1940-05-20 — Page 14

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The Nazi Military Bible: T

INSTALMENT SIXTH

TO-DAY'S extracts from the German military text-book, written by Professor Ewald Banse and indiscreetly published in 1933; deals with Switzerland,

Professor Banse reveals why Germany did not invado Switzerland in the 1914-18 War, and why the Confederation may be invaded in the present war.

The book from which these extracts are taken was published for circulation in Ger- many only. But Messrs.. Lovat, Dickson, the well-known English publishers, received a copy and decided to issue an English translation,

Strenuous efforts were made by the Nazi authorities to prevent publication and the aid of the British Foreign Office was even ovoked. When this failed, the publishers were first of- fered a bribe and wore then threatened by Nazi agents.

The text that follows is, of course, the translated expressions of a German.

A ski patrol, clad in white to cope notice, patrols an upper Alpine ridge. Italian-Austrian experience in the World War praved that dislodging mountali troops is difficult, and the Swiss have trained for such mountains warfare for centuries.

QWITZERLAND forms To make certain of victory in France, says

the southern, the'

Netherlands the northern, the author of Germany's military text-book-

portion of Germany's

western frontier.

Two thirds of Switzer- land are German in blood and German speaking, and the country is thus one of those small states which France favours as a res traint upon German power and which owe their political independence en- tirely to the goodwill of the great Powers and to their hostility towards the German people.

HITLER MUST

MARCH INTO SWITZERLAND

pends upon its position be-

While the Netherlands in- clude the mouths of the largest German river. Swil. zerland contains the territory in which it has its sources- evidence this, of the cunning with which our people have been territorially confined and its

frontier. military situation pre- judiced as compared__with_ France.

A Germany bounded, as in the Middle Ages, by the heights of Artois and the line of the Jura holds the eastern

tween the foothills-of-the Vosges and the neutral Swiss

Would-Open

Belfort Gap

This would open for us the Belfort gap, which proved in the world war impossible to

part-of-northern-France-in-a-force-and-would-thus make

pair of pincera, and in those circumstances the opening battles of a war take place within the Paris basin, that is to any, in France's most vital parts,

To prevent this, the small but independent States of Holland, Belgium and Swit- zerland had to be created or guaranteed, as the case might

bc.

The advantages of their existence are reserved to France alone, for they have been established wholly or mainly at the cost of the Ger- man people.

Invasion Favours

The Reich

Accordingly, a war with France would only be waged under favourable conditions If we were permitted or able to march through Belgium and Holland in the north and through Switzerland in the south.

Such

an operation 'would make it possible to outflank the otherwise probably im- pregnable French fortresses between the Belgian Meuse. and Belfort and to neutralise one of France's two military weapons (army and eastern fortifications).

The importance of Switzer.

land from the point of view of military geography lies in the Jura and in the Bellegarde (or Genera) gap...

The Jura is for the most part a chain of mountains with extensive longitudinal, valleys and short transverso passes; the only tableland can easily be crossed, the moun- tains not without difficulty.

Its capture, however, even If limited to the northern part

for a Porrentruy would make it impossible to defend Belfort, the value of which to

an important breach in the French eastern front.

The diversion of French army corps to the western Alps, and possibly also to the Pyrenees, would greatly weaken the French forces on the German front; though the decision mus, of course, be sought in north-east France.

The carrying of the Jara and of its modern French rond bar- ricades would also of course give us the plains of the Doubs and Stone and bring the Paris basin via Langres, und south eastern France towards Lyons, within our grasp.

Not less important aan the north-eastern Juma is the Geneva or Bellegarde gap, through which lies the way from the German shores of the Lake of Constance tu south eastern France,

com-

A military offensive from Gone- ษฏ could be undertaken (1) across the southern Jura in the valley of the Lower Snone; (2) along the Rhone to Lyons, an im

commercial city portant manding the shortest line of com- munication between the south east and the rest of France and only some 30 miles from the fnc- terica and aracnal of St. Etienne: (3) south castwards straight

into the western Alps and so to the rear of the main passes the capture of which is of great im- portance as regards the Italian army, which therefore has the strongest possible. Interest seizing the Bellegarde gap after crossing the Alps in the direction of the Rhone valley,

in

In the world war Germany res- pected Swiss neutrality as she did

that of the Netherlands,

Forcible violation would pro- bably have been more diMcult than in the case of Holland, for the Gemban speaking popu lation certainly, and perhaps the French population too, is n lougher proposition than the Dutch, while the country of.. fers more serious obstacles→→→→ not to entry but

egress into France or Italy,

Neverthelesà capable, Ger man commander would have had

roat difficul) In reaching the tableland of the Jura from Swabia via the Lake of Constance

Crouching in a "fox hale" dug out of now, this Swiss infantryman could casily make mincemeat of an approaching enemy with his Swiss carbine,

one of the best rifles in the world.

and the Rhino, or from Alsace, although we should presumably have encountered a Franco-Swiss line running across the Jura and the central plateau, which would have held up our advance over difficult country,

We should have added con- sidombly to our already long front without gaining any deci- sive advantage, unless it were the destruction of Bellori-a result, however, important enough to justify the venture and the effort. Moreover, the capture of the St. Gothard Pass alone would have given us important access to Italy and enabled us to strike at _Milan,...her_Industrial_centre.. and to outflank the armies of Venetia.

The possible advantages were very great, but the probable re- sults elight, and we cannot therefore blame our higher command for having allowed Switzerland to continue at her privato game of soldiers,

Allies Ready

French right wing behind Bcl- fort and outflank the Italian army from the west.

In the winter of 1916-17, the French reckoned seriously with this danger and conferred with the Swiss military authorities re- garding joint measures of de- fence.

The Swiss, however, were ut the same timo negotiating with Gorman headquarters with a view to Swiss-German action in face of a

French attack. But these conversations did not pro- ceed far, as the German general staff was sceptical about a French invasion of Switzerland.

Swiss neutrality, is, in fact

to the French and only useful not to us, which explains the orl

the Confederation's gins of political independence.

Switzerland la very ill-equipped for war purposes, especially as the collapse of the tourist inclus- try, which is her first source of revenue and business

would apeedily load to national bank- ruptcy,

For Invasion

Compelled as she 'le' to Import foodstuffs, coal and all the raw As a matter of fact, the Al- materials for her industries, lles in

1916 anticipated, a Switzerland is at all times econo German violation of Switzeast of normatghbour

∙mically dependent upon ono id's neutrality on a definite Like Belgium, and the Untied possibility and though that the plan was to get round the

States.

of America, Switzerland. has no people, but merely a popu

at

lation made up of different races. Two-thirds of the inhabitnits are Germans, the rest French, Itali ane and Rhetinns. Rasially they consist of Enstern, Dinaric, Nor dle and Mediterranean elements.

The German element is of Ale- mannic stock, like the neighbour- ing Alsatians and Black Fores ters.

And yet the German Swiss Imagine that in conjunction with the other three mcial cle- ments, which speak foreign languages, they constitute a single notfonllly, and they dig

an artificial french between themselves and us, which is deeper and wider than the Lake of Constance.

This conception, which they uphold with all the impartiality of the Eastern race, is the in- tellectual basis of the Confedera ton, which would otherwise have no reality, since the Latin ele- ments have no such deep convic tion.

Further, the ruling patrician and owning families, which have for centuries directed the affairs of state and canton, are afraid -that-by-absorption in a larger-na---

tional unit they would lose their ancient privileges.

-Criticism..........Of

"Kinsfolk"

From the military point of view, therefore, the character of the German Swiss is the decisive.factor...

This, like the old German character, is grounded in com- mon sense and is of a very independent spirit, enterpris- ing, tough and reserved.

· It ruling features, however, are a calculating materialism, un- limited self reliance and a ten- dency to criticism, not to say fault finding.

The latter tendency is directed mainly towards their German kinafolk across the Rhine, and reminds us of the pellean which recka its own breast.

Thla anti-German feeling is so strong that even in peace time the German tourist is al- ways worse treated in German Switzerland then the British, and American

the French tourist.

This childish aversion de- mands our most serious niten- tion. It is an important fact fraught with possible military consequences, "being of itself equivalent to a strong army corps and much more danger. ous than the anti-German feel- Ing of the Alsatians, since it is hased upon the belief, doubtless Justified in the Middle Ages but lon" since obsolete, that liberty and equality, those most scared of human possessions, are at stake.

It is this idea alone that separ- ates us from the German Swiss -only, indeed, until they realise that they are politically in no way nuperior to their brethren on the right bank of the Rhine.

·CHINA--ASSOCIATION

Election of Committee At Annual Meeting

At the annual meeting of the China Association in London on May, 7 the following were elected to the Com- milice:

President, Mr. D. G. M. Bernard; Chaleman, Brig.-General C, R. Woodrello, C.M.C., C.V.O., C.b.E.;

Vice-Chairman, Mr. O, W. Swire; Hon. Treasurer, Mr. M. Wolfers: Memra, R. G. Buchati, A. W. Búr- kill, O.... W. R. Cockburn, E. J. Davies, G. M.. Dodwell, W. B. Ken- |nett, á. D. Lang, S. P. Leigh, Lt.- General Sir Georgalacdonaph. G.D.E., K.G.D., x.c.M.G, Cant, A. K.

MacEwan, o... Sir George Moss,

KELA. Rose, and Sir Thomas. Strangman.

Monday, MAY 20, 1940.

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Situation Analysed

Paris, May 10. Mlitary clrcles say that the Ger- mans are expecting a French coun- ter-allack from the south

and are making preparations for that even- tuality. The same circles

that ᎦᎸᎩ once the German troops have con- solidated their positions along the Olse they would be in a position to attack the Maginot Line proper from the rear even if it should prove Impossible to continue their advance towards Paris.

The most

Important part of the front is that from the north of Laon to the sea. In the extreme north of this front the British, French and Belgian troops are continuing their movement of a strategic retreat with- out undue pressure from the enemy.

Towards the end of yesterday afternoon the main battle was tocalised in the area of Guise and Landrecies. The engagements were very numerous and the Germans made very violen attacks with tanks supported by planes and artillery. The fighting continued until late in the evening and probably will be resumed in the morning. South of Guise and north-west of Loon the fighting was less violent.

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ments and withdrawal in northern The Germans_made_s_push with Belgium:_heavy_righting_in_the_area. urmoured columns and unsupported of Gulse and Landrecles, activity of detachments which advanced from smaller German detachments north- the direction of the Sambro and Oise West of Laon; fighting on a minor around

Ribemont, south-cast of scale between

Guise, and Laon, 10 miles north-cast cast of Sedan Laon and Sedan: calm of Paris,

The position of the frontier city of Maubeuge is uncertain, but fighting The general situation-may-bo-sum- appears-to-be-in-progress-west-of-the- med up as follows: Strategic move- fortress-Reuter,

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