DOCSLIB.ORG

An Analysis of the Effect of Civil-Military Relations in the Third Reich on the Conduct of the German Campaign in the West in 1940

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
An Analysis of the Effect of Civil-Military Relations in the Third Reich on the Conduct of the German Campaign in the West in 1940 University of Nebraska at Omaha DigitalCommons@UNO Student Work 6-1-1964 An analysis of the effect of civil-military relations in the Third Reich on the conduct of the German campaign in the West in 1940 John Ogden Shoemaker University of Nebraska at Omaha Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/studentwork Recommended Citation Shoemaker, John Ogden, "An analysis of the effect of civil-military relations in the Third Reich on the conduct of the German campaign in the West in 1940" (1964). Student Work. 374. https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/studentwork/374 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@UNO. It has been accepted for inclusion in Student Work by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@UNO. For more information, please contact [email protected]. AN ANALYSIS OF THE EFFECT OF CIVIL-MILITARY RELATIONS IN THE THIRD REICH ON THE CONDUCT OF THE GERMAN CAMPAIGN IN THE WEST IN 1940 by John Ogden Shoemaker A Thesis Presented to the Graduate Faculty of the Department of History University of Omaha In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts June 1964 UMI Number: EP73012 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. DissertationPublishing UMI EP73012 Published by ProQuest LLC (2015). Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106- 1346 PREFACE The author’s analysis of the effect of civil-military, relations on the conduct of the German campaign in the West in 1940 is based upon three case studies. Chapter T provides the background for the civil-military, relations existing in the Third Reich in 1940 and intro­ duces the major personalities in the case studies which follow. Each of the next three chapters describes a separate military situation during the German campaign in the West in 1940 and the civil-military environment, in which,it developed. These three cases were selected because each has posed difficult and controversial problems of. inter­ pretation for historians. The fifth and .last chapter provides a cumu­ lative analysis of the three cases and briefly extends the Nazi debacle to its conclusion. Chapter II appeared in slightly different form in an article in the MarchT962 issue of Military. Review entitled "Sichelschnitt, Evolution of an Operation Plan. " That paper was first undertaken, as a research project in a .‘'Graduate Problems" course in History at the University of Omaha and was prepared for publication with per­ mission of the Department of History and the Graduate Council, the University of Omaha. The maps in Chapters II, III, and IV were prepared from sketches by. the author and.are based on research connected with this study. The author expresses his appreciation for the guidance and assistance provided him by Dr. A. Stanley Trickett, Professor and Chairman.of the Department of.History, University of Omaha. Without Dr. Trickett’s wise counsel and .encouragement this endeavor would not have been possible. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page PREFACE ..................... ii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ............................................................. vi INTRODUCTION ............................................... .1 Chapter I. HITLER REMOVES THE MILITARY OPPOSITION . 3 The 100, 000 man. Army - The S. A, - The Blood Purge - The Blomberg-Fritsch Affair - The Opposition of Ludwig Beck - The Haider Plot - The Eclipse of OKH II. CIVIL-MILITARY RELATIONS IN OPERATIONAL PLA N N IN G ...................................................................... 42 The Airplane Mishap - THE SCHLIEFFEN PLAN - OPERATION ORDER YELLOW - Manstein’s Opposition - SICHELSCHNITT, the Manstein variant - Hitler Changes Plans HI. CIVIL-MILITARY RELATIONS IN MTfIE STOP ORDER” .......................................................................... 71 Closing, the Dunkirk Pocket - Hitler’s Stop Order - The Military. Situation om 2 4 May 1940 - Political Considerations - Military Considera­ tions - Historical Controversy - Rundstedt, von Brauchitsch, Goering, and Hitler - The Evacu­ ation of the B. E. F. iv Chapter Page IV. CIVIL-MILITARY RELATIONS AND THE FAILURE TO INVADE BRITAIN. ....... 98 The Defeat of France - No Plans for Invasion of BritainInvasion Possibilities - Disagree­ ment Among the Military - OPERATION PLAN SEA- LION - The Preparation - Political Con­ siderations - HitlerTs Indecision - Abandonment of the Plan - The Decision to Attack the Soviet Union V. CIVIL-MILITARY RELATIONS AND THE FAILURE OF GERMANY TO ACHIEVE VICTORY IN THE WEST IN 1940 ........................... 139 The Failure of Military. Leadership - The Failure of Political Leadership - The Significance of .. WESERUEBUNG,. the "Stop Order, " OPERATION SEA- LION, and BARBAROSSA - Civil-Military Responsibilities in Development of National Strategy - Responsibilityfor the German Tragedy BIBLIOGRAPHY................................................................................... 158 v LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Figure 1. OPERATION PLAN-YELLOW The Original OKH Plan of 19-29 October * 1939 . ..................... 2. SICHELSCHNITT The Manstein Variant as Modified by OKH and Published on 24 February: 19 40 ......................... 3. Battle Situation at the Time of German "Stop O rder" of 24 May 1940 ............................................ 4.' OPERATION PLAN SEA LION Army (OKH) - "wide front" <- Invasion Plan of M id-July 1940 .................................................... 5. OPERATION PLAN SEA LION Arm y (OKH) - "narrow fro n t" - ■ Invasion Plan of Mid-September .1940 . ... ... INTRODUCTION "We .live in an age in which military influence in both'foreign and domestic policy is marked and is growing, and there is little hope that this .tendency will be reversed in the foreseeable future. Germany, more than any. other modern nation, has had a wide variety •of problems.in its civil-military relationships. "No other officer corps achieved such high standards of professionalism, and the officer corps of no other major power was in the end so completely prostituted."2 Each phase in the development of the German State had its corollary in civil-military, relations. During the Imperial period, the collaboration between Chancellor Bismarck,. War Minister Roon, and Field Marshal von Moltke illustrates the success that may be achieved through civilian control of national destinies when accom­ panied by competent military, advice. The political upheaval of the Re publican, period shows the difficulty, of maintaining civilian control during, periods of political turmoil. The virtual military dictatorship of the World War *1 period illustrates the chaotic results of purely military control of political decisions. The disintegration of the German Armed .Forces (Wehrmacht) during the Nazi era indicates the ^Gordon A. Craig, The Politics of The Prussian Army 1640- 1945 (Oxford: Clarendon P r e s s ,. 1955), p. xix. ; ^Samuel P. Huntington, The Soldier and the State-The Theory and .Politics of Civil-Military. Relations (Cambridge: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1957), p. 98. 1 2 equally catastrophic results to be expected when political-leaders ignore the warnings of professional soldiers. In.Nazi Germany, the absence of a civil-military equilibrium resulted in distortion of the perspective and judgment of soldiers and statesmen alike,, "leading.to a bellicosity in. peace and a weakness in war which contributed to their ultimate downfall. "3 The thesis that, follows concerns itself only with the Nazi period of German history--in particular, the German military cam­ paigns in France and Flanders in 1940. The civil-military.relation­ ships during this period reflect the complete lack of rapport between. Hitler and the General Staff. The resulting unclear division of responsibilities and conflicting, authority precipitated a host of inex­ cusable errors in military and political management. These factors, together with Hitler’s propensity.for directing local military actions far beyond his competence, contributed to the eventual defeat of the German Armed Forces by the Allied .Powers. 3Ib id .. p. 99. CHAPTER I HITLER REMOVES THE MILITARY OPPOSITION The story of civil-military relationships in .the Third Reich during the years 1933-1940 .is an account of one man’s conquest of a military organization. It describes the diabolical process by which Hitler, ’’the one time corporal, outmaneuvered the strongest General Staff and gained absolute control of the most formidable military machine that the world had ever seen. The General Staff with which'Hitler had to deal was the pro­ duct of the European development of the German State. The precepts and .traditions of the General Staff were admired and emulated by every military power. It was the model to which the United.States turned in 1898 to modernize its own armed forces. The General Staff developed by-the elder Moltke and von Roon subscribed to a policy of complete divorcement of military and politi­ cal affairs. Military plans were prepared without regard to their political implications. Although corporate anonymity
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Royal Air Force Historical Society Journal 29
    ROYAL AIR FORCE HISTORICAL SOCIETY JOURNAL 29 2 The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the contributors concerned and are not necessarily those held by the Royal Air Force Historical Society. Copyright 2003: Royal Air Force Historical Society First published in the UK in 2003 by the Royal Air Force Historical Society All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the Publisher in writing. ISSN 1361-4231 Typeset by Creative Associates 115 Magdalen Road Oxford OX4 1RS Printed by Advance Book Printing Unit 9 Northmoor Park Church Road Northmoor OX29 5UH 3 CONTENTS BATTLE OF BRITAIN DAY. Address by Dr Alfred Price at the 5 AGM held on 12th June 2002 WHAT WAS THE IMPACT OF THE LUFTWAFFE’S ‘TIP 24 AND RUN’ BOMBING ATTACKS, MARCH 1942-JUNE 1943? A winning British Two Air Forces Award paper by Sqn Ldr Chris Goss SUMMARY OF THE MINUTES OF THE SIXTEENTH 52 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING HELD IN THE ROYAL AIR FORCE CLUB ON 12th JUNE 2002 ON THE GROUND BUT ON THE AIR by Charles Mitchell 55 ST-OMER APPEAL UPDATE by Air Cdre Peter Dye 59 LIFE IN THE SHADOWS by Sqn Ldr Stanley Booker 62 THE MUNICIPAL LIAISON SCHEME by Wg Cdr C G Jefford 76 BOOK REVIEWS. 80 4 ROYAL AIR FORCE HISTORICAL SOCIETY President Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Michael Beetham GCB CBE DFC AFC Vice-President Air Marshal Sir Frederick Sowrey KCB CBE AFC Committee Chairman Air Vice-Marshal
    [Show full text]
  • How the Luftwaffe Lost the Battle of Britain British Courage and Capability Might Not Have Been Enough to Win; German Mistakes Were Also Key
    How the Luftwaffe Lost the Battle of Britain British courage and capability might not have been enough to win; German mistakes were also key. By John T. Correll n July 1940, the situation looked “We shall fight on the beaches, we shall can do more than delay the result.” Gen. dire for Great Britain. It had taken fight on the landing grounds, we shall Maxime Weygand, commander in chief Germany less than two months to fight in the fields and in the streets, we of French military forces until France’s invade and conquer most of Western shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender, predicted, “In three weeks, IEurope. The fast-moving German Army, surrender.” England will have her neck wrung like supported by panzers and Stuka dive Not everyone agreed with Churchill. a chicken.” bombers, overwhelmed the Netherlands Appeasement and defeatism were rife in Thus it was that the events of July 10 and Belgium in a matter of days. France, the British Foreign Office. The Foreign through Oct. 31—known to history as the which had 114 divisions and outnumbered Secretary, Lord Halifax, believed that Battle of Britain—came as a surprise to the Germany in tanks and artillery, held out a Britain had lost already. To Churchill’s prophets of doom. Britain won. The RAF little longer but surrendered on June 22. fury, the undersecretary of state for for- proved to be a better combat force than Britain was fortunate to have extracted its eign affairs, Richard A. “Rab” Butler, told the Luftwaffe in almost every respect.
    [Show full text]
  • Houck 1 Alex Houck Undergraduate Seminar Dr. Hindmarch-Watson May 15, 2018 the Failure to Unite Resistance to the Nazi Regime
    Houck 1 Alex Houck Undergraduate Seminar Dr. Hindmarch-Watson May 15, 2018 The Failure to Unite Resistance to the Nazi Regime existed in all branches of German society both before and during World War II. The most prominent group of resisters consisted of members of the German elite and military. In 1944, the group was responsible for the failed assassination attempt and coup d'etat against Hitler, but the group had been in existence before the war even began. Many attempts were made by people in the Resistance to gain crucial support from the West, but in spite of sharing a common enemy in the Nazis, all of the attempts met with failure. In 1938, the group wanted to launch a coup d'etat to prevent Hitler from invading Czechoslovakia and starting what they believed would be a war with Britain and France.1 The Resistance hoped that the British would take a firm stance against Hitler. This contact was the first in a series of attempts by the German Resistance to gain external support from the Allies prior to and during the war. All of the attempts met with failure for a variety of reasons. Scholars have focused predominantly on the communication between between the conservative German group and the British during the war. Not as much work has been done to analyze the relationship between the German Resistance and the United States. Separate communication was made to the United States starting in late 1941 and continuing up until July 20th, 1944.2 The United States was exercised tremendous influence in the Grand Alliance; had 1 Michael C.
    [Show full text]
  • Chapter 5. Between Gleichschaltung and Revolution
    Chapter 5 BETWEEN GLEICHSCHALTUNG AND REVOLUTION In the summer of 1935, as part of the Germany-wide “Reich Athletic Com- petition,” citizens in the state of Schleswig-Holstein witnessed the following spectacle: On the fi rst Sunday of August propaganda performances and maneuvers took place in a number of cities. Th ey are supposed to reawaken the old mood of the “time of struggle.” In Kiel, SA men drove through the streets in trucks bearing … inscriptions against the Jews … and the Reaction. One [truck] carried a straw puppet hanging on a gallows, accompanied by a placard with the motto: “Th e gallows for Jews and the Reaction, wherever you hide we’ll soon fi nd you.”607 Other trucks bore slogans such as “Whether black or red, death to all enemies,” and “We are fi ghting against Jewry and Rome.”608 Bizarre tableau were enacted in the streets of towns around Germany. “In Schmiedeberg (in Silesia),” reported informants of the Social Democratic exile organization, the Sopade, “something completely out of the ordinary was presented on Sunday, 18 August.” A no- tice appeared in the town paper a week earlier with the announcement: “Reich competition of the SA. On Sunday at 11 a.m. in front of the Rathaus, Sturm 4 R 48 Schmiedeberg passes judgment on a criminal against the state.” On the appointed day, a large crowd gathered to watch the spectacle. Th e Sopade agent gave the setup: “A Nazi newspaper seller has been attacked by a Marxist mob. In the ensuing melee, the Marxists set up a barricade.
    [Show full text]
  • Ludwig Beck - Vom Generalstabschef Zum Widersacher Hitlers Von Rainer Volk
    SWR2 MANUSKRIPT ESSAYS FEATURES KOMMENTARE VORTRÄGE SWR2 Wissen Ludwig Beck - Vom Generalstabschef zum Widersacher Hitlers Von Rainer Volk Sendung: Freitag, 5. Juni 2015, 8.30 Uhr Redaktion: Udo Zindel Regie: Rainer Volk Produktion: SWR 2014 Bitte beachten Sie: Das Manuskript ist ausschließlich zum persönlichen, privaten Gebrauch bestimmt. Jede weitere Vervielfältigung und Verbreitung bedarf der ausdrücklichen Genehmigung des Urhebers bzw. des SWR. Service: SWR2 Wissen können Sie auch als Live-Stream hören im SWR2 Webradio unter www.swr2.de oder als Podcast nachhören: http://www1.swr.de/podcast/xml/swr2/wissen.xml Die Manuskripte von SWR2 Wissen gibt es auch als E-Books für mobile Endgeräte im sogenannten EPUB-Format. Sie benötigen ein geeignetes Endgerät und eine entsprechende "App" oder Software zum Lesen der Dokumente. Für das iPhone oder das iPad gibt es z.B. die kostenlose App "iBooks", für die Android-Plattform den in der Basisversion kostenlosen Moon-Reader. Für Webbrowser wie z.B. Firefox gibt es auch sogenannte Addons oder Plugins zum Betrachten von E-Books: Mitschnitte aller Sendungen der Redaktion SWR2 Wissen sind auf CD erhältlich beim SWR Mitschnittdienst in Baden-Baden zum Preis von 12,50 Euro. Bestellungen über Telefon: 07221/929-26030 Kennen Sie schon das Serviceangebot des Kulturradios SWR2? Mit der kostenlosen SWR2 Kulturkarte können Sie zu ermäßigten Eintrittspreisen Veranstaltungen des SWR2 und seiner vielen Kulturpartner im Sendegebiet besuchen. Mit dem Infoheft SWR2 Kulturservice sind Sie stets über SWR2 und die zahlreichen Veranstaltungen im SWR2-Kulturpartner-Netz informiert. Jetzt anmelden unter 07221/300 200 oder swr2.de MANUSKRIPT Archivaufnahme – Ansprache Hitler 20.7.1944: „Deutsche Volksgenossen und Volksgenossinnen.
    [Show full text]
  • Guides to German Records Microfilmed at Alexandria, Va
    GUIDES TO GERMAN RECORDS MICROFILMED AT ALEXANDRIA, VA. No. 32. Records of the Reich Leader of the SS and Chief of the German Police (Part I) The National Archives National Archives and Records Service General Services Administration Washington: 1961 This finding aid has been prepared by the National Archives as part of its program of facilitating the use of records in its custody. The microfilm described in this guide may be consulted at the National Archives, where it is identified as RG 242, Microfilm Publication T175. To order microfilm, write to the Publications Sales Branch (NEPS), National Archives and Records Service (GSA), Washington, DC 20408. Some of the papers reproduced on the microfilm referred to in this and other guides of the same series may have been of private origin. The fact of their seizure is not believed to divest their original owners of any literary property rights in them. Anyone, therefore, who publishes them in whole or in part without permission of their authors may be held liable for infringement of such literary property rights. Library of Congress Catalog Card No. 58-9982 AMERICA! HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION COMMITTEE fOR THE STUDY OP WAR DOCUMENTS GUIDES TO GERMAN RECOBDS MICROFILMED AT ALEXAM)RIA, VA. No* 32» Records of the Reich Leader of the SS aad Chief of the German Police (HeiehsMhrer SS und Chef der Deutschen Polizei) 1) THE AMERICAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION (AHA) COMMITTEE FOR THE STUDY OF WAE DOCUMENTS GUIDES TO GERMAN RECORDS MICROFILMED AT ALEXANDRIA, VA* This is part of a series of Guides prepared
    [Show full text]
  • Hans Kammler, Hitler's Last Hope, in American Hands
    WORKING PAPER 91 Hans Kammler, Hitler’s Last Hope, in American Hands By Frank Döbert and Rainer Karlsch, August 2019 THE COLD WAR INTERNATIONAL HISTORY PROJECT WORKING PAPER SERIES Christian F. Ostermann and Charles Kraus, Series Editors This paper is one of a series of Working Papers published by the Cold War International History Project of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, D.C. Established in 1991 by a grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Cold War International History Project (CWIHP) disseminates new information and perspectives on the history of the Cold War as it emerges from previously inaccessible sources from all sides of the post-World War II superpower rivalry. Among the activities undertaken by the Project to promote this aim are the Wilson Center's Digital Archive; a periodic Bulletin and other publications to disseminate new findings, views, and activities pertaining to Cold War history; a fellowship program for historians to conduct archival research and study Cold War history in the United States; and international scholarly meetings, conferences, and seminars. The CWIHP Working Paper series provides a speedy publication outlet for researchers who have gained access to newly-available archives and sources related to Cold War history and would like to share their results and analysis with a broad audience of academics, journalists, policymakers, and students. CWIHP especially welcomes submissions which use archival sources from outside of the United States; offer novel interpretations of well-known episodes in Cold War history; explore understudied events, issues, and personalities important to the Cold War; or improve understanding of the Cold War’s legacies and political relevance in the present day.
    [Show full text]
  • Hitler's American Model
    Hitler’s American Model The United States and the Making of Nazi Race Law James Q. Whitman Princeton University Press Princeton and Oxford 1 Introduction This jurisprudence would suit us perfectly, with a single exception. Over there they have in mind, practically speaking, only coloreds and half-coloreds, which includes mestizos and mulattoes; but the Jews, who are also of interest to us, are not reckoned among the coloreds. —Roland Freisler, June 5, 1934 On June 5, 1934, about a year and a half after Adolf Hitler became Chancellor of the Reich, the leading lawyers of Nazi Germany gathered at a meeting to plan what would become the Nuremberg Laws, the notorious anti-Jewish legislation of the Nazi race regime. The meeting was chaired by Franz Gürtner, the Reich Minister of Justice, and attended by officials who in the coming years would play central roles in the persecution of Germany’s Jews. Among those present was Bernhard Lösener, one of the principal draftsmen of the Nuremberg Laws; and the terrifying Roland Freisler, later President of the Nazi People’s Court and a man whose name has endured as a byword for twentieth-century judicial savagery. The meeting was an important one, and a stenographer was present to record a verbatim transcript, to be preserved by the ever-diligent Nazi bureaucracy as a record of a crucial moment in the creation of the new race regime. That transcript reveals the startling fact that is my point of departure in this study: the meeting involved detailed and lengthy discussions of the law of the United States.
    [Show full text]
  • 9900 $8900 $8900
    Sale 2015 A-R 1-800-786-6210 Prices good through July 31, 2015 $ 00 $ 00 99Black Each 89Green Each M-35 German Combat Helmet Made from heavy gauge mild steel, our "Stahlhelm" helmets feature all of the important details, including rolled shell edges, correct type separately applied air vents, and proper original markings. The genuine leather M-31 liners are attached with 3 split-rivets and include correct leather chinstraps and buckles. Painted in proper green or black color, each helmet comes with a FREE set of decals of your choice. Available in 2 liner & shell sizes that will fit most heads. Great for reenactors and collectors alike! 0102-009-358 Green - Size 57/58 0102-009-360 Green - Size 59/60 0102-009-758 Black - Size 57/58 0102-009-760 Black - Size 59/60 WWI German Stahlhelm and Cut-Out Helmet Our helmet maker is now producing these nice quality replicas of the World War I German Stahlhelm. These accurate reproductions feature rolled rims and the well-known vent lugs on each side, and are fitted with the correct style, 3-piece padded liners and 2-piece leather chinstrap of that period. Paint color is dark green and they are available in large size, which fits up to about size 60.The M-16 is the standard style while the M-18 features ear cut- outs and was also known as the “telephone operator” or “cavalry helmet” A 0102-010-260 M-18 "Cut-Out" B 0102-010-160 M-16 " "Stahlhelm" $ 00 89Each A B General Field Marshall Formal Batons - Museum Quality These exquisite pieces are museum grade copies of the formal baton, or Marschallstab, presented to Field Marshals Erwin Rommel and Erhard Milch upon promotion to Generalfeldmarschall.
    [Show full text]
  • Koch on Macksey, 'Guderian: Panzer General'
    H-German Koch on Macksey, 'Guderian: Panzer General' Review published on Friday, August 1, 2003 Kenneth Macksey. Guderian: Panzer General. London: Greenhill Books/Lionel Leventhal, 2003. xii + 228 pp. $34.95 (cloth), ISBN 978-1-85367-538-6. Reviewed by James V. Koch (Old Dominion University) Published on H-German (August, 2003) If Germany had defeated the U.S.S.R. militarily in 1941-42, it is likely that the tightly knit Guderian clan would still today occupy the estate at Deipenhof in the Warthegau in West Prussia (now part of Poland) that was given to Generaloberst Heinz Guderian in October 1942 by Adolf Hitler. What should we make of this gift from the Fuehrer to Guderian, the acknowledged genius behind German armored forces in World War II? Was it simply one among many such secretive gifts that Hitler lavished upon the paladins and favorites of the Reich on the occasions of their anniversaries and birthdays, or when they recorded an especially notable achievement? (Guderian had been awarded the rare Oak Leaves to the Iron Cross in July 1941.) Alternatively, was it a subtle bribe to muffle an occasionally insubordinate general who, despite demonstrated affinity for National Socialism and Adolf Hitler, might have been viewed by Hitler as potentially disruptive and contentious? He was, after all, "always a rebel in his profession," according to Downing, and known for speaking his mind to nearly everyone, even to hisFuehrer .[1] Does the gift further suggest that Hitler regarded Guderian, who had been sacked for ordering a retreat south of Moscow contrary to theFuehrer's orders in December 1941, as, nonetheless, an ideological comrade? These are among the interpretative dilemmas Kenneth Macksey, veteran military historian, tackles in his revision of his original 1975 biography of Heinz Guderian.
    [Show full text]
  • A War of Reputation and Pride
    A War of reputation and pride - An examination of the memoirs of German generals after the Second World War. HIS 4090 Peter Jørgen Sager Fosse Department of Archaeology, Conservation and History University of Oslo Spring 2019 1 “For the great enemy of truth is very often not the lie -- deliberate, contrived and dishonest -- but the myth -- persistent, persuasive, and unrealistic.” – John F. Kennedy, 19621 1John F. Kennedy, Yale University Commencement Address, https://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/jfkyalecommencement.htm, [01.05.2019]. 2 Acknowledgments This master would not have been written without the help and support of my mother, father, friends and my better half, thank you all for your support. I would like to thank the University Library of Oslo and the British Library in London for providing me with abundant books and articles. I also want to give huge thanks to the Military Archive in Freiburg and their employees, who helped me find the relevant materials for this master. Finally, I would like to thank my supervisor at the University of Oslo, Professor Kim Christian Priemel, who has guided me through the entire writing process from Autumn 2017. Peter Jørgen Sager Fosse, Oslo, 01.05.2019 3 Contents: Introduction………………………………………………………………………...………... 7 Chapter 1, Theory and background………………………………………………..………17 1.1 German Military Tactics…………………………………………………..………. 17 1.1.1 Blitzkrieg, Kesselschlacht and Schwerpunkt…………………………………..……. 17 1.1.2 Examples from early campaigns……………………………………………..……… 20 1.2 The German attack on the USSR (1941)……………………………..…………… 24 1.2.1 ‘Vernichtungskrieg’, war of annihilation………………………………...………….. 24 1.2.2 Operation Barbarossa………………………………………………..……………… 28 1.2.3 Operation Typhoon…………………………………………………..………………. 35 1.2.4 The strategic situation, December 1941…………………………….……………….
    [Show full text]
  • When Die Zeit Published Its Review of Decision Before Dawn
    At the Front: common traitors in West German war films of the 1950s Article Accepted Version Wölfel, U. (2015) At the Front: common traitors in West German war films of the 1950s. Modern Language Review, 110 (3). pp. 739-758. ISSN 0026-7937 doi: https://doi.org/10.5699/modelangrevi.110.3.0739 Available at http://centaur.reading.ac.uk/40673/ It is advisable to refer to the publisher’s version if you intend to cite from the work. See Guidance on citing . To link to this article DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5699/modelangrevi.110.3.0739 Publisher: Modern Humanities Research Association All outputs in CentAUR are protected by Intellectual Property Rights law, including copyright law. Copyright and IPR is retained by the creators or other copyright holders. Terms and conditions for use of this material are defined in the End User Agreement . www.reading.ac.uk/centaur CentAUR Central Archive at the University of Reading Reading’s research outputs online AT THE FRONT: COMMON TRAITORS IN WEST GERMAN WAR FILMS OF THE 1950s Erst im militärischen Geheimnis kommt das Staatsgeheimnis zu sich selbst; da der Krieg als permanenter und totaler Zustand vorausgesetzt wird, läßt sich jeder beliebige Sachverhalt unter militärische Kategorien subsumieren: dem Feind gegenüber hat alles als Geheimnis und jeder Bürger als potentieller Verräter zu gelten. (HANS MAGNUS ENZENSBERGER) Die alten Krieger denken immer an die Kameraden, die gefallen sind, und meinen, ein Deserteur sei einer, der sie verraten hat. (LUDWIG BAUMANN) Introduction Margret Boveri, in the second volume of her treatise on Treason in the 20th Century, notes with respect to German resistance against National Socialism that the line between ethically justified and unethical treason is not easily drawn.1 She cites the case of General Hans Oster, deputy head of the Abwehr under Admiral Canaris.
    [Show full text]