G8lQfj5fDXAQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBsQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false

In perusing the first few pages, I found this one of the more curious assertions made by Dr. Weber...

"The List Regiment thus did not consist of cheery volunteers like Hitler but a medley of half-fit men, formed in a last ditch attempt by the German armed forces to scramble together an army big enough to knock out the French before the anticipated war with Russia." (p.18/19)

[Moonraker]

I don't think anyone has posted about the letter in the Daily Telegraph of November 10 doubting the veracity of the "young Hitler in the crowd photo" of 1914. (I've done a search, but it didn't lead me to anything, though I would be surprised if we haven't discussed it before.)

Letter

(I've glanced at some of the comments appended to the letter, but most of them seemed to be a waste of space.)

Moonraker

[Uncle George]

I don't think anyone has posted about the letter in the Daily Telegraph of November 10 doubting the veracity of the "young Hitler in the crowd photo" of 1914. (I've done a search, but it didn't lead me to anything, though I would be surprised if we haven't discussed it before.)

Letter

(I've glanced at some of the comments appended to the letter, but most of them seemed to be a waste of space.)

Moonraker

This photo seems to me to be an obvious fake: in the crowd his face has a sharper focus than anyone else's; in close-up, his face does not appear to be a natural part of the rest of him - rather, it seems to be pasted on. And as the letter writer notes, he has a toothbrush moustache: photos of him in the GW show his moustache to be a more orthodox, bushy affair.

[David Filsell]

The picture has frequently been questioned. Try to see a nun cropped version. The 'crowd' in the square as actually quite small.