Hitler's Table Talk

A HYMN ON MUSSOLINI 437
195 23rd April 1942, at dinner
My opinion of the Duce—The man who best understood
the Bolshevik menace—The fate awaiting Europe—The
Duce's difficulties with the Italian aristocracy—In praise
of Edda Mussolini.
It will give me very great pleasure to see the Duce again and
to discuss with him all the military and political problems of
the day. I hold the Duce in the highest esteem, because I
regard him as an incomparable statesman. On the ruins of a
ravished Italy he has succeeded in building a new State which
is a rallying point for the whole of his people. The struggles of
the Fascists bear a close resemblance to our own struggles. Did
they not have, for example, six thousand six hundred dead at
Verona?
The Duce is one of the people who appreciated the full
measure of the Bolshevik menace, and for this reason he has
sent to our Eastern front divisions of real military merit. He
told me himself that he had no illusions as to the fate of Europe
if the motorised hordes of the Russian armies were allowed to
sweep unchecked over the Continent, and he is quite convinced
that, but for my intervention, the hour of decline was approaching
for western Europe.
It is always painful to me, when I meet the Duce in Italy, to
see him relegated to the rear rank whenever any of the Court
entourage are about. The joy is always taken out of the reception
he arranges for me by the fact that I am compelled to submit
to contact with the arrogant idlers of the aristocracy. On
one occasion these morons tried to ruin my pleasure at the
spectacle of a dance given by the most lovely young maids from
the Florence Academy, by criticising the dancing in most
contemptuous terms. I rounded on them with such fury, however,
that I was left to enjoy the rest of the programme in peace !
It was certainly no pleasure to me to find myself continually
in the company of the Court hangers-on, particularly as I
could not forget all the difficulties which the King's entourage
had put in the Duce's way from the very beginning. And now
they think they are being tremendously cunning in flirting with
Britain !