Evening star., 1944-05-28
Nazis Playing Last Cards
AS Allies Prepare to Strike
Invasion to Bring Bitterest Battles of War; With
End of Fighting Seen Soon if Success
Comes With Attacks
BY Constantine Brovn.

There will be no unfurled flags or
military bands and beating drums when
the Allied forces begin the invasion of
Western Europe. 1t will be a series OF
grim battles of men armed with the
latest destructive devices. Escorted by
thousands of planes and warships of all
types, invasion barges will land hun
dreds of thousands of men who will
strike out front on the beaches to meet
the enemy.
The German divisions will be con-
cealed behind the latest and most i'm
proved fortifications which will have
to be pounded out of existence by the
cross fire Of the Allied artillery.
Both sides realize this will be the
most momentous battle Of the war.
Neither the Allies nor the Germans
have much margin for error. The in
vasion must click with chronometer-
like precision; the defense forces must
gather at the threatened points-the
only thing constituting surprise in the
impending offensive-with equal split
second precision. Even short delay
or confusion of orders at vital point
might have dire consequences.
The Germans are playing their last
card in Europe. Their veteran mill
tary leaders, Marshals Gerd Won Rund-
stedt and Erwin Rommel, are fully
aware Of this. So are the younger and
enthusiastic Allied generals who are
leading the invasion forces.
Last Major Battle.
The Germans, officers and soldiers,
are fully aware that this is the last
major battle Of the war.
A defeat in Western Europe at the
moment the Russians are poised to
strike at the Reich from the east would
mean the complete collapse Of the Ger
mans and probably the end Of the Reich
for q good many years. AL the shrewd
work OF Germany's generals and states
men from Frederick the Great to Prince
Otto Won Bismarck, the Iron Chanoel-
lor," who completed the unification Of
the German kingdoms and principalities
into German empire, would disappear.
Germany will be reduced to number
of weak states as she was in the days
before Frederick 1t will be many years
before she can lift her head again and
it is doubtful that another German en-
pire will be created for many genera
tions.
Students Of Germany's military his
tory believe the German generals in
charge of the present operations will
follow the old tradition which consists
of regarding war only as campaign
If it is lost, peace must be made at
once TO save manpower and permit the
generals to prepare, on the basis Of the
learned lessons, for another war. This
has occurred again and again. Mar
shal Paul Won Hindenburg and his CHIEF
Of star, Gen. Erich LVdendorn, advised
the civilian powers, after the Kaiser'i
flight to Holland, to make peace with
the Allies in 1918 at any price. They
realized as early as the summer Of 1915
that the war could not be won, and
thus, they reasoned. Germany must gel
breathing spell to prepare for q bette,
war In generation or SO.
Must Be Divided.
This time the Germans will not be
given this chance. Great Britain, Rus
sia and the United States, with the full
concurrence of their smaller associates
have decided to eliminate Germany as
military power in Europe. This, they
believe, cannot be done by imposing
terms-regardless of how harsh they
may be-on United Reich. They
agreed at Teheran that Germany must
be divided into her component parts
and the former kingdoms, principalities
and dukedoms must be prevented from
uniting again. Individually, they may
be allowed to prosper economically in
considerations which are not of their
own making. The Allied leaders believe
a forced estrangement, with parts Of
Germany joining the Western confeder-
alton under the leadership OF Britain
and other posts joining an Eastern con-
federation headed by Russia, is about
the only way to crush Germany's mill
tarism and military power in Europe.
This general outline of Germany's fu-
ture has not been hidden from the Ger
mans. Official announcements from