Was Adolf Hitler actually fairly shrewd in military decision making for a pure novice?

Question

how shrewd were his ideas or decisions ? which specific decision or changes he made to what his generals had planned and how they were better or not?

Also, what actual experience did Hitler have at STRATEGICS? and how? when? did he have a talent or not?

Answer 1

Military decisions always must take into account other necessities as pure military strategy, combat tactics and getting closer to victory. Good examples are the La Hague Convention of Land Warfare or the Geneva conventions. Purely strategically it would be the most effective measure to kill all counterparts immediately, no matter which age, gender of if combatant or non combatant. Then wars could be won in a second. However some basic rules of "humanity" were introduced to avoid the worst cruelties or the most unethical weapons, like neutron bombs which could achieve this goal.

Hitler did not want victories at all costs, nor did he want to conquer the world. Some campaigns were carried out only for the pressure on opponents to come back to negotiations. The Western campaign wouldn't have taken place eight months after the victory in Poland, eight months in which not a single shot was fired, if the Empire would have agreed on on a treaty and wouldn't have constantly provocated the Reich by attacks from airbases in France, Belgium and the Netherlands. Even when the battle on the continent was won, Hitler didn't finish off the Britains by annihilating their 360.000 men expedition ground forces or BEF at Dunkirk. This way he had to interfere with the plans of his commanders.

Another aspect is the nearly ignored German "Auftragstaktik", developed in the Prussian military Academy and executed in all German troop contingents It is the exact opposite of what is shown in Hollywood soaps as a German or Nazi soldier . In "Auftragstaktik" the highest commander explains the goals of a campaign and distributes the tasks and resources to the subordinate commanders. The next time he will see them is after their task is accomplished. In no way the higher ranks interfere with the methods to achieve the given goals. Failure never is punished but always analyzed to draw conclusions for improvements. In the hierarchy with Hitler on top his task was to say: "Conquer France" or "Defeat the Red Army", the rest being details he never would have cared for and if, he would have learned and had learned that those "advices" or commands are ignored, even in the German Army. When he expressed his opinions in discussions of strategy, those were not more than one of many personal opinions. The reality of warfare was a result of the decisions of the commanders in the field. Even if Hitler gave orders and those were followed in the beginning, the doctrine of "Auftragstaktik" forbids to see them as strict orders. That is important to take into account how relevant Hitlers orders were for the tactics and strategies of his Generals, Admirals and officers and the weight of their orders on the end results.

Answer 2

Hitler was no military Genius, he often made decisions that would doom Germany in battle. During 1939-1941 when everything was going well Hitler would tell the generals what he planned to do and his Generals would give many revisions that Hitler would accept. During the invasion of France General Manstien purposed the ardennes offensive but Hitler took the credit looking to increase his image.



However after the failure to capture Moscow in 1941 Hitler took full control of the military and made all decisions with little negotiation this lead to the destruction of the 6th army in Stalingrad, the defeat at Kursk, and the annalitation of many german armies because of Hitlers no retreat policy.



Hitler had no prior strategic experience, he was a Corperol in the German army and new nothing of Warfare.

Answer 3

Although not a conventional military genius it was because he broke with convention that many of his campaigns were extremely successful in the early stages of WW2.

Convention and perceived wisdom of the time caused the French to build the Maginot Line, thinking outside the box allowed the Germans to drive around it and conquor France in record time. I think in the latter stages his decision making processes became more flawed but lets not forget that for over half the war he was taking on virtually every other major global power single handed.

If Hitler had not overstretched, maintained his pact with Russia and focused on western opposition the war may have had a very different outcome and his decision making may have been regarded as inspirational, although the world would be a whole lot worse of it he had won !!

Answer 4

I work at that shoprite. This is the third year that they have come to our store for a birthday cake. They knew coming in that it would not happen. They chose to go to the press and broadcast the names of their children. They are not denied a cake. Shoprite is willing to put the Happy Birthday on the cake. They have even offered them the icing to add the name at home. Most people only put a persons first name on a cake. Why doesn't he just do that. Shock factor maybe??? Also the taxpayers are paying for this cake. Neither one of the parents is working. Mom has back problems. But she can carry and deliver 3 children very close in age. Again, the taxpayers are paying for them too. If these two unfit parents like the names that much, why didn't they change their own names to adolf hitler and aryan nation??

Answer 5

From a strictly military point of view, no-one did more to ensure that Germany lost the war than Adolf Hitler.



His military decision-making was appalling throughout the war.



Some examples -



He went to war before Germany was ready.



He ordered the Panzers to halt for three days in May 1940 - which enabled the British to evacuate 300,000 soldiers from Dunkirk.



He delayed too long (indecision?) before lainching any sort of attack on Britain.



Just when the Luftwaffe was finally getting the upper hand, he insisted that they switch their attacks to London.



He invaded Yugoslavia and Greece, tying up half a million men for the res of the war.



He kept changing the objectives of Barbarossa. First Moscow didn;t matter - then it wwas priority number one.



He declared war in the US.



He diverted a mass of manpower and materiel from the Caucasus to Stalingrad.



After which, he lost touch with reality.....

Answer 6

He was very shrewd in political maneuverings in making the Nazi PArty powerful and making himself a dictator.



He surrounded himself with competent generals and he did recognize the value of blitzkrieg and mobile warfare. He had some military experience in World War I, but he made decisions on a larger scale while his generals advised him and did much of the work.



When it got to his head and riding with too much confidence, he micromanaged his generals and started making bad strategic mistakes.

Answer 7

Hitler can be said to have lost the war for his military decisions that often went against his general's suggestions. One of his biggest follies was at the battle of Stalingrad. When it was obvious the Russian's were going to counter attack the general of the 6th army (the one in stalingrad) requested that they pull back so they could properly defend themselves but Hitler told them to stand firm. After their flanks broke the 6th army was totally serrounded in Stalingrad. The 4th army was positioned close by and general's from both armies proposed to break the 6th army out of Stalingrad so that their forces would not die in vain but Hitler again refused.

The 6th army eventually ran out of food and munitions and had to surrender. The germans lost about 140 000 troops as prisoners and countless more as corpses. After that battle germans never regained the offensive and were pushed all the way back to Berlin.

Answer 8

Hitler made some horrifically bad military decisions from 1942 onwards, overriding his Generals advice, and costing millions of German lives.



If you are interested in learning more, there are two books that relate the truth about the end of the war.



Stalingrad, and Berlin, both written my Antony Beevor, and excellent, unbiased facts of the war's end.

Answer 9

Not so good. He liked to take credit for successful decisions by the military.

Answer 10

One of the main reasons why Hitler was so successful and got so many people to'join him ' is because he was a very talented public speaker! He actually analysed recordings of himself talking to improve his body language so that people would listen to him!

Answer 11

besides being a psychopath and a person who should be burning in the fires below he was a novice he almost got killed a few times and im sorry he wasn't. Valkyrie why couldn't you make it happen

Answer 12

he was no novice, he had already fought for germany in ww1,and knew what carnage he was going to to create after seeing the carnage of ww1,the bastad was a mental case ,pure and simple,

Answer 13

yes