Author Topic: Adolph Gallands Last Interview (Read 2412 times)

Panzzer · « **Reply #30 on:** April 21, 2006, 07:16:14 PM »

Yeah, Diablo - while Rudel has been a character, I still ain't sure I would have wanted to see him... But I've met Rall once (2003), he'll be coming to Finland again in May --- too bad I'm in Berlin during that visit for the ILA Berlin Air Show...

Ack-Ack · « **Reply #31 on:** April 21, 2006, 07:57:11 PM »

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Originally posted by LEDPIG

At one point in the interview Galland even says that all of hitler's stupid mistakes cost germany the war and that was a good thing. When he says things like that, that tells me what side of the boat he was really on.

Yeah, the same sinking boat Hitler was on.

I think Galland's criticism of Hitler was more on certain things like invading the Soviet Union so early, going to war with the West sooner than the generals wanted. Bet he was dancing the jig when Paris fell and had a smile on his face when he stood on the French coast and saw the white cliffs of Dover and thought it was just a matter of time before he'd be drinking champagne in London.

ack-ack

uvwpvW · « **Reply #32 on:** April 21, 2006, 08:05:16 PM »

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Originally posted by Hangtime
The guy continued to fly for germany through the late 1970's.. serving as one of the top generals of the modern Luftwaffe.

A man can be a soldier, a patriot, and still despise his government.

Think about that.

I think your mistaking him for Eric Hartmann. Galland went to Argentina with the rest of the Nazis after the war and helped the Argentinean air force as a consultant. He returned to Germany in the 1950s and never worked for the military again. The only thing he flew in Germany post WWII was a Beechcraft Bonanza that he bought.

Galland may have been a gentleman warrior and even humane, but he was also a Nazi.

uvwpvW · « **Reply #33 on:** April 21, 2006, 08:18:10 PM »

Let it be said that I don’t hate Galland for being a nazi during the war. Most Nazis were just patriots who bought the very seducing Nazi propaganda, fed to them from every media and even in the schools. Most of them simply made an error in judgment. A mistake I can forgive.

B@tfinkV · « **Reply #34 on:** April 21, 2006, 08:26:30 PM »

what good leader in war does not picture sitting in the enemy's capital drinking thier wine and women?
you're telling me you think invading any weaker civilization and policing it no matter what the natives say is better than a full on combat?
you're saying that because he pictured winning the war for his country he is a scum bag? how foolish can you be?

The Nazis were just the last in a long line of brutality in war that was large enough to piss everyone off. Just because America is a new world founded on certain things you all love, you may feel good about it, but many of your ancestors would have been guilty of such crimes against humanity in the european warzone over a few millenia. and that American Indians were culled like livestock in your own brief history. similar to the jews? not much considering the jews have been ragged on for longer than god remembers.

you should remember that yoooropeans have been fighting each other for centuries, in a broad and varied feudal system. the are definite classes of people and the few rich and noble families serve the King or Queen.

When these wars broke out the nobles of the countries lead them to war all, of course, under the pretence of politics and government.

been happening for along time, and that what a real war and all warfare used to consist of.

you would react very amusingly if a german member of this board should tear patton or some other past, most likely dead person that you feel patriotic about.

first your country goes to war, then you either forgive each other or fight again. thats how its done.

DiabloTX · « **Reply #35 on:** April 21, 2006, 08:33:06 PM »

Good thing Galland wasn't an Illinois Nazi. I hate Illinois Nazi's.

Shamus · « **Reply #36 on:** April 21, 2006, 09:14:32 PM »

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Originally posted by DiabloTX
Good thing Galland wasn't an Illinois Nazi. I hate Illinois Nazi's.

LOL love that movie:)

shamus

Vudak · « **Reply #37 on:** April 21, 2006, 09:46:19 PM »

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Originally posted by B@tfinkV

you would react very amusingly if a german member of this board should tear patton or some other past, most likely dead person that you feel patriotic about.

It's very interesting that you mention Patton, Batfink. My father used to have one of Patton's drivers as a client. The man told stories of shooting Germans who surrendered, some very young, in order to maintain the advance. It was simply too time consuming to process them.

When my father asked "isn't that a war crime?" the man replied, "they're only war crimes if you lose."

Now, whether or not this man was telling the truth, who knows, from what I've read of Patton, I'm not inclined to disbelieve it, though I'm sure it could be argued either way. But anyone who has ever studied the Russian Front knows his point is correct.

At any rate, holding the war or the Holocaust against Galland is absurd. He started his career well before the war, anyway. It's not like he just jumped on the bandwagon when Poland was invaded. And It's also not as though the Luftwaffe was straffing concentration camps.

Oldman731 · « **Reply #38 on:** April 21, 2006, 10:12:26 PM »

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Originally posted by uvwpvW
Let it be said that I don’t hate Galland for being a nazi during the war. Most Nazis were just patriots who bought the very seducing Nazi propaganda, fed to them from every media and even in the schools. Most of them simply made an error in judgment. A mistake I can forgive.

You can't possibly be serious?

- oldman

DiabloTX · « **Reply #39 on:** April 21, 2006, 10:54:52 PM »

Now this is a Nazi:

Hajo Hermann from the Wiki-

He was captured by the Russians after the war and was held prisoner for ten years. Back in Germany he studied law and settled in Düsseldorf. Among others, he defended these deniers of the holocaust: Otto Ernst Remer, David Irving and the American, self styled "expert for gas chambers" Fred A. Leuchter. To this day, he denies Germanys responsibility for starting WWII.

Yeah, I'd say Galland is in the same league...

Debonair · « **Reply #40 on:** April 21, 2006, 11:57:36 PM »

galland = loser = pwnd

LLv34 Jarsci · « **Reply #41 on:** April 22, 2006, 02:25:32 AM »

...The winners write the history....

WW2 was a dirty fight for all sides and pointing out Germans only is just plain stupid. They started, allies finished. Atrocities were made by everyone. The jews killed by Nazis. Bombing of Dresden. Hiroshima+ Nagasagi....list goes on forever.

But pointing out that some particular soldier who just did what he could for his country in that situation is stupid.

A term Nazi -> all young boys were forced to join Hitler Jugend. Does that make all of them Nazis? I think that particular word is reserved for another kind of people in which I don´t count Adolf Galland.

Angus · « **Reply #42 on:** April 22, 2006, 04:37:32 AM »

Galland opposed Göring in the end, and had a suggestion to take poison, like Rommel did.
At one occation he ripped his medals off and flung them on the table in front of Göring.

Mölders stopped wearing his medals for a political reason.

They are a long way from die-hard Nazis like Rudel, which Rall describes as crazy.

LEDPIG · « **Reply #43 on:** April 22, 2006, 05:15:01 AM »

Leave it to me to start intelligent and interesting discussion, talk amongst yourselves now.. lol

Bruno · « **Reply #44 on:** April 22, 2006, 05:44:03 AM »

You guys use terms like "Nazi" to describe what? Rudel for instance was never a member of NSDAP but he was as 'right-wing' as they come. Rudel was a member of the Allgemeine-SS, joining in 1936 but never joined the 'party'. Galland was never a 'party member' either.

The Wehrmacht had a tradition, and for the most upheld that tradition through out WW2, that officers were not to be active members of political parties. In fact in the old Reich's army it was forbidden to belong to any political organization. Of course that doesn't mean that they did support or favor one party or leader over another.

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§ 26 of the Wehrgesetz:
Politik in der Wehrmacht.(1) Die Soldaten dürfen sich politisch nicht betätigen. Die Zugehörigkeit zur NSDAP oder zu einem der ihr angeschlossenen Verbände ruht für die Dauer des aktiven Wehrdienstes.

Basically states that members of the Wehrmacht, who were members of political party, could not actively work for said party, they were 'inactive'. After the July '44 plot against Hitler serving members of the Wehrmacht were prohibited from joining any political party.

There were of course exceptions. The Luftwaffe, for example, was most modern branch of the Wehrmacht and as such was much more closely associated with the NSDAP. In fact Hitler is quoted as saying:

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I have an imperial army, a catholic navy and a National Socialist air force

There are plenty of examples of Luftwaffe personnel belonging to the party, Walter Nowotny for one. There were many submariners who were party members as well. However, membership in the NSDAP was generally rare among Luftwaffe airmen and was actually frowned upon by others.

Was Galland a 'Nazi'..? Who cares... I don't find him all that interesting anyway. His post war comments have always had a hint of blame directed at others rather then excepting responsibility for his own mistakes and failures. However, because he was a leading member of the Luftwaffe no more makes him a Nazi then any one serving in the US armed forces now would be considered 'republicans'. Much like now there were plenty folks serving their country who did so out of their own sense of duty rather then some obligation to the NSDAP or Hitler. Soldiers don't fight for some abstract ideal, they fight for each other and their families.

Like many of us they had faith and believed their government when they out lined their reasons for war. That trust was betrayed and abused by criminals.