The military factors in Greece included the reality that the Greeks
had just defeated the Italian Army, and control of the Aegean Islands
would be helpful to the German ability to resupply AfrikaCorps and
further expansion, and the possibility of creating, however small a
new front to the war. Hitler too, had to take time and resources away
from a more important goal: Operation Barbarossa, as well as having
to reduce attacks on the United Kingdom itself because of limits to
availability of air power. Part of the result is that Greece was a
continuous sore for the Germans and had one of the most dangerous
resistance movements in Greece. Even at this distance, judgment on
Greece varies widely from a blunder to the turning point in the war,
it makes it hard to regard this as unequivocally Churchill's greatest
mistake.
From the long stand point, the Battle of Greece gave valuable
insight into fighting the Wehrmacht, including occasions where the
components of the blitzkrieg were thwarted or thrown into confusion.
While, given the military facts, these were far short of being able
to stop the invasion in Greece, they were important later on. For the
first time a Panzer attack was blunted, the German airborne forces
took heavy casualties, leading Hitler to forbid further airborne
actions in Crete, heavy use of the German air capacity to support the
invasion and contest the evacuation, took materiel away from the
German air attacks on Britain, then still on going, and for potential
counter attacks by the RAF against Germany.
There is also no assurance that the additional forces would have, in
fact, turned the tide in North Africa.
This is leaving aside the obvious reason to want to support an
country that had just bloodied the axis nose, and was ready to fight
the invasion.
In this case, both Hitler and Churchill were acting on instinct.
Hitler's to never let anyone stand who had been pushed down, and
Churchill's of thwarting anything that the enemy wanted badly to do,
as well as to create chances to go on the attack. In the end, the
Germans got the worse of the deal, Greece gained them little to
nothing in the course of the war, and cost them the resources to take
and hold it, where as the Commonwealth's commitment was largely
completed by 1941, other than the Naval Blockade, which would have
been required anyway as the German's had access to Bulgaria.
What one might better say is that invading Greece was one of Il
Duce's mistakes, leaving Hitler to clean up the mess, and Churchill a
stab at exploiting it.
On May 1, 2010, at 3:46 PM, richard geschke wrote:
The whole intent of the British strategy at this time in Africa and
the whole of the Mediterranean was to keep the Nazis occupied in
the so-called soft underbelly. Along with America's supplying
Russia and with strategic bombing of Germany, the grand strategy
was to make Germany use more of its assets against the Western
Allies and less of their assets in fighting on the Eastern front.
In this scenario with Greece, Churchill had finally a chance to
keep a promise. Although militarily this proved to be a disaster,
in the long run it contributed to the ultimate defeat of Germany.
It's like a football coach spreading the opposition's defense and
although the play doesn't work, down the road it proves fatal to
that defense. Churchill knew from WWI that attrition would come
into play and like a grand chess player certain pieces are
sacrificed to obtain the ultimate victory. Churchill never dwelled
on the defeats his eyes were always focused ahead, and like a great
chess player his mind was racing many moves ahead of his adversaries.
Richard C. Geschke
Date: Sat, 1 May 2010 08:27:16 -0500
Subject: Re: [ChurchillChat] Churchill's "worst" decision may have
been among his best.
From: jonlellenb...@gmail.com
To: churchillchat@googlegroups.com
On Sat, May 1, 2010 at 4:29 AM, Jonathan Sandys
<churchillsbrit...@googlemail.com> wrote:
History, Churchill's greatest weapon and Hitler's greatest downfall.
Hitler knew his country's history, but his own arrogance and anger
forced him to choose campaigns mostly fought and lost during the First
World War, using his own belief in the correct strategy, which in many
cases was right and successful, but eventually led to his defeat when
he became over confident and instead of focusing on the end result,
lite his victory cigar long before the 'fat lady', or in my great-
grandfather's case, 'the portly man' sang. Churchill knew British and
ancient history and he based many campaigns of wars within the Roman
and British Empires, using victories by worthy adversaries and allies
such as Spartacus, Julius Ceaser, even Napoleon and certainly Nelson.
My great-grandfather saw the big picture and focused his thoughts on
the 'end-game' while recognising, like Elizabeth I, and the early plot
against her life that victory was not guaranteed and the only thing
that was assured was that the determined victory would be a result
that history would always recognise was a very close thing.
Though I doubt it was an intentional sacrifice for a parallel
reason, the discussion made me wonder whether Churchill knew about
one point of controversy in the history of the U.S. Civil War -- on
the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg, when the Union
commander on the left wing pushed forward rather recklessly into
the Peach Orchard to meet Hood's advancing troops. The Union
forces could not hold it, and were pushed back with heavy
casualties, and I believe their commanding officer who'd ordered
and led it was killed. But there is a serious argument that the
fighting there held up the Confederate advance long enough for the
20th Maine and a couple other regiments to reach and form up along
Little Round Top, and that without the time the Peach Orchard
bought, the Union might not have been able to hold off the
Confederates trying to sweep around their flank and into Meade's
rear. It was uncomfortably close as it was, that day.
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