ARCHIVED - Telegram sent by Hitler comes up in Costa del Sol auction
ARCHIVED ARTICLE
A letter showing Hitler’s doubts about winning the war is expected to fetch 3,000 euros tomorrow
A telegram from Adolf Hitler has emerged in Spain in which he appears to show his first ‘seed of doubt’ about winning World War II.
The typed letter was sent on 2 January 1942, days before the Nazis were defeated by the Soviets at the Battle of Moscow in a major turning point in the war, and comes up for sale in a Málaga online auction along with another letter from a Spanish commander.
Original correspondence between two fascist forces
Hitler wrote the New Year’s greeting to the Spanish general and politician Agustín Muñoz Grandes, who commanded the volunteer Blue Division in Spain that fought for the Wehrmacht.
Hitler marked the draft in bold pencil with a handwritten insertion of the phrase, “trotz allem” meaning “in spite of everything”, described by experts as a “seed of doubt” about Germany’s chances of winning the war.
The final letter was sent on 2 January 1942, just five days before the Nazis withdrew from Moscow after a failed attempt to take the Russian capital. The Battle of Moscow marked a key moment when Soviet forces began to contain the German invasion.
At the time of writing the letter, Hitler is believed to have been reflecting on the impending defeat.
Muñoz Grandes, who later served as deputy prime minister during General Franco’s government in Spain, had written a letter to Hitler wishing him a happy New Year: “Along with thoughts that go to my own country, I wish Germany complete victory over our enemies in the year that has just begun.”
He continued, “The difficulties of the present moment can only confirm my confidence in the final victory, and my only wish is that the relationship between our two countries may be still deeper and more intimate, even at the cost of great sacrifices.”
Handwritten notes show that the telegram was received at Wolfsschanze, known as Wolf’s Lair, which served as Hitler’s Eastern Front military headquarters in the Masurian forests of present-day Poland, on January 1 at 9pm.
It was handed over to Hitler the next day by Colonel Nicolaus von Below, a Luftwaffe officer who served as the Führer’s administrative assistant. Hitler then sent back his reply: “I am grateful for your good wishes for the New Year.
“I am sure that [in spite of everything] our struggle against our enemies will be as successful in the future as it has been so far, and that final victory will be ours.
“In grateful memory of your country, which can be proud of the exploits of your Blue Division, I send you and your soldiers my best wishes.”
Historical documents up for sale
The fascinating documents have resurfaced for sale at the International Autograph Auctions in Málaga, Spain.
Richard Davie, a specialist at the auction house, said: “This is a fascinating telegram prepared by Hitler for Muñoz Grandes. We often think of Hitler as a strong man who did not consider defeat, but here, for the first time, he seems to have a seed of doubt about winning the war.”
Both telegrams will go under the hammer at an online auction on Friday December 3. Sold as Lot 1146, they are expected to sell for up to 3,000 euros.
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