Hitler’s Next Strike
(Copyright by P.P.S.) Persistent report of German troop concentrations along the southern frontiers of Rumania in preparation to an intended occupation of Bulgaria through which the Axis would strike against Greece, are very confusing in relation to other reports from the other end of the Continent,, viz., pressure upon France and concentration of German army along the Pyrenees and close to the Brenner Pass. The writer has a shrewd suspicion that all these contradictory rumours are part of the Nazi propaganda :o diffuse the world’s attention, a kind of war of nerves. Behind this smokescreen, the Nazis are certainly preparing a definite move. In what direction is rather difficult lo foretell. It is a well known fact that the Nazi forces have been divided into nvo main armies. One of them is massed along the south west theatre with outpost, of thinly strung units along the whole northern and western coast of France. A special invasion corps is training in Norway. The other army is concentrated from the Lower Silesia through the Moravian Gateway to Austria with strong outposts along the Polish-Soviet boundaries, and overflowing to Slovakia. This Eastern Army is stretching now a powerful, octopus-like arm across Hungary into Rumania and consolidating along the RumanianBulgarian frontier. A single glance, at the physical map of Europe, will reveal that any major Nazi march into the southern Balkans must be made through the flat Hungarian terrain or through the nearly equally flat parts of Croatia. The latter march is discounted by many Yugoslav experts who argue, that Germany will not risk a possible resistance of the Yugoslavs because their country is regarded as a granary and a supplier of raw materials to Germany. So is Hungary but she is a partner in the Axis. It is rather reasonable to assume — following the well-known Nazi technique—that Germany will not attempt to occupy both Yugoslavia and Bulgaria making herself antagonis-tic-to two Slavic peoples. Hitler would rather envelope Yugoslavia by occupation of Bulgaria. At this juncture of Italian reverses in Albania and Libya the Turks would certainly fight if Yugoslavia was resisting. Both Slavic races are definitely pro-Russian pan-Slavists. That is speaking for the masses. But the ruling classes, the dynasties, the rich land-owners, big businesses, the Orthodox Churches and a large section of the Army Staff is anti-Soviet — not anti-Russian but anti Bolshevik —and would sooner submit to a fascist over-lordship than risk their political and economic power by in-: viting Soviet help. From this angle must be viewed Stalin’s policy toward the Balkins. It is illogical and from a military point of view suicidal, for Russia to abandon the Balkans to Germany, especially control of the Dardanelles. It has no pre cedent in modern military history. Here must he the key to Stalin’s New Year message: . . . , “at any
moment during this year Russia may be involved in war against her deadly enemies. . • . and . Russia is fully mobilised for this emergency.” Yet Stalin did not specify these enemies. Should Bulgaria be the last concession of Stalin to Germany then Turkey’s resistance must be the acid test of Russia’s neutrality toward the Totalitarian Alliance. It is hardly likely that Hitler would launch his Balkan march without a very powerful concentration of reserve forces watching Russia. In such a case the Western European theatre would remain probably quiet for a while.
The pressure upon'~Petain’s Government to force France into an active co-operation with, Germany is simultaneous with a tremendous pressure upon Bulgaria to submit peacefully to Nazi occupation. Both the Western and the Eastern Nazi armies are quite capable of handling the situation simultaneously in case of an extereme emergency but Hitler is cunning enough to realise the new element qf Roosevelt’s strong stand for Britain which might encourage Stalin to a firmer line in the Balkans. Hitler is in a dire need to offset Mussolini’s blunders and the effect of America’s stand.
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Bibliographic details
Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXIX, Issue 13235, 10 January 1941, Page 5
Word Count
651Hitler’s Next Strike Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXIX, Issue 13235, 10 January 1941, Page 5
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