Joining Hitler's Crusade: European Nations and the Invasion of the Soviet Union, 1941

Description

The reasons behind Hitler's invasion of the Soviet Union are well known, but what about those of the other Axis and non-Axis powers that joined Operation Barbarossa? Six other European armies fought with the Wehrmacht in 1941 and six more countries sent volunteers, as well as there being countless collaborators in the east of various nationalities who were willing to work with the Germans in 1941. The political, social and military context behind why so many nations and groups of volunteers opted to join Hitler's war in the east reflects the many diverse, and largely unknown, roads that led to Operation Barbarossa. With each chapter dealing with a new country and every author being a subject matter expert on that nation, proficient in the local language and historiography, this fascinating new study offers unparalleled insight into non-German participation on the Eastern Front in 1941.

David Stahel is a Senior Lecturer in European history at the University of New South Wales in Canberra, Australia. His latest book, The Battle for Moscow (Cambridge, 2015), was shortlisted for the British Army's military book of the year, 2016.

'Very worthwhile material, all done to high academic standards.' Stone and Stone (www.stonebooks.com) 'All of the essays are good and several very much so, dispelling myths about the composition and performance of particular contingents (e.g., Italian, Spanish). This is a valuable addition to the literature of the Russo-German War.' A. A. Nofi, The NYMAS Review