(The Tokyo Bay and A Huge Boring Gear)"They Straightway Left their Nets"
(Churchill vs. Hitler)
Churchill read many books and Hitler did so, too.
And EEE Reporter checked a book on Churchill and Hitler recently.
The book I read yesterday is "The Duel: The Eighty-Day Struggle Between Churchill and Hitler by John Lukacs."
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Duel/John-Lukacs/e/9780300089165/?itm=7#TABS
(http://www.7andy.jp/books/detail/?accd=19588979)
There are two aspects in this book that made me feel compelled to study its contents seriously: war and personality.
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As for its description on the war between Germany and France/England, the focus of the book is placed on the battles leading to the miracle of Dunkirk in May 1940.
German tank brigades and regiments surprisingly coming out of deep and impossible forest paths of Belgium and Luxembourg did quite a fast job to separate France/England troops from mainland France, while the allied forces were long waiting for already battle-experienced invaders on easier routes near the sea and Holland. In two weeks, about 400,000 French/British soldiers were pushed to a 50-km wide corner around the port Dunkirk.
Yet, Hitler suddenly ordered to stop the attack on Dunkirk and halt the advancement of German tanks for two days, which allowed Churchill to find a chance to rescue more than 300,000 soldiers and carry them back to Great Britain over the channel.
People have argued since, or even before, the end of WWII, about why Hitler lost the great chance to destroy or capture 400,000 French/British soldiers at Dunkirk. It is apparent that one more forceful push by German tanks to Dunkirk must have completely destroyed any systematic defense by French/British soldiers. Then, with a huge loss of its core army troops, the U.K. must have come into peace negotiations with Germany; Germany could have enjoyed military and political supremacy over England without involvement of the United States.
So, why did Hitler stop the final attack on already-fully bettered enemies and halt the advancement of German tanks for two days, which allowed Churchill to find a chance to rescue more than 300,000 soldiers and carry them back to Great Britain over the channel?
There are many arguments and suppositions on this question, such as Hitler’s amateur-class military talent; Hitler’s professional military talent to accept advice from a certain German general who claimed the advancement of tanks should be slowed for some geographical conditions; his fear of possible large-scale damages on precious tank brigades; Hitler’s consideration to give an honorable chance to German Air Forces in this decisive battle at Dunkirk; and Hitler’s political consideration to put Churchill under obligation by allowing the British prime minister to save lives of hundreds of thousand of soldiers.
http://www.armchairgeneral.com/the-day-hitler-blinked.htm
But, the most significant reason is a map. If you look at the map around North France, you would realize that Dunkirk is located just 200km due north of Paris. It might look like telling Hitler to let tanks just go down due south to achieve what he had to achieve.
(Click to enlarge.)Hitler must have observed this map, too. His first priority is Paris. He needed to preserve his precious tank brigades being damaged as little as possible before their advancement to Paris. He knew he had to keep whole and mighty tanks as many as possible to fight the rest of French garrisons and display the German military power at Paris to the French.
So, it is very natural for Hitler to avoid any risks of having hundreds of his modern tanks getting harmed, if not demolished, in the battles around Dunkirk which must have been being fortified like long and mighty trenches and canals like in WWI where nerve gases were fully used even to harm soldier Hitler then.
The map made Hitler recall his first priority: occupation of Paris as a symbolic act of the victory over France, since France was the number one country in the European Continent.
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As for personality, Hitler was cleverer, smarter, and more pioneering and cautious than Churchill.
However, Churchill was better educated and more humane.
Hitler’s view was mostly confined in Europe; but Churchill was one of the elite of the global empire, if not so glorious then as in the era of Queen Victoria.
Hitler had many sinful supporters and friends who protected Hitler at any costs but wanted to kill Judaists secretly as many as possible at any costs as part of their revolution. Hitler and his cohorts were apparently hate-driven.
Churchill had neither specific inclination for atrocity and cruelness nor love for bloody revenge and revolution, since Churchill himself was a member of the British noble class. Churchill was not hate-driven.
And, Churchill read many books as Hitler did, but also wrote many things; Yet Hitler did not write many.
And EEE Reporter checked a book on Churchill and Hitler to write some on them.
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Finally, let's see how Hitler looked happy at Paris in June 1940.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_France
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Before Hitler was elected as Prime Minister of Germany, he had a chance to meet Churchill, as Churchill was driving in Germany to visit local places where his ancestors had lived long time ago. Churchill was about to write a book on his familiy line.
A Hitler's secretary met Churchill in a hotel or so and asked Churchill whether he would meet and talk with Hitler, then a rising politician in Germany. Churchill wanted to see Hitler.
However, Hitler turned down the idea; and accordingly they did not see each other directly.
Churchill was well older and better educated than Hitler. Hitler must have hidden himself from an observant eye of the already established English politician.
Now, there is another big issue about Hitler as to which was his main target, England or the Soviet Union.
I might discuss this later.
But, remember I am the one who has never visited Paris just like Hitler before 1940.
Yet, I do not think Paris is greater than Tokyo. I have no plans to visit Paris even if I had 2,000 tanks along the border.
Mat 4:18 And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.
Mat 4:19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
Mat 4:20 And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.