Retreat from Moscow by David Stahel

Author:David Stahel
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

While acknowledging that the generals suffered from “severe physical and mental strains” leading to “most” suffering stomach problems, Goebbels then appears to change track and accept the claims of Soviet propaganda by blaming the generals for their weakness and trumpeting Hitler’s indomitable will in opposing them. Goebbels was arriving at the right conclusion for the wrong reasons. Many of the generals were prepared to undermine Hitler’s halt order, but only a fraction were exposed and punished for doing so.

Although the command culture within the army did not fundamentally change in the winter of 1941–1942, Hitler’s suspicions about his senior commanders certainly increased. Even the unflagging allegiance of the OKH was scornfully attacked. When Hitler made his accusation that “parliamentary procedures” were being introduced to debate his orders, he was not wrong.74 Halder, however, thought this was blatantly untrue—the OKH had consistently and conscientiously backed Hitler every step of the way since the departure of Brauchitsch. In this instance the army command’s remote detachment from the front and its incomprehension of the prevailing attitude among Army Group Center’s hard-pressed commanders counted in Kluge’s favor. The OKH had no idea of the scale of disobedience and simply assumed Hitler’s accusations were entirely misdirected. The army high command’s ardent rejection of any wrongdoing only tarnished them further in Hitler’s eyes and suggested they were trying to cover up their duplicity. As one member of Hitler’s inner circle recalled of this period, “The conferences on the eastern front became ever stormier. Hitler screamed, thumped his fists on the table and accused the generals of being incapable of fighting … When he calmed down a little, he repeated many times over [during] this period, ‘Anyone can deal with victory. Only the mighty can bear defeat!’”75

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