Evening star., 1941-04-07
Germany Takes the Plunge

WV
Before poring over Balkan maps
and becoming immersed in military
movements, it would be we'll to survey
the larger aspects of the new strug-
gle which Germany has precipitated
by her attack on Yugoslavia and
Greece
First of all, by reSorting to arms,
Germany automatically confeSSeS a
major diplomatic failure. The Ger
mans never wanted war in the
Balkans. They hoped to dominate
that region by diplomatic pressure
and to mobilize its foodStuffs and
raw materials, which it could not do
efficiently even by successful military
conquest. In all probability German
diplomacy would have succeeded If
Mussolini had not stupidity attacked
Greece last autumn, thereby giving
Britain a foothold on the continent
and a base for her diplomatic cam
paign to organize resistance to axis
aggression in the Near East. And
British diplomacy has won a brilliant
victory 1t has opened up that "Sec-
ond front" so dreaded by the German
general staff.
Germany must win this new war
deciSively and speedily. Defeat or
even a stalemate, would deal body
blow to her prestige, drain her
strength, and endanger her hold
over the many nations now held
down by her in unwilling vasSalage.
This means that Germany must
throw the best she has into the fray,
because she confrontS at least 1000
900 first-line Yugoslav and Greek
troops, backed by strong British aid
and the promise of abundant Ameri-
can supplies. Furthermore, Germany
must guard against the possible in
tervention of Turkey, and also
against the attitude of Russia, which
seems openly sympathetic to the
YugoSlavs Even the full might of
the German war machine is none too
great for the many tasks simulta-
neously imposed on it; for Germany
must carry almost the whole load.
Italy is militarily broken reed,
while the axis minor partners are
reluctant and unreliable.
With Germany's hands thus full
all likelihood of a successful attack
upon Britain may be discarded, at
least until complete victory in the
Balkans has been won by the Reich.
And even should that occur, the
losses in picked troops, equipment
and supplies will necessitate lengthy
requirements and readjustments be-
fore the campaign against Britain
can be resumed. Britain at least
has won a precious breathing spell.
In all this there seems to be
striking historical parallel with the
abandonment of Napoleon's projected
invasion of England. For more than
year, he kept magnificent army
on the Channel coast awaiting IA
vorable moment for a thunderStroke
at his arch-enemy. But meanwhile
British diplomacy was busy lining up
continental powers hostile to French
ascendancy and early in the year
1905 Napoleon was forced to deal
with his land enemies in decisive
fashion. The camps on the Channel
were abandoned, and French armies
trained for a landing in England
marched eastward against other foes.
In his immediate objective, Ma
poleon brilliantly succeeded. The
"sun of Austerlitz" shone on his most
spectacular victory, and two years
of warfare saw him master of the
continent. But meanwhile his navy
had been destroyed at Trafalgar, his
ablest soldiers had died in land
battles, and his resources were
undermined. Implacably, Britain
strangled the French Empire with
It's relentless blockade. Thereby,
Napoleon was driven to fresh VEN
lures which further sapped his
strength and raised up new enemies.
Two major failures, the Spanish
ulcer" and the retreat from Moscow,
doomed his continental supremacy
and led straight to Elba, Waterloo
and st. Helena. Is similar chain of
circumstances now in the making?