Question: What was the purpose of the Goebbels, Speer & Goering alliance in 1943?
In early 1943, the war was beginning to go badly for the Germans and Hitler was surrounded by a group of insiders - notably Martin Bormann, Heinrich Lammers, and Field Marshal Keitel ("gang of three") - who exercised significant influence with Hitler. In the view of Speer and, especially Goebbels, the three insiders were causing the war effort to be damaged.
The fanatical Goebbels and the super-efficient Speer were determined to "right the ship," and remove the gang of three from their influential positions so that the course of the war could be turned around. But to accomplish this, Goebbels and Speer felt they badly needed the influential No. 2 German Leader, Hermann Goering on their side. So after considerable discussion of the matter between the two of them, they decided to visit Goering at his home and discuss the matter with him.
At Goering's home, both Goebbels and Speer were shocked at the appearance of Goering who appeared heavily rouged and dressed in a baroque manner. But Goering was known for this type of behavior, so Goebbels and Speer did not let his appearance stop them. Goebbels took the lead and talked to Goering for several hours apparently convincing him of the seriousness of the situation and of the need to remove the gang of three so that a total war effort could be made. Goering listened and appeared to be completely in agreement with the two.
But, as the next few months went by, nothing came of the agreement. There never seemed to be the right time for the three to talk to Hitler on the matter. For example, the Fuhrer was often in such a foul mood that they were afraid to bring up the subject. So nothing came of the alliance. Of course, both Speer and Goebbels blamed not only Goering (too lethargic!) but also each other.
Why is the failure of the alliance something worth talking about? The reason is that Goebbels and Speer were both very intelligent men and knew what kind of war effort was needed for Germany to survive. Also they had the drive to have implemented such an effort had they been able to convince Hitler of what was needed. We, on the other side of the fence, should be very happy with the alliance failure. Had it been a success, we might still be fighting Germany!
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Should the U.S. Have Joined Hitler and Attacked Russia in World War 2?
Question: Should the U.S. have joined Hitler early in World War 2 and attacked Russia?
This was seriously proposed early in the war (1939-1940) when Germany was slaughtering Poland, France, and other western European countries. Even at that time, we had many right-wingers in the U.S. more opposed to Communist Russia than to Fascist Germany. The theory is that, together, the U.S. and Germany would have easily defeated Russia and thus avoided the Cold War which occurred after World War 2. Also, many at the time thought Hitler was invincible and that we might as well join him.
But that is all wrong! Stalin was a monster and communism was bad but Hitler was an even worse monster and fascism was just as bad as communism. No, we did the right thing providing materials to Russia as much as we could until we actually were forced to enter the war.
It should also be pointed out that, even had we had formed an alliance with Hitler, and destroyed Russia, Hitler would likely have broken the alliance at some point and attacked us. Hitler was not know for keeping his word!
This was seriously proposed early in the war (1939-1940) when Germany was slaughtering Poland, France, and other western European countries. Even at that time, we had many right-wingers in the U.S. more opposed to Communist Russia than to Fascist Germany. The theory is that, together, the U.S. and Germany would have easily defeated Russia and thus avoided the Cold War which occurred after World War 2. Also, many at the time thought Hitler was invincible and that we might as well join him.
But that is all wrong! Stalin was a monster and communism was bad but Hitler was an even worse monster and fascism was just as bad as communism. No, we did the right thing providing materials to Russia as much as we could until we actually were forced to enter the war.
It should also be pointed out that, even had we had formed an alliance with Hitler, and destroyed Russia, Hitler would likely have broken the alliance at some point and attacked us. Hitler was not know for keeping his word!
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
World War 2 Compared to Iraq War - German Military Compared to Iraq Military
World War 2 Questions - Iraq War vs. World War 2 (continued)
Comparing Iraq and Germany Military Leadership.
In comparing the military leadership qualities of Saddam Hussein with those of Hitler, I use the old sports expression: "Saddam Hussein was not fit to carry Hitler's jock strap"
Hitler was not only a political genius (evil genius) who very nearly conquered all of Europe, he often had good military sense. Although Hitler was only an enlisted soldier in World War 1, he was a good observer and often had a better sense of strategy than did his more formally trained generals. Some very innovative military ideas, e.g., blitzkrieg and use of air power to support ground troops were largely developed by or approved by Hitler and his staff. No one exceeded Hitler in the ability to conduct psychological warfare.
Hitler had some fine generals on his staff. Three German generals - Guderian, Rommel, and Von Manstein - rank with the greatest generals ever to lead troops. And the German soldiers were excellent. Also, Hitler had some brilliant civilian leaders - Goering, Goebbels, Speer, Borman, and Himmler - under him (They were also ruthless leaders!!)
And what about Saddam and the Iraq military. I think General Schwarzkopf described Saddam best: Hussein, he said " is neither a strategist nor is he schooled in the operational art, nor is he a tactician, nor is he a general. A ringing indictment from a great general!
If Charley Chaplin, who did a great job playing Hitler in The Little Dictator, were alive and still acting, he would be ashamed to play the role of such a small-timer as Saddam Hussein.
Saddam was no budding Hitler!
When it came to the Iraq military units, except for the Republican Guard divisions and other special units, the Iraq soldiers did not seem too interested in fighting. The Iraq units were badly outgunned by their American opponents and it would have been virtually suicide for them to try to put up a fight.
The Iraq army had a large force of tanks but they were sitting ducks for the U.S. Air Force which went unchallenged by the pitiful Iraq Air Force.
The Germans, on the other hand, had mastered the ability to use tanks when World War 2 came and the tanks won many battles for them.
Who Dares Compare the Iraq War With World War 2.
It is clear to me that those who compare the Iraq War with World War 2 are either poorly informed or are blowing smoke up the skirts of anyone naive enough to be listening to them.
However, please be assured that there is an ulterior motive for spreading the nonsense that the Iraq War is equivalent to World War 2 or that Saddam Hussein was, in any way, comparable to the mad genius, Adolf Hitler. The people spreading this nonsense have their agenda!
Comparing Iraq and Germany Military Leadership.
In comparing the military leadership qualities of Saddam Hussein with those of Hitler, I use the old sports expression: "Saddam Hussein was not fit to carry Hitler's jock strap"
Hitler was not only a political genius (evil genius) who very nearly conquered all of Europe, he often had good military sense. Although Hitler was only an enlisted soldier in World War 1, he was a good observer and often had a better sense of strategy than did his more formally trained generals. Some very innovative military ideas, e.g., blitzkrieg and use of air power to support ground troops were largely developed by or approved by Hitler and his staff. No one exceeded Hitler in the ability to conduct psychological warfare.
Hitler had some fine generals on his staff. Three German generals - Guderian, Rommel, and Von Manstein - rank with the greatest generals ever to lead troops. And the German soldiers were excellent. Also, Hitler had some brilliant civilian leaders - Goering, Goebbels, Speer, Borman, and Himmler - under him (They were also ruthless leaders!!)
And what about Saddam and the Iraq military. I think General Schwarzkopf described Saddam best: Hussein, he said " is neither a strategist nor is he schooled in the operational art, nor is he a tactician, nor is he a general. A ringing indictment from a great general!
If Charley Chaplin, who did a great job playing Hitler in The Little Dictator, were alive and still acting, he would be ashamed to play the role of such a small-timer as Saddam Hussein.
Saddam was no budding Hitler!
When it came to the Iraq military units, except for the Republican Guard divisions and other special units, the Iraq soldiers did not seem too interested in fighting. The Iraq units were badly outgunned by their American opponents and it would have been virtually suicide for them to try to put up a fight.
The Iraq army had a large force of tanks but they were sitting ducks for the U.S. Air Force which went unchallenged by the pitiful Iraq Air Force.
The Germans, on the other hand, had mastered the ability to use tanks when World War 2 came and the tanks won many battles for them.
Who Dares Compare the Iraq War With World War 2.
It is clear to me that those who compare the Iraq War with World War 2 are either poorly informed or are blowing smoke up the skirts of anyone naive enough to be listening to them.
However, please be assured that there is an ulterior motive for spreading the nonsense that the Iraq War is equivalent to World War 2 or that Saddam Hussein was, in any way, comparable to the mad genius, Adolf Hitler. The people spreading this nonsense have their agenda!
Monday, July 30, 2007
Is Iraq War Comparable to World War 2
Many conservatives justify the ongoing Iraq War by comparing it to World War 2. Their argument is that, if Hitler had been stopped in the 30's rather than being appeased, World War 2 might have been prevented.
So, the conservatives believe that, in 2003, Saddam Hussein was equivalent to Hitler in the 30's. If the U.S. had not acted in 2003 to unseat Saddam Hussein, then Saddam could have become a Hitler-sized danger to the U.S. and the rest of the world.
Like Hitler, like Saddam!! Like Germany, like Iraq!! Or so the logic of the conservatives goes.
Hence, the Iraq War which has been raging longer than the U.S. was in World War 2.
Summary: Saddam Hussein vs. Hitler. The above comparison equilibrating the threat of Saddam Hussein to the threat of Hitler is pure baloney in my opinion. In comparison to the great Satan, Hitler, Saddam Hussein was the great clown.
Even if you throw in Osama Bin Laden into the mix with Saddam, you don't have the threat of a Hitler. Although both Saddam and Osama are (were) bad dudes, neither Saddam nor Osama deserve the attention they have been given. The mad genius, Hitler, who was responsible for the death of 50,000,000 people, deserved every bit of the attention he received.
Germany & Iraq Comparison. And to compare the Iraq of 2003 with the Germany of the late 30's...Germany was one of the most advanced nations, technologically speaking, on the face of the earth. Iraq, while ahead of most third world nations, was not a technologically advanced nation. Motivation for war in Iraq was low in 2003 while Hitler's Germany was teeming with resentment over Germany's treatment after World War 1.
Population-wise, Germany had a population of 70,000,000 highly-educated, united people behind him while Iraq had a total population of only 25,000,000 and that population was relatively poorly educated and badly divided by religion.
And they compare Germany and Iraq!!
In the next post, I will cover the military elements of Germany compared to Iraq. Was Hitler a great military leader? Saddam was not!
So, the conservatives believe that, in 2003, Saddam Hussein was equivalent to Hitler in the 30's. If the U.S. had not acted in 2003 to unseat Saddam Hussein, then Saddam could have become a Hitler-sized danger to the U.S. and the rest of the world.
Like Hitler, like Saddam!! Like Germany, like Iraq!! Or so the logic of the conservatives goes.
Hence, the Iraq War which has been raging longer than the U.S. was in World War 2.
Summary: Saddam Hussein vs. Hitler. The above comparison equilibrating the threat of Saddam Hussein to the threat of Hitler is pure baloney in my opinion. In comparison to the great Satan, Hitler, Saddam Hussein was the great clown.
Even if you throw in Osama Bin Laden into the mix with Saddam, you don't have the threat of a Hitler. Although both Saddam and Osama are (were) bad dudes, neither Saddam nor Osama deserve the attention they have been given. The mad genius, Hitler, who was responsible for the death of 50,000,000 people, deserved every bit of the attention he received.
Germany & Iraq Comparison. And to compare the Iraq of 2003 with the Germany of the late 30's...Germany was one of the most advanced nations, technologically speaking, on the face of the earth. Iraq, while ahead of most third world nations, was not a technologically advanced nation. Motivation for war in Iraq was low in 2003 while Hitler's Germany was teeming with resentment over Germany's treatment after World War 1.
Population-wise, Germany had a population of 70,000,000 highly-educated, united people behind him while Iraq had a total population of only 25,000,000 and that population was relatively poorly educated and badly divided by religion.
And they compare Germany and Iraq!!
In the next post, I will cover the military elements of Germany compared to Iraq. Was Hitler a great military leader? Saddam was not!
Sunday, July 1, 2007
Joseph Goebbels, Hitler's Propaganda Minister
World War 2 Question No. 11: After Hitler, Who was Most Fanatical of the Nazi Leaders?
Answer. Joseph Goebbels was a highly educated (Phd) individual and very intelligent (probably a genius). He was also a workaholic who stayed up late at night dictating his voluminous diary, The Goebbels Diary, which described in infinite detail the events of the war and what was happening on the home front. The Goebbels Diary is highly recommended reading for World War 2 buffs.
In addition to his great abilities, Goebbels was probably the second most fanatical Nazi (next to Hitler).
Goebbels was a smallish man born with a crippled foot which caused him to be turned down for military service. These stigmas were a constant source of embarrassment for Goebbels as he preached the philosophy of the Nazi master race. The stigmas may also be responsible for at least some of his fanaticism.
Goebbels first opposed Hitler and even tried to have him ejected from the Nazi Party. Then, he suddenly changed his mind and Hitler became his idol.
In May 1933, Goebbels became infamous around the world when he organized the book-burning event in which thousands of library books written by "undesirables" were publically burned. I recall that this event was later shown on American newsreels many times to show how fanatical the Nazis were.
Goebbels used all sorts of media in his propaganda campaigns but stressed radio (Is Rush Limbaugh an ancestor of Goebbels?)
Goebbels had an excellent idea that the war was not going well and that a greater effort from the German people was needed. He and Albert Speer formed an alliance to convince Hitler of this but the effort fell apart when Goering, who had joined them, fell into a lethargy (drug-induced?). They needed a leader of his stature to influence Hitler.
Goebbels was married to a beautiful women, Magda Goebbels, who bore him 6 children. Their marriage became a sham, however, because of the unfaithfulness of Joseph and, later, of Magda. Goebbels was a ladies man and carried on numerous affairs. He attempted to divorce Magda but the unmarried Hitler, who had sort of adopted the Goebbels family as his own, would not allow it.
Near the end of the war Joseph and Magda Goebbels retreated to the Bunker with Hitler. They had themselves shot after Magda had poisoned the 6 children. The Goebbels could not stand to live in a world that would be without Hitler!
Speer, who was a friend of Magda's, documented his conversations with Joseph and Magda in his book, Inside the Third Reich. An excellent reference!
Answer. Joseph Goebbels was a highly educated (Phd) individual and very intelligent (probably a genius). He was also a workaholic who stayed up late at night dictating his voluminous diary, The Goebbels Diary, which described in infinite detail the events of the war and what was happening on the home front. The Goebbels Diary is highly recommended reading for World War 2 buffs.
In addition to his great abilities, Goebbels was probably the second most fanatical Nazi (next to Hitler).
Goebbels was a smallish man born with a crippled foot which caused him to be turned down for military service. These stigmas were a constant source of embarrassment for Goebbels as he preached the philosophy of the Nazi master race. The stigmas may also be responsible for at least some of his fanaticism.
Goebbels first opposed Hitler and even tried to have him ejected from the Nazi Party. Then, he suddenly changed his mind and Hitler became his idol.
In May 1933, Goebbels became infamous around the world when he organized the book-burning event in which thousands of library books written by "undesirables" were publically burned. I recall that this event was later shown on American newsreels many times to show how fanatical the Nazis were.
Goebbels used all sorts of media in his propaganda campaigns but stressed radio (Is Rush Limbaugh an ancestor of Goebbels?)
Goebbels had an excellent idea that the war was not going well and that a greater effort from the German people was needed. He and Albert Speer formed an alliance to convince Hitler of this but the effort fell apart when Goering, who had joined them, fell into a lethargy (drug-induced?). They needed a leader of his stature to influence Hitler.
Goebbels was married to a beautiful women, Magda Goebbels, who bore him 6 children. Their marriage became a sham, however, because of the unfaithfulness of Joseph and, later, of Magda. Goebbels was a ladies man and carried on numerous affairs. He attempted to divorce Magda but the unmarried Hitler, who had sort of adopted the Goebbels family as his own, would not allow it.
Near the end of the war Joseph and Magda Goebbels retreated to the Bunker with Hitler. They had themselves shot after Magda had poisoned the 6 children. The Goebbels could not stand to live in a world that would be without Hitler!
Speer, who was a friend of Magda's, documented his conversations with Joseph and Magda in his book, Inside the Third Reich. An excellent reference!
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Was Hitler a Great Leader? - List of Successes & Failures
World War 2 Question No. 10: Was Hitler a Great Leader?
Answer. Hitler possessed many powerful leadership skills that won victories for Germany, but he often blundered into making military mistakes. Also, it must always be remembered that he was personally responsible for the death of tens of millions of people. It is difficult to call someone a great leader who causes such devastation among the nations of the world.
No question who the number one leader of Nazi Germany was! Hitler (Der Fuehrer) was the leader! He was a fearless fanatic with charisma. He was a gambler and was fond of relying on boldness and bluff. Although, he had only been a corporal during World War 1, he had a better feel for strategic situations than many of his highly educated generals. And he could act decisively when decisiveness was needed. On the other hand, he would often waffle in critical situations and great opportunities would slip away. Hitler's major strong points were:
Answer. Hitler possessed many powerful leadership skills that won victories for Germany, but he often blundered into making military mistakes. Also, it must always be remembered that he was personally responsible for the death of tens of millions of people. It is difficult to call someone a great leader who causes such devastation among the nations of the world.
No question who the number one leader of Nazi Germany was! Hitler (Der Fuehrer) was the leader! He was a fearless fanatic with charisma. He was a gambler and was fond of relying on boldness and bluff. Although, he had only been a corporal during World War 1, he had a better feel for strategic situations than many of his highly educated generals. And he could act decisively when decisiveness was needed. On the other hand, he would often waffle in critical situations and great opportunities would slip away. Hitler's major strong points were:
- Hitler had the ability to assemble and control a group of talented and ruthless individuals - Goering, Goebbels, Himmler, Bormann, and Speer - for his top echelon. These men were the leaders of Germany during World War 2.
- Hitler successfully used bullying and bluffing techniques to seize Austria and Czechoslovakia without a fight.
- Hitler successfully adopted innovative Blitzkrieg techniques, utilizing Germany's highly mobile Panzer divisions, to quickly overcome Poland, France, and other Western European countries. More conventional leaders would have used conventional trench warfare techniques and a World War 1 type stalemate might have occurred.
Hitler also had his share of failures as the top German leader:
- Failure to immediately invade Britain after Dunkirk. Many experts question whether this was a failure. See World War 2 Question 1 (earlier post) or World War 2 Battles.
- Decision to attack Russia before finishing off Britain. This left Britain, led by a determined Churchill, as a thorn in his backside.
- Holding back on all-out war production after the war started. He began the war with a substantial lead in armaments but let the armaments production slip apparently because he didn't want to tell the German people that sacrifices would be needed. (Yes, even Adolf Hitler worried about public opinion.) The problem was so bad that Britain was actually producing more aircraft than Germany during the Battle of Britain. This problem was corrected in the later years of the war largely through Albert Speer's efforts but, by then, it was too late.
- Misjudging the strength of the Russians. He almost got away with this one as Stalin, for some time, refused to believe that Hitler was actually attacking him. When Stalin finally unleashed his forces, several Russian armies and much of the Russian air force had already been destroyed. When given the go-ahead, the Russians fought back fiercely, and incredibly, were able to move their war plants out of the German army's path.
- Poor strategy in Russia. Hitler continually split his attacking forces - one column toward Moscow, a second toward the Caucasus, and a third toward Leningrad - instead of concentrating on what should have been the main target, i.e., Moscow.
- Flittering away resources on "secret weapons," e.g., death rays, long-ramge bombers, etc, instead of concentrating on more conventional weapons. For example, with more fighter planes, he might have kept air supremacy over Russia and also might have neutralized the American and British bomber raids over Germany.
- Unnecessary campaign against the Jews. During World War 1, German Jews fought bravely for Germany. Hitler should have know this because he was in the trenches with them. Had the Jewish men been available for service, manpower shortages would have been partly alleviated. Also, the many scientific minds, e.g., Einstein, that were lost to the German war effort were irreplaceable.
- Failure to better mobilize German women into the war effort as was done in Russia, England and the United States (Rosie, the riveter!). This would have also helped alleviate the manpower problem since male workers who could have been replaced would have been available for military service.
Was Albert Speer the "Good" Nazi?
World War 2 Question No. 9: Was Albert Speer the Good Nazi?
Answer. Albert Speer was Hitler's architect. Hitler had wanted to be an architect and so there was a natural affinity between the two men. Speer and Hitler built dream cities together. During the rise of the Nazis in Germany, Speer was given the job for making technical arrangements for the huge Nazi rallies. As with all his work, Speer showed great talent.
In 1941, Speer became Minister of Armaments and War Production after the death of Dr. Fritz Todt. Speer showed great talent in the job. Hitler and Goring had been lax in the armaments area after the successful Blitzkrieg campaigns in France and Poland and Speer finally got things moving again.
But Speer and the fanatical Joseph Goebbels, were still not satisfied with the German war effort. The two sought to recruit Goering to their side to counter the power of Martin Bormann and his associates. Bormann had a great deal of influence with Hitler. With the powerful Goering on their side, Speer and Goebbels thought they could overcome the influence of Bormann, et al, and move Hitler toward an all-out war effort.
At first, Goering agreed with them and then, for no apparent reason, dropped the matter and fell back into his state of lethargy (morphine?). Without Goering, the Speer - Goebbels alliance fell apart. If the group had been able to gain more power, the war would probably been extended because Speer and Goebbels knew very well Germany's war weaknesses and how to counter them. But they needed a leader of Goering's stature to advance their cause with Hitler.
Speer had close friendships with several wives of top German leaders. Speer seemed very sympathetic to their problems. The wives, iincluding Eva Braun and Magda Goebbels, confided in Speer whom they seemed to trust completely. These conversations make interesting reading in Speer's book, Inside the Third Reich, my favorite World War 2 book. The book provides a vivid description of the inner workings of the German establishment during the war.
Toward the end of the war, Speer turned against his friend, Hitler, and even considered assassinating him. He refused to carry out Hitler's orders to destroy the German infrastructure (Hitler believed the German people were unworthy of him).
Speer was tried at Nuremberg, where he confessed his part in the crimes of the Nazis. He was given 20 years in prison for his crimes.
Whether Speer was the good Nazi or not will be left for history to decide. He was certainly a cut above the average Nazi leader. But there are many who felt like Speer should have been given the death sentence.
We should all be thankful that the Speer - Goebbels - Goering alliance fell apart. Otherwise, we might still be fighting World War 2.
Answer. Albert Speer was Hitler's architect. Hitler had wanted to be an architect and so there was a natural affinity between the two men. Speer and Hitler built dream cities together. During the rise of the Nazis in Germany, Speer was given the job for making technical arrangements for the huge Nazi rallies. As with all his work, Speer showed great talent.
In 1941, Speer became Minister of Armaments and War Production after the death of Dr. Fritz Todt. Speer showed great talent in the job. Hitler and Goring had been lax in the armaments area after the successful Blitzkrieg campaigns in France and Poland and Speer finally got things moving again.
But Speer and the fanatical Joseph Goebbels, were still not satisfied with the German war effort. The two sought to recruit Goering to their side to counter the power of Martin Bormann and his associates. Bormann had a great deal of influence with Hitler. With the powerful Goering on their side, Speer and Goebbels thought they could overcome the influence of Bormann, et al, and move Hitler toward an all-out war effort.
At first, Goering agreed with them and then, for no apparent reason, dropped the matter and fell back into his state of lethargy (morphine?). Without Goering, the Speer - Goebbels alliance fell apart. If the group had been able to gain more power, the war would probably been extended because Speer and Goebbels knew very well Germany's war weaknesses and how to counter them. But they needed a leader of Goering's stature to advance their cause with Hitler.
Speer had close friendships with several wives of top German leaders. Speer seemed very sympathetic to their problems. The wives, iincluding Eva Braun and Magda Goebbels, confided in Speer whom they seemed to trust completely. These conversations make interesting reading in Speer's book, Inside the Third Reich, my favorite World War 2 book. The book provides a vivid description of the inner workings of the German establishment during the war.
Toward the end of the war, Speer turned against his friend, Hitler, and even considered assassinating him. He refused to carry out Hitler's orders to destroy the German infrastructure (Hitler believed the German people were unworthy of him).
Speer was tried at Nuremberg, where he confessed his part in the crimes of the Nazis. He was given 20 years in prison for his crimes.
Whether Speer was the good Nazi or not will be left for history to decide. He was certainly a cut above the average Nazi leader. But there are many who felt like Speer should have been given the death sentence.
We should all be thankful that the Speer - Goebbels - Goering alliance fell apart. Otherwise, we might still be fighting World War 2.
Friday, June 29, 2007
Could Goering Have Stopped Hitler and Prevented World War 2?
World War 2 Question No. 8: Could Hermann Goering Have Stopped Hitler and Prevented World War 2?
Answer. In the late 30's, Adolf Hitler seemed bound and determined to have his war of revenge. Only one man in Germany had the stature to possibly stop Hitler and he failed to act. Instead, he actually wrote the order that initiated the "final solution" for the German Jewish "problem" although he personally had no grudge against the Jews.
Hermann Goering, the Reich marshal, was second only to Hitler in Nazi Germany. Goering is best know for being commander of the Luftwaffe during the early battles of World War 2.
During World War 1, Goering, possessing great physical courage, was a fighter ace and became a hero to the German people. He met Hitler in 1922 and Hitler was very happy to have the World War 1 ace, Goering, join the Nazi Party where he rapidly rose to high positions. In 1923, Goering marched with Hitler in the Beer Hall Putsch and was severely wounded. During his recovery, he became addicted to morphine, an addiction he struggled with for some time.
Goering was a very shrewd individual and was one of the few Nazi leaders who foresaw the consequences of the war Hitler was starting.
"God save us if we lose this war!" he said as the war began.
The German people loved Goering more than any other of their leaders. He was fat and jolly (Falstaff?) and could make jokes about himself. He loved fancy uniforms and fine living (he even had his own train!) He often presented a garish figure wearing heavy rouge and other makeup and sometimes wearing ladies coats. A really eccentric figure.
Goering had certain good qualities: During the "Night of the Long Knives" when anyone opposing the Nazis was being slaughtered, it was Goering who finally prevailed on Hitler to stop the slaughter. (Cynics have noted that Goering took this action only after his personal enemies had been eliminated.)
Goering also had the good quality of adoring both his wives, Carin (who died early on) and Emmy. (Emmy Goering was of strong character who was not afraid to help her Jewish friends and Goering, on several occasions, had to plead her case with Hitler.)
Goering also had no personal grudge against the Jews as did Hitler and Goebbels and certain other Nazis. He promoted individuals who almost certainly were of Jewish ancestry. When questioned about this, Goebbels said, "I will determine who is Jewish and who is not!" Obviously, Goering was a very confident individual. Goering cynically used the Jewish question as it suited him.
However, Goering's greatest crime of the war was related to the Jewish issue. On July 31, 1941, at Hitler's order, Goering sent a letter to Reinhard Heydrich (a very sadistic individual) ordering him to submit a plan for a "final solution" to the Jewish problem. In doing so, Goering kept to his policy of always carrying out Hitler's orders without protest. Millions of Jews were to die as a result of the "final solution."
Goering was loyal to Hitler until the last days of the war when he tried but failed to take over command of the government. At the Nuremberg trials, Goering had fully recovered from his drug addiction and tried to dominate the other Nazi prisoners to such an extent that he had to be separated from them.
Two hours before he was to hang, Goering committed suicide with a cyanide pill he had kept hidden. Some references report that the German people were pleased to hear that Goering had beat the hangman's noose. He was still their favorite.
It has been said that, of all the leaders of Nazi Germany, Goering was the only one with the stature to have a chance to control Hitler and prevent World War 2. Goering had great physical courage. Too bad he didn't have the moral courage to, at least, try to control Hitler. Tens of millions of people might not have had to die.
Answer. In the late 30's, Adolf Hitler seemed bound and determined to have his war of revenge. Only one man in Germany had the stature to possibly stop Hitler and he failed to act. Instead, he actually wrote the order that initiated the "final solution" for the German Jewish "problem" although he personally had no grudge against the Jews.
Hermann Goering, the Reich marshal, was second only to Hitler in Nazi Germany. Goering is best know for being commander of the Luftwaffe during the early battles of World War 2.
During World War 1, Goering, possessing great physical courage, was a fighter ace and became a hero to the German people. He met Hitler in 1922 and Hitler was very happy to have the World War 1 ace, Goering, join the Nazi Party where he rapidly rose to high positions. In 1923, Goering marched with Hitler in the Beer Hall Putsch and was severely wounded. During his recovery, he became addicted to morphine, an addiction he struggled with for some time.
Goering was a very shrewd individual and was one of the few Nazi leaders who foresaw the consequences of the war Hitler was starting.
"God save us if we lose this war!" he said as the war began.
The German people loved Goering more than any other of their leaders. He was fat and jolly (Falstaff?) and could make jokes about himself. He loved fancy uniforms and fine living (he even had his own train!) He often presented a garish figure wearing heavy rouge and other makeup and sometimes wearing ladies coats. A really eccentric figure.
Goering had certain good qualities: During the "Night of the Long Knives" when anyone opposing the Nazis was being slaughtered, it was Goering who finally prevailed on Hitler to stop the slaughter. (Cynics have noted that Goering took this action only after his personal enemies had been eliminated.)
Goering also had the good quality of adoring both his wives, Carin (who died early on) and Emmy. (Emmy Goering was of strong character who was not afraid to help her Jewish friends and Goering, on several occasions, had to plead her case with Hitler.)
Goering also had no personal grudge against the Jews as did Hitler and Goebbels and certain other Nazis. He promoted individuals who almost certainly were of Jewish ancestry. When questioned about this, Goebbels said, "I will determine who is Jewish and who is not!" Obviously, Goering was a very confident individual. Goering cynically used the Jewish question as it suited him.
However, Goering's greatest crime of the war was related to the Jewish issue. On July 31, 1941, at Hitler's order, Goering sent a letter to Reinhard Heydrich (a very sadistic individual) ordering him to submit a plan for a "final solution" to the Jewish problem. In doing so, Goering kept to his policy of always carrying out Hitler's orders without protest. Millions of Jews were to die as a result of the "final solution."
Goering was loyal to Hitler until the last days of the war when he tried but failed to take over command of the government. At the Nuremberg trials, Goering had fully recovered from his drug addiction and tried to dominate the other Nazi prisoners to such an extent that he had to be separated from them.
Two hours before he was to hang, Goering committed suicide with a cyanide pill he had kept hidden. Some references report that the German people were pleased to hear that Goering had beat the hangman's noose. He was still their favorite.
It has been said that, of all the leaders of Nazi Germany, Goering was the only one with the stature to have a chance to control Hitler and prevent World War 2. Goering had great physical courage. Too bad he didn't have the moral courage to, at least, try to control Hitler. Tens of millions of people might not have had to die.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Who Was Hitler's True Love?
World War 2 Question No. 7: Who was Hitler's true love?
Answer. It is difficult to speak of "Hitler" and "love" in the same sentence considering that he was responsible via World War 2 for the death of about 50,000,000 people. But Hitler had his shares of loves as most folks do.
His overall dealings with women is a little strange. As he rose to power, many women (including American and British women) throw themselves at his feet. Hitler appeared immune to these beauties. In most instances, he seemed to prefer plain German women, e.g., Eva Braun, to the many nordic beauties that were available to him.
But Geli Raubal was different. She was good looking and had a vivacious personality. Hitler fell in love with her and was quoted as saying Geli was the only girl he would have ever married (although he did marry Eva Braun on the last day of his life).
Geli was Hitler's niece by his half-sister, Angela, who served as his housekeeper. Hitler and Geli became virtually inseparable and Hitler, at first, took her everywhere with him. But Hitler's demands for total control of every aspect of Geli's life took a toll on the relationship. Also, jealousy problems arose. According to rumors circulated, Hitler was supposed to marry Winifred Wagner. This, apparently, was an unfounded rumor. On the other side of the coin, Geli's alleged affair with Emile Maurice, Hitler's body guard, did not help matters.
Geli began to revolt and threatened to leave for Vienna. Hitler ordered her not to go and he then left on Septermber 17, 1931 for a political meeting in Hamburg. On September 18, Geli was found shot to death in her apartment. It was an apparent suicide but this supposition has never been proven for sure. There are many other theories about her death. One theory is that Hitler killed Geli in a fit of rage. Another is that Himmler had her killed because the affair was damaging the Nazi Party. The bulk of evidence supports the suicide theory.
Some in Germany talked too much about the Hitler - Geli relationship and Geli's death. They lived (died?) to regret it. Father Bernard Stempfle, who helped Hitler edit Mein Kampf, talked too much about the Hitler - Geli relationship and was found dead with three bullets through the heart.
The cause of Geli Raubal's death is just another of the many mysteries that surround women that were close to Hitler. Most either committed suicide or attempted to commit suicide (or both!). Even the ever-loyal Eva Braun attempted suicide early in their relationship and finally actually commited suicide on the last day of their two lives. Magda Goebbles was very close to Hitler and she chose suicide (the day after Hitler's death) rather than live in a world without Hitler.
Hitler was strange but his women were almost as strange as he!
Answer. It is difficult to speak of "Hitler" and "love" in the same sentence considering that he was responsible via World War 2 for the death of about 50,000,000 people. But Hitler had his shares of loves as most folks do.
His overall dealings with women is a little strange. As he rose to power, many women (including American and British women) throw themselves at his feet. Hitler appeared immune to these beauties. In most instances, he seemed to prefer plain German women, e.g., Eva Braun, to the many nordic beauties that were available to him.
But Geli Raubal was different. She was good looking and had a vivacious personality. Hitler fell in love with her and was quoted as saying Geli was the only girl he would have ever married (although he did marry Eva Braun on the last day of his life).
Geli was Hitler's niece by his half-sister, Angela, who served as his housekeeper. Hitler and Geli became virtually inseparable and Hitler, at first, took her everywhere with him. But Hitler's demands for total control of every aspect of Geli's life took a toll on the relationship. Also, jealousy problems arose. According to rumors circulated, Hitler was supposed to marry Winifred Wagner. This, apparently, was an unfounded rumor. On the other side of the coin, Geli's alleged affair with Emile Maurice, Hitler's body guard, did not help matters.
Geli began to revolt and threatened to leave for Vienna. Hitler ordered her not to go and he then left on Septermber 17, 1931 for a political meeting in Hamburg. On September 18, Geli was found shot to death in her apartment. It was an apparent suicide but this supposition has never been proven for sure. There are many other theories about her death. One theory is that Hitler killed Geli in a fit of rage. Another is that Himmler had her killed because the affair was damaging the Nazi Party. The bulk of evidence supports the suicide theory.
Some in Germany talked too much about the Hitler - Geli relationship and Geli's death. They lived (died?) to regret it. Father Bernard Stempfle, who helped Hitler edit Mein Kampf, talked too much about the Hitler - Geli relationship and was found dead with three bullets through the heart.
The cause of Geli Raubal's death is just another of the many mysteries that surround women that were close to Hitler. Most either committed suicide or attempted to commit suicide (or both!). Even the ever-loyal Eva Braun attempted suicide early in their relationship and finally actually commited suicide on the last day of their two lives. Magda Goebbles was very close to Hitler and she chose suicide (the day after Hitler's death) rather than live in a world without Hitler.
Hitler was strange but his women were almost as strange as he!
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Why Did Magda Goebbels Kill Her 6 Children?
World War 2 Question No. 6. Why Did Magda Goebbels Kill Her 6 Children in the Bunker?
Answer: The Events Regarding Magda Goebbels as World War 2 came to an end is something that could have been in a Shakespeare tragedy. The only modern fiction equal to Magda's real-life story might be Sophie's Choice (book & movie) in which the unfortunate Sophie is forced by a sadistic Nazi concentration camp official to make the awful decision as to which one of her two beloved children will live.
Magda, the wife of Nazi Propaganda Minister, Joseph Goebbels, was a beautiful, somewhat promiscuous woman that often served as a sort of "first lady" to bachelor Adolf Hitler. Hitler was very fond of the Goebbels family who produced six children for Hitler's third reich. In turn, Magda thought so much of Hitler that she began the names of each of the six children with an "H."
Although the Goebbels' marriage was a somewhat stormy one with both Magda and, especially Joseph, taking other lovers, they stayed together and when Hitler retreated to the bunker, Magda, Joseph, and the 6 children followed their hero. Joseph made a decision that they would all die with Hitler. The children were to die because Goebbels felt the children would be used as propaganda against him and the Nazi regime.
Magda was decimated by this decision but apparently did nothing to stop it. Both Hitler and Albert Speer (close friend of Magda as he was to many Nazi big-wig wives - they apparently enjoyed talking to the intelligent and sensitive Speer) tried to convince her to save the children. Speer even offered her refuge. She needed refuge from her husband who was becoming very abnormal as the end of the war approached.
But Magda appeared to have made up her mind that the children were to die.
On Speer's last trip to the bunker, he met with Magda who was in bed totally devastated by the coming death of her children. However, Joseph Goebbels did not leave the pair along and Speer was unable to talk freely with her. Speer bitterly complained about this in "Inside the Third Reich." However, it probably would not have mattered. Magda Goebbels' had made a decision that would leave her name in infamy.
The day after Hitler died, she allegedly fed the children cyanide poison-laced hot chocolate although one report is that they died via injection at Joseph Goebbels' orders. Then Joseph and Magda had themselves shot and their corpes burned by soldiers.
One of the many horror stories of World War 2. Almost certainly, Magda could have saved the children with the all-powerful Hitler and highly-placed Speer on her side - even in the insane environment that existed in the bunker. Magda was just not strong enough to stand up to the fanatical and very abnormal Joseph Goebbels.
However, when the lives of 6 children are at stake, a mother has to develop the strength!
How could she have done it?
Answer: The Events Regarding Magda Goebbels as World War 2 came to an end is something that could have been in a Shakespeare tragedy. The only modern fiction equal to Magda's real-life story might be Sophie's Choice (book & movie) in which the unfortunate Sophie is forced by a sadistic Nazi concentration camp official to make the awful decision as to which one of her two beloved children will live.
Magda, the wife of Nazi Propaganda Minister, Joseph Goebbels, was a beautiful, somewhat promiscuous woman that often served as a sort of "first lady" to bachelor Adolf Hitler. Hitler was very fond of the Goebbels family who produced six children for Hitler's third reich. In turn, Magda thought so much of Hitler that she began the names of each of the six children with an "H."
Although the Goebbels' marriage was a somewhat stormy one with both Magda and, especially Joseph, taking other lovers, they stayed together and when Hitler retreated to the bunker, Magda, Joseph, and the 6 children followed their hero. Joseph made a decision that they would all die with Hitler. The children were to die because Goebbels felt the children would be used as propaganda against him and the Nazi regime.
Magda was decimated by this decision but apparently did nothing to stop it. Both Hitler and Albert Speer (close friend of Magda as he was to many Nazi big-wig wives - they apparently enjoyed talking to the intelligent and sensitive Speer) tried to convince her to save the children. Speer even offered her refuge. She needed refuge from her husband who was becoming very abnormal as the end of the war approached.
But Magda appeared to have made up her mind that the children were to die.
On Speer's last trip to the bunker, he met with Magda who was in bed totally devastated by the coming death of her children. However, Joseph Goebbels did not leave the pair along and Speer was unable to talk freely with her. Speer bitterly complained about this in "Inside the Third Reich." However, it probably would not have mattered. Magda Goebbels' had made a decision that would leave her name in infamy.
The day after Hitler died, she allegedly fed the children cyanide poison-laced hot chocolate although one report is that they died via injection at Joseph Goebbels' orders. Then Joseph and Magda had themselves shot and their corpes burned by soldiers.
One of the many horror stories of World War 2. Almost certainly, Magda could have saved the children with the all-powerful Hitler and highly-placed Speer on her side - even in the insane environment that existed in the bunker. Magda was just not strong enough to stand up to the fanatical and very abnormal Joseph Goebbels.
However, when the lives of 6 children are at stake, a mother has to develop the strength!
How could she have done it?
Monday, June 25, 2007
Was Hitler a Pervert?
Question 5: Was Adolf Hitler a Sexual Pervert?
Answer: During World War 2, the Allies started many rumors about Hitler for propaganda purposes. For example, when France surrendered, Hitler was shown over and over in the newsreels as apparently dancing a jig. After the war, the truth was released. The "jig" was actually the result of some fancy photo shop work by clever Allied intelligence.
Other rumors circulated about Hitler was that he had only one testicle (this was apparently supposed to prove that Hitler was not normal and, possibly, explain why he was so mad at the world) and also that Hitler was a sexual pervert.
Again, after the war, Hitler's doctors reported that Hitler had two testicles so he was not abnormal in that sense. Also, those persons closest to Hitler and to Eva Braun, Hitler's mistress and wife of one day, reported that Hitler's sex life was perfectly normal. Indeed, Hitler's sex life was so normal, it would be considered boring by today's standards.
Many German beauties (and some British and American women), threw themselves at Hitler and he could have had almost any women he wanted. Instead, he seemed to prefer "typical" German women such as the plain Eva Braun whom he seemed to genuinely care for.
Eva was his mistress for many years, but Hitler kept the affair from the German people because he did not want to upset their sensibilities (how conventional can you get?). When Hitler had big-wig visitors who did not know about his relationship with Eva, Eva was banned from the social gatherings. She often spent these "banned" periods talking with Albert Speer, a close associate of Hitler's, who had a genuine liking for her. When Hitler's inner circle had a social gathering, the ban was not in effect because they all knew about Eva. Eva could then join the close friends which often included Speer.
A possible evidence of perversion with Hitler was the Rebata Mueller incident. She claimed that while visiting Hitler at the Chancellery, he threw himself on the floor and begged her to kick him and inflict pain. The truth about this alleged event will probably never be known since Ms. Mueller apparently committed suicide shortly after the event was supposed to have taken place. (Her sister denied that Ms. Mueller committed suicide inferring that she was murdered.)
Hitler summed up his love life best when he told someone that he had had many disappointments in his love affairs. It appears that even when his love affairs were consummated, they were about as exciting as the love life of Ma and Pa Kettle.
Hitler was into power and not sex!
Answer: During World War 2, the Allies started many rumors about Hitler for propaganda purposes. For example, when France surrendered, Hitler was shown over and over in the newsreels as apparently dancing a jig. After the war, the truth was released. The "jig" was actually the result of some fancy photo shop work by clever Allied intelligence.
Other rumors circulated about Hitler was that he had only one testicle (this was apparently supposed to prove that Hitler was not normal and, possibly, explain why he was so mad at the world) and also that Hitler was a sexual pervert.
Again, after the war, Hitler's doctors reported that Hitler had two testicles so he was not abnormal in that sense. Also, those persons closest to Hitler and to Eva Braun, Hitler's mistress and wife of one day, reported that Hitler's sex life was perfectly normal. Indeed, Hitler's sex life was so normal, it would be considered boring by today's standards.
Many German beauties (and some British and American women), threw themselves at Hitler and he could have had almost any women he wanted. Instead, he seemed to prefer "typical" German women such as the plain Eva Braun whom he seemed to genuinely care for.
Eva was his mistress for many years, but Hitler kept the affair from the German people because he did not want to upset their sensibilities (how conventional can you get?). When Hitler had big-wig visitors who did not know about his relationship with Eva, Eva was banned from the social gatherings. She often spent these "banned" periods talking with Albert Speer, a close associate of Hitler's, who had a genuine liking for her. When Hitler's inner circle had a social gathering, the ban was not in effect because they all knew about Eva. Eva could then join the close friends which often included Speer.
A possible evidence of perversion with Hitler was the Rebata Mueller incident. She claimed that while visiting Hitler at the Chancellery, he threw himself on the floor and begged her to kick him and inflict pain. The truth about this alleged event will probably never be known since Ms. Mueller apparently committed suicide shortly after the event was supposed to have taken place. (Her sister denied that Ms. Mueller committed suicide inferring that she was murdered.)
Hitler summed up his love life best when he told someone that he had had many disappointments in his love affairs. It appears that even when his love affairs were consummated, they were about as exciting as the love life of Ma and Pa Kettle.
Hitler was into power and not sex!
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Did the Brilliant but Egotistical, Panzer General, Guderian Cost Germany World War 2?
Question No. 4: Did General Guderian, the Brilliant Panzer General, Cause Germany to Lose World War 2 Because of His Egotism?
Answer: In late 1941, Guderian, the seemingly invincible German Panzer general, set off a series of events on the Russian front that some experts say cost the Germans World War 2.
Guderian, who never lost a battle, reported indrectly to General Halder, a far less brilliant but solid general. Their forces were moving to attack Moscow in late 1941. Guderian's Panzer divisions were to play a key role in the attack. But Guderian had had enough of the plodding General Halder. Guderian, Hitler's favorite general at the time, went straight to Hitler and talked him into letting him .take his powerful Panzer divisions on a lengthy diversion to the south away from Moscow and away from General Halder's other forces. Halder fumed (Guderian claimed Halder had a breakdown) but there was nothing Halder could do - Guderian was Hitler's pet.
Guderian's Panzer divisions wiped out about a million Russians and put entire Russian armies out of commission during the southern expedition.
But Moscow remained in Russian hands as winter approached.
When Guderian returned to the Moscow attack (with tracks virtually worn off his tanks according to some observers), the attack was out of phase and faltered. Winter caught the Germans in the open before Moscow, and the ensuing Russian counterattack in the frigid weather caused many German solders to be slaughtered when Hitler compounded his errors by refusing to allow the German armies to retreat to a safe defense line.
Early in 1942, Hitler summoned Guderian to his headquarters and relieved him of his command. Guderian was never allowed to return to effective combat duty for the remainder of the war. Germany's best "tactical" general had bitten the dust.
Had Moscow been captured, the Germans could have wintered in the city and, likely, would have forced the Russians from the war in 1942. Without Russia, the Allies would probably have been forced to settle for a draw with Germany.
Can a person be too brilliant?
(As you might suspect, Guderian, in post-war interviews told a somewhat different story of the incident. But the preponderance of evidence appears to be against him.)
Answer: In late 1941, Guderian, the seemingly invincible German Panzer general, set off a series of events on the Russian front that some experts say cost the Germans World War 2.
Guderian, who never lost a battle, reported indrectly to General Halder, a far less brilliant but solid general. Their forces were moving to attack Moscow in late 1941. Guderian's Panzer divisions were to play a key role in the attack. But Guderian had had enough of the plodding General Halder. Guderian, Hitler's favorite general at the time, went straight to Hitler and talked him into letting him .take his powerful Panzer divisions on a lengthy diversion to the south away from Moscow and away from General Halder's other forces. Halder fumed (Guderian claimed Halder had a breakdown) but there was nothing Halder could do - Guderian was Hitler's pet.
Guderian's Panzer divisions wiped out about a million Russians and put entire Russian armies out of commission during the southern expedition.
But Moscow remained in Russian hands as winter approached.
When Guderian returned to the Moscow attack (with tracks virtually worn off his tanks according to some observers), the attack was out of phase and faltered. Winter caught the Germans in the open before Moscow, and the ensuing Russian counterattack in the frigid weather caused many German solders to be slaughtered when Hitler compounded his errors by refusing to allow the German armies to retreat to a safe defense line.
Early in 1942, Hitler summoned Guderian to his headquarters and relieved him of his command. Guderian was never allowed to return to effective combat duty for the remainder of the war. Germany's best "tactical" general had bitten the dust.
Had Moscow been captured, the Germans could have wintered in the city and, likely, would have forced the Russians from the war in 1942. Without Russia, the Allies would probably have been forced to settle for a draw with Germany.
Can a person be too brilliant?
(As you might suspect, Guderian, in post-war interviews told a somewhat different story of the incident. But the preponderance of evidence appears to be against him.)
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Did the French Fight Cowardly in World War 2?
Question 3: Did the French Fight Cowardly in World War 2?
Answer: Right away, I must admit that no question about World War 2 irritates me as much as this question. The reason is that the right wing, and most notably, Rush Limbaugh, has criticized the "poor" performance of the French as a way to punish them for not going along with former President George W. Bush's fiasco in Iraq.
I am also incensed because I live in Louisiana where at least a third of the population is of French heritage, and yet, I have had to watch these Louisiana descendants of France attack their French cousins as if the French were a mortal enemy of the U.S. They even talked of renaming the French Quarter of New Orleans to get rid of the "French" word. It hurts me to see people deny their heritage and it really hurts to see how fellow Louisiana citizens are naive enough to listen to the likes of Rush Limbaugh.
But to return to the question. There is no doubt that the French fought poorly in World War 2. But they were not cowards. Time and time again, the French prepared to face frontal onslaughts by the German forces only to find thmselves outflanked and outsmarted and were forced to retreat, again. The Germans under brilliant generals like Guderian and Rommel, were too smart to make frontal assaults unless it was absolutely necessary. They preferred to attack weak points rather than strong points.
The old French generals, experienced only in World War 1 trench warfare tactics, never knew what hit them.
Answer: Right away, I must admit that no question about World War 2 irritates me as much as this question. The reason is that the right wing, and most notably, Rush Limbaugh, has criticized the "poor" performance of the French as a way to punish them for not going along with former President George W. Bush's fiasco in Iraq.
I am also incensed because I live in Louisiana where at least a third of the population is of French heritage, and yet, I have had to watch these Louisiana descendants of France attack their French cousins as if the French were a mortal enemy of the U.S. They even talked of renaming the French Quarter of New Orleans to get rid of the "French" word. It hurts me to see people deny their heritage and it really hurts to see how fellow Louisiana citizens are naive enough to listen to the likes of Rush Limbaugh.
But to return to the question. There is no doubt that the French fought poorly in World War 2. But they were not cowards. Time and time again, the French prepared to face frontal onslaughts by the German forces only to find thmselves outflanked and outsmarted and were forced to retreat, again. The Germans under brilliant generals like Guderian and Rommel, were too smart to make frontal assaults unless it was absolutely necessary. They preferred to attack weak points rather than strong points.
The old French generals, experienced only in World War 1 trench warfare tactics, never knew what hit them.
No, the French were not cowardly - they simply got the crap beat out of them by a much smarter military force. The French were prepared for a World War 1 trench warfare-type fight. They were unprepared for the German Blitzkrieg assault which featured mobility and quickness.
The French lost badly but they were not cowardly. They were just stupid. There is a difference. See France in World War 2 for more on the French defeat in World War 2.
Could Germany Have Won World War 2?
Question No. 2. Could Germany Have Won World War 2?
This is another frequently asked question on World War 2. The answer depends somewhat on the answer to Question No. 1 regarding whether Germany could have successfully invaded and conquered Britain in World War 2. Germany did not have to conquer Britain to win the war but it would have been difficult for them to win without accomplishing that conquest.
One scenario for Germany winning involved a much more aggressive armaments program coupled with a better planned attack on Russia in 1941. This scenario would have required the Germans to make a concerted effort to capture Moscow in 1941 instead of dividing their forces in three widely separated Russian offenses. All the multiple offenses did achieve quite a measure of success but the Germans failed to capture Moscow before the savage winter of 1941-42 set in. Instead, the force attacking Moscow found itself in the open as winter set in. They took tremendous losses as Hitler delayed allowing the German armies to retreat as the Russians counterattacked in the snow. The Germans had to capture Moscow! If they had captured Moscow, the Germans could have wintered there and Russia likely would have had to pull out of the war in 1942.
As far as the armaments effort went, Hitler was surprisingly very conscious of German public opinion and hesitated upsetting them by going with a 100% war effort as Goebbels, and later, Speer, advocated. For example, after France fell, Hitler sent a substantial part of the army home. Airplane production was in slow motion (Britain was actually producing more aircraft than Germany) and Hitler never allowed the German women to be mobilized as Russia, Britain, and the U.S. did. He dawdled in these areas even as he planned the attack on Russia. These are unbelievable actions for a country entering a world war. Hitler's relative inactivity from the fall of France to the Russian invasion was his greatest weakness. Later, his emphasis on producing "secret weapons" (unneeded long range bombers, death rays, etc,) instead of badly-needed conventional weapons (fighter planes, etc.) was almost as bad.
In addition to the Russian option, Hitler might have forced a draw in the war by not attacking Russia at all and, instead, adopting a Mediterranean strategy. This would have involved capturing Gibraltar and all of North Africa and the Middle East. By making the Mediterranean his lake, Hitler could likely have held out indefinitely. Turkey would probably have had to enter the war on Germany's side. These events would have put considerable pressure on Russia and they might have given in to whatever demands Hitler made of them.
But the fly in the ointment for the Mediterranean strategy was Franco and Spain. Franco, although a Fascist, would not enter World War 2 on Germany's side (actually, he just kept putting Hitler off with half promises). Without Spain's support, capturing Gibraltar was a much more daunting task. And Hitler liked easy "Blitzkrieg" type victories.
This is another frequently asked question on World War 2. The answer depends somewhat on the answer to Question No. 1 regarding whether Germany could have successfully invaded and conquered Britain in World War 2. Germany did not have to conquer Britain to win the war but it would have been difficult for them to win without accomplishing that conquest.
One scenario for Germany winning involved a much more aggressive armaments program coupled with a better planned attack on Russia in 1941. This scenario would have required the Germans to make a concerted effort to capture Moscow in 1941 instead of dividing their forces in three widely separated Russian offenses. All the multiple offenses did achieve quite a measure of success but the Germans failed to capture Moscow before the savage winter of 1941-42 set in. Instead, the force attacking Moscow found itself in the open as winter set in. They took tremendous losses as Hitler delayed allowing the German armies to retreat as the Russians counterattacked in the snow. The Germans had to capture Moscow! If they had captured Moscow, the Germans could have wintered there and Russia likely would have had to pull out of the war in 1942.
As far as the armaments effort went, Hitler was surprisingly very conscious of German public opinion and hesitated upsetting them by going with a 100% war effort as Goebbels, and later, Speer, advocated. For example, after France fell, Hitler sent a substantial part of the army home. Airplane production was in slow motion (Britain was actually producing more aircraft than Germany) and Hitler never allowed the German women to be mobilized as Russia, Britain, and the U.S. did. He dawdled in these areas even as he planned the attack on Russia. These are unbelievable actions for a country entering a world war. Hitler's relative inactivity from the fall of France to the Russian invasion was his greatest weakness. Later, his emphasis on producing "secret weapons" (unneeded long range bombers, death rays, etc,) instead of badly-needed conventional weapons (fighter planes, etc.) was almost as bad.
In addition to the Russian option, Hitler might have forced a draw in the war by not attacking Russia at all and, instead, adopting a Mediterranean strategy. This would have involved capturing Gibraltar and all of North Africa and the Middle East. By making the Mediterranean his lake, Hitler could likely have held out indefinitely. Turkey would probably have had to enter the war on Germany's side. These events would have put considerable pressure on Russia and they might have given in to whatever demands Hitler made of them.
But the fly in the ointment for the Mediterranean strategy was Franco and Spain. Franco, although a Fascist, would not enter World War 2 on Germany's side (actually, he just kept putting Hitler off with half promises). Without Spain's support, capturing Gibraltar was a much more daunting task. And Hitler liked easy "Blitzkrieg" type victories.
Friday, June 22, 2007
Could Germany Have Invaded and Conquered Britain?
The blog will attempt to answer questions about World War 2 that persist even 60 years after the war ended.
Question 1: Could Germany have successfully invaded and conquered Britain in World War 2?
Answer: I get this question more frequently on my Germany in World War 2 web site than any other question. It is also my personal number one question.
After the German blitzkrieg victory over France in 1940, Britain, at first glance, appeared ready to be conquered. A large part of the British army after Dunkirk was virtually disarmed since they had had to leave their weapons on the Dunkirk beaches. The argument goes that Germany had to strike quickly to invade and conquer Britain. Then North Africa, the Middle East, and Russia would have fallen over like a row of dominos.
Germany would have won the war!
Would Britain Have Folded if Invaded? The assumption that Britain could have been easily conquered is an erroneous assumption in my opinion. Sure, the army was badly hurt but the British Navy was still powerful and the fairly small Royal Air Force was very competent. Britain was not whipped yet!
But Germany's major problem was that they had only a small navy with virtually no transport vessels to land troops in Britain. They would have had to depend on paratroopers and on river barges to transport soldiers across the English channel. The thin-hulled river barges would have been sitting ducks for the RAF and the British Navy. And, with the homeland at stake, Britain would thrown everything into the battle. No doubt, the German Luftwaffe would also have been thrown wholeheartedly into the battle against the British Navy whose vessels would have been sittling ducks in the narrow English Channel.
The resulting battle would have been one that would have lived in infamy because of its fury and because so much was at stake. Loss of life and equipment on both sides would have been horrendous. There is little doubt that German paratroopers could have seized a beachhead along the British coast but holding on that beachhead would have been difficult. The British would have fought back like cornered rats with every weapon they could get their hands on: World War 1 weapons, shotguns, hunting rifles, pistols, pitchforks, glass bottles filled with gasoline, etc. And what about America? Could we have sat back and allowed our British buddies go down the drain. Hardly! Our army was small and weak at the time but we would have done what we could. Roosevelt was that kind of man.
It is likely that at many as a hundred thousand British soldiers, sailors, and airmen would have died in the battle. Also likely is that one-half the RAF would have been destroyed along with perhaps one-quarter of the British Navy. On the German side, the casualties would have been at least equal to that of the British. (Can you imagine the horror of the German soldiers trapped in river barges as the barges were sent to the briny depths?)
One of the keys to the battle would have been the fine leadership of the RAF. The RAF fighters would certainly have concentrated on sinking the soldier-laden barges and avoided meaningless air duels with German fighters. (Similar to their strategy during the Battle of Britain when that battle took place.)
When the greatest land-sea-air battle of all time was over, I believe the British would have held off the Germans.
No, I think Hitler carefully considered the risks involved in invading Britain and wisely decided against it. He had bigger fish to fry with the upcoming attack on Russia. Hitler was only a corporal during his military service but he had a far better feel for strategy than many of his generals.
But many experts say Hitler had no choice. He had to roll the dice and try to conquer Britain. Otherwise, the British would remain a thorn in his backside (as they did) as he moved against Russia.
Question 1: Could Germany have successfully invaded and conquered Britain in World War 2?
Answer: I get this question more frequently on my Germany in World War 2 web site than any other question. It is also my personal number one question.
After the German blitzkrieg victory over France in 1940, Britain, at first glance, appeared ready to be conquered. A large part of the British army after Dunkirk was virtually disarmed since they had had to leave their weapons on the Dunkirk beaches. The argument goes that Germany had to strike quickly to invade and conquer Britain. Then North Africa, the Middle East, and Russia would have fallen over like a row of dominos.
Germany would have won the war!
Would Britain Have Folded if Invaded? The assumption that Britain could have been easily conquered is an erroneous assumption in my opinion. Sure, the army was badly hurt but the British Navy was still powerful and the fairly small Royal Air Force was very competent. Britain was not whipped yet!
But Germany's major problem was that they had only a small navy with virtually no transport vessels to land troops in Britain. They would have had to depend on paratroopers and on river barges to transport soldiers across the English channel. The thin-hulled river barges would have been sitting ducks for the RAF and the British Navy. And, with the homeland at stake, Britain would thrown everything into the battle. No doubt, the German Luftwaffe would also have been thrown wholeheartedly into the battle against the British Navy whose vessels would have been sittling ducks in the narrow English Channel.
The resulting battle would have been one that would have lived in infamy because of its fury and because so much was at stake. Loss of life and equipment on both sides would have been horrendous. There is little doubt that German paratroopers could have seized a beachhead along the British coast but holding on that beachhead would have been difficult. The British would have fought back like cornered rats with every weapon they could get their hands on: World War 1 weapons, shotguns, hunting rifles, pistols, pitchforks, glass bottles filled with gasoline, etc. And what about America? Could we have sat back and allowed our British buddies go down the drain. Hardly! Our army was small and weak at the time but we would have done what we could. Roosevelt was that kind of man.
It is likely that at many as a hundred thousand British soldiers, sailors, and airmen would have died in the battle. Also likely is that one-half the RAF would have been destroyed along with perhaps one-quarter of the British Navy. On the German side, the casualties would have been at least equal to that of the British. (Can you imagine the horror of the German soldiers trapped in river barges as the barges were sent to the briny depths?)
One of the keys to the battle would have been the fine leadership of the RAF. The RAF fighters would certainly have concentrated on sinking the soldier-laden barges and avoided meaningless air duels with German fighters. (Similar to their strategy during the Battle of Britain when that battle took place.)
When the greatest land-sea-air battle of all time was over, I believe the British would have held off the Germans.
No, I think Hitler carefully considered the risks involved in invading Britain and wisely decided against it. He had bigger fish to fry with the upcoming attack on Russia. Hitler was only a corporal during his military service but he had a far better feel for strategy than many of his generals.
But many experts say Hitler had no choice. He had to roll the dice and try to conquer Britain. Otherwise, the British would remain a thorn in his backside (as they did) as he moved against Russia.
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