HITLER LOST THE WAR

Chronicle (Levin), 4 June 1949, Page 5

HITLER LOST THE WAR

^ Reuter *

Wermacht Chiefs Attack On Fiihrer

CowHdht ) -

Received Friday 8.30 a.m, LONDON, - June 3. A vigorous controversy has arisen as a result of the publication in Germany of a pamp'hlet entitled ' '.Hitler the War Lord" by Colonel General Franz vort Halder, former Chief of Stafic of tho Wehrmacht. Although the pamphlet. profeeses to be a critical attempt to clestroy Hitler's reputation as a- military leader it can also be construed as an attempt by Halder to prove^that it Hitler had left the cQnduet of the waf to the German General Stafl Gel'man.s would have woii the war. Halder begins by accusing Hitler ot losing the Battle of Dunkirk by refustng to allow the German Army t° P1'0' Ceed with the destructioh of the encjr:led British Expeditionary Force, Hitler did this, Halder alleged, because Goering urged hirn not to let the Arxny generals have the credit for the victory-, and asked that the Luftwaffe should be given the opportunity of destroying tho British, Halder 's seeond eharge is that Ilitlei oecame infatuated with the suCeesses oi Rommel in North Africa with the rc sult that he diverted too many German resources to what was intended by the Army chiefs to be mereiy an important diversionary operation. Thirdly, Halder claims that by delaying his attack upon Russia in order to intervene in Greeee and Yugoslavia Hitler lost two invaluable months. When he did launch the German attack he refused to permit the issue of win ter clothing to the German armies because he believed tlie campaign would be over in two months. Finally, when the early stages of the4 German attaciv brought the Wehrmacht within sight of Moscow, Leningrad and the Caucasus, Iiitler fell into the e'rror of' believing that the Russians were defeated, ahd diverted the forces which were needed to .-omplete the German victory. According to Halder, Hitler ' ' dev/i'sed t'antastic plans for moving one million men across the Steppes of. Russia as though they were a battalion on a parade ground. When Halder criticised these plans Hitler flew into a rage, ioamed at the mouth and dismissed Halder fronv hfs appointment. Halder claims that von Paulus, even when he was surrounded at Stalingrad, could have fOught his way baelc, but Hitler forbade him to give ground fot prestige reasons. Another vei'led exeuse for the German military failures put forward by Halder is his recital ; of . the various means by which Hitler progressiveiy restricted the authority of the Army Leaders and delegated it to political'ap pomtees. The special Nazi organisations which Hitler set up inside the German Army, and over which he retained complete command, broke up the uuity of the German arined forces and destroyed their efficieney. , 4nother example' ' of this was the building of the Atlantic "Wall defences under the direction of onb of Hitler's chief supportev's, the engiileer Todt. These defences, Halder claims, serve-.i tio useful purpose but drained German manpower resources at critical periods. Finally, reverting to Hitler's faiiure to subdue Britain, Halder .claims that the Fuhrer had brought no military thinking to bear on the problein because the politician in him was convinced that Britain would surrendel' after the i'ail of France. The eover in whieh Halder 's pamphlet is publisked is regarded as the. most provoeative. It is in black and red, the Nazi colours, and shows Hitler iu full military uniform wearing decora cious and holding a statuesque pose. According to reports from Berlin, the pamphlet is being sold out immediately it appears in the shops and on bookstalla