THE DEATH OF GERMAN HOPES.
LAST PHASE 01? THE WAR,
The massive tome on which von Ludendorif lias bison engaged ever since the course of events removed him from participation in active military operations will probably prove too ponderous for the average reader, but a skilful summary of its most purple patches from the pen of Mr. J. L. (iarvin is worth quoting:—"The rapidity with which American troops were reaching France' confounded Ludcndorii. But sit first iu> was far from realising or suspecting the possibilities of .Inch's conuter-olicn'sive. The great awakening only came after the- British advance 'on August S. Jt was the death of hope. He wished to resign then. We put a few detached sentences together to show the working of his mind:—'The fate of the German people was for me too high a stake: the war must be ended. . . I was not a dictator like Clemeneeau and Lloyd George. ... I understood now that'a successful issue was impossible. I saw the approach of the disaster which it had been my life's work to iivert.' Through those terrible last weeks catastrophe was sweeping on from the circumference to the centre."
"On Ludendorff's instructions to a subordinate, Hindenburg signed an army order declaring: 'Wilson's answer is a demand for unconditional surrender. It is thus unacceptable to us soldiers.' This was usurpation of the Imperial prerogative by the dictator sprung from small people. The armv order was dated October 24. A political tempest burst on G.H.Q. >On the morning of October 2fi Ludendorfi wrote out his resignation. Hindenburg induced him to withdraw it. But in a few hours the Chief of Staff was summoned to the Kaiser at Bellevue Castle. Ludemlorff was loaded with reproaches and dismissed there and then. 'Ho writes: 'I went back alone After mv return to the General Staff Office I said with the deepest anxietv to my officers there that in a for Wight there would no longer lie any Emperor in Germany They clearly held the same view." On the same day, October -2fl. came the farewell to Hindenburg. X,»xt day came the harder farewell to G.H.Q. at'Spn'ln the everting T left Spa". Tn Vix-la-Chapelle T sought out mv first war quarters. I thought of Liege. There I had staked my manhood and had not changed since. My muscles braced themselves. | went back home.' These are,manly words. There was no Emperor of Germany in a fortnight. The Hnhcnzollenis practically vanish,.,! with the military dictator."
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Taranaki Daily News, 3 January 1920, Page 9
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409THE DEATH OF GERMAN HOPES. Taranaki Daily News, 3 January 1920, Page 9
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