Commentary by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin is in italics.
[ColonelCassad] I recently expressed an idea in the comments, I will expand a little more fully. Can an army that is on the wane of its power launch an offensive, take territory? Launch an offensive in the Kursk region, in short.
Of course it can. Historical examples here are the Wehrmacht offensive in the Ardennes in 1944 and on Lake Balaton in 1945 (not only the March "Spring Awakening", but also the "Conrads" in January).
The goal of the offensive in the Ardennes (codename "Wacht am Rhein", "Watch on the Rhine" - such a patriotic German song) was quite tangible - the port of Antwerp. Indeed, Antwerp, when the issue with the island of Walcheren at the mouth of the Scheldt was resolved in late autumn 1944, significantly facilitated the supply of the Allied armies on the approaches to Germany. Before that, they were suffocated by the need to drive cargo in a roundabout way by car (Red Ball Express) with a number of ports occupied by German garrisons in "fortress" mode.
I emphasize: this is not a repetition of the "sickle strike" of May 1940. A much simpler and more tangible goal. Field Marshal Model's proposal to launch a local counterattack in this context was noticeably worse. It did not have the same effect as the capture of Antwerp. Which would have forced the Allies to get stuck on the German border for a long time.
Did the Americans uncover the German preparations? They did not. Including due to the fact that "Ultra" intercepts radiograms in a maneuverable battle, but does not intercept telephones on a static front, and maintaining radio silence is the basis of operational camouflage.
However, what do we see in the case of the army "coming from the fair"? Firstly, the operation was prepared for a very long time due to, among other things, the need to accumulate fuel. Because in September the tap with Romania was turned off (by the forces of the 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian) and the allies seriously worked on the synthetic fuel plants.
Secondly, we see that despite all the tricks, Antwerp was far away. It turned out to be only a wedging with a limited result from all points of view. What was the "Antwerp" of the Ukrainian Armed Forces? Kursk NPP? Probably. We'll find out later.
About Balaton next time. And yes, there is a third question: will there be an operation "Nordwind" and where?
The enemy did not achieve the goals with the Kursk NPP and the Lgov-Kurchatov highway and the offensive gradually fizzled out. The consequences are now coming. But of course attempts to turn around the bad operational situation by tactical means will continue, mainly with the support of the West.
[YouTube] In August 1944, as the Battle of Normandy raged, a secret meeting was held in Strasbourg by a cabal of senior SS officers and German industrialists. The meeting was ordered by Heinrich Himmler himself - its purpose - none other than to save German industrial wealth from the Allies and to lay the foundations for a postwar Fourth Reich, with Himmler as its leader.
Dr. Mark Felton is a well-known British historian, the author of 22 non-fiction books, including bestsellers 'Zero Night' and 'Castle of the Eagles', both currently being developed into movies in Hollywood. In addition to writing, Mark also appears regularly in television documentaries around the world, including on The History Channel, Netflix, National Geographic, Quest, American Heroes Channel and RMC Decouverte. His books have formed the background to several TV and radio documentaries. The English Royal Family and one of the "00x" Agencies John Foster Dulles and Allen Dulles - Think OSS/CIA/State-Dept
All the big German Firms under the NAZISS
Hints the UK might have faked Himmler's death and actually held him close (all those Swiss Bank passwords?)
Early West Germany
Almost all the countries in South America..
Very Very interesting ....
#2
...Kinda mixed feelings about Dr. Felton - he does some amazing videos, and there's no denying the effort he puts into his work. OTOH, some of his stuff can occasionally wander so far out into left field that he comes back in at first base. On the whole, enjoy and learn but whenever he says 'Fourth Reich', be discerning.
[Ynet] Accusations of genocide against Israel are widely debated, but they lack evidence and distract from real issues; Hamas, not Israel, causes Palestinian suffering through violence and oppressive governance, while Israel aims to protect civilians
The notion that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians has been a contentious topic for nearly 40 years. This accusation diverts attention from the core issues and undermines the gravity of actual genocides.
It is crucial to understand that Hamas, rather than Israel, has engaged in actions that could be seen as genocidal by deliberately targeting Israeli civilians with the intent of inflicting maximum harm.
Conversely, Israel's actions are framed as necessary for the protection of Palestinians from their leadership, which manipulates their suffering for political leverage.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT AND ACCUSATIONS
The term "genocide" began to be used against Israel particularly since the First Intifada in 1987, and more prominently during the Second Intifada (2000-2005). Accusations from Palestinian leaders and supporters often include claims of colonization, ethnic cleansing and genocide.
LEGAL DEFINITION OF GENOCIDE
The 1948 United Nations Genocide Convention defines genocide as acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, including killing members of the group, causing serious bodily or mental harm, deliberately inflicting conditions of life to bring about physical destruction, imposing measures to prevent births and forcibly transferring children.
EVALUATING ISRAEL'S ACTIONS Killing members of the group: From 1987 to 2023, around 10,000 Palestinians lost their lives in the conflict (All sources cannot be verified). Since the 2023 war, casualties have risen to about 40,000 if we accept the numbers of casualties being released by Hamas which are most likely higher than in reality.
Comparatively, many other conflicts with much higher civilian death tolls have not been labeled as genocide, including the Second Congo War with 5.4 million deaths, or the Iraq War with up to 500,000 deaths.
Serious bodily or mental harm: There are instances of harm due to the harsh reality of war, but no substantial evidence shows intent to destroy the Palestinian people as a group.
Conditions of life: Living conditions for Palestinians in Israel and the West Bank have significantly improved with a 1000% rise in GDP per capita in the past 40 years, with increases in household income far outpacing neighboring countries. In Gaza, however, conditions have stagnated or worsened under Hamas' rule. Therefore it is Hamas who is responsible for the bad conditions that Palestinians in Gaza face, while Palestinians in the West Bank and Israel enjoy a much higher standard of life.
Preventing births: The Palestinian population has grown significantly, from 1.9 in 1987 to nearly 5 million in 2023, countering claims of measures intended to prevent births.
Forcibly transferring children: While there are reports of detained Palestinian children, international law permits the detention of enemy combatants for questioning if done humanely. Other than that, there is no credible evidence that Israel is forcibly transferring Palestinian children.
THE CURRENT WAR IN GAZA
The current war, initiated by Hamas on October 7, 2023, with barbaric attacks on Israeli civilians, has resulted in significant casualties. Hamas' strategy of embedding military operations within civilian infrastructure exacerbates the situation, forcing Israel to target these areas, which is legal under international law. Israel has taken extensive measures to minimize civilian harm, including warnings and humanitarian aid.
The evidence does not support the claim that Israel is committing genocide. Accusations against Israel serve more as strategic narratives than substantiated facts. Recognizing the true nature of these accusations is essential for understanding and resolving the conflict, respecting the term "genocide," and addressing the real contributors to the suffering of Palestinians. If anything, Hamas should be accused of committing genocide against the Palestinians.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
