Before Wednesday I had never heard of Fort Eben-Emile and the battle for it. I thought this presentation was really interesting. The Germans planned the attack well and managed to keep their secret weapons a secret until they were able to use them. Did the Germans maintain and use the Fort for long?
I am kind of shocked that Hitler didn't see the value of continuing to us the paratroopers. Using them could have potentially changed the outcome of many battles for the Germans. Why did he choose to use the paratroopers while taking over Crete? Did the control of Crete give the Germans large advantages in the war later on? Obviously controling important harbors and bodies of water was very beneficial in regards to supply and troop movement but at what cost to the Germans. How long did they have to fight with the resistance fighters on the island? When did the allies finally take Crete back?
I find it really ironic that Hitler broke his pact with Stalin. What amazed me was that neither one saw what was coming. Stalin had control of a very large country, why wouldn't Hitler want the Soviet Union. It would have provided him with enough land for a lot of his plans. This was a pretty big miscalculation on Stalin's part. What fascinates me is that he was afraid of upsetting Hitler. He was just as tyrannical of a leader as Hitler.