Adolf Hitler: Rise to Power

Can one man really start an entire world war? It is fair to argue that Adolf Hitler’s pursuit of land for his ethnically clean Aryan race caused World War II.  There are many more factors to consider besides the ambitions of Hitler. Would Hitler have been able to rise to power if Germany was not suffering under the crushing weight of WWI reparations and the Depression? Hitler may not have been the sole cause of WWII. And Hitler may have been as successful if conditions in Germany had not been so dismal. What is certain is that Hitler was a major player in WWII and will be remembered forever.

Early Life

On April 20, 1889, Klara Polzl bore Alois Hitler his fourth of sixth children, Adolf; in Branau am Inn, Austria.  When Adolf was three, his family moved from Austria to Germany. Hitler experienced tragedy early in life when his younger brother Edmund died in 1900.  Three years later, his father died suddenly. While his father, a customs official, maintained a cold and strict relationship with Hitler, his death undoubtedly affected the thirteen year old. Hitler found formal education boring. He only enjoyed his history studies, which focused on instilling a strong sense of German nationalism in students. Hitler’s caring and loving mother allowed the sixteen-year-old Hitler to drop out of school to pursue an art career in Vienna.  Like his education, Hitler’s art career was unsuccessful. In 1907, Hitler failed the entrance exam for the Vienna Academy of Art. Tragedy struck the young man’s life once again, as breast cancer overcame his dear mother. A few months later, Hitler attempted to reapply for the Vienna art school but was rejected again. While earning a pittance from selling postcards and architectural drawings, Hitler lived in homeless shelters and men’s hostels. While in Vienna, Hitler actively participated in the local political environment. His struggle in Vienna shaped many of his now memorable political ideas.

                                              

Hitler as a child: top middle

Military Career

Hitler’s military career experienced far greater success than his educational or art career. In 1913, Hitler left Vienna to avoid military service under the Hapsburg Empire. While living in Munich, Europe erupted into World War. Hitler quickly volunteered to serve in a Bavarian regiment. By December of 1914, Hitler became a decorated soldier, earning the Iron Cross for bravery. In October 1916, a grenade splinter temporarily wounded him. In August of 1918, Hitler won the Iron Cross again, but this time with the first class designation. While recovering from a gas attack that caused him temporary blindness, Hitler heard the devastating news that Germany had been defeated.

                                                    

Rise to Power

Hitler believed that Marxist leaders had betrayed Germany. The treaty of Versailles called for the demilitarization of Germany and the reparations assigning blame to Germany. These stipulations enraged Hitler. In 1919, he joined the German’s Workers’ Party (DAP). While with this organization Hitler became known for his vitriolic speeches, in which he spread his anti Socialist and anti- Semitic views. Hitler used his leadership position to lead a failed coup against the German government in November 1923. While serving time in prison for his crime, Hitler wrote the now famous Mein Kampf. The Great Depression gave Hitler the advantage he needed to further his political career. In 1932, he lost the race for German presidency to Paul von Hindenburg. Hindenburg, however, appointed Hitler to chancellor. Following the death of Hindenburg, Hitler assumed the role of both president and chancellor. He used his political status to spread his ideas and build up an army. In August of 1939, Hitler and the German forces invaded Poland and began World War II.

For More Information:

"Adolf Hitler." The Biography Channel website. http://www.biography.com/people/adolf-hitler-9340144 (accessed February 24, 2014).

“Adolf Hitler.” The History Channel website. http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/adolf-hitler (accessed on February 22, 2014).

“More Information about Adolf Hitler.” History: BBC.com. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/people/adolf_hitler#p00bhf0v (accessed on February 23, 2014).

Noakes, Jeremy. “The Rise of Adolf Hitler. “ History: BBC.com. Updated on March 30, 2012. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwtwo/hitler_01.shtml (accessed on February 23, 2014). 

Rosenburg, Jennifer. “Adolf Hitler.” 20^th Century History: About.com. http://history1900s.about.com/cs/hitleradolf/p/hitler.htm (accessed February 22, 2014). 

An Impregnable Front: The Atlantic Wall

“Not so in the West! If the enemy here succeeds in penetrating our defenses on a wide front, consequences of staggering proportions will follow within a short time. All signs point to an offensive against the Western Front of Europe no later than spring, and perhaps earlier.

For that reason, I can no longer justify the further weakening of the West in favor of other theaters of war. I have therefore decided to strengthen the defenses in the West, particularly at places from which we shall launch our long-range war against England. For those are the very points at which the enemy must and will attack; there--unless all indications are misleading--will be fought the decisive invasion battle.”

Adolf Hitler (Fuhrer Directive 51)

Hitler was well aware that the success of his campaign hinged upon keeping Europe a one front war. Allied forces invading Western Europe and creating a second front meant certain disaster for the German forces. Hitler’s solution was to prevent the Allied forces from crossing the Western coast of Europe. Hitler sought to create an unbreakable fortification that spanned from Norway to the border with Spain. He wanted a complex set of heavy weaponry and pillboxes to be installed at venerable positions along this coastline. Hitler also order reinforcements to be set up near the front to provide a quick defense in case the Allied forces were able to push past the beaches. Hitler wanted to leave the Allies without even the smallest foothold into Western Europe. This impregnable fortress became known as the Atlantic Wall. 

"It is my unshakeable decision to make this front impregnable against every enemy" 

Adolf Hitler

Hitler placed Erwin Rommel in charge of creating the Atlantic Wall. After his defeat by Eisenhower in Africa, Rommel was moved into Europe and ordered to provide motivation for the completion of the Atlantic Wall by the spring of 1944.

                                             

                                                                   Erwin Rommel

Rommel quickly began fortifying the Atlantic Wall. Rommel’s goal was to create a complex set of deadly obstacles so that the Allied forces would not be able to get past the beaches. Rommel knew that if the Allies were able to secure a landing zone, German defeat was certain. Rommel was a perfectionist and did not stop adding to the Atlantic Wall until the beaches were a series of death traps waiting for the Allied soldiers.

Rommel first ordered the beaches of the English Channel to be mined.  From 1941 until 1944 on million seven hundred thousand mines had been placed haphazardly along the coastline. Rommel requested that one mine be laid for every ten yards of a one thousand mile wide section of French coastline. He then made the same request for an eight thousand mile section of coastline with more mines in areas of strategic importance, placing in total another forty million mines.

                                    

In addition to flooding and mining the French countryside to prevent paratrooper landings, Rommel created a set of deadly obstacles that the Allied forces needed to overcome on D-Day. The first set of obstacles was the Belgium gates. Rommel placed these ten feet tall gate like structures attached to antitank mines 250 yards from the high water mark. About 20 yards up the coast sat heavy long tipped with mines drove deep into the sand. The steel hedgehogs made up the third band of obstacles. The steel rails set at ninety-degree angles could tear up the bottom of the landing crafts.  Should the Allied soldiers navigate these obstacles and avoid land mines placed irregularly across the beach, they were met with machine gun fire from the concrete pillboxes. Rommel placed the artillery so that the entirety of the beach could be covered with gunfire. The soldiers also had to cross barbed wire and antitank ditches and concrete barriers before finally reaching the bluffs.

Rommel’s Atlantic Wall was broken on June 6, 1944 and the Allies were able to establish a secure foothold in Europe. This failure is not a testament to the inadequacy of Rommel’s fortifications. Rommel’s obstacle course claimed many Allied soldiers on D-Day. The failure of the Atlantic wall is rather a testament to the will of the Allied soldiers to defeat the German forces and liberate Europe.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

“Assault Plan.” U.S. Army Center of Military History. Last modified October 2002. Accessed February 9, 2014. http://www.history.army.mil/books/wwii/100-11/ch2.htm#Enemy.

“A View From Inside.” The National D-Day Memorial. Accessed February 9, 2014. http://www.dday.org/history/the-enemy-nazi-germany/a-view-from-inside.

Brooke, Richard S. “Operation Overlord: The D-Day Landings.” Combined Operations Command. Accessed February 8, 2014. http://www.combinedops.com/Overlord.htm#TheGerman Defences.

“German fortifications: D-Day on Normandy.” World War 2 Headquarters. Accessed February 8, 2014. http://worldwar2headquarters.com/HTML/normandy/beacheads/germanPillbox.html.

Görlitz, Walter Otto Julius. “Rommel, Erwin: Normandy and Conspiracy.” Enclyopedia Brittanica’s Guide to Normandy 1944.” Accessed February 9, 2014. http://www.britannica.com/dday/article-8423.

Laurenceau, Marc. “The Atlantic Wall in Normandy.” D-Day-Overlord.com. Accessed February 8, 2014. http://www.dday-overlord.com/eng/atlantic_wall.htm.

Williams, Brian. “The Atlantic Wall.” Military History Online.com. Accessed February 8, 2014. http://www.militaryhistoryonline.com/wwii/dday/prelude.aspx.

WWII Military Stratgey - Deception: Operation Fortitude

One of the key factors to victory on D-Day was attempting to surprise the German forces with the location and time of the attack. The Germans knew that the Allies planned to attack. The Germans also knew that Allied airplanes were only capable of attacking a target at most 200 miles away. This made the coast of France the obvious target for the Allied invasion. There were only three possible places the Allies forces could invade: Pas de Calais, Cherbourg, and Normandy. Since the options for invasion were limited, the key to surprising the Germans was deception. The aim of Operation Fortitude was to keep the German forces focused on Pas de Calais and distract them from Normandy.  Pas de Calais was certainly the better choice for an invasion and thus made the perfect false landing site.

In order for the German forces to believe that attack at Pas de Calais was eminent, there needed to be military build up across the English Channel in Kent. The fake First US Army group, reportedly commanded by Lieutenant General George S. Patton moved into the Kent area. Patton was a natural choice to lead the Allied invasion into France as his reputation as a tough and capable general was widely known by the Germans. Operation Fortitude depended on the Germans receiving three types of misinformation, reconnaissance photos, intercepted radio transmissions, and reports from double agents.

Symbol of the First US Army Group

 

In order to convince the Germans of an Allied military build up across from Pas de Calais, German reconnaissance planes were “allowed” to fly over the area taking pictures. These German pictures captured tanks, artillery, and landing crafts preparing for an attack. What these pictures actually captured were inflatable tanks and plywood guns. The tanks and other vehicles were moved at nights and tracks were created. A few trucks filled with soldiers would move within the area creating tracks, only to return at night. The British Air Force also conducted extensive bombing campaigns of the Pas de Calais area. The fake army was deployed on D-Day on a small flotilla towards Northern France. This army would not see action, but would add to the confusion for the German forces on D-Day.

 

Inflatable Sherman Tank

The Allies also created the Control Section of London to spearhead the deception efforts. One of the functions of this body was to transmit fake radio signals. Signals included naval and aerial operations confirming the amphibious attack Hitler expected. On D-Day, operators transmitted information about moving in for the attack at Pas de Calais. Hitler’s forces fully expected an attack at this location on June 6^th.

 

Gun and Carriage made from Plywood

The final piece to Operation Fortitude was the use of double agents. The Allies formed the Twenty Committee (XX), or the “Double Cross” Committee to organize the use of agents. Allies turned and trained German Intelligence agents to send reports back to the German forces of an impending attack in Pas de Calais. Some of these agents, such as Garbo, were able to get their reports all the way to Hitler. The numerous and consistent reporting these agents provided, convinced the German forces that the Allied invasion of Europe would occur at Pas de Calais.

Operation Fortitude successfully convinced the German forces, including Hitler, that the Allies planned on attacking at Pas de Calais. Hitler even believed that the Normandy landing was a diversionary attack aimed at luring his best forces away from Pas de Calais. The premier fighting force, the Fifteenth army, remained in the area until well after the Normandy attacks. While the Allied forces still found serious resistance in Normandy, the defenses in this area could have been significantly more deadly and the invasion impossible if Hitler believed that Normandy was the site of the attack.

 

For more information

Crompton, Bob. “The ‘Other Deception’ Operation: Fortitude North.” BBC: WW2 People’s War. Last modified February 2012, Accessed January 25, 2013. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/62/a2891162.shtml.
 

The History Channel. “D-Day Deception.” The History Channel website. Accessed January 25, 2013. http://www.history.com/videos/d-day-deception#d-day-deception.

Laurenceau, Marc. “Preparation of the Normandy Landing: Operation Fortitude.” D-Day-Overlord.com. Accessed January 25, 2013. http://www.dday-overlord.com/eng/operation_fortitude.htm.

 

Ricklefs, Major Richard G. “Fortitude South.” Military Intelligence: Professional Bulletin. Accessed January 25, 2014. http://www.fas.org/irp/agency/army/mipb/1996-2/meeks.htm.

D-Day Memorial

The Little Town that Gave its All

On June, 6, 1944, the Allied forces mounted one of the largest operations in military history. Operation Overlord involved a land, sea, and air attack on Normandy, France. The objective of this mission was to break into Nazi occupied Europe. D-Day is remembered in history as one of the pivotal turning points in the European theater of Word War II. Why, then, is the monumental event memorialized in the small town of Bedford, Virginia? Bedford contributed 30 soldiers to the 29th Infantry Division. By the time the sun set on June 6, nineteen of these Bedford boys had made the ultimate sacrifice. Considering the size of Bedford, this sacrifice signified the greatest loss per capita suffered by any town in America. For this reason, the D-Day memorial became part of the landscape of Bedford, nestled in the Blue Ridge mountains.

                             

The memorial is broken into three parts. The first part represents the planning stages of D-Day. This end of the memorial contains the busts of several major leaders involved in the planning stages of D-Day. These busts lead to a small rotunda containing  a statue of Dwight Eisenhower, establishing him as leader of the operation. From the rotunda and between the busts the memorial contains a garden in the shape of the Overlord patch. The keys to the success of the planning stages of the operation were timing and deception. Several fake D-Day invasions were planned to confuse the Nazi forces.                                                             

The planning transitions to the actual invasion stage. The memorial achieves this separation of stages by creating different levels. Once the visitor ascends the stairs from the planning stage, he is confronted by a recreation of the scene the soldiers encountered on D-Day. As you approach the water, you cross five sections of blue concrete, representative of the 5 beach landings and the oceans each soldier needed to cross to arrive there. At the edge of the water sits a marble structure reminiscent of the boats used to transport the soldiers to the beaches. This boat has its ramp lowered allowing the often inexperienced soldiers to enter into battle. Several soldiers are depicted in the water and on the beach of the memorial. These soldiers dodge bullets (simulated by water spurts) and some take their final breaths  lying on the beach. For the soldiers that survived the beach crossing, the trials had only just begun. The memorial depicts the soldiers clawing their way up the steep cliffs toward the final level, victory.   

Once the visitor passes the memorials for the naval and aerial contributions to D-Day, he arrives on the final and highest point of the memorial, the victory stage. The visitor is immediately confronted with a massive arch reminiscent of the the Roman triumphal arches. The arch contains the markings of Allied planes. This arch is also surrounded by the flags of the Allied nations. From this point the visitor can look back upon the entire memorial and appreciate how far thy have come and the struggle that brought them there.

                                   

The D-Day Memorial has the unique challenge of memorializing  an historic site that most of its visitors will never see. I believe the creators of the memorial have done an excellent job at recreating D-Day. Visitors become involved with the invasion at its its planning stages., cross the beaches to sounds of bullets striking the water, and complete their visit beneath a giant arch and can look out upon the hard fought journey that brought them to this point. While being incredibly impressive for a memorial situated in a fairly small town, the D-Day memorial contains some drawbacks as well. Even though the memorial is open all year, I would not advise visiting in the fall. The fountain simulating the bullet strikes is drained the garden representing the Overlord symbol is dead. These two factors diminish the effect of the memorial. Also the memorial is difficult to understand and fully appreciate without the use of a guide. While the average visitor would get the overall effect of the memorial, aspects of the design would be lost without the assistance of guides. The final drawback to the memorial is the lack of focus on the naval and aerial aspects of the invasion. The memorial dedicates two small enclaves to each that essentially serve as side notes. 

Despite these drawbacks, the D-Day memorial is certainly worth the trip. It is a fairly cheap memorial to visit and is located in beautiful country that offers other adventures while in Bedford (Peaks of Otter). I would recommend to visit the memorial in the Spring or Summer and to take advantage of the use of a tour guide.

For more information: http://www.dday.org/