Posted on 09/24/2009 5:40:21 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson
Barbara W. Tuchman, Stilwell and the American Experience in China, 1911-45
The International Situation – 2
Nazis Hurled Back – 2-4
Incidents in European Conflict – 4
Final Victory Won in East, Nazis Say – 5-6
Brazilians to Speed Purchasing in U. S. – 6
Von Fritsch Killed on Warsaw Front – 7
Fritsch Opposed Politics in Army – 7-9
Hitler’s Heirs (NYT Magazine) – 10-13
Rotogravure Picture Section* - 14-20
Dr. Sigmund Freud Dies in Exile at 83 – 21-23
* This is sort of an experiment. Some may come through the fiche-to-posted process better than others.
Fascinating... I had no idea that Mussolini wanted out of the war, and frankly I’m surprised the French and Polish successes.
And isn’t strange to see a military victory on the Germans described as “advancing on Borg”?
They still had hope. Reading these old news stories gives you a god-like perspective. The people writing in their time/space had no idea what was coming but we do.
Fascinating... I had no idea that Mussolini wanted out of the war, and frankly I’m surprised the French and Polish successes.
... nevermind; I guess the NYT was a little optimistic about fighting the Nazis. I checked out a timeline, and it matches my recollection of my history classes much better. 10 days to conquer Poland.
I'm sure the Soviets could verify that fact as well.
Not quite. The Germans invaded on September 1. It is now the 24th. As long as the Chopin Polonaise (see reply #3) is still being broadcast from Warsaw the Poles are holding out.
Exactly, it's almost surreal to think about how optimistic they all sound.
von Fritsh, holding the rank of Col. General, one step below Feldmarschall, former C-in-C of the German army, dies in a command slot normally occupied by a Lt. Col, performing duties normally carried out by a Hauptmann or Leutnant.
The article discusses his dismissal in the army purge, but does not give details. Fritsch was a lifelong bachelor, dedicated to the army. Hitler wanted him gone because of his independence, so he had Himmler and Goring go find a seedy male prostitute, who gave a false affidavit alleging a homosexual encounter with Fritsch. The threat of smear alone was enough to destroy him. Even though the witness recanted and Fritsch was cleared, he was never restored to a suitable post.
The article identifies Blomberg, the chief of staff who was purged at the same time. It states he was pressured into resigning because he married his secretary after his wife died. There was more to it than that. Again Himmler’s fingerprints are on that case: his agents dug up her record and found she’d been a prostitute. Hitler knew this in advance when he had personally given his blessing on the marriage, and then later sprung it on Blomberg.
So went the manner of Hitler’s purge of his military leadership. It was a far better fate, though, than the victims of Stalin’s purges.
One wonders in the case of Fritsch whether he deliberately sought death on the battlefield as his final vindication.
Here is what Shirer has to say on the matter ("The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich").
On August 7, 1939, as the war clouds darkened, he wrote . . . "For me there is, neither in peace nor in war, any part in Herr Hitler's Germany. I shall accompany my regiment only as a target, because I cannot stay at home."
That is what he did. On August 11, 1938, he had been named colonel in chief of his old regiment, the 12th Artillery Regiment, a purely honorary title. On September 22, 1939, he was the target of a Polish machine gunner before beleaguered Warsaw, and four days later he was buried with full military honors in Berlin on a cold, rainy, dark morning, one of the dreariest days, according to my diary, I ever lived through in the capital.
Here is a link to the purge article I posted for Feb 5, 1938, only the third posting of this series. (I was transcribing and still learning how to simulate the Times' format.)
Fabulous stuff. Working through the war with my son each day for the next year is going to be a blast. I’ll share what I find as I fill in his education.
Here are some nice personal accounts from what at the time were Polish children. It may have been posted already. I’m only into the first 7d so far. We have some catch up to do.
http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/media_oi.php?lang=en&ModuleId=10005070&MediaId=1231
In more ways than one!
One of the ironies, is that Praga, the poorer section of Warsaw sustained less damage than the West bank of the Vistula. So today, the west part of Warsaw is pretty much all new and modern, while Praga still looks pretty much like it did before the war. It’s almost like going from West to East Berlin during the Cold War.
Those Fashion Police can be brutal.
He should have kept up with the latest in Nazi fashion.
The Death's head on the hat was used pre-1934. With a different eagle. The SS, [except for the camp guards], stopped wearing brown shirts with their black tunics when Hitler made them independent of the SA after the night of the Long Knives. Which makes the campaign ribbons too early
He's got a Waffen SS sleeve band [”Der Fuhehrer” Standarte], but an SD diamond on the sleeve.
The eagle on his sleeve would be lower. Under where the armband is.
Except for the party badge, can't make out the medals, BUT the one with the swastika on the wreath, I've never seen.
He should have two epaulets on the tunic. He's wearing a Knight's Cross. So the picture is post 1938. SS officers wore two epaulets by then. Aside from that, no major errors.
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