https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8raDPASvq0
Conversation between Hitler and Mannerheim, where Hitler tells about the biggest failures of Barbarossa and how Germany (and almost everybody else) had no ideas what kind of armament Soviet Union was capable of produce.
I think it is one of the more interesting conversation because it was recorded in secret and even Hitler seems absolutely amazed on the Soviet armaments and their capability of mobilizing their citizens.
>>793107
Hitler: ...a very serious danger, perhaps the most serious one - it's whole extent we can only now judge. We did not ourselves understand - just how strong this state [the USSR] was armed.
Mannerheim: No, we hadn't thought of this.
Hitler: No, I too, no.
Mannerheim: During the Winter War - during the Winter War we had not even thought of this. Of course...
Hitler: (Interrupting) Yes.
Mannerheim: But so, how they - in reality - and now there is no doubt all they had - what they had in their stocks!
Hitler: Absolutely, This is - they had the most immense armaments that, uh, people could imagine. Well - if somebody had told me that a country - with...(Hitler is interrupted by the sound of a door opening and closing.) If somebody had told me a nation could start with 35,000 tanks, then I'd have said: "You are crazy!"
Mannerheim: Thirty-five?
Hitler: Thirty-five thousand tanks.
Another Voice In Background: Thirty-five thousand! Yes!
Hitler: We have destroyed - right now - more than 34,000 tanks. If someone had told me this, I'd have said: "You!" If you are one of my generals had stated that any nation has 35,000 tanks I'd have said: "You, my good sir, you see everything twice or ten times. You are crazy; you see ghosts." This I would have deemed possible. I told you earlier we found factories, one of them at Kramatorskaja, for example, Two years ago there were just a couple hundred [tanks]. We didn't know anything. Today, there is a tank plant, where - during the first shift a little more than 30,000, and 'round the clock a little more than 60,000, workers would have labored - a single tank plant! A gigantic factory! Masses of workers who certainly, lived like animals and...
>>793107
>>793110
Hitler: Already in the fall of 1940 we continuously faced the question, uh: shall we, consider a break up [in relations with the USSR]? At that time, I advised the Finnish government, to - negotiate and, to gain time and, to act dilatory in this matter - because I always feared - that Russia suddenly would attack Romania in the late fall - and occupy the petroleum wells, and we would have not been ready in the late fall of 1940. If Russia indeed had taken Romanian petroleum wells, than Germany would have been lost. It would have required - just 60 Russian divisions to handle that matter.
In Romania we had of course - at that time - no major units. The Romanian government had turned to us only recently - and what we did have there was laughable. They only had to occupy the petroleum wells. Of course, with our weapons I could not start a, war in September or October. That was out of the question. Naturally, the transfer to the east wasn't that far advanced yet. Of course, the units first had to reconsolidate in the west. First the armaments had to be taken care of because we too had - yes, we also had losses in our campaign in the west. It would have been impossible to attack - before the spring of 19, 41. And if the Russians at that time - in the fall of 1940 - had occupied Romania - taken the petroleum wells, then we would have been, helpless in 1941.
kek. Big A is basically whining that the russians have a billion tanks. "How was i supposed to know!?" Well maybe you shouldn't have invaded in the first place, tard.
>>793107
Its also the only known recording of Hitler speaking unofficially and openly
>>793107
Have you read any of Glantz's take on Barbarossa, i.e. the "forgotten" Russian counterattacks?
>>793601
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Clz27nghIg
As a Russian this makes me very hard.
>>793122
Proof that barbarossa was a desperate preemptive attack, at least from german perception
>>793107
>Operation Barbosa
hol up!
>>793107
Just goes to show you how stupid and uninformed Hitler was.
>>799663
tbf anyone who observed the Winter War wouldn't be inclined to expect much of the Soviet Union.
Fascinating, he actually sounds like a reasonable person in this recording.
>>799914
He knew that.
He was a great speaker to the masses, but even better during in person.
>>799663
Actually he seems perfectly reasonable, calm and well informed in that recording - very much unlike how he's portrayed in media.
When it comes to the economic potential of the Soviets, this was underestimated by pretty much all of who were in charge of the German military. This was also a consequence of WW1. Tsarist Russia was beaten with relative ease, the idea that it would be Communist Russia of all things to give Germany trouble didn't occur to them.
>>793107
There's a story surrounding the meeting. It was a known fact that Hitler could not stand cigarette smoke and generally disliked the habit. After the meal, Mannerheim went to lit a cigar as if to see what kind of reaction this would provoke on the man. Hitler did not say a thing.
Mannerheim (coming from a Tsarist military background and Swedish aristocracy ) did not think highly of Hitler who was a mere WWI corporal, but Mannerheim was desperate for any allies as West did not react when Soviet Union attacked Finland in 1939.
>>793561
Had no idea his voice was so deep. It sounds fairly high pitched in official speeches.
>>800513
>cigar smoke and cigarette smoke are the same
As someone who's been around both many, many times, I can understand if Hitler didn't mind the cigar smoke.
Russian cowards, the Fatherland will be victorious!
