Despite all the effort and sacrifice the Wehrmacht gave in 1942, the Eastern Front in 1943 was barely any different. Adolf Hitler initiated planning for the German 1943 offensive, but even he had doubts as to whether the German Army was strong enough to seize the initiative yet again.
The crushing defeat at Stalingrad created doubts about Hitler’s leadership of the war. Germany’s Axis partners in Europe were looking for ways to distance themselves from Germany. Hitler held a series of summit meetings in Salzburg with leaders of the other Axis nations in an effort to shore up the alliance.
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Playlist:
Fanfare
Opening War Theme
Symphony No. 6 in B minor, “Pathétique.”
Composed in 1893 by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Public domain.
Performed by the Czech National Symphony Orchestra. Public domain recording. Source.
Closing War Theme
Except when otherwise indicated, the contents of this podcast are © and ℗ 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 by Mark Painter, all rights reserved. Some music and sound effects used by arrangement with Pond 5.