| Show Behind the War News Captain Craige B By Capt John H H. Cral Craigo The triumphant sweep of S Soviet Soviet So So- viet Marshal 1 Rodion Y Malinovsky's Malinovsky's Malinov- Malinov sl sky's ys y's Second Ukrainian army across the Hungarian Hung plain toward Budapest highlights the tremendous gains in strategic territories made b by Russian forces since last spring spring- When the snows of oC winter wintel melted away nazi armies armie still held many square miles of Russian territory Now all of oC prewar Russia is cleared of the foe and many countries that never ne were Russian have been occupied by detachments of or the red army In the north Finland has been knocked out of oC the war Russian troops aided by their former Finnish foes are arc busy chasing the last of oC the German troops across the border to Norway into which they have followed their nazi foemen In some sectors sectors sectors sec sec- tors of the far north Along the shores of oC the thc Baltic the Russians Russians Russians Rus Rus- have driven German forces force of occupation out of or practically all of ot Estonia Latvia and Lithuania Lithuania Lithuania ania down to the East Prussian border In old central Europe the red army has pushed into Poland far beyond the Curzon line while in the Balkans soviet forces have occupied Romania Bulgaria Bulga Bulga- ria apparently part of oC Greece and much of Yugoslavia All this Is territory of oC tremendous tremendous tremendous dous strategic importance in peace and war but the greatest prospective soviet gains lie ahead The Hungarian plain over which the red army is advancing advancing advancing ad ad- is the highway hway of oC conquerors conquerors conquerors con con- from of old toward the Vienna Prague triangle triangle triangle trian trian- gle and that historic area is the strategic center of communications communications that controls the movements movements movements move move- ments alike of troops and commerce commerce commerce com com- merce between eastern Europe the Atlantic seaboard to the west and the Mediterranean coast to the south Bismarck said whoever controls controls con con- trots Prague controls Europe What he meant was that through the Czechoslovakian city run nm the best routes of oC communications between Germany and the Balkans Balkans Balkans Bal Bal- kans also between Germany and Italy These great communications highways were the prize sought by Hitler in his demands against Czechoslovakia akia that led to the Munich conference The use of the roads and railways that run through Prague are arc what has enabled the fuehrer to carry carryon on his campaigns in the Balkans and southern Russia Now Budapest Vienna and Prague seem likely ely to see Russian Russian Russian Rus Rus- sian armies armies' of occupation within with with- in the near future The red arm army drive in their direction seems to be the most powerful offensive e in motion molion on the whole long Russian German front and the Hungarians have little power or will to fight About the middle of last month the Hungarian government government government govern govern- ment of Adm Horthy long in power asked peace terms of the allies but the move proved abortive abortive abortive abor abor- tive when Hungarian fascists and German troops upset the Horthy regime reg-ime after aCter severe rioting rioting rioting riot riot- ing In Budapest and other cities Meantime a makeshift Hungarian HungarIan Hungarian Hunga Hunga- rian cabinet under Ferenc lasi has hag assumed control while nazi troop concentrations have been reinforced With Russian armies converging ing in a way three-way dr drive e on Budapest however there seems little Jillie prospect that axis forces can do more than fight a delaying delaying delay delay- ing action After that the way to Vienna and Prague will be open When these three historic capitals are in Russian hands the red army will be able to strike north toward Dresden and Berlin on the great German plain Or it can strike south against the rear of or nazi armies in Italy with equal facility It will occupy a position of oC strategic strategic strategic stra stra- power such as has been possessed b by few armies or nations nations nations na na- na- na in European history Statements and opinions hereIn herein herein here here- in are private to the writer and andare andare andare are not to be construed as re reflecting reflecting reflecting re- re the views of the navy department I |
