Remember Frederick

BATTLE OF GERMANY Remember Frederick

This week the Red armies and the western Allies, striving to meet in a common front across north Germany, were less than 350 miles apart. Since Jan. 12 the distance between them had been almost halved by the Russian avalanche toward Berlin. The fighting in the west was only "skirmishing," in Russian eyes, but in the Nazi view it was a deadly menace. The Nazis called the Canadian thrust into Cleve "only a beginning"; they were anxiously watching the British and U.S. preparations on the Roer River (see below).

Highest ranking and most outspoken of German radio commentators is Lieut. General Kurt Dittmar, who was retired from the Finnish front in 1941 because of illness. Last week Dittmar, finding no glimmer of cheer in the black situation, recalled the glorious career of Frederick II ("Frederick the Great") of Prussia, onetime idol and inspiration of Adolf Hitler. Frederick had fought the Seven Years' War (1756-63) against a formidable coalition--Austria, France, Russia, Sweden. Finally, with some help from England, he wore them all out. For eleven years before 1756, Frederick had built up his army, laid down immense stores of supplies and munitions. He won great victories, suffered crashing defeats. For two days he even lost Berlin (to the Russians). But he was brilliant in defense and too stubborn to give up. In the end a change of rulers took Russia out of the war and Frederick got a treaty restoring the status quo ante.

This time, as Dittmar and every other intelligent German well knew, the status quo ante was utterly beyond recall. This time, Berlin would be lost for a good deal longer than two days. Frederick's very bones, enshrined at Potsdam, were in danger of falling into Russian hands. The Nazis removed them from the Potsdam vault to a secret place in the Thuringian Forest.

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