STAB IN THE BACK:
ORIGIN:
This term was employed first by
Ludendorff,german army chief-of -staff in WWI and later an early backer of hitler.
The official birth of the term
"stab-in-the-back" itself possibly can be dated to the autumn of 1919, when Ludendorff was dining with the head of the British Military Mission in Berlin, British general Sir Neil malcolm. Malcolm asked Ludendorff why it was that he thought Germany lost the war. Ludendorff replied with his list of excuses, including that the home front failed the army.
Malcolm asked him: "Do you mean, General, that you were stabbed in the back?" Ludendorff's eyes lit up and he leapt upon the phrase like a dog on a bone. "Stabbed in the back?" he repeated. "Yes, that's it, exactly, we were stabbed in the back".
Now the blame you shifted onto jews and communists for germany's loss.Let's see,how ludendorff shifts the blame of failure from the army to the civilian leadership to save their image.
You say german army in 1918 was paralyzed by communist and jewish backstab shutting down industry and supplies-false.On march 21, 1918 the
germans began their huge final offensive Operation michael with a mass of 72 attacking divisions designed to end the war.Both the kaiser and the general staff of ludendorff and hindenburg promised victory.So
where was the 'paralysis'?
When this offensive failed after coming close to success,we see in hindenburg's diary-
''The enemies strength was too great for us''.There is
no mention of jewish -communist rebeliion.In may ludendorff reported back operation was indecisive.(till now we find no mention of any stab in the back anywhere)
The turning point of the war in favour of the Entente was 18 July 1918 when French and American forces successfully counterattacked the German forces at Villers-Cotterets.
The attack consisted of 24 French and American divisions, 2000 guns, 500 tanks, and more then 1200 aircraft. Allied tanks led the offensive behind the cover of a creeping barrage.
The Germans were not prepared for an attack; especially an attack led by this number of tanks(germans themselves in ww1 totally neglected tanks-building just a few archaic A7V). The Allies punctured the German lines, and a general retreat was ordered within 48 hours of the Allied and American breakthrough. From July 18th onwards, the German army was in retreat.
General Fritz von Lossberg who was sent to inspect the condition and morale of the Seventh and Ninth German armies following the defeat of July 18th stated, "...
July 18, 1918 was the precise turning point in the conduct of the war. The OHL's (High Command) failure to understand that the combat strength of the German army was already severely shattered in July 1918 [and] required systematic rebuilding."
At this point, the German army was incapable of an offensive campaign for several reasons. By July 1918, American troops were arriving in Europe at a rate of 120,000 a month and had begun to sway the balance of power in favour of the Allies. Morale was low among the German troops. During the July 18th battle, there were accounts of large groups of German soldiers surrendering to a single enemy soldier.
Martin Kitchen in his book entitled
The Silent Dictatorship argued that after the military defeat of July 18th "an increasing number of officers in the OHL were convinced that the war could no longer be won." However, Ludendorff noted in his war memoirs that he believed the defeat on July 18 was only a temporary setback,
"...regrettable, but far from irremediable."
BLACK DAY FOR THE GERMAN ARMY:
The High Command remained optimistic until 8 August 1918. On the morning of 8 August 1918 the Allied forces mounted a
surprise attack on the German forces along a 20-mile front east of Amiens. The Allies went straight for the German forces and skipped their artillery bombardment, which would have pre-warned the German forces that an attack was coming.
Spearheading the attack were
360 heavy tanks and 96 whippet tanks that were invisible behind the fog and Allied smokescreen. The Allied forces were nearly successful at breaking through the German lines on 8 August 1918. The attack marked a
devastating defeat for the German Army.
This near-breakthrough led the High Command to accept that the German army was no longer capable of conducting offensive military operations and that the army would be limited to defensive measures and evasions.
Historian Michel Geyer in his article
Insurrectionary Warfare: The German Debate about a Levee en Masse in October 1918 stated that this was an overly wishful assessment of the situation and it was clear that the war had been lost for Germany as of 8 August 1918.
Ludendorff did not remain under the illusion that Germany would soon defeat the enemy for long. He described 8 August 1918 as
"The black day of the German army," and stated "...success was easy for the enemy." General von Lossberg described the battle that occurred on 8 August 1918 as
"The worst defeat that a [single] army had ever suffered in war."
For Ludendorff, the dream of obtaining huge pieces of France, Belgium, and Poland at an eventual peace conference held by Germany was gone. Ludendorff stated that
"August 8 put the decline of fighting power beyond all doubt... I had no hope of finding a strategic expedient whereby to turn the situation to our advantage."(Still no mention of jewish communist conspiracy and paralysis)
Finally Ludendorff concluded that
"Leadership now assumed...the character of an irresponsible game of chance, a thing I have always considered fatal. The fate of the German people was too high a stake. The war must be ended."
However, shortly after, Ludendorff showed a different attitude towards the defeat of August 8th to Chancellor Hertling. Previous statements made by Ludendorff indicated that Germany had all but lost the war. However, Ludendorff led Hertling to believe that Germany was still capable of winning the war. Ludendorff stated to Chancellor Hertling, "In the course of the war I have been compelled five times before to withdraw troops but only in the end to beat the enemy. Why should I not succeed in doing that a sixth time?"
On 13 August 1918, one day before the fateful Spa Conference, Ludendorff spoke confidentially to Foreign Secretary Hintze -
In this conversation, Hintze reported that Ludendorff
"...admitted... that although he had told me in July he had been certain of breaking the enemy's fighting mettle and of compelling him to accept peace...he was no longer sure of it."
When Hintze asked Ludendorff what the further conduct of the war should be, Ludendorff replied
"a strategic defensive could weaken the enemy and gradually bring him to our terms." This statement by Ludendorff was very optimistic considering the severe military defeat that Germany had just suffered and the condition of its army.
These statements reveal some obvious contradictions. Either Ludendorff believed that Germany was no longer capable of winning the war. but led the civilian authorities to believe that it was still possible to defeat the enemy.Or he himself was no longer sure of what was happening on the front.
HIGH COMMAND SHIFTS THE BLAME:
By early September, the enemy had recaptured all the territory that Germany had gained in the Spring Offensive. Through September the military situation continued to deteriorate. Germany was facing total defeat and it was doubtful that the army would be able to hold out for the eventual peace negotiations.
Over 20 divisions had been redeployed in order to reinforce other divisions and many battalions were at only fifty percent strength. Asprey argued,
"It was doubtful whether 750,000 troops remained at the front." While the
number of German troops declined, the Allies had 120,000 fresh American troops arriving monthly. The morale on the front was horrible and Germany was at the verge of collapse.On the night of September 25-26, the High Command was
informed that Germany's ally, Bulgaria, wanted a separate peace. With Bulgaria out of the war there was an exposed flank in the southeast and the Danube River would be blocked. Combined with the prospect of Rumania re-entering the war, and the loss of the Rumanian oil fields proved too much for Ludendorff to handle. After hearing of Bulgaria's intention for a separate peace, Ludendorff stated to General Kuhl,
"We can't stand up to all that; we can't fight the whole world."
On the night of September 28th,
Hindenburg and Ludendorff both finally agreed that an armistice should be sought immediately. However, neither wanted to accept the blame for seeking an armistice.
A major conference occurred in Spa on 29 September 1918. Ludendorff, Hindenburg, Hintze, and Colonel Heye, Chief of the Operations Bureau were present at this conference. Ludendorff and Hindenburg made no effort to continue to disguise the situation or show any more hopeless optimism.
After describing the situation both Hindenburg and Ludendorff concluded that an immediate armistice was necessary. The High Command was in a desperate situation.
It had promised the war weary country victory over the enemy just months before.Despite the dismal state of the German military, the German people believed that Germany would win the war due to the
High Command's fraudulent optimism and propaganda.
On October 1st, after careful planning between Hintze, and the Kaiser, a new government formed. Ludendorff and Hindenburg supported this transfer of power to the civilian government. This is not because they desired to lose their power, but because according to Hindenburg and Ludendorff
"...it seemed only just that the socialists... should be smeared with the blame for the immanent disaster."The High Command who had been operating separately from the civilian government was placed under the control of this new government.
The High Command and the socialists had never been on good terms, especially in the final months of war when the socialists undermined the army. However, nowhere does Ludendorff mention the failure of the High Command to secure the victory that it promised just months before. General Lossberg latter wrote,
"...the real fault lay in his (Ludendorff) own defective general-ship."
Within hours of the formation of the new government, Ludendorff demanded that the new Chancellor, Prince Max, send the armistice offer immediately. However, Prince Max believed it would be best to wait until the government was fully formed before rushing into any peace offer.However, Ludendorff proved to be persuasive.
Ludendorff called the office of Prince Max every hour on October 3rd warning the Chancellor that the fate of the German Army rested in Prince Max initiating negotiations with President Wilson.
Historians have been puzzled as to why Ludendorff was suddenly desperate for peace. The situation of the military was not significantly worse than when Ludendorff was expressing optimism about the military situation.
However, since July, the High Command had been looking for a scapegoat for seeking an armistice with the enemy.
Ludendorff and Hindenburg had carefully guided the newly formed civilian government into this position. By transferring the High Command's power to the parliamentary government and Reichstag, it appeared that the decision for an armistice had been the new civilian government's intention.
Harry Rudin, in his book
Armistice 1918 argued that the German civilian government made two grave errors. First, it let itself be "stampeded into the decision by Ludendorff and Hindenburg without questioning the judgment of the two Generals and without asking for any postponement of the decision in order to study the matter more thoroughly." Secondly, it let it appear that the "new government was responsible for the decision and not the High Command."
As a result, the sole responsibility for this decision appeared to be the civilian government and not with the High Command where it belonged.
A major problem with the events following 29 September 1918 is that while the High Command demanded an armistice, it had still not admitted total defeat. Ludendorff had a primitive and optimistic idea of the armistice. He believed that when negotiations commenced with President Wilson, the German forces would retreat and regroup behind the German border.
If peace terms were not to Germany's liking, the German Army would be in a better position than before and would be capable of reopening war. This "...led to the suspicion among historians, but first articulated among the Allies, that the peace offer was a deceit from the start."
Ludendorff and Hindenburg were
not prepared to accept responsibility for the terms When Ludendorff was asked about Wilson's second peace note, he replied "the enemy should win such terms by fighting for them."
Also, Ludendorff told the government that he believed that Germany was now capable of beating the enemy because he believed he could muster another 600,000 troops. In reply to President Wilson's second note, Hindenburg and Ludendorff released a general statement to the German troops stating the
High Command took no responsibility for future negotiations with Wilson.
This was an outright violation of the new constitution, and put the civilian government in a difficult position because it appeared that the High Command no longer supported peace. However, Prince Max believed that Germany would never be in a better situation to negotiate an armistice, and continued negotiations without Ludendorff and Hindenburg's support. Due to this, it appeared that the civilian government had been the one seeking an armistice.
On I October Ludendorff told a group of senior officers:
'We shall now see these gentlemen enter various ministries. They can make the peace that has to be made. They can now eat the soup they have served up to us!'
On the jews and communists: U have given 3 names of jewish communist leaders as the proof for a global jewish conspiracy for german stab in the back
without a single statement from any of these leaders in support of zionism or belief in judaism,u simply assumed.Lenin and marx were of jewish descent as well and have v
ocally denounced god and all religion.Here the quote of 'marx the jew' -apparently the brainchild of bolshevik jewish conspiracy -
"What is the secular basis of Judaism? Practical need and self-interest. What is the worldly religion of the Jew? Hucksterism. What is the worldly God? Money. An organization of society which would abolish the preconditions of huckstering, and therefore the possibility of huckstering, would make the Jew impossible. His religious consciousness would be dissipated like a thin haze in the real, vital air of society."
Now i have given the actual reasons and the construction of the myth above by ludendorff,but i'll give a few examples of the rubbish of the stab in the back.
German Jewish Soldiers - Memorial of Fallen Soldiers
Memorial by names of 1
2,000 jewish servicemen killed in german service,proportionate to total number of 550,000 in the german empire.
The President of the Reich Berlin, October 3, 1932
Dear Dr. Lowenstein!
I express my cordial thanks to the Reich Association of Jewish Combat Veterans for their good wishes on my 85th birthday as well as for the gift of flowers and the Commemorative Album. I accept the book in respectful memory of those comrades from your ranks fallen for the Fatherland and will make it a part of my war library.
With comradely greetings!
(signed) Von Hindenburg(Commander in chief german army ww1)
The Reich Association of Jewish Combat Veterans
Attn: Dr. Lowenstein, Captain of the Reserves, Retired
Kurfurstendamm 200
Berlin W 15
The noblest German blood is that which is shed by German soldiers for Germany. To these also belong the 12,000 killed in action from German Jewry, who thereby earnestly in their turn successfully passed the test of blood in the German sense of the word. To the extent that their names could still be identified, they are perpetuated in this book, which their comrades who came home again respectfully dedicate to their memory.
(signed) Dr. Leo Lowenstein
Captain of the Reserves
President of the RAJCV
Another example -
Fritz Haber - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Noble winning jewish german chemist who pioneered the production of poison gas for use by german troops compromising his reputation among the scientific community post-war.He defended himself by saying-
''In peace for humanity,in war fatherland'.He had to die in exile when hitler came in power.
As for the jewish lobby in america being pro-war,they are a group of independent people in a sovereign country and have
every right to express their own opinion.They were not germans and can't stab germany in the back.But in any case it was not lobby but
german resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare in the atlantic in 1917 (germany had halted this 1916 to stop usa entry-president wilson sent warning note to germany in 1915 after german submarines sunk civilian ships killing american citizens.But by 1917 british blockade was hurting german economy and they were getting desperate)that caused her entry into WW1.
Thus it is seen that stab in the back was a careful construction of the general staff to avoid taking the blame of defeat and passing it onto scapegoats.
In ww2 -The Allied policy of
unconditional surrender was devised in 1943 in part to avoid a repetition of the stab-in-the-back theme. According to historian
John Wheeler-Bennett, speaking from the British perspective,
''It was necessary for the Nazi régime and/or the German Generals to surrender unconditionally in order to bring home to the German people that they had lost the War of themselves; so that their defeat should not be attributed to a "stab in the back"
Now i'm tired of talking about jews and i'm not a spokesperson for them.
You miss the point entirely.
The issue is not about supporting Hitler. It's about being able to discuss the subject without being shouted down as conspiracy theorists and anti-Semites. History is always a lot more complicated than the simplified, sanitized version most people believe.
We discuss controversial subjects involving Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists -- but as soon as the word 'Jewish' is involved, the intellectual fascism kicks in and debate must be shut down.
I wanted to discuss this point.
Tell me why has israel and arabs of today been dragged into this topic which was purely historical one ?And who did it?Me or desertfox?
The problem with desertfox and his arab cheerleaders is they relate the jews of today's israel to these civilians that were slaughtered by hitler.
You people are seeing them as 'jews' and not people-just normal people mostly living in villages in eastern europe.
Does israel use sympathy from the holocaust to its own end?-Yes
Is what israel doing in palestine right now humane or fair? -No
Now ,
most important does saying innocent people happening to be jews were targeted and killed by hitler,mean supporting israel of today?-To desertfox apparently yes-to me - no.These can be treated mutually exclusive.
Do you think i'm some jewish cheerleader?How many times have u seen me in a israel-palestine topic on this forum.I have been here for 8 yrs.I think 2-3 posts u will find and mostly along the lines of
'RIP innocents,hopefully there will be a peaceful solution in this clusterfuck called the middle east'.
Am i against them disliking jews?Not at all- i don't care.They are free people entitled to their own opinions.
What i am against is the historical revisionism being preached by Desertfox portraying hitler as a misrepresented leader who was more or less a good guy and all the misdeeds attributed to himand his cronies being products of propaganda.As for the large numbers of arab members falling for this-sure u can have silent admiration for this guy because his dislike for jews corresponds with urs,and he did something about it-like kill millions of them..while the collective arab world has proved itself incompetent and too corrupt to deal with tiny israel despite huge financial,material and geographic advantages losing war after war.I would ask you to get to know hitler more before falling for this.I would ask you to remember deaths caused by hitler and thenazi leadership were far more than just jews.
Thus contrary to ur accusation that my posts are a defense of judaism,its rather a protest against blatant nazi revisionism .
NEXT:Nazi racial policies(On country basis-czech,poland,russia plus jews) and conspiracy to genocide.
Life in concentration camps(including dealing with the lavish photos of polish prisoners desertfox posted).Reichstag fire and foreign recruitment in SS and wehrmacht(the 'diversity' desertfox was boasting about)