Barbarossa Through German Eyes: The Biggest Invasion in History by Jonathan Trigg

Author:Jonathan Trigg [Trigg, Jonathan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Biography & Autobiography, Military, History, World War II
ISBN: 9781398107229
Google: HiP0zQEACAAJ
Amazon: 1398107220
Publisher: Amberley Publishing
Published: 2021-06-14T19:00:00+00:00

7

Uncharted Territory

Franz Halder was not a man given to making lurid statements or flamboyant gestures. At 5 ft 9 in – the same height as his political master – with his pince-nez and severe haircut, he appeared to be pretty much what he was, the professional Army staff officer. He kept a diary during much of his time as Chief of the OKH General Staff, and his writings were published after the war in both German and English. From a purely military standpoint they are interesting documents, but what makes them fascinating is the picture they paint of a man at the very pinnacle of Nazi Germany’s Wehrmacht who oscillated wildly between jubilation and despair. The most celebrated instance of the former is an entry from 3 July 1941: “The campaign against Russia has been won in fourteen days.” As an example of historical hubris this statement has few rivals and has often been quoted to highlight misplaced German arrogance in the face of an opponent who was far from beaten. However, the context of the entry paints a markedly different picture. “On the whole, one can already say that the task of destroying the mass of the Russian Army in front of the Dvina and Dnieper rivers has been fulfilled. It’s really not saying too much if I claim that the campaign against Russia has been won in fourteen days … The extent of the theatre, and the tenacity of resistance that will be conducted with every means, will still claim many weeks.” That final sentence not only partially qualifies Halder’s claim of victory, but demonstrates at least some understanding of what still awaited the Ostheer.

Having said that, it is clear that Halder felt the campaign was going to plan and that victory was within the Reich’s grasp. The crew-cutted Bavarian wasn’t alone in his belief. Ulrich de Maizière, a staff officer of French Huguenot descent serving in OKH’s planning centre, said, “Our initial victories were utterly exhilarating. I’d wondered how we would supply our troops once we penetrated deep into Russia, but now I put those concerns aside. Our advance was rapid, and the speed we were moving made everybody feel supremely confident. I was convinced that the campaign would be over by the autumn. As I wrote to my mother, ‘By the end of September the Russian army will be crushed.’” 1 Given what was happening at the front, this seemed a reasonable position to hold, and chimed with Halder’s forecast that the Germans would defeat the Soviet Union in eight to ten weeks. Hitler himself was slightly more pessimistic, telling his generals that he thought it wouldn’t be over until mid-October.

Why was the second most senior officer in the German Army so optimistic so early in the campaign? Halder would, no doubt, point to what had been achieved thus far. Firstly – and just two weeks into Barbarossa – the three German and allied army groups had beaten their Red Army opponents in the border battles.

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