http://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/tf696nb1jc No online items Register of the United States Army European Command, Historical Division Typescript Studies, 1945-1954 Hoover Institution Archives Stanford University Stanford, California 94305-6010 Phone: (650) 723-3563 Fax: (650) 725-3445 Email: [email protected] © 1999, 2012 Hoover Institution Archives. All rights reserved. 66026 1 Register of the United States Army European Command, Historical Division Typescript Studies, 1945-1954 Hoover Institution Archives Stanford University Stanford, California Contact Information Hoover Institution Archives Stanford University Stanford, California 94305-6010 Phone: (650) 723-3563 Fax: (650) 725-3445 Email: [email protected] © 1999, 2012 Hoover Institution Archives. All rights reserved. Descriptive Summary Title: United States Army European Command, Historical Division Typescript Studies, Date (inclusive): 1945-1954 Collection number: 66026 Creator: United States. Army. European Command. Historical Division Collection Size: 60 manuscript boxes(25.2 linear feet) Repository: Hoover Institution Archives Stanford, California 94305-6010 Abstract: Relates to German military operations in Europe, on the Eastern Front, and in the Mediterranean Theater, during World War II. Studies prepared by former high-ranking German Army officers for the Foreign Military Studies Program of the Historical Division, U.S. Army, Europe. Language: English. Access Collection open for research. The Hoover Institution Archives only allows access to copies of audiovisual items. To listen to sound recordings or to view videos or films during your visit, please contact the Archives at least two working days before your arrival. We will then advise you of the accessibility of the material you wish to see or hear. Please note that not all audiovisual material is immediately accessible. Note Carbon copies. Originals in: U.S. National Archives, College Park, Maryland. Publication Rights For copyright status, please contact the Hoover Institution Archives. Preferred Citation [Identification of item], United States Army European Command, Historical Division Typescript Studies, [Box no.], Hoover Institution Archives. Acquisition Information Acquired by the Hoover Institution Archives in 1966. Accruals Materials may have been added to the collection since this finding aid was prepared. To determine if this has occurred, find the collection in Stanford University's online catalog at http://searchworks.stanford.edu/ . Materials have been added to the collection if the number of boxes listed in the online catalog is larger than the number of boxes listed in this finding aid. Scope and Content of Collection The description of the reports in this collection are drawn from the Guide to Foreign Military Studies, 1945-54; Catalog & Index (Headquarters, United States Army, Europe, 1954). Microfiche Publication M1035. 66026 2 The Hoover Institution Archives does not have all the documents listed in this guide. Consult the following collection content list to find out which documents are present in the Hoover Institution Archives. Many of the studies have been published in World War II German Military Studies, 24 vols. Donald S. Detweiler, ed. (New York: Garland Publishing, 1979) Preface, Guide to Foreign Military Studies, 1945-54; Catalog & Index (Headquarters, United States Army, Europe, 1954). This catalog and index is a guide to the manuscripts produced under the Foreign Military Studies Program of the Historical Division, United States Army, Europe, and of predecessor commands since 1945. Most of these manuscripts were prepared by former high-ranking officers of the German Armed Forces, writing under the sponsorship of their former adversaries. The program therefore represents an unusual degree of collaboration between officers of nations recently at war. The Foreign Military Studies Program actually began shortly after V-E Day, when Allied interrogators first questioned certain prominent German prisoners of war. Results were so encouraging that the program was expanded; written questions replaced oral interrogation, and later certain highly-placed German officers were asked to prepare a series of monographs. Originally the mission of the program was only to obtain information on enemy operations in the European Theater for use in the preparation of an official history of the U.S. Army in World War II. In 1946 the program was broadened to include the Mediterranean and Russian war theaters. Beginning in 1947 emphasis was placed on the preparation of operational studies for use by U.S. Army planning and training agencies and service schools. The result has been the collection of a large amount of useful information about the German Armed Forces, prepared by German military experts. While the primary aim of the program has remained unchanged, many of the more recent studies have analyzed the German experience with a view toward deriving useful lessons. The authors were usually key participants in the events which they described and were able to supply information not otherwise available. In many cases they have supplemented or refreshed their memories by consulting with their military associates. It must be remembered, however, that some contributors are professional military leaders, not historians or writers. While for the most part they have tried to be thorough and objective, they view events primarily in terms of their own experience. In the initial phases of the program all of the contributors were prisoners of war or internees; participation, however, was always voluntary. While participants were reimbursed for their work, they have been motivated mainly by professional interest and by the desire to promote western solidarity and mutual defense. In 1945, after most of the contributors had returned to civilian life, the administrative structure and tempo of the program was changed. Contributors now prepare studies in their own homes under the supervision of a small control group, composed of selected high-ranking German officers. Many of the early manuscripts were inadequately translated and were assigned inappropriate titles. Some of these manuscripts have been reissued in revised versions but in most cases the original titles have been retained to facilitate identification. During the early years of the program, contributors had to rely largely on their memories, since the basic documents had been destroyed or were otherwise unavailable to them. Within the past few months basic documents have been increasingly provided to contributors, who now place more emphasis on careful documentation. Current studies are now checked against known sources and in some cases are considerably revised in the English version. Although individual studies will continue to vary in quality, the collection as a whole constitutes a noteworthy contribution to the history of World War II. As the number of manuscripts increased, it became essential to index the collection in order to make its contents more readily available. This project was begun in September 1951 by General der Artillerie Friedrich von Boetticher, German military attaché to the United States from 1933 to 1941. Initially the index was planned to include only those manuscripts which had been translated and were considered to contain useful military lessons. This phase of the project was virtually completed by spring 1952, when General von Boetticher was compelled for personal reasons to give up the work. At that time it was decided to index and evaluate all of the manuscripts in the collection, regardless of their nature. This task was undertaken by General der Artillerie Anton Freiherr von Bechtolsheim, who completed the indexing and evaluated each study with regard to its historical, operational, and technical interest. The present guide contains a catalog of manuscripts and three indexes--by topic, by military unit, and by author. Most entries in the catalog include a short statement describing the contents and usefulness of the study. Certain translation difficulties are reflected in this guide. Germany military terms do not always have exact American equivalents and cannot be expressed briefly in precise military language. Untranslated terms appearing in this guide are explained in the glossary, page 252. This difficulty in arriving at standardized and generally accepted translations of German military terms has been a persistent problem in preparing the manuscripts; the researcher may even feel the need 66026 3 for an expansion and revision of U.S. military terminology. Studies now in preparation and those projected will also be indexed and catalogued. Errata and addenda sheets will be issued from time to time, but a complete revision of the catalog does not seem practicable in the near future. A limited number of copies of this guide are available to official agencies, particularly to those which possess a substantial number of the studies. W.S. Nye, Colonel, Artillery, Karlsruhe Chief Historian, June 1954 Hq. U.S. Army, Europe Access Points Germany. Heer World War, 1939-1945 World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--Eastern World War, 1939-1945--Germany Germany Box: 1-5 A-Series manuscripts. Scope and Content Note When the first complete inventory of studies was made in mid-1946, all translated manuscripts on hand were designated the A-series. Numbers were assigned in reverse order, from A-1000 to A-855, and the series was then closed. All authors in this series were in prisoner