A bigger war starts in New Year

When we look at the history of Western war, there is always a word spreading among soldiers: “You can go home at Christmas.” This rumor spreads even more when a situation improves or a battle calms down. The thing is, although no commander had ever said that, they cannot deny the rumor even when soldiers complain that they had been deceived again.

The idea that tomorrow will be better than today is not science but belief. But it is science that such unfounded beliefs become the energy of the soul. But the world moves against belief. Looking at the history of the war in the 20th century, the New Year's offensive is always the scariest. It's big and reckless. Although It is hard to know why the war situation flows with the movement of celestial bodies, the New Years of The Eastern Front of World War II and the Korean War were the scariest.

In 1941, the German army, which was marching toward Moscow, collapsed under pressure in November and was forced to the defensive in December. Encouraged by the situation, Stalin ordered a major counterattack across the front lines. Commander Zhukov opposed it, but he could not stop Stalin's stubbornness. On the other side, Hitler rejected the German generals' proposal to withdraw and effectively maintain the line of defense.

In January 1942, Soviet and German troops clashed on the front line of Leningrad in northern Russia to the Crimea Peninsula in the south. The war was literally chaotic, and millions of lives were lost without a decisive win for either side.

In 1943 there was no New Year's offensive as the ability to manage the war increased even though the number of soldiers decreased, which led to a series of major attacks regardless of Christmas or New Year.

I feel uncomfortable telling this story in the new year. But what changes my life and brings me victory is not emotional thinking, but cold analysis and determination. 2023, a year expected to be chaotic, seems to be an appropriate year to tell this story. The enemy's offensive is a precondition for a great victory.