Oct 29, 2015 - Dr. Robert Citino, Professor of History at the University of North Texas and prize-winning author of several military history books, lectured twice about German military history on October 29, 2015, as the Nineteenth Annual Carls-Schwerdfeger History Lecturer.
In the afternoon, Citino spoke to some 80 people about “Culture for Defeat: The German Way of War in the Twentieth Century.” He pointed out that historically German military leaders emphasized the importance of: devising meticulous plans for war in peacetime; mobilizing one’s forces rapidly; attacking the enemy aggressively; carrying out large offensives; allowing lower ranking commanders considerable flexibility in fulfilling missions; and winning wars quickly. The Germans used these principles in both World Wars I and II, and stuck with them even after wars of attrition emerged; they had no Plan B. Citino also noted that while the Germans were brilliant at military maneuvers, they were much weaker in some of the less glamorous aspects of war such as intelligence gathering and logistics.
An audience of some 500 people listened to Citino lecture in the evening on “The Big Collapse: The German Army in 1945.” In explaining Germany’s defeat in World War II, Citino argued that a key component was the disappearance of its aircraft from the skies as the war reached its latter stages. A decisive strategic advantage that Germany enjoyed over other countries militarily in the late 1930s was the strength of its air force (Luftwaffe); it was the best in the world by 1939. Hitler successfully used that advantage in the early campaigns of the conflict to conquer much of Europe. A major turning point in the struggle occurred when Germany’s lead in the air crumbled. This occurred, Pitino pointed out, even though the Germans developed the most advanced aircraft designs of any country in the world, including the first operational jet plane and the first rocket-powered aircraft. As the conflict turned into a war of attrition in 1942-1943, all the Germans could do was stay with the manufacture of the aircraft they had at the moment; that meant the continued mass production of the face of their air force, the now-outmoded fighter plane – the ME-109 – whose original design dated from 1935. While the Germans produced 34,000 airplanes in 1944, which was almost triple the number they had produced two years earlier, the Allies manufactured 127,000 planes in the same year. The Germans’ move from dominance to downfall in airpower came as a result of their waging a war with hopelessly inferior resources against a vastly superior enemy. Citino concluded the evening by doing a book signing. Oct29_Citino-1.jpg
Dr. Robert Citino stands outside the museum at Pinson Mounds State Archaeological Park. He toured the park with Dr. Stephen Carls on the morning of October 29, 2015.
Dr. Robert Citino stands atop Sauls Mound, a prehistoric Native American ceremonial site, at Pinson Mounds State Archaeological Park on the morning of October 29, 2015.
Dr. Robert Citino lectures on "Culture for Defeat: The German Way of War in the Twentieth Century" on the afternoon of October 29, 2015.
Dr. Robert Citino lectures on "Culture for Defeat: The German Way of War in the Twentieth Century" on October 29, 2015.
Dr. Stephen Carls thanks Dr. Robert Citino for his afternoon lecture on October 29, 2015.
Dr. Robert Citino (left) talks to Union University's Dr. Ray Van Neste following Citino's afternoon lecture on October 29, 2015.
Members of the history department stand with Dr. Robert Citino (second from left) during an afternoon coffee break on October 29, 2015. The Union faculty members are (left to right) Dr. Terry Lindley, Dr. Henry Allen, Dr. David Thomas, and Dr. Stephen Carls.
Guests enjoy delicious food and great conversation at the dinner in honor of Dr. Robert Citino, The Carls-Schwerdfeger History Lecturer, on October 29, 2015. Seated at the front table are (starting in the left foreground, and going clockwise) Professor Roger Stanley (wearing white shirt), Dr. Alice-Catherine Carls, Philip Carls, Dr. Michael La Rosa, Dr. Margaret Lewis, Dr. Keith Bates, and Nicholas Hancock (back to camera).
Union University President Dr. Samuel W. "Dub" Oliver stands with historian Dr. Robert Citino after receiving a copy of one of Citino's books at a dinner in honor of history lecturer on October 29, 2015.
Dr. Stephen Carls (left) gives a copy of a book about the history of Union University to Dr. Robert Citino at a dinner in honor of the history lecturer on October 29, 2015.
Dr. Robert Citino answers a history question at a dinner in his honor on October 29, 2015.
Dr. Robert Citino lectures on "The Big Collapse: The Germany Army in 1945" in the G. M. Savage Memorial Chapel on October 29, 2015.
Dr. Robert Citino (right) does signs a book for Trebor Briley following his evening lecture on October 29, 2015.