After more language study in Berlin, Schmidt worked briefly in the Reich Foreign Language Office.
Starting in 1924, he worked as an interpreter in the Foreign Office.
Schmidt interpreted during the Locarno Treaty meetings (1925) and participated in many other important international conferences.
He served as an interpreter at the League of Nations (1926-1933) and at the London Economic Conference.
Under Reich Chancellor Gustav Stresemann, Schmidt became chief interpreter, a position that he retained after Hitler came to power in 1933.
Schmidt remained chief interpreter until 1945.
At the Munich Conference, he interpreted between Hitler and Neville Chamberlain and Édouard Daladier.
Benito Mussolini was fluent in French but spoke a somewhat fractured, mangled German.
Although Mussolini was not as good at German as he pretended to be, he always refused the use of a translator at his meetings with Hitler because of his vainglorious pride.

During the war years, he served as Hitler's interpreter during his meetings with Marshal Philippe Pétain and General Francisco Franco.
On 12 June 1941, Schmidt served as the translator for the summit between Hitler and General Ion Antonescu of Romania.
Antonescu was fluent in French (interwar Romania was such a Francophile nation that fluency in French was de rigueur if one wanted to advance socially), but Hitler spoke no language other than German.
At the summit, Antonescu spoke in French and had his remarks translated into German by Schmidt, who also translated Hitler's remarks into French (Schmidt knew no Romanian).

During the course of the meeting, Hitler, via Schmidt, informed Antonescu of the planned "war of extermination" that Operation Barbarossa was intended to be and asked that Anonescu set up a Romanian equivalent of the Einsatzgruppen, a request that Antonescu agreed to.
The Israeli historian Jean Ancel wrote sarcastically about Schmidt's post-1945 claim to be a mere "extra on the stage of history" that Schmidt was surely being too modest here in downplaying his role at the Hitler-Antonescu summit that led to the murder of hundreds of thousands of Jews.
Schmidt fails to mention the genocidal plans discussed in the Hitler-Antonescu meetings but gives the misleading impression that German-Romanian talks during the war were entirely concerned with military and economic matters.
After the 1942 Dieppe Raid resulted in thousands of Canadian soldiers captured, Schmidt was in charge of their interrogations.
Schmidt joined the NSDAP in 1943.
After more language study in Berlin, Schmidt worked briefly in the Reich Foreign Language Office. Starting in 1924, he worked as an interpreter in the Foreign Office. Schmidt interpreted during the Locarno Treaty meetings (1925) and participated in many other important international conferences. He served as an interpreter at the League of Nations (1926-1933) and at the London Economic Conference. Under Reich Chancellor Gustav Stresemann, Schmidt became chief interpreter, a position that he retained after Hitler came to power in 1933. Schmidt remained chief interpreter until 1945. At the Munich Conference, he interpreted between Hitler and Neville Chamberlain and Édouard Daladier. Benito Mussolini was fluent in French but spoke a somewhat fractured, mangled German. Although Mussolini was not as good at German as he pretended to be, he always refused the use of a translator at his meetings with Hitler because of his vainglorious pride.
During the war years, he served as Hitler's interpreter during his meetings with Marshal Philippe Pétain and General Francisco Franco. On 12 June 1941, Schmidt served as the translator for the summit between Hitler and General Ion Antonescu of Romania. Antonescu was fluent in French (interwar Romania was such a Francophile nation that fluency in French was de rigueur if one wanted to advance socially), but Hitler spoke no language other than German. At the summit, Antonescu spoke in French and had his remarks translated into German by Schmidt, who also translated Hitler's remarks into French (Schmidt knew no Romanian).
During the course of the meeting, Hitler, via Schmidt, informed Antonescu of the planned "war of extermination" that Operation Barbarossa was intended to be and asked that Anonescu set up a Romanian equivalent of the Einsatzgruppen, a request that Antonescu agreed to. The Israeli historian Jean Ancel wrote sarcastically about Schmidt's post-1945 claim to be a mere "extra on the stage of history" that Schmidt was surely being too modest here in downplaying his role at the Hitler-Antonescu summit that led to the murder of hundreds of thousands of Jews. Schmidt fails to mention the genocidal plans discussed in the Hitler-Antonescu meetings but gives the misleading impression that German-Romanian talks during the war were entirely concerned with military and economic matters. After the 1942 Dieppe Raid resulted in thousands of Canadian soldiers captured, Schmidt was in charge of their interrogations. Schmidt joined the NSDAP in 1943.
Paul Schmidt (interpreter)