Wehrmacht Generals, West German Society, and the Debate on Rearmament, 1949-1959

Wehrmacht Generals, West German Society, and the Debate on Rearmament, 1949-1959
Author: Alaric Searle
Publisher: Praeger
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2003-12-30
Genre: History
ISBN: 9780275979683

Examining the fate of former German generals after the Second World War, this is one of the first books in English to utilize the extensive archival material now available on the West German rearmament debate. Focus is given to the role these generals played in military policy-making, in planning for democratic armed forces, and in public discussions on coming to terms with the National Socialist past. The former generals were active in behind-the-scenes military planning and debates on military reform, but they also engaged in public efforts to influence politics as spokesmen of veterans' organizations. Alaric Searle uncovers proof that some former generals tried to bypass parliamentary control of the Federal armed forces, while others intervened to thwart those efforts. Through their actions, these generals also became symbols and metaphors for the National Socialist past. At an early stage, the generals were involved in the media discussions on rearmament. From the mid-1950s onwards, they increasingly became the objects of critical press attention, most notably in a number of trials that centered on wartime execution orders. These trials immediately assumed relevance for the public debate on military reform and rearmament. In providing an account of the political and military activities of the Wehrmacht General Officer Corps after World War II, this work also contributes to the broader debate on the role of elites in West German society after 1945.

Why Leaders Lie

Why Leaders Lie
Author: John J. Mearsheimer
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 155
Release: 2013
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 0199975450

Presents an analysis of the lying behavior of political leaders, discussing the reasons why it occurs, the different types of lies, and the costs and benefits to the public and other countries that result from it, with examples from the recent past.

Postwar Germany and the Holocaust

Postwar Germany and the Holocaust
Author: Caroline Sharples
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 249
Release: 2015-12-17
Genre: History
ISBN: 1472510534

CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title 2016 Focussing on German responses to the Holocaust since 1945, Postwar Germany and the Holocaust traces the process of Vergangenheitsbewältigung ('overcoming the past'), the persistence of silences, evasions and popular mythologies with regards to the Nazi era, and cultural representations of the Holocaust up to the present day. It explores the complexities of German memory cultures, the construction of war and Holocaust memorials and the various political debates and scandals surrounding the darkest chapter in German history. The book comparatively maps out the legacy of the Holocaust in both East and West Germany, as well as the unified Germany that followed, to engender a consideration of the effects of division, Cold War politics and reunification on German understanding of the Holocaust. Synthesizing key historiographical debates and drawing upon a variety of primary source material, this volume is an important exploration of Germany's postwar relationship with the Holocaust. Complete with chapters on education, war crime trials, memorialization and Germany and the Holocaust today, as well as a number of illustrations, maps and a detailed bibliography, Postwar Germany and the Holocaust is a pivotal text for anyone interested in understanding the full impact of the Holocaust in Germany.

From Disarmament to Rearmament

From Disarmament to Rearmament
Author: Sheldon A. Goldberg
Publisher: Ohio University Press
Total Pages: 438
Release: 2017-10-02
Genre: History
ISBN: 0821446223

At the end of World War II, the Allies were unanimous in their determination to disarm the former aggressor Germany. As the Cold War intensified, however, the decision whether to reverse that policy and to rearm West Germany as a bulwark against the Soviet threat led to disagreements both within the US government and among members of the nascent NATO alliance. The US military took the practical view that a substantial number of German troops would be required to deter any potential Soviet assault. The State Department, on the other hand, initially advocated an alternative strategy of strengthening European institutions but eventually came around to the military’s position that an armed West Germany was preferable to a weak state on the dividing line between the Western democracies and the Soviet satellite states. Sheldon A. Goldberg traces the military, diplomatic, and political threads of postwar policy toward West Germany and provides insights into the inner workings of alliance building and the roles of bureaucrats and military officers as well as those of diplomats and statesmen. He draws on previously unexamined primary sources to construct a cogent account of the political and diplomatic negotiations that led to West Germany’s accession to NATO and the shaping of European order for the next forty years.

500 Great Military Leaders [2 volumes]

500 Great Military Leaders [2 volumes]
Author: Spencer C. Tucker
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
Total Pages: 1130
Release: 2014-12-16
Genre: History
ISBN:

This insightful encyclopedia examines the most influential commanders who have shaped military history and the course of world events from ancient times to the present. From Alexander the Great and Attila the Hun to Ho Chi Minh and Colin Powell, 500 Great Military Leaders provides readers with insight into the most innovative and prominent individuals who have led armies to victory on battlefields all over the world. The broad coverage ranges from military leaders from the ancient world to the present day, including political figures who directed war efforts and those who were responsible for major technological improvements. This encyclopedia goes beyond providing factual information about each individual's life to delve into the greater historical context and impact on their contemporaries as well as on future military history. The presentation of information is designed to enable readers to both observe the gradual evolution of warfare over time and clearly perceive the differences in tactics used by generals with varying military resources at their disposal. The entries include not only information on the individual's life and work but a summary statement that assesses successes and failures across each leader's career and summarizes the overall impact. Each entry also provides several references for further reading about that individual. The accessible writing style of this resource and in-depth information and analyses make it appropriate for high school and undergraduate-level students as well as scholars of military history and individuals who simply enjoy reading about military history.

Forging the Shield

Forging the Shield
Author: Donald A. Carter
Publisher: Department of the Army
Total Pages: 544
Release: 2015
Genre: History
ISBN:

This illustrated book that includes tables, charts, and maps primarily discusses the role of USAREUR (US Army Europe) in rearming and training the new German Army which was perhaps the Army's single greatest contribution toward maintaining security in Western Europe. Likewise, the relationship between American soldiers and their French and West German hosts evolved over time and is a critical element in telling the story of the US Army in Europe.

Rommel

Rommel
Author: Ian F. W. Beckett
Publisher: Pen and Sword
Total Pages: 268
Release: 2013-12-02
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1473831725

How should history judge the life and career of Erwin Rommel, the most famous German general of the Second World War, seventy years after his death on 14 October 1944? In his own time and in the years immediately after the war his reputation as a great and chivalrous commander grew to the point where it took on almost legendary proportions, and the legend is still with us today. His apparent support for the plot to remove Hitler from power in 1944 and the manner of his death, committing suicide in order to protect his family from Nazi retribution, further enhanced his image as an honourable, professional soldier.But does he deserve this legendary status? Can his exploits as a soldier and commander and his conduct of the war be separated from the aggressive aims of Hitler and the Nazis whom he and the German army served?These are among the key questions Ian Beckett and his team of expert contributors seek to answer in this stimulating and timely study of Rommel and his legacy. They look critically at every stage of Rommel's brilliant career, from the early fame he achieved as a daring young officer fighting on the Italian front in the First World War, through his exploits as a panzer leader during the German invasion of France in 1940, and his generalship in the Western Desert when he commanded the German and Italian forces fighting the British. These achievements and the publicity that went with them gave him an extraordinary, perhaps overinflated reputation within Germany and among the opposing Allies.As featured in Cornwall Today.

Rommel Reconsidered

Rommel Reconsidered
Author: Ian F. W. Beckett
Publisher: Stackpole Books
Total Pages: 210
Release: 2014-07-15
Genre: History
ISBN: 0811714624

New look at the notorious Desert Fox of World War II by leading military historians. • Thought-provoking reassessment of the most famous German general of the war • Fresh insights into Rommel's performance in France in 1940, Africa in 1941-42, and Normandy in 1944 as well as his relationship with Hitler and the Nazis

Military Advising and Assistance

Military Advising and Assistance
Author: Donald Stoker
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 280
Release: 2007-12-21
Genre: History
ISBN: 1135988218

This edited volume presents a number of historical case studies of military advisors and/or their missions in order to provide clear examples of the functioning, motives and evolution of foreign military and naval advising in the modern era.

Genesis, Employment, Aftermath

Genesis, Employment, Aftermath
Author: Alaric Searle
Publisher: Helion and Company
Total Pages: 258
Release: 2015-06-19
Genre: History
ISBN: 1804516163

The employment of the first tanks by the British Army on the Western Front in September 1916, although symbolic rather than decisive in its effects, ushered in a new form of warfare - tank warfare. While much has been written on the history of the tank, this volume brings together a collection of essays which uncover new aspects of the history of these early machines. Leading military historians from Britain, France and Germany offer insights into the emergence of the tank before the First World War, during the conflict, as well as what happened to them after the guns fell silent on the Western Front. Based on painstaking research in archives across Europe, each of the chapters sheds new light on different aspects of the history of First World tanks. Two chapters consider why the Germans failed to recognize the possibilities of the tank and why they were so slow to develop their own machines after the first British tank attack in 1916. Two other chapters chart the history of French tanks on the Western Front and after the end of the war. Tank communication, the employment of British tanks on the Western Front, as well as the activities of British Tank Corps intelligence, are also explained. The use of British tanks in Palestine and in the Russian Civil War is examined in detail for the first time. The volume also reflects on the impact of the Battle of Cambrai, both in terms of its psychological impact in Britain and the power it exerted over military debates until the end of the Second World War. The aim of the book is to reconsider the history of First World War tanks by widening the historical perspective beyond Britain, to include France and Germany, and by reflecting on the pre-1914 and post-1918 history of the these new weapons of war.