Chapter 4

"Please sit down, my armored hero—General Guderian, and my Chief of the General Staff—General Zeitzler. I am delighted to have dinner with both of you," Hoffmann made every effort to adapt to the Führer's speaking style.

"Chief of the General Staff?" Guderian was full of surprise, turning to ask Zeitzler, "Are you going to replace Halder?"

Zeitzler looked apologetic, "To be honest, I only received a verbal notification from General Schmundt just now. I don't know the details yet."

Guderian was puzzled. From the Führer's words, he was sure he would be reactivated, which gave him high hopes. Although he didn't dare to expect the position of Chief of the General Staff, he was confident he would at least command an army group. Now it seemed the situation was far more complicated than he had imagined. If Zeitzler, a junior officer, could become Chief of the General Staff, why couldn't he, Guderian? He looked at Zeitzler with a complex expression, and his thoughts began to waver.

Zeitzler was no less puzzled than Guderian. If it weren't for the explicit instructions from headquarters, he wouldn't have flown from France to have dinner with the Führer. It was well known that the Führer lived a simple life, and his diet and daily routine were very basic, which made it hard for high-ranking officers accustomed to luxury. Worse still, the Führer often delivered long speeches during meals, endlessly repeating the same old things, which made people's ears ache, but they had to pretend to listen attentively. When he heard the Führer's summons, and that he had to accompany him for dinner, Zeitzler's head ached. He thought the Führer just wanted to know more about the Dieppe raid, and he had prepared thoroughly. However, after landing, Schmundt had hinted that he would soon become Chief of the General Staff. Although he didn't know how his close friend had recommended him, this shocking news made him feel both honored and apprehensive.

"General Zeitzler, the Dieppe raid went well, but..." Hoffmann paused, "I want to hear your thoughts on the current situation on the Eastern Front."

Zeitzler was taken aback. Was the Führer really going to listen to his thoughts? But he had no preparation at all!

He thought for a moment, choosing his words carefully, and slowly said, "Führer, as you know, I only received the telegram this afternoon. In fact, until yesterday, I was still serving as the Chief of Staff of Army Group D in the West, busy with the aftermath of the Dieppe raid. My understanding of the Eastern Front is limited to the reports from headquarters, which is rather superficial..." Zeitzler was still unsure of Hoffmann's intentions and didn't dare to speak freely, fearing he might anger the Führer, who had become somewhat neurotic recently. But he couldn't just say he didn't know—this would only make the Führer more displeased and might even implicate Schmundt.

Hoffmann interrupted him without mercy, "Don't be modest, get to the point!"

Zeitzler's expression was a bit awkward, but he was experienced and quickly adjusted his mindset.

"The overall situation on the Eastern Front is still—positive!" Zeitzler thought for a long time before finally coming up with a word. "In the northern sector, Army Group North has encircled Leningrad and repelled the Red Army's offensive in Demyansk. In the central sector, at the Rzhev salient, under General Model's leadership, we have firmly held our defensive positions and inflicted heavy casualties on the enemy. In the southern sector, we have cleared the remaining enemy forces from the Crimean Peninsula and secured Sevastopol and the Kerch Peninsula. After thwarting Timoshenko's offensive, we achieved victory at Kharkov, and the Sixth Army is now at the gates of Stalingrad, posing a significant threat... Of course, there are many problems. First, our forces are severely understrength. After the winter offensive last year and the summer defense this year, many divisions have been significantly depleted. I saw many units from the East being rotated to the West for rest and refit, with serious shortages, even up to one-third to one-quarter. These units cannot be used again until they are fully replenished. Second, our forces are too dispersed. I support the strategic directions of advancing into the Caucasus and Stalingrad, but our current strength on the Eastern Front is far from sufficient to support such a strategy."

As he spoke, Zeitzler secretly observed the Führer's expression. To be honest, he had serious doubts about the Caucasus campaign, but Schmundt had warned him not to oppose the Führer's most cherished southern strategy. After consideration, he decided to follow the advice but still wanted to express his reservations tactfully.

"General Guderian, what are your thoughts?" After listening to Zeitzler, Hoffmann neither agreed nor disagreed, his expression neutral as he turned to Guderian, which surprised him—when had the Führer become so patient?

"Revered Führer," Guderian put down his knife and fork, "to be frank, I have been away from the front lines for several months. Although I have some information, it may not be accurate, so my judgment..."

Hoffmann understood his concerns and smiled, waving his hand, "This is not a formal operational meeting, and there will be no minutes to distribute. I am simply seeking your advice, so you need not have any reservations. Be straightforward—last year, if my generals hadn't played a double game, we might already be discussing post-war reconstruction."

Guderian's face turned red. He knew exactly what the Führer meant by "playing a double game": before the Moscow campaign, the commanders of Army Groups in the East aimed for Moscow, while the Führer's goal was to secure Ukraine first and then Moscow. He ordered Guderian's Panzer Group to support Army Group South. The Army Commander Brauchitsch, Chief of the General Staff Halder, and Commander of Army Group Center Bock all opposed this, using various means to water down the Führer's orders. As a result, the Panzer forces of Army Group Center prepared to advance on Moscow while also supporting the offensive in Ukraine. This led to neither the rapid capture of Moscow as the generals had hoped nor the quick conquest of Ukraine as the Führer had planned. The best five weeks of the summer were wasted in pointless debates, followed by the defeat at Moscow. After that, Brauchitsch was removed as Army Commander, Bock was relieved of his command of Army Group Center, and Guderian was forced into reserve. Now it was Halder's turn.

"Looking back calmly, the Führer's decision at the time was wise, but we failed in communication and execution," Guderian said. At the time, he himself was in a difficult position as the commander of the Panzer forces, but his words now showed no resentment. Zeitzler couldn't help but admire his improved communication skills after his time in reserve.

Guderian continued, "Regarding the next steps on the Eastern Front, my thoughts may be... somewhat negative. I believe we should focus on building up our strength this year, adopting a defensive strategy to wear down the Russians, and wait a year before launching a full-scale offensive."

Zeitzler was shocked, but Hoffmann nodded slightly, "Tell me your reasons."

"The reasons are mainly two. First, as General Zeitzler mentioned, our manpower on the Eastern Front is about 3 million, plus our allies, a maximum of 3.5 million, but we face at least 4.5 million enemies. We have another 1 million troops on other fronts like the West, the Balkans, and North Africa, but they face even more British and American forces. Stalin likely has over 2 million reserves and doesn't have to worry about the Japanese. Second, in terms of equipment, the Russians have at least 50% more artillery and armor than we do. Although they use them clumsily, this numerical advantage is hard to ignore. More critically, we have neither a numerical nor a qualitative advantage in armor. The Russian T-34 and KV-1 are very challenging for us to deal with. I've heard that the Panther (Panzer V) is almost ready, and the Tiger (Panzer VI) has been successfully manufactured. If we have a year to re-equip on a large scale, the Empire's armor can regain the upper hand. The same applies to air power." Guderian finished his speech and anxiously awaited Hoffmann's judgment.

"I need to correct one point. According to intelligence and my judgment, the Russian frontline strength is not 4.5 million as you estimated, but between 5.5 and 6 million. The estimate of 2 million reserves is also logical. Additionally, the Russian numerical advantage in armor and artillery may be even greater than you think. They not only outproduce us but also receive supplies from the British and Americans—Stalin has received no fewer than 1,000 tanks from Churchill and Roosevelt this year alone. So," Hoffmann said calmly, "we have already destroyed 400 to 500 of Stalin's divisions, but he still has at least 500 left. I believe your assessment is correct. We should switch to a strategic defense. We can selectively halt the offensives in the Caucasus and Stalingrad. If necessary, we can also flatten the salients in the northern and central sectors of the Eastern Front to conserve manpower."

"What?" This time, it was Zeitzler and Guderian's turn to be shocked. Was this the Führer who had always insisted on holding every inch of gained territory? Such a significant adjustment to the strategic direction of the summer and autumn campaigns left them speechless.