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" In retrospect, however, he should have gambled and continued on to Moscow in August 1941 rather than waiting until October.
Had he captured it, and forced Stalin to flee, it might have been the turning point with the internal revolution.
As it is, the people never revolted against their communist masters.

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However, the historical significance of Napoleon's short occupation of Moscow then, a retreat in defeat, must have played in Hitler's mind when deciding a battle plan. 1941 was a different ballgame though. Moscow was home to the snake (Stalin) and he was already shaken by the rapid advances of the Wehrmacht. Stalin was making plans to leave Moscow for the East. He waffled for hours and finally (too his credit) decided to stay.

Hitler erred when he halted in front of Moscow. He ordered the advance to resume after a muddy fall,then winter but it was too late!

The capture of Moscow and causing the communist government to flee, would have done three things:

1) Citizen's faith in the Russian government shattered.
2) Invincibility of German military substantially reinforced.
3) Moscow's elimination as a communication/transport center. Thereby isolating other population, military, and manufacturing centers. Making coordination of defences extraordinarily difficult.

The old adage "to kill a snake, cut off it's head," applies here.

"Hitler erred when he halted in front of Moscow. He ordered the advance to resume after a muddy fall,then winter but it was too late!

The old adage "to kill a snake, cut off it's head," applies here."

Agreed. While Army Group Center paused for two months some good things happened down south -- the capture of Kiev and 650,000 troops, for example -- and Hitler was able to straighten out his front line.

But the Generals were now firmly behind blitzkrieg and the value of armored thrusts deep into enemy territory in sowing terror and fear among the troops they had passed. Had German armored divisions blown through the line and surrounded and penetrated Moscow there would have been no defense, the government would have panicked and run, and the other Russian Armies north and south would have collapsed due to poor leadership, poor training, and lack of of desire to fight.