WHY FALKENHAYN FELL.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 219, 22 November 1916, Page 4

WHY FALKENHAYN FELL.

REPORTED PROPOSAL TO EVACUATE FRENCH TERRITORY. Latest reports here from Berlin give more precise details regarding the dismissal of General von Falkenhayn. According to this version Falkenhayn predicted the complete downfall of Bulgaria as a result of the converging attacks of the Allies, and the consequent interruption of communications with Turkey. H e urged that the inevitable should be anticipated and the whole Balkan campaign abandoned forthwith.

Next Falkenhayn proposed to shorten the Austro-German front in the east by abandoning more of Galicia and falling back to a line running approximately through Bielostok and Brest-Litovsk and thence southwards along the Riv-. er Bug, this to be followed by the shortening of the line on the Roumanian front by withdrawing to defensive positions running straight from Orsova to Dorna Vatra.

On tlie western front Falkenhayn suggested the immediate evacuation of occupied French territory and the creation of a new line of defences running from Nieuport along the Franco-Belgian frontier to Longwy, and thence along the Franco-German frontier to Alsace. The transformation of German strategy into a purely defensive campaign on much shorter fronts would, he argued paralyse the Allies and make it impossible for them to crush Austro-German resistance unless they fought with unlimited resources of men for ten years. Persistence on the present plan of campaign on extensive fronts would, he said, lead to disaster. Hindenburg denounced this advice as coldish and) yjpwardly unworthy of Germans. The Kaiser took Hindenburg’s view and dismissed Falkenhaj n. Wireless Press.