Posted on 08/14/2008 5:41:41 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson
The Germans in 1938 had a very good army.
The Soviets in 1939 had a really bad army. About 90% of their higher officers had just been murdered by Stalin, and the remainder were for obvious reasons scared to death of doing anything that might show a spark of initiative.
Even assuming the Czechs were as good as the Finns, which is pretty unlikely, I don’t see any way they could have duplicated their resistance. Even the Finns had to submit once General Winter was no longer in play.
The Czechs also had the problem that 25% of the total population of the country was on the other side. 1/3 of population of the Czech lands was German, and about 90% of the area in which any fighting would actually take place.
[Note: I was surprised to see that Jodl was a mere colonel this late. I did a short search and read that he was promoted to major general in 1935. So I don’t know what the real story is.-Homer]
At OKW (the High Command of the Armed Forces) and at OKH (the High Command of the Army) there was incessant activity. Final plans were being drawn up to have the armed forces ready for the push-off into Czechoslovakia by October 1. On August 24, Colonel Jodl at OKW wrote an urgent memorandum for Hitler stressing that “the fixing of the exact time for the ‘incident’ which will give Germany provocation for military intervention is most important.” The timing of X Day, he explained, depended on it.
No advance measures [he went on] may be taken before X minus 1 for which there is not an innocent explanation, as otherwise we shall appear to have manufactured the incident. . . . If for technical reasons the evening hours should be considered desirable for the incident, then the following day cannot be X Day, but it must be the day after that. . . . It is the purpose of these notes to point out what a great interest the Wehrmacht has in the incident and that it must be informed of the Fuehrer’s intention in good time – insofar as the Abwehr Section [Army Intelligence-Homer] is not also charged with organizing the incident.
William L. Shirer, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, Pg. 377
Substitute "Georgia" for "Czechoslovakia", "Russia" for "Germany", and "Crimea" for "Polish Corridor", and it could be 2008.
Also don't forget that there was no love lost from the Slovaks.
Probably a poor translation by someone who should have known better. Oberst, while usually used to mean the rank of colonel (or in the case of Generaloberst, Colonel General), really means 'highest' or 'ranking' (From the German ober, or 'upper'.)
Thus, the excerpt should probably (and would be accurate if it) read, 'On August 24, OKW boss (or chief) Jodl wrote..."
I’ll bet you are exactly right. Thanks.
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