The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1945-05-02

true to form, loudly proclaimed
their faith in German arms and
boasted Of victory. Later in that
fateful December he admitted,
more soberly, that Germany was
on the defensive. Then he remov-
ed Field Marshal Walther Won
Brauchitsch as commander-in-
chief OF the army and assumed the
post himself. He said he would
/ trust TO his intuition.
His New Years message to the
people warned of hard fighting
| ahead and called for more sacri-
fees. But he declared Russia
would be beaten in 1912 and that
God Almighty will assist us In
the coming year" History wrote
an opposite answer.
The NaZi drive into Russia pro-
ceeded swiftly on an immense
scale For a time It appeared that
| the Hitlerian armies would dup
licate the early blitzkrieg OF the
/ second world war. His armies drove
to Stalingrad on the Volga and
deep into the Caucasus. But the
Red armies fought back valiantly.
As they were forced to retreat, they
destroyed villages, supplies and
| crops-the traditional "scorched
earth" policy of Russia.
Winter came and the improper
ly clad German troops could not
Withstand the billiards and par
alyzing cold. Nazi efficiency" had
slipped a cog
Stalingrad a Verdun
Hitler's plan Of knockout blow
failed. The important industrial
city OF Stalingrad proved TO be the
graveyard OF his hopes. For six
long months this city withstood
one OF the bitterest and most de-
termined sieges in history. France
had its Verdun in the first world
war; Stalingrad became the Red
Verdun" in the second.
Confidently, Hitler had assured
his nation that he could take the
beleaguered city whenever he chose
and that no living person could
force the Germans away. It's de-
tenders fought in the streets from
house to house, contesting every
inch of ground. Nazi artillery had
reduced the buildings TO hubble.
The outside world looked on with
amaZement and admiration.
Then the Russians, with remark
able recuperative powers. struck
back. By Feb. 2, 1913. the last
Nazi pocket west OF the city was
i,sZ' out and $4,000 Germans OF
Hitler's Sixth Army were killed or
captured. German Field Marshal
Won Paulus and his stan we're cap
tured. 1t was an irony OF fate that
Won Paulus had Just been made
marshal by the Fuehrer..
Hitler and his propaganda ma
chine could not explain that de-
bacle. Four days OF mourning we're
decreed in Berlin.
The Fuehrer explained, some
what lamely, that 1t was only the
Russian winter, the severest IN 40
years, had upset his calculations.
He insisted he would take the city
in the summer. Again fate decreed
otherwise.
The summer OF 1943 saw the Ger
mans engineering another often
eve toward Kursk. but II failed.
There were only minor initial sue
cesses. The Russians took the
measure Of their enemies again and
| by August the NaZis we're in retreat
| from Orel, Belgorod and elsewhere,
with the Reds closing in upon them.
threatening the Ukrainian city OF
Kharkoy.
But while the fierce fighting was
going on in Russia, and the Reds
were calling for "a second front"
in Europe by their allies, Hitler had
troubles from an entirelv uneXpect-
ed source-the America he des-
pissed.
America Aroused
An aroused United States had
speeded its all-out war effort
While an immense army wss be.
ing constructed in the states, the
first expeditionary force was land
ed in northern Ireland early In
1912.
II Hitler had anticipated that
the United States would be divert
ed by the war with Japan he was
doomed to disappointment. For
the allied nations, under the leader
ship Of President Roosevelt and
Prime Minister Churchill Of Bril-
tain. mapped their global strategy
TO concentrate first on Hitler and
Mussolini, with Japan on the agen-
da afterwards.
The African Debaele
On November s, 1912, Hitler got