Bravado

World Events.
“This far and no further!”
Following the recently made statement by the deputy Reich press chief Suendemann, that within a foreseeable time the German high command will pronounce a “Thus far and no further” on the Eastern front, a statement by Dr. Frank in Krakow on Tuesday left nothing to be desired in terms of clarity as he extensively discussed the military situation. The governor-general declared that the retreat of the German armies in the Soviet Union is not due to the weakness of the German armed forces but to general military and strategic circumstances. The German troops are already capable of giving the Soviets an appropriate response. The Supreme Army Command has arranged its plans in such a way that one day the effect of countermeasures becomes very clear. The Soviet Union will be paid back and the Germans – this is not his belief, but his knowledge – will reap on the small patch of the Generalgovernment. In Berlin’s military and political circles, Dr. Frank’s statement is given great significance, especially because he has more precisely determined the timing of the German counteroperations. Even in the highest German circles, the seriousness of the struggle in the East is by no means underestimated, and in the Wilhelmstrasse, the critical situation on the Southern flank has been repeatedly pointed out. However, when leading German personalities nevertheless maintain absolute confidence in the outcome of the Eastern war and the war as a whole, this confidence is not based on belief but on a science of which Dr. Frank spoke in Krakow. – 31-3-44

Despite the seriousness of the situation, which, as mentioned, is not concealed in German military circles, the official statements from these same circles are often held in an optimistic tone. Today, the military spokesman of the Wilhelmstrasse even went so far as to declare that the German armed forces could conquer Moscow if they were to concentrate solely on the Eastern front. However, the tactic chosen by the German high command to cope with the entire military situation is to keep the Soviet Russians in check with as few forces as possible, in order to also pay the necessary attention to other points in Europe. – 31-3-44

In all German papers, the Nazis boast
Of the German strength,
They make you believe, the scoundrels,
That Germany will surely get it done.

And despite the hopeless situation
They paint a rosy picture,
The ultimate victory is beyond question
As made clear by all the bigwigs.

From Adolf at the top down to
The lowest functionary
They act cheerful and chipper,
Even though it is quite difficult today.

The deputy of Mr. Dietrich,
Reich Press Chief Suendemann,
Recently declared very untruthfully
That in a very short time,

A halt will be imposed on the Eastern front
To the advance of the Red Army,
But only the biggest fools
Still believe in his exposé.

Most have become smarter today,
They clearly see through all the nonsense,
They see that “This far and no further”
Is ruled out in the East.

In Russia, there is no pause,
The Russians give you no chance,
Dr. Frank’s optimism
Goes back, it goes home,

The German army may well be capable
Of a decisive action
Which will be shown in the Soviet land
Certainly very soon,

That too is just deception and pretense,
That too is just bluster,
The whole thing has failed,
Russia and the Balkans will be free.

The German withdrawal knows no end
And it goes back relentlessly,
And there will never be a turning point
In Hitler-Germany’s misfortune.

And yet, they still are fully confident
And are extremely optimistic,
And they continue to ruminate on the ultimate victory
As if it is the last straw.

They deny all German weaknesses
Despite the hard facts,
On top of that
A Nazi muscle man has the nerve

To call: If Hitler really wanted to,
He even would take – Moscow, by himself,
A bellicose pastor Nolte,
But apparently, it has not yet come to that.

For now, it probably would be best
If they would hold back in the East
Because that will pay off later in the West
During an invasion.

They still show their muscles
And boast about how terribly strong they are,
And despite the many disappointments today,
They still stay optimistic today.

They think, maybe it will last another winter,
They only shout loudly about a certain future,
But Germany knows: Nothing is behind it,
The Nazi deception is exposed.