WHY GERMANY LOST

Taihape Daily Times, 12 May 1919, Page 7

WHY GERMANY LOST

HUN'S GREATEST MISTAKE

These Germans who are no. just now pre-occupicd with setting up separate republics in their home villages or transforming idyllic beer gaT&ens into riotous Soviet headquarters find it a fascinating pastime to figure out why Germany has lost the war Thus Co-:<ȣ MOnts de Mazin, sometime German Ambasador in Rome, publishes an article in the "Berliner Tageblatf" Tabulating, with praiseworthy candour, the series of errors which in his opinion caused the collapse of the German Imperial machine. The greatest mistake according to the count, was no other than the invasion of Belgium. But it was not the only one. The German diplomatist enumerates them 1 all as follows: 1. Errors about Russia The German General Staff thought it had several months at its disposal before thebulk of the RtTssfan forces could reach the Prussian border. It did not know that the armies of Siberia, the Caucasus and Turkestan were already on their way westward. This unexpected rapidity of the Russian mobilisation shattered the German plan of campaign, which consisted in finishing France with one blow and then throw the whole combined strength of the Central Powers against Russia. 2. Error about Italy. Until the last moment the German General Staff counted upon the active supporl of Italy. The assumption was that Italy would "tie down" 300,0000 Frenchmen on the Alpine frontier A German

military mission actually arrived at Florence but was told there to "beat it homo." At Freiburg every arrangement was made for the reception ~3f an Italian cavalry division, the 1 " sun-

posed vanguard of the Fourth Italian army. 3. Error about England. In Berlin the admonitions of the British Government were called "English bluff." Nobody believed that the invasion of BeV ■gixsm would serve as a "casus' belli" for England. Moreover, the German Admiralty underrated the strength of the British navy and overestimated its own.

4. Error about France, According to Count Monts, Moltke/s original advice, as quoted by Bismarck, wasfi in the case of a war on two fronts, to attack Russia first, maintaining a defensive against the French, whose eastern frontier was considered impregnable. In 1919 the German General Staff lost no time in taTun'g " the alternative course —attempting to invade France via Belgium, in order to get around the fortifications in Lorraine. The moral., according to Count Monts is as follows: —"The Germans should not have invaded. Belgium "