Water and combat sports

From his childhood and schooldays, Schmidt is seen as pugnacious. Even later, his superiors in the Wehrmacht describe him as being overly self-confident. They say he sometimes uses an inappropriate tone towards older subordinates – but they also praise his outstanding ability to learn quickly and his skills. A conflict between the 15-year old Schmidt and the head of the rowing club for alleged »insolence« ends with a form of »probation«: in the event of a repeat incident, Schmidt is to be expelled from school. Schmidt does not seek to avoid conflicts in his later political career either. He views them as a »combat sport«. In particular, Schmidt sharply contradicts those who he feels are professionally incompetent. At the same time, he values in-depth discussion – and he loves controversial political debates.