Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-07-22
Germans in 1943 Face
Same PeriIs as in 1918
By Maj. George Fielding Eliot.


Just Is years ago, the great Allied Of
fensive known as the Aisne-Marne OPP
Grafton was in full swing. OF that OPP
Grafton, the German commander in
chief, Won Hindenburg, wrote: From
the purely military point Of view, 1t
was of the greatest and most fateful
importance that We had lost the in
tiative to the enemy and were, at first,
not strong enough to recover it for our
selves. We had been compelled to draw
upon a large part Of our reserves which
we had intended to use for the attack in
Flanders. That meant the end of our
hopes OF dealing our long -planned de-
cisive blow at the English Army"
The military situation Of Germany
today and that Of Germany Is years
ago is curiously similar, though re-
versed in direction.
In July, 1918 the bulk of the German
Army was deployed on single 'front.'
the western front. facing the British,
French and the rapidly increasing
American Armies. In July, 1913, the
bulk OF the German Army is deployed
on single front, likewise, but it is
the eastern front. facing the Russians.
incidentally, it is much longer front.
In July. 1918, the German army still
had to And few troops to support its
allies, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria and
Turkey, and had in Russia considerable
occupation force. In July, 1913, the
German army Is still giving a consid-
cradle amount Of support to Italy, and
is conducting operations against guerrilla
forces in the Balkans. It must ind q
strong occupation force in the West, in
France, Norway and the Low Countries.
But this force must be constantly on
the alert against attack, while the Ger
man forces in Russia in 1918 were under
no such strain.
In July, 1918, definite Allied threat
was growing in Southern Europe, men,
acing Germany's allies rather than Ger
many itself primarily-at Salonika. Such
threat is growing in Sicily in July,
1943.
Finally, in July. 1918, Germany was
war, had used up most of her war re-
serves both of manpower and material,
and was suffering more acutely day
by day from the effects Of the Allied sea
blockade. AS for Germany's enemies,
the Russians were out Of 1t, the British
and French had suffered cruelty, but
the full power of the United States was
i,,e{ h4rrs jS,~ - Ia itea1 AZ Sv1
Europe. In July, 1943, Germany is in
the fourth year of an exhausting war,
has used up most of her reserves, and
is suffering acutely the effects of the
Allied sea blockade. OF Germany's enc
mics, the French are out of it for the
most part, the British and the Russians
have suffered cruelty, but the full power
of the United States is just beginning
to make itself felt in Europe.
To summarize these comparisons be-
tween July, 1918, and July, 1913:
Then, as now, the Germans have one
main military 'front.'
Then, as now, the Germans have seri-
ous problems of occupation of hostile
territory and support of wavering allies.
Then. as now, the Germans are suf-
fering from four years Of war and the
effects Of sea blockade.
Then, as now, the Yanks are just
beginning to arrive.
So far the conditions are astonishingly
similar But there are differences, too,
very important differences, without
considering which the situation cannot
be appreciated properly.
The main difference in favor OF Ger
many is the fact that her enemies are
also fighting the japanese. Japan draws
of a good deal of the active fighting
power of the United States and the
British commonwealth and, in a static
sense, is also drain on Russia.
Another very important difference
favoring Germany is the fact that she
has much better opportunities to employ
her only naval weapon Of consequence,
the U-boat, to cut down the scale Of
American force in Europe, because she
has far better bases for this purpose
right out on the open Atlantic.
The main disadvantage which Ger
many now suffers that she did not suffer
in 1918 cat least to any very important
degree) is the tremendous Allied bomb
ing attack being directed against her
main centers of production and her
communications system. The effects Of
this form of attack are difficult to esti-
mate because those effects are not only
material but moral, and because the
moral effect concerns not only the fight
ing forces but the civilian population.
The air situation is probably the greatest
single difference between the conditions
of 1918 and those of 1913.
Other disadvantages which Germans
must deal with today that did not exist
in 1918 are the threat Of Allied attack
against her western and northern
fronts, requiring the keeping in hand of
greater reserves, and the volcanic po-
litical situation in Europe, which de-
mands constant vigilance and exposes
the Germans and their allies, at the first
sign of weakness, to the most desperate
and perhaps savage repsisals.
We may now revert to the Aisne-
Marine offensive of July, 1918, with a
mention of which this article began, and
compare it to the Russian offensive on
the Orel front, which is gaining head