THE COCKPIT OF EUROPE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 6, Issue 97, 10 August 1943, Page 4

THE COCKPIT OF EUROPE

THE resignation of Mussolini, the conquest of Sicily, the resounding victories of the Russians, the devastating raids of the R.A.F. on Axis pulse centres must all have a heartening effect upon the countries now held in thrall by Nazi overlords and according to latest reports there is evidence of very widespread unrest throughout the Balkan States. This part of South-Eastern Europe is held under German domination for both military and economic reasons. If internal disorders in the various States became really serious, the effects would react upon German strategy, for Hitler would be obliged to augment his occupation troops to safeguard Axis military interests. To have a clearer understanding of the position it is necessary to review the relationships of the Balkan States to the Axis. Hungary is definitely allied to the Axis, but from ulterior motives rather than from sincere attachment to totalitarian principles. The German bribe for Hungary's allegiance is the promise of a slice of Transylvania at the expense of Rumania, who covets and claims the whole of that region. Hostile feeling between these two States is said to have become acute, so much so, it has been reported, that Hungarian forces have been stationed on the Rumanian frontier instead of being sent to the Russian front to relieve the pressure there. Rumania, formerly under guarantee of protection by Britain and France, but swung over to the Axis side following the establishment of General Antonescu's dictatorship, has since had reason, in the heavy losses her divisions have suffered recently in fighting with the Germans against the Russians, to regret her new alignment with Hitler and Mussolini. This alignment could not, in the nature of the circumstances, have been widely popular among the Rumanian people then and must be still less now. Albania is completely hostile to the Axis, and a constant thorn in Italy's side. Yugoslavia is split between the rival affiliations of the Croats and the Serbs. The Croats have a puppet Government under Axis tutelage, while the Serbs, under their famous guerrilla general, have made the task of the German occupation troops holding down the country so difficult that these have had to be heavily reinforced. The Serb leader, General Mihailovich, has a guerrilla army of from 145,000 to 150,000, and, according to reports, its successful activities have compelled the Axis to maintain divisions totalling 400,000 to uphold its position in that part of the country. Bulgaria is allied to the Axis, but since the German attack on Russia this allegiance has become popularly weakened by the disinclination of the Bulgarians, who are Slavs, to make war op their Slav neighbours, the Russians. On the other hand,, it is considered that they would have no hesitation about attacking Turkey, their old enemy, and the prospects of war with that country is said to be the most popular theme of discussion among the Bulgars. Greece, it need hardly be added, is merely awaiting the day and the opportunity for turning against her German aggressors. It will thus be seen that the Axis Powers have no cause for complacency regarding their hold on the Balkans. It rests partly on conquest, partly on political bribery and corruption, and, finally, and most important, upon the developments of events on the Russian front. The present trend of these events has had reactions in the Balkans in the lowering of German military prestige, and fears of the future following the defeat of the Axis in the war, an eventuality the possibility of which by this time must have begun to penetrate the minds of the Balkan peoples as something of a grim reality. The present outbreak of internal disorders may be symptomatic of just such reactions.