Today in History: exactly 70 years ago today, Adolf Hitlers aides were too afraid to wake him up while having a nap, and this was adjudged as being responsible to have cost him victory of World War II. This fortunate fate was all hanging on Hitlers inner staff whom he had imposed too much fears despite working closely with him. When the first urgent but confused reports of an Allied landing were radioed and rung through to the Wolf’s Lair headquarters as early as 4am on the morning of June 6, his staff found him asleep. Nobody dared wake him. Better to let the great man sleep, and give him the clearest possible picture when he wakes — right? Confusion was rife and actively enhanced by a key double-agent in the pocket of the Allies, plus an intelligence campaign severely misleading the Germans. And, besides, the weather over Normandy had been forecast to be atrocious, leading many Germans to believe any action there was simply a feint — and that the main attack would come northwards at the area around Calais. “We don’t know” was simply not an answer for the Fuhrer. This simple hesitation by cowed staff may have cost Germany, if not victory, a tremendously advantageous negotiated peace. It certainly gifted the Allies 12 vital hours. Germany’s reserve tanks and troops — which could have responded within minutes — instead sat and waited. The 10,000 border troops hiding in their pillboxes and trenches were left to hold the line alone as 175,000 Allied troops steadily waded ashore.
Posted on: Fri, 06 Jun 2014 22:31:27 +0000
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