Hitler not yielding captured ground.

I did some searching and could not find this line of thought but I am sure I could have easily over-looked it so I beg your pardon for being a newbie and all. But my question is this: Why was Hitler so stubborn in not giving up ground? Does anybody have any insight into this?

 

Hitler's military experience was from WWI where static defense was the norm. He grasped the Blitzkrieg's mobile offesive strategy but not the elastic defesive strategy that would have saved many a German soldier. My opinion, he just was not current with defensive startegy and towards the end of the war, there was only one direction his armies could move, back. He did not want that.

 

Thanks PzJgr. I can see your point. I was also wondering if there wasn't an emotional attachment in some regards. I mean being poor and then being able to acquire something, it would be hard to give it up. I am reminded of those who hoard things especially if they lived through the Great Depression or other economic hard times. My mom saved everything! Or Hitler equated himself to what was acheived and to relinquish ground would demenish who he was?

But thanks again PzJgr

 

Yes, Hitler thought that if evasive strategies were planned the threshold to retreat probably unnecessarily would be lower than if there was no retreat plan. Also Hitler believed that these surrounded forces would draw so many men upon them from the enemy that the attack by the opposition would be harder to achieve leading to the fast slowing momentum of the attack. And the Wehrmacht victory naturally.

 

Kai-Petri, Just before I read your last post I was in a chapter of the book, Battle for the Ruhr, and the author stated the same thing you did about how Hitler thought that tying up Allied armies would weaken them for a counter-thrust. You think the same thinking could explain Courland battles?

 

In part yes, plus the reasoning that forces locked in in Kurland would divert Soviet forces from other theatres. They did, but I wonder if that loss/benefit ratio was favourable to the German cause or not, most likely not

 

The main reasons for keeping the Baltic coastline was to preserve the sea for training up the crews on the new U-Boats.

 

Hitler also "believed" that the Courland would act as a stepping stone for regaining the Baltics, that is after kicking the Soviets their teeth in early 1945 the troops in Courland would attack the Red Army in the back and crush their forces in the Army group North area.The Hitler as we know him, crazy dreams....