Germans doomed to failure

One has to wonder, even if Germany hadn't failed in taking Russia, how could they keep the entire population of Russia under order and still continue fighting in the war. They would need SO much resources to garrison Russia.

 

It would depend on what 'victory' meant. If Germany reached the Archangel-Astrakan line and a rump Russian/Soviet government asked for terms/truce with them holding the area east of the Urals, then Germany might be able to transfer perhaps 50 divisions west. If the Soviets continue the fight from Siberia, then probably less than a score (20) divisions could be spared.

 

The main advantage is that they wouldn't lose casualties and materiel garrisoning Russia, while during the war the vast majority of German losses were in the eastern front, even after d-day. That would mean about 100,000 men per month for transfer in to other fronts. That means that the resources that could be allocated to the western fronts would be multiplied several times.

 

This is a very interesting post. I believe that the characteristics of Russia (enormous endless land, valleys after valleys, empty space, open horizon, villages after villages, more and more Russian divisions, heavy rain, unbelievable mud etc.) make influence in German's commandor's attitude. Russia was depressing the heads of the German army. All of them were well educated, they knew what happened to Napoleon, they knew the memoirs of the French generals about the meaningless Moscow's captured and the return of the Grand Armee which was described very melanholic and very sad by the French talented writers who described everything using dark colours. Blumenntrit, chief of staff of 4th Army (von Kluge) remembered von Kluge to walk in the mud from his office to his house for many days, holding the depressing book With Napoleon in Russia; the memoirs of General de Caulaincourt, duke of Vicenza; (Caulaincourt, Armand-Augustin-Louis de, duc de Vicence, 1773-1827). Kolenkur quoted Frederick the Great to Napoleon: "It is not enough to kill Russians, you also have to knock them down".
So i believe that German commandors have lost their optimistic mood and maybe the necessary faith to victory.
Remember also the important meeting which took place in Orsa where in a special train all the high rank officers of the North-Center and South army were present (except fon Browhicz and his staff) to discuss with Halder what to do. Too many different opinions were heard and the chiefs of the armies were disagreed about the next movements (von Graifenbeck was very vague, von Sonterstern proposed not to continue marching, von Kluge said an attack in this time was a fantasy).

 

You might be thinking of Bismark's quote? "For every Russian you need two bullets, one to knock him down and the second to kill him".

 

Maybe just one to knock him down...then two others will be diverted to take him from the field. 1=3!
I know, i'll go away now.

 

any enemy of the mother russia has been crushed by the will of the people, no one may tame the Russian Bear , but if the germans had taked moskav, leningrad, baku, stalingrad, the victories city, i dont think that russia had been defeated, i mean russia had many manpower, resources, land and cold places to drive back the germans hunt them out of russia, maybe could taked more time to defeat the germans, but maybe if they had not declared war on USA, maybe they would have an oportunity. Theres a movie called Fatherland, and its about that the D-day failed, and the allies signed peace with Nazi Germany, then war still continues in Siberia. cool movie ;D

 

I read someone told Stalin in late 1941 that "Even if you have to retreat now all the way to Siberia you´ll still win in the end. So don´t worry..."