Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Blitz

Fedor Von Bock was a World War Two Field Marshal in Germany's army... A by-the- book commander, he was not the most brilliant theoretician, but he had a sense of total determination. He orchestrated the conquest of Austria, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Holland, Belgium, France, and Denmark.
Von Bock was part Russian... he spoke fluent French and passable English and Russian.

He invaded Soviet territory in 1941 (this was part of Operation Barbarossa), making rapid progress until...

Von Bock's strategy would have knocked Russia out of the war-he wanted a quick strike to take Moscow, but Hitler wanted the enemies southern flank dealt with first. Later, Hitler ordered Von Bock to make other bad moves...These delays allowed cold rains to overtake German soldiers along their way to Moscow...

The front was far from Germany, and stretched north to south for about 1,000 miles... A factor in the failure to take Moscow was a serious lack of winter coats among the German soldiers (this was the worst winter in 50 years) Thousands died from frostbite, tens of thousands were incapacitated by the cold. Von Bock was scapegoated for the failure and dismissed.
His original intent would have been the best plan, and the changes that were ordered along the way were deletorious-blame for the failure to take Moscow rests squarely on the shoulders of Hitler and the Berlin-HQ High Command.

Fedor Von Bock disliked the Nazi's (he was a monarchist) but did not approve of the many internal plots against Hitler. He was approached and asked to join conspiracies several times, but turned the offers down.
Once, Von Bock blocked a hit on the Fuhrer; but at the same time, he never ratted out any of the coup plotters. (Von Bock would have joined the plot(s) if Himmler had been involved. Himmler was chief of intelligence in Germany; Von Bock reasoned (correctly) that for any plot to have a chance for success, Himmler would have to be a co-conspirator too).

"A soldiers career should be crowned by (a) heroic death in battle"-FVB

After Hitlers suicide on April 30, Von Bock heard that Admiral Doenitz was forming a new government; Von Bock rushed toward Hamburg, hoping to get a new command.

On May 4, 1945, Fedor Von Bock and his wife and daughter were killed by a strafing run from a British fighter-bomber on the Kiel road near Hamburg-he was 64. The war ended a few days later.

Von Bock was the only Field Marshal of the Reich to die from enemy fire during the war.

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