Hitler's Bodyguards

[bigred]

Anyone catch any of these shows on History Channel? I like reading about WW II but wasn't up on some of this. Interesting how his top SS bodyguard had Jewish ancestry.

[steve s]

I've seen them. They're very interesting, especially the ones about the early days of the Nazi party before Hitler gained power. I was unaware of Rohm's tolerance of homosexuality within the SA, or that he himself was gay. Watching the part about the Night of the Long Knives made me think of that scene in the Godfather when Michael's baby is being baptised and they keep cutting to shots of guys getting whacked.

Steve S.

[bigred]

Yeah that was another unexpected "tidbit." I find the early days of Hitler/Nazis interesting too, and how it came together against incredible odds, when you think of it. Also how there were so many attempts (or attempts at attempts) on his life.

[plumjam]

This is definitely the kind of thread where we should be allowed humorous historical sock-puppets.
I kampfed for it, but I didn't quite manage a sieg. :(

[AJM8125]

They're showing the series regularly on the Military Channel, if that's available in your area. Just watched an episode about Himmler's and Gorings in-fighting to seize as much power as possible and to win favor with Hitler. Very informative.

[steve s]

The episode about the Night of the Long Knives was just on, titled Operation Hummingbird. According to my listings, it will air again later tonight.

Steve S.

[dtugg]

I watched some of it. I had no idea that there were so many attempts on his life. I think they said there were dozens of serious ones.

[bignickel]

I Tivoed a bunch of The Werhmacht when it came on. Pretty interesting. It reminded me of the beginning of many eps of Band of Brothers, where the actual soldiers related what they'd experienced. And here was their opposite number, saying the same stuff. One told a story about how all the wounded men were put in a train car on straw, for evacuation, and then the next morning he came by the car... and they were all frozen dead inside.

Guess 'war is hell' is a cliche because it is all too true.

[bigred]

The SA vs the SS thing was interesting too. I can't believe the SA was 4.5 MILLION strong as its peak. yikes.

[dtugg]

They are having a marathon of it right now on the Military Channel.

[steve s]

I watched some of it. I had no idea that there were so many attempts on his life. I think they said there were dozens of serious ones.

There were 42 known attempts on his life. I think there was a book called Forty-two Ways to Kill Hitler.

Steve S.

[fuelair]

42 unsuccessful attempts on his life....Hmm, guess someone up there was really watching over him [/end xtian mode]

[steve s]

I don't recall if it was in the Hitler's Bodyguards series or some other show, but I recall one attempt where a man was supposed to give Hitler a tour of some large building. The man decided he would sacrifice himself by becoming a suicide bomber. He hid a bomb in his suit and when Hitler arrived he reached into his pocket to activate the timer. He began giving Hitler the tour of the facility but Hitler apparently become bored and abruptly left, leaving the man with a live bomb on his body. Fortunately the man managed to deactivate the timer.

Steve S.

[moon1969]

Atleast his bodyguards were not stalinists like Jakub Berman or Salomon Morel. :D And there were some jews in Nazi Germany as soldiers. Important thing is that a stalinist is worse than an SS man.

[Foolmewunz]

Moon,
You never let us down, do you?

[bigred]

42 unsuccessful attempts on his life....Hmm, guess someone up there was really watching over him [/end xtian mode]
Thanks for the jab at Christianity (oops I mean "xtianity")...relevant and classy. tee hee.

:rolleyes:

Anyway yeah it's military channel, not history channel, my bad...and they are running the #$@ out of it lately, which is actually good for me since I missed some parts. Didn't realize how far the depth of Himmler's slime factor went - he rivalled Hitler there.

[ddt]

He began giving Hitler the tour of the facility but Hitler apparently become bored and abruptly left,

That sounds like Georg Elser, who spent a year to build a bomb and hide it in the Bürgerbraukeller - the beer keller where Hitler had done his putsch in 1923 and which he visited each year to commemorate the putsch. And this year, Hitler left early...

Georg Elser nearly survived the war - the Nazis couldn't believe he had done it alone, and wanted to know his accomplices.

[fuelair]

Thanks for the jab at Christianity (oops I mean "xtianity")...relevant and classy. tee hee.

:rolleyes:

.

You're welcome! I try to do my bit to promote reality!!:):):rolleyes:

[tomwaits]

42 unsuccessful attempts on his life....Hmm, guess someone up there was really watching over him [/end xtian mode]

Well, in a dictatorship, the dictator is always aware that there are people out to take his life. That means that they are always changing plans, switching routes, etc.

[bigred]

They are really running the #$@! out of that stuff and at about the same time each night - which isn't all bad as I missed parts of some.

[BenBurch]

I watched some of it. I had no idea that there were so many attempts on his life. I think they said there were dozens of serious ones.

All of them prompted by time-travellers from about the year 2230. Took them a while to realize that they couldn't change anything... ;)

[USSManhattan]

That sounds like Georg Elser, who spent a year to build a bomb and hide it in the Bürgerbraukeller - the beer keller where Hitler had done his putsch in 1923 and which he visited each year to commemorate the putsch. And this year, Hitler left early...

Georg Elser nearly survived the war - the Nazis couldn't believe he had done it alone, and wanted to know his accomplices.

Actually, the gentleman steve s is referring to was Rudolf Christoph Freiherr von Gersdorff. Wiki him (I'm too new to link).

[Shrike]

You're welcome! I try to do my bit to promote reality!!:):):rolleyes:

Can we use 'fuelair' as a sort of reversed Godwin?
Every discussion abou the Nazi's eventually mentions Christians?

[Skeptic]

I was unaware of Rohm's tolerance of homosexuality within the SA, or that he himself was gay.

Rohm's homosexuality was notorious. He didn't care who knew. After he was killed Hitler gave a speech saying he was shocked -- SHOCKED! -- to discover that the SA chief was gay and allowed homosexuality in the SA. Berlin wits at the time said, "What will he do when he'll find out Goebbles is short?".

Another joke after Hitler's hypocritical speech denouncing the widespread homosexuality in the SA was, "Only now do we realize the full meaning of Rohm's statement, 'Out of every Hitler Youth a SA man will emerge'."

Nazi Germany had so many paramilitary uniformed organizations -- the SA, SS, Hitler Youth, the Party itself, etc., etc. (even the foreign office!) -- that wits said soldiers should wear a turban, to distinguish them from the civilian population.

[Springfork]

Why a turban? Didn't their uniforms with distinctive insignia distinguish them from the civilians?