# Private Hitler Conversation? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 23, 2012, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/private-hitler-conversation/613747 "2012-02-23T17:38:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/private-hitler-conversation/613747/21 "2012-02-24T13:33:16Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > Stalin remembered this, and left Finland alone after the war was over. [Porkkala.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porkala) ---
**Author:** ![FluffyBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecb155/32.png) [@FluffyBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FluffyBob)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/private-hitler-conversation/613747/22 "2012-02-24T14:50:41Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > One odd fact-the Finnish airforce used the swastica as their identification markings on their aircraft. The Finnish air force used a swastika, or hakenkreuz in blue on their aircraft From 1918 to 1945. They adopted it after Swedish count Eric von Rosen donated their second aircraft. The symbol was known as a good luck symbol and the count used it as his personal insignia. The Finns decided to use it themselves. It had nothing to do with the Nazis other than they adopted it also. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/private-hitler-conversation/613747/23 "2012-02-24T17:05:36Z")
Private Hitler? I thought he was a corporal. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/private-hitler-conversation/613747/24 "2012-02-24T22:59:49Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > They did this in a documentary, Hitler’s Private World. > > [Link to Part 1](http://www.moviesfoundonline.com/hitlers_private_world.php) (it says the rest is available on YouTube). That’s it! Thanks a million! ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/private-hitler-conversation/613747/25 "2012-02-25T00:01:05Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Finland had been part of the Soviet Union. It broke away in 1917 and declared independence. Finland must have been experiencing some sort of anomaly in the space-time continuum then, since the Soviet Union wasn’t founded until 1922. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/private-hitler-conversation/613747/26 "2012-02-25T02:53:59Z")
> [@psychonaut](#): > > Finland must have been experiencing some sort of anomaly in the space-time continuum then, since the Soviet Union wasn’t founded until 1922. I was giving the shorthand version. I could have said Finland had been part of Russia but that would imply that Finland was Russian, which is not the case. Or that Finland had been part of the Russian Empire, but the Russian Empire had ceased to exist by the time that Finland seceded. The event that triggered Finland’s decision to secede was the October Revolution of 1917, when the Soviets declared themselves rather than the Provisional Government to be the legitimate government of what had been the Russian Empire. The Finns had been generally willing to be part of the Provisional regime but not to be part of the Soviet regime. The Soviet declaration was not universally accepted of course. While they declared themselves the government in October 1917, it would not be until December 1922 that they had the majority of the former Empire (with the exception of some places like Finland) under their control and they could declare the founding of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/private-hitler-conversation/613747/27 "2012-02-25T03:12:27Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > Private Hitler? I thought he was a corporal. It was before his promotion. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/private-hitler-conversation/613747/28 "2012-02-25T11:08:04Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I was giving the shorthand version. > > I could have said Finland had been part of Russia but that would imply that Finland was Russian Given that even today there are dozens of parts of Russia which are not “Russian”, this might have been a more appropriate shorthand version. ---
**Author:** ![Wakinyan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wakinyan/32/352_2.png) [@Wakinyan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wakinyan)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/private-hitler-conversation/613747/29 "2012-02-25T21:19:18Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Finland joined the Axis. > Russia has always had a thing for ripping off Finland. > Apparently the Finns thought this was a great chance to kill Russians. > > Is this the Finn guy who, when asked by Hitler near the end of the war, “Why don’t you send us your Jews?” responded, “Why don’t you come get them?”? Finland never joined the Axis. Finland and Germany had a mutual enemy, but they were not allied. This was very important and very clearly stated by Mannerheim at the time; it is well established that he had no sympathies for Hitler (which was the reason Hitler was not invited and when he arrived he did not get the reception as a head of state [it was a train wagon, remember?]). Also, even though Hitler insisted, Mannerheim did not launch an attack on Stalingrad during the Continuation War but stopped more or less at the old Finnish-Soviet borders to retake the land they lost during the Winter War. However, Finland received a lot of help from Germany during the wars, but once again, it is historically incorrect to say that Finland “joined the Axis”. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/private-hitler-conversation/613747/30 "2012-02-25T22:18:14Z")
> [@Wakinyan](#): > > Mannerheim did not launch an attack on Stalingrad during the Continuation War but stopped more or less at the old Finnish-Soviet borders to retake the land they lost during the Winter War. Nitpick: Leningrad. (Now back to the St. Petersburg name.) Stalingrad, near the south end of the Volga, was about 1000 miles from (pre-Winter War) Finland; Leningrad, about 12. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/private-hitler-conversation/613747/31 "2012-02-25T22:25:26Z")
> [@Wakinyan](#): > > Finland never joined the Axis. Finland and Germany had a mutual enemy, but they were not allied. I stand corrected. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Wakinyan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wakinyan/32/352_2.png) [@Wakinyan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wakinyan)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/private-hitler-conversation/613747/32 "2012-02-25T22:55:33Z")
> [@Polycarp](#): > > Nitpick: Leningrad. (Now back to the St. Petersburg name.) Stalingrad, near the south end of the Volga, was about 1000 miles from (pre-Winter War) Finland; Leningrad, about 12. Now _I_ stand corrected, thanks. Of course I meant Leningrad. ---
**Author:** ![Dissonance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85f322/32.png) [@Dissonance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dissonance)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/private-hitler-conversation/613747/33 "2012-02-25T23:22:24Z")
> [@Wakinyan](#): > > Also, even though Hitler insisted, Mannerheim did not launch an attack on Stalingrad[sic] during the Continuation War but stopped more or less at the old Finnish-Soviet borders to retake the land they lost during the Winter War. See [post 14](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=14804812&postcount=14), the Finns did **not** stop at the old (pre-winter war) Finnish-Soviet borders. I know your post wasn’t directed at me, but note I said ‘sided with’ not ‘joined’ the Axis. I’m guessing the idea the the Finns wouldn’t cross the old border stems from a misunderstanding of the refusal to help assault Leningrad. ---
**Author:** ![Quintas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/48db29/32.png) [@Quintas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quintas)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/private-hitler-conversation/613747/34 "2012-02-26T03:35:37Z")
> [@KarlGauss](#): > > A few years ago I saw a program (probably on The History Channel) about Hitler’s voice. Specifically, it was about a group of “scientists” who had developed a way of recording and analysing someone’s jaw, face, cheek, etc., movements and, from those, deducing what the person was saying. In other words, it was an extension of ‘lip reading’ … > Does anyone know to what I am referring? More to the point, does anyone have a relevant link? I’m having a lot of time finding any. I dont have a link, but yeah, I saw the same show. It was the videos of him at the Berghof. I remember a scene where he was chatting with Eva Braun and him commenting that “Gone with the Wind” was her favorite movie or something. Just everyday chit chat, but kinda fascinating. ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/private-hitler-conversation/613747/35 "2012-02-26T06:31:53Z")
> [@dolphinboy](#): > > I guess if all I’ve heard is Hitler’s speech voice then perhaps his private voice might sound lower to me, or perhaps the method of recording his voice in both cases was different. Since I never spoke to him personally I am not in any position to judge… :smack: Hmmm… I worked with some guy up until 20 years ago who told me about his conversation with Hitler… I wonder if he’s still alive… He was a student in Berlin before the war. They got rush seats at the opera, the VIP box since it was unoccupied. Then Hitler showed up with his entourage at the last minute and they were evicted. They had a charming conversation where Mein Fuerher apologized for disrupting their night out. Apparently Adolph could be a fairly charming nice guy, when he wasn’t flattening the western world. (Then there’s this guy’s story about how he captured a group of American airmen armed with a shovel. They were digging trenches. The air crew bailed out and landed between his group and their rifle stack. I guess none of the Americans realized that nobody was armed, or figured they wouldn’t get far anyway…) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/private-hitler-conversation/613747.md?page=1)