Germany, Hitler, and World War II: Essays in Modern German and World History

Description

Reflecting on the greatest war in human history, one cannot help but think about the terrible conflict as a whole, its leaders, its peoples, and the puzzles still open about its conduct. Leaders on both sides realised that at stake from the very beginning was a complete restructuring of the world order. More than a conflict of imperial aggression, World War II was about who would live and command the globe's resources and which peoples would disappear entirely because they were believed to be inferior or undesirable by the victor. This collection of special studies in twentieth-century German and world history illuminates the nature of the Nazi system and its impact on Germany and the world. Bringing together essays now widely scattered and several never previously published in English, this volume examines the Holocaust, the connections between the European and Pacific theatres of war, as well as the effects, leaders, and research problems of World War II. By examining the effects of World War II, its leaders, its problems, and the Holocaust, this volume provides an illuminating study of the nature of the Nazi system and its impact on Germany and the world.

"Gerhard Weinberg delights in questioning conventional wisdom in this collection of papers written over many years on aspects of World War II...Germany, Hitler, and World War II is a thoughtful and provocative reinterpretation of many aspects of this period." Washington Post Book World "Vigilant in distinguishing fact from inference, Mr. Weinberg clearly understands the difference between the easy answer and the last word. Lucid, accessible, provocative in the best sense, this is critical historical writing of the highest order." The Dallas Morning News "Germany, Hitler, and World War II...[assembles] 24 essays written over the past 30 years. These are scholarly but accessible to the general reader, authoritative in their archival basis, and imaginative in raising such neglected issues as 'German Plans for Victory, 1944-1945.'" The Christian Science Monitor "...richly informative, scholarly but accessible collection of essays...The author's thought-provoking essays question familiar assumptions." Publishers Weekly "The freshness of [Weinberg's] interpretations derives from questioning popularly held beliefs about the causes and course of the war...Learned, balanced, sophisticated, and clinically empathetic with the consequences of the Nazi lunge for world supremacy, Weinberg is the type of fluid, sophisticated writer history collections must have." Booklist "German-born historian Weinberg...offers a new perspective on German history in relation to Hitler and the formulation of German foreign policy...A valuable work for anyone wishing a refreshing angle on the geopolitical realities of the period and their culmination in the greatest war in human history. Recommended for diplomatic and military history collections." Library Journal "The essays in this book represent the careful, judicious work of one of the world's greatest scholars of the Third Reich and the Second World War. These essays represent a major contribution to our understanding of the history of our century." Williamson Murray, Ohio State University "Shrewd and incisive, most of these essays are based on archival research--an experience that leads Weinberg to end with a ringing, persuasive appeal that unless immediate steps for the preservation of various fragile records are taken, future historians will be without the traditional foundations of historical research." Foreign Affairs "A valuable contribution to the literature, this readable volume belongs in every academic library." Donald S. Detwiler, The Journal of Militray History "Weinberg's essays would be of significant use in an educational environment...the essays can be very helpful and interesting to students...skillfully argued and written they would serve as an excellent tool to illustrate to students how the historical discipline works...Weinberg is a scholar of high order abd his essays reflect this...Weinberg's book is an invaluable resource." Michael Marino, Teaching History