History, myth, reality is a translation of the original german text published by s. History, myth, reality is a 2002 book by german historian wolfram wette which discusses the myth of the clean wehrmacht. This was a war directed not only against another army, but against parts of the civilian population as well. The clean wehrmacht myth was something that was advanced by both the westgerman and the western allied governments after the war within the context of the budding cold war. So if youre looking for a history of for example the campaigns of the wehrmacht, this book will disappoint you. Until very recently, the standard story avowed that the ordinary german soldier in world war ii was. As was the case during the first world war, there was a general feeling that in this war too, the front would stabilize on the frontier and the russians would be ground down through attrition. Germans live every day with the consequences of world war ii and.
The german wehrmachts war against the soviet union differed from all other european wars of the modern era, including the campaigns waged by the wehrmacht against other countries during world war ii. History, myth, reality, wette wolfram cambridge, ma. The 707th infantry division was raised at munich on 2 may 1941, and subsequently undertook training in the region. The wehrmacht history, myth, reality is a must for each and every serious ww2 reenactor. The myth and reality of german warfare operational thinking from moltke the elder to heusinger gerhard gross, edited by david zabecki. Jun 30, 2009 wolfram wette, a preeminent german military historian, explodes the myth of a clean wehrmacht with devastating clarity. Myth of the clean wehrmacht wikimili, the best wikipedia. Though the sixteenmillionmember german army is often portrayed as a victim of nazi mania, we come to see that from 1941 to 1944 these soldiers were thoroughly involved in the horrific. The wehrmacht history myth reality wolfram wette internet archive. The myth of the clean wehrmacht is the false notion that the german armed forces the wehrmacht were not involved in the holocaust or other war crimes during world war ii. University press of kentucky, lexington, kentucky, 2016, 464 pages.
Concerning the rumors ofbolshevik bestialityand the hor. The inescapable truth is that hitlers wehrmacht was the outstanding fighting force of world war ii, one of the greatest in history. The wehrmacht, the name for all of germanys armed forces, not only became a highly effective instrument of hitlers desire for world domination but also an embodiment of his racist ideology. With this major study of the military in nazi germany, the author achieves three important goals. It aims to debunk the legend of the wehrmacht s clean hands, a legend that exculpates the germany army from any misdeed during world war two, and in some versions, celebrates their ostensible valor and professionalism. This book reveals the wehrmacht s longstanding prejudices against jews, slavs, and bolsheviks, beliefs that predated the prophecies of mein kampf and the paranoia of national socialism. Operational thinking in the reichswehr and the wehrmacht between reality and utopia pp. Myth of the clean wehrmacht wikimili, the best wikipedia reader. The greatest sniper duel in history is a myth war is boring medium even after so many years, russians still believe it and there is a very nice hollywood movie about it as well. Thus the army was portrayed both as immune to nazi ideological influences, and as a professional organisation preoccupied. Wehrmachtpropaganda, abbreviated as wpr was a branch of service of the wehrmacht and the waffenss of nazi germany during world war ii. The original proposal, myth of the clean wehrmacht, sounds best to me.
The english title history, myth, reality is rather misleading since this book does not cover the military history of the wehrmacht but that of its purported antisemitism. Debunking the notion that the wehrmact was separate from nazi ideology and was not part of the war crimes that were committed in the soviet union. Nathan stoltzfus euh 4465, fall 06 department of history. Organization and mobilization of the german sphere of power part 1. The unit was mainly used as a rearsecurity division in germanoccupied areas of the soviet union, and was responsible for largescale war crimes including the deaths of thousands of. Some people interested in military history have perhaps kept in mind a picture of the german army during world war ii the wehrmacht as having been an army not essentially different from other belligerent armies, although, admittedly, it acted brutally and, sometimes, at the limit of what would have been deemed acceptable in times of war. May 15, 2002 this book is a profound reexamination of the role of the german army, the wehrmacht, in world war ii. Until very recently, the standard story avowed that the. For many years after 1945, this seemed painful to concede. The myth denies the culpability of the german military command in the planning and preparation of war crimes.
This book reveals the wehrmachts longstanding prejudices against jews, slavs, and bolsheviks, beliefs that predated the prophecies of mein kampf and the paranoia of national socialism. Should we call the german soldiers that fought in wwii. Should we call the german soldiers that fought in wwii nazi. A year later martin van creveld made the most extreme case for the combat superiority of the wehrmacht with the publication of fighting power. The german title is accurate but it was poorly translated. This myth of the wehrmacht as a haven from the regime was extended to include not merely the attitudes of the generals, but also the actions of the troops, that is the reality of the armys conduct in war and occupation.
As he himself describes in the last part of his book, german historians began to tear apart the myth of the clean wehrmacht as early as the 1960s. Aug 04, 2017 the myth and reality of german warfare operational thinking from moltke the elder to heusinger gerhard gross, edited by david zabecki. Another german has the backbone and honesty to analyze the complicity in the murder of noncombatants, this time focusing on the wehrmacht. Full text of the wehrmacht history myth reality wolfram.
History, myth, reality and ben shepherds hitlers soldiers. Wolfram wette, a preeminent german military historian, explodes the myth of a clean wehrmacht with devastating clarity. Then you can start reading kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer no kindle device required. Jun 19, 2006 the wehrmacht, the name for all of germanys armed forces, not only became a highly effective instrument of hitlers desire for world domination but also an embodiment of his racist ideology. History, myth, reality, by wolfram wette the wehrmacht. The wehrmacht wolfram wette harvard university press. He takes on a study by dupuy were dupuy found that germans had a great superiority in fighting power. Wartime administration, economy, and manpower resources, 19391941. This book is a profound reexamination of the role of the german army, the wehrmacht, in world war ii. History, myth, reality 5 out of 5 based on 0 ratings. It tells what the german soldier got up to during the war.
Part of the european history commons, military history commons, political history commons, and the united states history commons recommended citation saviskas, narayan j. Oct 22, 2012 debunking the notion that the wehrmact was separate from nazi ideology and was not part of the war crimes that were committed in the soviet union. The wehrmacht existed from 1935 to 1945 and consisted of the unified armed forces of germany, including the heer army, kriegsmarine navy, and luftwaffe air force. The german army in the third reich28 notable exceptions, in that they investigate the wellestablished antisemitism, antislavism and antibolshevism that existed in the german military during, and indeed well before, the nazi era. Following the unconditional surrender of the wehrmacht, which went into effect on 8 may 1945, some wehrmacht units remained active, either independently e.
On the morning of april 1955, jeanjacques remetter stepped onto the station platform in kehl, the german town directly across the rhine from his. Hence they set out to conceal the hideous reality of mass death in stalingrad from the german people and transform it into a heroic myth. History, myth, reality, wolfram wette, h i s t o r y, g u n t e r g r a s s has written, the history we germans have repeatedly mucked up over the course of the twentieth cen tury, is a clogged toilet. Nov 02, 2007 the wehrmacht history, myth, reality is a must for each and every serious ww2 reenactor. The 707th infantry division, also known as the 707th security division, was a german army division of world war ii. Wolfram wette, deborah lucas schneider translator 4. There was its own eastern german version of it but since the western narrative is far more influential, ill focus on that.
Dec 18, 2014 a year later martin van creveld made the most extreme case for the combat superiority of the wehrmacht with the publication of fighting power. Although many people use the word wehrmacht to specifically refer to the german army, originally, the word. Finding antisemites in 1930s40s wasnt exactly difficult, so either way its certainly an interesting question if the army was a nazi force or not. This book reveals the wehrmachts longstanding prejudices against jews, slavs, and bolsheviks, beliefs that predated the prophecies ofmein kampf and the paranoia of national socialism. History, myth, reality, cambridge, mass harvard university press, 2006, isbn 97806740223. There was its own eastern german version of it but since the western narrative is. The word myth is not pov when the preponderance of sources describe the notion of the wehrmacht being clean as a myth or a legend. Their wehrmacht was better than our army washington post.
History, myth, reality, argues against the clean war theorem and disregards it as propaganda created by officers trying to save face after the war. The german genius for war idea has rattled around military historiography for some time. The wehrmacht, van creveld argues, developed fighting power to an almost awesome degree, and totally outclassed the american army on the battlefield. More ef fectively than any other work of history, the exhibit opened up a difficult and productive debate on the role of. Full text of the wehrmacht history myth reality wolfram wette. Enter your mobile number or email address below and well send you a link to download the free kindle app. Wheelerbennett, john the nemesis of power the german army in politics 19181945, london. To accept death be it at the hand of the enemy, from hunger or cold, or through suicide was a generals and enlisted men 189 fate that the nazi leaders regarded as heroic. History, myth, reality, wolfram wette, h i s t o r y, g u. Shepherd has described the unit as an extremely substandard division of the fifteenth wave to be raised by the german army during the war, with its personnel being overaged, undertrained and underequipped. The first and best documented of the massacres took place on 2930 september 1941, killing approximately 33,771 jews. It was formed in may 1941, and destroyed by soviet forces in june 1944. History, myth, reality and millions of other books are available for amazon kindle. The nemesis of power the german army in politics 1918.
The luftwaffe actually had their own ground forces which included tank divisions. Historian concludes racism in germany had deep roots sfgate. A comparative study of the courtmartialling of german and us deserters, german history 17 1999 wulf kansteiner, television archives and the making of collective memory. On the morning of april 1955, jeanjacques remetter stepped onto the station platform in kehl, the german town directly across the rhine from his native strasbourg. The original germanlanguage book was translated into five languages. Until very recently, the standard story avowed that the ordinary german soldier in world war ii was a good soldier, distinct from hitlers rapacious ss troops, and not an accomplice to the massacres of civilians.
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