Hibernation?

Hitler's High Command is not in the habit of announcing its plans, but last week, in a broadcast to Germans for home consumption, an Army spokesman gave a broad hint as to what might be on Hitler's mind:

"Napoleon's disaster in Russia was due to the fact that he did not stop his campaign at the beginning of the winter in order to finish it in the spring under safe conditions. Napoleon, the General, could have stopped and continued the campaign when the winter was over. In that case he would have beaten Russia. But Napoleon, the General, was superseded by Napoleon, the Emperor and Politician. While his Grand Army was in Russia, the English made a landing in the Low Countries and many of the conquered nations rose. At the same time, Napoleon's position in his own country made a quick success necessary. His striving for a quick victory was the cause of his downfall. For that reason any comparison between Napoleon and Hitler is nonsensical."

Did Hitler plan to send most of his campaigning armies into winter quarters soon? Then to resume his campaigns in the spring?

It was possible. In neither previous winter of the war has Adolf Hitler fought campaigns. His schedule has been to strike in spring and summer, to tool up and rest in winter. His schedule this year was set back, first by the unexpected revolt of the Yugoslavs (see p. 28), then by the unexpected fury of the Russians.

Adolf Hitler doubtless feels confident that the British will not land in the Low Countries while his Grand Army is in Russia. He doubtless feels secure at home. He may reason that there is no use risking defeat for the sake of a dubious quick victory. He has spoken of the attack on Moscow as "the last great battle of the year."

If Hitler's plan is to wait until spring to finish the Russian job, last week's action on the Russian front did not betray it. Hitler's armies had all the appearances of an army breaking its neck for the sake of quick victory. It stormed the Crimean Peninsula, hurled itself against Moscow's defenses, cleaned up industrial Kharkov, paused seemingly to gather its coils for a deadly new strike at Rostov-on-Don. These might be the final autumn battles.

Whatever his plan, Hitler's propaganda agents, pleading the nonsensicality of harking back to Napoleon, were at some pains to explain away their Fuehrer's recent boast that Russia was already licked. "The beaten enemy," said the Berliner Lokalanzeiger, "unfortunately was not encircled in all sectors and has managed to assemble again and is still offering resistance, supported by fresh reserves."

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