Название: Dunkirk The First of Many Mistakes: True Stories from the Second World War
Автор: Roger Payne Oam
Издательство: Vij Books India
Год: 2020
Страниц: 570
Язык: английский
Формат: pdf, epub, mobi
Размер: 10.2 MB

Adolf Hitler was an Austrian who joined the German Army in 1914, and was the product of the upheaval in German society after the 1st World War. The Kaiser (Emperor of Germany and King of Prussia, Wilhelm II), had been forced to abdicate becuase of Germany’s failure to win the war. In the aftermath Hitler was one of many spy’s the Army sent to observe and report on the proliferation of Beer Hall political factions that had sprung up in Munich who were demanding radical changes to the government policies of the day. In one of these beerhalls he liked what he was hearing so instead of spying on the group, he stood up and began to put forward ideas to improve it. They were so impressed with the logic and eloquence of what he had to say they immediately recruited him into the fledging faction eventually called the Nazi party. Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (National-Socialist German Workers’ Party).

At the time Germany had widespread hyperinflation, massive unemployment, and the people were absolutely fed up with the weak, indecisive government and its inability to sort the state of economy out. It was into this melting pot of absolute confusion, daily violence and radical political debate that the NAZI party began invading the streets and demanding change. Unfortunately other radical parties were doing the same and inevitably these groups began to clash with one another and bloody fighting became commonplace. Inevitably the police were called in to sort out the fighting and during one clash several police were killed. Afterwards the police raided all the Beerhalls and arrested dozens of men from different groups. Hitler was amongst them and even though they had no evidence he was involved in the killings he was sentenced to 6 years jail.

After nine months in prison, political pressure from supporters of the Nazi Party forced his release. During the next few years the party grew until it was the biggest in the country and had become a fanatical mass movement that was able to gain a majority in the German parliament (the Reichstag) and by 1932 nobody could stand against them. Since the beginning Hitler was building the case for the ‘Führer principle’ — a belief in the iron infallibility of the leader. Whenever he spoke Hitler spun a picture into a colourful oral tapestry that the majority of the people listening liked, and he was able to convinced them they had a future as a nation if led by the Nazi party.

On paper the combined forces of the French and the British outnumbered the Germans by 2 to 1 in infantry, artillery, and tanks. The biggest mistake they made was assuming they could rely upon 1st World War tactics and the long line of French concrete bunkers called the ‘Maginot Line’ to protect them. They expected the Germans to do a frontal attack against heavily dug in troops who were protected by extensive minefields and barbed wire, and covered by artillery, and they would eventually wear themselves out and sue for peace. This was old school thinking that successfully ended the 1st World War. The Germans had no intention of attacking a well dug in enemy the old way. Instead they used ‘Blitzkrieg’ tactics.

When the German Army attacked the Allies on the 10th, May 1940 they were completely outnumbered in tanks, artillery and men. The French and the British were also far more mechanised. So it beggars the question: How could an Army that was far more modern and twice the size of its opponent get beaten so easily? The answer is really quite simple - Poor Leadership, Overconfidence, and Incompetence.