Things were going badly for Germany on the Eastern Front,

and Germany's Fuhrer and Supreme Military Commander, Adolf Hitler,

knew exactly who was to blame.

Everyone but himself.

Welcome to the history of the 20th century.

The 20th century. Episode 415.

Would they obey you any more readily?

On January 1st, 1944,

Adolf Hitler issued his customary New Year messages

to members of the Vermacht and to the German public.

Both messages said basically the same thing, larded with plenty of false optimism.

Hitler acknowledged that the fighting in 1943 had been difficult, but boasted that the Bolsheviks

had not achieved their goals. As for the Western plutocrats,

let them make good on their long-threatened invasion of Europe, they would fail.

The previous year had been more than difficult. It had been disastrous for the German war effort.

The Axis had been forced out of North Africa, Sicily, and Southern Italy.

Italy had defected to the Allies. The Allied strategic bombing campaign over Germany had created

mass destruction, and the story was even worse in the East. A year ago, Germany was fighting for

Stalingrad. Now it was fighting to hold the Dnieper.

Most of Ukraine was back in Soviet hands. In November, RAF bombers repeatedly attacked Berlin itself,

causing extensive damage and triggering firestorms. Many German government buildings were

destroyed, the old Reich Chancellor building was damaged, and across the street, Berlin's famed

...