Reasons for Adolf Hitler's failure in WWII

Introduction 

The World War II remains one of the most remembered historical events in the world. One of the primary reasons why it remains an important event in world history is due to the influence and activities of Adolf Hitler. He was a corporal in the World War I after which he became involved in politics propelling him to become the leader of the National Socialist German Workers. Shortly after this he rose to power becoming leader of Germany in 1933. He immediately began preparations of its military for wars in the future. It was only six years into his reign as sovereign leader of Germany that he attacked Poland in 1939 beginning the World War II. Earlier preparations resulted in the rapid expansion of Germany occupying large tracts of land in Europe and North Africa. However, following the entry of Russia and the US, Germany’s supremacy was quickly diminished before an inevitable defeat. The following paper focuses on various strategic actions made by Adolf Hitler that led to his potential failure in the World War II. 

Conducting a Two Front War 

One of the main reasons why Hitler lost the war in 1945 was his indecision to conduct effective military strategies. In this case, the primary target for Nazi Germany was expanding its territories into the Soviet Union. The main goal of Hitler’s war was to gain widespread land for the settlement of Germans in the East. It is also evident that once he had attacked Poland, France and Britain declared war against him (Stargardt, 2015). This occurrence meant that the western border of the country was at risk of invasion by the two European powers. Therefore, before proceeding to attack the Soviet Union, he had to ensure that the threats to the western boarder were neutralized secure. In light of this, he commanded a decisive attack against France and Britain. He would first secure his northern flank in Scandinavia which was his primary source of war materials before any assault takes place in the former (Stargardt, 2015). 

The battle against France was quick and swift as within a matter of weeks he had taken control of the country. Through this action, he believed that Britain would not engage in war against Germany as they would be hopeless in any military conquest. Hitler informed his generals that the Great Britain would instead be inclined to negotiate for an end. However, this would not be the case as the new British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill chose to fight rather than comply with the demands of Hitler (Stargardt, 2015). In this regard, Germany experienced a setback similar to that of the World War I whereby it was forced to fight a battle on two fronts. The war against Russia was inevitable and continued focus on Britain only delayed it even further. The misjudgment of the British resolve before, during and after the battle was a major factor in potential defeat (Stargardt, 2015). The Luftwaffe led by Hermann Goering did not analyze the power of the Royal Air Force’s fighter as it was significantly more capable of attacks than the German’s had imagined (Stargardt, 2015). Goering would make decisions based on his own ego and not from the intelligence brought by his subordinates. 

Battle of Stalingrad 

The Battle of Stalingrad remains one of the costliest battles in the entirety of the war. It was in this town that the German troops were fast approaching Moscow in an attempt to take over from the country’s capital. The easiest approach was to surround the Caucasus region which was a primary location for Russian industrial activity rich in oil deposits. However, Hitler ordered for yet another two-front approach known as the “war directive 41” (De Lafayette, 2014). The 6 th army of the Germans would southern areas where they would conquer the Soviet’s forces before advancing in two directions. The first would be in Caucasus region and the other in Stalingrad. The latter was an integral center for industries and transportation. The battle in the city easy as the Germans overwhelmed the 40,000 Russian troops that had little capability or arsenal to overpower them (De Lafayette, 2014). However, in their prospects to secure the entire city block to block was the potential ruin of the military. 

It is important to note that Hitler had not commanded for a complete destruction of the region but instead to just reach it and ensure it is no longer a center for transportation. However, Stalin surprised the Nazi troops by ordering two commanders to engage in the protection of the city. A combination of a superb commander and high skill military was the only hope for saving the Soviet leader. General Zhukov better recognized in the war as a crisis solver was ordered to save whatever was possible in the Russian South. General Vasily Chuikov who was deputy commander of the 64 th army South of Stalingrad was to take over as leader of the 62 nd army and defend the city (De Lafayette, 2014). The directive was to ensure every piece of Soviet land was protected to the last drop of blood. In this case, secret police would kill every soldier who escaped from the imminent death. The Russian troops known as the 13 th Guards division increased in support of the 62 nd army as they came 10,000 in number. However, 30% of them were killed in 24hours and only 320 survived the battle (De Lafayette, 2014). 

The intensity of warfare increased drastically as it was an endless series of mini battles. The Chuikov troops had to relocate from one part of the city to another to avoid being killed by the Germans. Fighting and bloodshed was in every street, building and floor with a few cases including rooms. The dilapidated sight of the area prompted quick response by both parties to undertake sniper tactics as a means of increasing destruction of the opponent numbers (De Lafayette, 2014). As a result, the German flanks were weakened particularly when the head of the sniper school was killed by one of the Russian snipers. General Zhukov identified this as an opportunity to attack Germans on their weakest points. A large number of Soviet soldiers, close to one million, were gathered to completely surround the 6 th army and cutting off their supply lines (De Lafayette, 2014). At this point, this was larger than the Hitler army and through the use of heavy artillery guns, tanks and aircraft, they would be trapped. The 3 rd and 4 th Romanian armies were captured and interrogated for intelligence. Hitler under his command refused any of the soldiers to retreat from the battle imminently sentencing them to their deaths. Approximately, two million German soldiers were lost at that point. 

Attack on Greece 

Another major factor in the ultimate death of the Hitler war was the unprecedented attack on Greece. Italy which had similar ideologies of superiority to that of Germany had developed an allied relationship. Its leader, Mussolini, had just witnessed as Germany attacked France and conquered within just a few weeks. In this regard, Mussolini had the desire to upstage Germany and prove not only to Hitler but also to the entire world that Italy was a force to reckon with. He had intentionally deceived Germany that they were not making any such military campaign (Stargardt, 2015). In this case, it caught Hitler by surprise that identified the action as a strategic blunder in the quest to conquer the world. It started off in October 1940, but the Italians were immediately met with resistance from Greek forces prompting nearly 530,000 troops of the former to fall back in retreat (De Lafayette, 2014). A similar counterattack by Mussolini in March the following year would result in failure. 

In an effort to sustain the embarrassment of the Italian allies, Hitler had to send in his own troops to conquer the Greece. It took just a little over a month for him to conquer the Greeks. According to agreements between Germany and Italy, the latter was required to continue in its invasion of North Africa (Stargardt, 2015). Even the army’s Chief of staff became aware of the invasion after it had taken place. Its occurrence was a major setback to the overall plans. Millions of lire were used as bribes that would prompt Greek commanders to surrender without much resistance. However, Mussolini is unaware whether there was any amount that ever reached the Greeks. Lack of preparedness of the military campaign was a major factor in its defeat. This humiliation demonstrated the frailties of the German Axis power as it had to spend nearly three months in a defensive battle against the Greeks before being crippled by a British carrier attack (Stargardt, 2015). 

War Against the US 

The most destructive action of the German-led war was its declaration of war against the US. This declaration was made by Hitler as a promise to Japan one of its allies in the war. Due to the hyper-expansionist policies employed by the Asian Empire, the Japanese engaged in a South Pacific and Southeast Asia encroachment of land. As a result, it found itself in an untenable position where it could suffer military attacks and economic vulnerabilities. The US, Britain and the Netherlands had enforced numerous sanctions against it (Bell, 2014). The West in particular had refused to export oil into the country which at the time was a much-needed commodity. Alternatively, it would provide China with high levels of military aid to prevent further grabbing of territories (Shirer, 2011). The Asian Empire only had two options at this point, either retreat from the recently grabbed countries or to expand into some more territories from the colonies of European countries where resources were in plenty. 

Similar to the Germans, the Japanese identified the latter option as more viable. The military leaders believed that encroaching into the Dutch East Indies and Southeast Asia was a necessary approach to get rubber and oil. Therefore, a plan to stall a counter offence from the US a planned attack on Perl Harbor was incorporated to ensure all the most important American fleets are destroyed. This action would be an effective means of lowering the US morale. Though the assault went as planned, it was only a limited victory as majority of the US aircrafts were out at sea for some exercises. The same carriers that were the primary target would be used to serve a crushing blow to the empire. Japan could not handle the high production rate or the superior technology of the US as they suffered the wrath of two atomic bombs dropped in 1945. The Pearl Harbor bombing was a major factor that introduced the US into the war when the Germans and Japanese had underestimated their arsenal capability. 

Axis Allies 

From the above separate events, it is evident that the main cause for Hitler’s defeat in World War II was due to ineffective allied forces. Prior to the beginning of the war, Germany had declared an Axis by joining forces with Italy. The primary reason for making this choice was the shared ideology of the indigenous members being superior to other races (Bell, 2014). However, by the start of the war, the equipment used by such allies was outdated and could not withstand the higher capabilities of its enemies (Shirer, 2011). Hungary and Romania would serve as other members of the axis, but their involvement in the war could not provide valuable assistance to the German’s purpose. The battle of Stalingrad is a clear indication of the inferiority of these allied nations. The Romanian army who flanked the Germans in the quest to conquer Moscow were captured by Russian forced and interrogated to reveal secret plans by the latter. This would be a major factor in its eventual defeat. It is noted that the very beginning, Germany attempted to seek the assistance of Britain in a battle against the Russians (Shirer, 2011). However, after failed attempts to persuade them hence the need to seek any even though less powerful nations. 

The Russian Winter 

Adolf Hitler was brimming with confidence as he issued commands to his military leaders and advisors. He informed them that the battle against the Soviet Union would be won by just kicking down its door and the entire empire would crumble. According to the plans by the German forces, victory will be achieved way before winter had set in. As a result, the troops did not undertake significant preparations for the Russian winter. The Nazis had little preparation for the season as they carried only their summer uniforms. However, when the plans of Hitler did not actualize as he had planned the soldiers had to suffer through the harsh weather conditions. They neither had the food supplements required nor the medical care to control various illnesses contracted due to the cold. It is noted that many of the soldiers who fought during that particular time would experience starvation as they fought off continued counterattacks from the Russian troops who had now organized themselves. The Germans suffered the maximum casualties during the invasion of Stalingrad a clear indication of the consequences of little preparations. 

Commander-in-Chief and Disregarding the Generals 

Operation Barbarossa as was the code name for the invasion into the USSR was by day proving to be a total disaster. Each of the unsuccessful assault efforts seemed to have retrieved minimal victories. They were completely not enough for the high level of ambition that Hitler had for his country. He was slowly but steadily losing trust in the techniques and abilities of his Generals (Dörner & Güss, 2011). He was assured that they had lost their touch in orchestrating a major assault that will lead to the glorification and praise of the German army. As a result, he started believing in himself where he would take up the role of Commander-in-Chief of the military. He was convinced that he had learnt enough from them that he could rectify their transgressions. He would go to the extent of removing officers from their posts particularly when they failed to obey his orders. He had won spectacular victories as a supervisor to the war making him believe he was military genius (Dörner & Güss, 2011). However, the fortunes turned on him, he considered his Generals incompetent. The Battle of Bulge showed a lack of trust between him and his Generals. Though they discouraged him against it, he progressed with the plan and lost many valuable soldiers making the victory for the Allies easier than was previously the case. 

Never Retreat Policy 

He had instituted numerous policies that would be a significant factor in the continued endurance of the German forces. During Operation Barbarossa, the encounter with the Russian troops had reached a stand-off. The German soldiers were ordered to surrender or face the wrath of the counterattacks. However, under his command, it was decreed that no soldier should stand back or retreat from attacking the Germans. Despite being surrounded on all their flanks they were rooted to the cause of continued attack against the Soviets. This action was an integral factor in avoiding an early defeat at the hands of Russia. After identifying its success, he took the policy too far as he bypassed military communication channels to give the order at company level (Dörner & Güss, 2011). The policy would cease from succeeding as it caused so many casualties that the country could not afford. The failure to retreat was primary in the complete elimination of the 6 th Army in Stalingrad. 

Technology 

As Nazi Germany prepared for an onslaught of its enemy which was practically anyone who had differing beliefs from them, one of the primary practices was advancing their technological capabilities. By the start of the war, Germany was by far ahead of their counterparts, the Allies. They had superior tanks and jets that could lead to complete annihilation of the Soviets. However, it was by the orders of Hitler that such military technologies were not employed (Dörner & Güss, 2011). He was focused on production on heavy tanks rather than identification of innovative designs like Panther tanks. Some of the creative designs include the first assault rifle and the Me-262 fighter jets. The latter was discarded as incorporated the designs of an interceptor which Hitler did not want. The Germans also relied on forced labor of enslaved Jews to manufacture these technologies. However, this only created poor finished products that required so many spare parts for frequent repairs. Had they incorporated the various technologies that were available to them, they would have probably won the war way before the Russians regrouped themselves for a counter attack. 

References 

Bell, P. M. H. (2014) The Origins of the Second World War in Europe . London: Routledge Taylor & Francis Group. 

De Lafayette, M. (2014) Chronology of World War Two, Hitler In Berlin and Argentina And Nazis 1945-2013 . New York: Times Square Press. 

Dörner, D., & Güss, C. D. (2011). A psychological analysis of Adolf Hitler's decision making as commander in chief: Summa confidentia et nimius metus. Review of General Psychology , 15(1), 37. 

Shirer, W. L. (2011) The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany . New York: Simon & Schuster. 

Stargardt, N. (2015) The German War: A Nation Under Arms, 1939-1945 . New York: Basic Books.