Anomalies in 'The Military Balance
Intentional disinformation or an honest mistake!
[THE MILITARY ANALYST]

The latest edition (2004-2005) of The Military Balance - the IISS' authoritative assessment of the military capabilities and defence economics of 170 countries released annually by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, London was launched on the19th of October, 2004.

Ever since its initial publication, this publication has come to be considered as an authentic source of information regarding the military inventories of the world and like most other students of military developments, I have also relied extensively on the data contained in this publication. Highlighting the contents of this premier publication, the IISS website proclaims that...more

Hitler's Lottery Winners
The other side to the picture of the flamboyant Heinz Guderian
[Capt (Retd) A A JILANI]

Today after long 60 years the question is still being discussed and debated - when the brave one-armed Claus von Stauffenberg exploded the bomb at the Fuehrer's field HQ on 20th July 1944, why did the senior Wehrmacht commanders fail to seize this opportunity of overthrowing Hitler so as to bring an early end to the relentless war which had dragged on for almost 5 years of death and destruction to the Reich? The groundwork had already been laid and the plans drawn up - what then went wrong? The retired Field-Marshal Erwin von Witzleben, resplendent in his shining uniform with full Field-Marshal's regalia, had already driven over to the Bendlerstrasse (War Ministry) in full view of the local population to assume command of the Wehrmacht in lieu of the presumed dead Hitler. How he must have relished this occasion to be back in his uniform recapturing his days of glory in the limelight as C-in-C West with France lying prostrate under his baton. Due to his advancing age the Fuehrer had retired him a couple of years earlier and he was now earmarked to replace the dethroned Fuehrer! So near and yet so far! Meanwhile, Field-Marshal Gunther von Kluge (c-in-c West) was presiding over a sombre dinner gathering of his staff in deathly silence at St Germain on that tense evening of 20th July, 1944....more