Answers to Quora Questions by Yair Davidiy (15 August 2017, 23 Av, 5777)
Why do some people think the Wehrmacht were a superior fighting force during WW2? It suffered numerous self-inflicted failures of which Stalingrad is the best-known.
The Wehrmacht were just that i.e. 'Where-Might-[Have-Beens].' Gifted amateurs who may have had a one-time chance in a blue moon but blew it. They picked up the ball when no-one was looking and ran with it. They almost got half way down the field but on the way committed every foul move in the book and some more, and still lost. That indeed takes talent.
Compare Churchill: Talk, talk talk, all day long; committee after committee. Cabinet, War Cabinet, new ideas every half hour; One expert after another; one trade union leader followed by another millionaire businessman; experts here experts there; the King, the Queen, the generals, shouting discussions, soldiers yelling at Churchill that he is wrong until one or other is convinced; workers getting paid more and businessmen improving production.
And the results: Clear decisions, national consensus, strength to make mistakes if necessary and still keep going stronger than ever. Mistakes being turned to advantage, Better intelligence, better production, better science, better public support, better everything.
The very nature of the question shows its weakness.
Why the Wehrmacht and not the Fighting Forces in general?
What about the rest of the nation? They all lost, Thank God.
