ALL AWRY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 76, 2 August 1941, Page 5

ALL AWRY

NAZI TIME-TABLE GOEBBELS’ FALSE PROPHECIES London, July 27. One evening early in November, 1940, Dr Goebbels received a group of Scandinavian correspondents in Berlin. The party went well; talk flowed; Dr Goebbels grew more expansive. “In about half a year," he said. “I ■ ill talk to you again, either person aily or on the wireless, and you will see my prophecy of victory will have been correct and that it is not a ques tion of a fifty-fifty chance.” (Reported in the Nazi-controlled “Berlinske Tidende,” Copenhagen 7*h November, 1941 >. Jolt in Iraq: Dr Goebbels’ half a year elapses. The date is May. 1941. The victory lie promised is still out of sight. What *s more, fresh events are throwing h s schedule still further out of gear, particularly in the direction of Iraq. At the time he was head lining “our Axis advance towards Egypt and Palestine” ‘Home broadcast. 3rd May), and allowing the sober “Frankfuerter Zeitung” of 2nd May to mention “our future goal .. . which appears to be Mosul.” his “Berliner Boersen Zeitung’ (6th June) was even boasting “events in the Near East will be decisive from the viewpoint of our oil supplies.” But once again time proves him wrong. The Nazis* spring time-table was seriously upset by twelve unexpected , days of Allied resistance in Crete. The Iraqi revolt, which was the next Mage in their plan therefore exploded too soon for their schedule. They were r.ot ready to help Rashid Ali. His squib fizzled out and they were obliged |to turn elsewhere for their promised | victory and their oil. Sequel to Syria: One cog amiss can throw the whole 1 machine out of gear. Just so did the | hitch in Iraq throw out the Nazis’ plan ifor Syria. Thus boasts made in midjJune that—- “ Churchill cannot be successful in Syria and this whole enterprise, which no doubt emanates from his own brain, will only bring him new disgrace.” (Nazi radio to Serbs). Once again raced ahead of the facts Britain had given them the lie before the month was out. Schedule in Russia: i Neutral correspondents in Ankara. Stockholm and Madrid, concur in the i evidence that when the German attack on Russia began, local Nazis were stating conversationally that Berlin expected “victory in three weeks.” Certainly the announcements with which Dr , Goebbels opened his propaganda blitz , looked as if this was so. For instance, 1 on 2Gth June—four days after the at- ! tack began—the Dienst Aus Deutschland Press Service proclaimed “the Soviet Army is already defeated in the j first days.” From that date onwards “final vici tories” in anticipation have flowed thick and fast: ’ On 30th June) “The German advance will now be practically unopposed.” (Italian home broadcast). July 13: “The Stalin Line is pierced iat all decisive points: from now onwards the interior of the Soviet Union lies open to our triumphantly advancing troops." (German home broadcast). July 15: “It is an indisputable fact ' that the Russian Army has ceased to exist as an entity.” (Italian broadcast ! in Portuguese). July 20: “The Stalin Line has been broken at all decisive points, the fighting ability of the Red Army has been destroyed.” (Germa/i home broadcast). Schedule Awry: A curious fact about these “victory" I announcements is that they coincided as weeks went on with other announcements that the opposition would be formidable (Dr Goebbelss usual device when preparing his public for nonsuccess ). They coincided, too, with a broadcast from Ankara (by Martin Agronsky. American National Broad casting Corporation. 7th July) that “the German military attache here has revised his estimate of the Russian campaign from six weeks to three months ** U this was the official view of Dr Goebbels’s “final victory.” the slogans were badly out of joint with the re«t of the Nazi planning. Why did he issue them? The next few weeks will show whether he did so out of supreme certainty of victory, or whether —as in Iraq—events have jolted the Nazi time-table out of gear and his propaganda out of time. If the latter, his “final victory” announcements are merely the postdated cheques of a gambler who has run out of cash.