Přestože se o druhé světové válce napsaly stohy knih, Nicholas Stargardt dokazuje, že je pořád možné dívat se na ni nově – například očima obyčejných Němců, kteří odešli na frontu, a jejich matek a manželek, které se doma potýkaly s nesnázemi. Autor předkládá deníkové zápisy vojáků a jejich rodin, ale také hlášení SD, výzvědné služby SS, jejíž agenti poslouchali rozhovory lidí v obchodech či tramvajích a podávali zprávy špičkám režimu. Důraz je kladen na výňatky z dokumentárních materiálů, jejichž prostřednictvím se odhalují mýty, které v Německu zakořenily v poválečném období.
SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2016 PEN HESSELL-TILTMAN PRIZE. The Second World War was a
German war like no other. The Nazi regime, having started the conflict, turned
it into the most horrific war in European history, resorting to genocidal
methods well before building the first gas chambers. Over its course, the
Third Reich expended and exhausted all its moral and physical reserves,
leading to total defeat in 1945. Yet 70 years on - despite whole libraries of
books about the war's origins, course and atrocities - we still do not know
what Germans thought they were fighting for and how they experienced and
sustained the war until the bitter end. When war broke out in September 1939,
it was deeply unpopular in Germany. Yet without the active participation and
commitment of the German people, it could not have continued for almost six
years. What, then, was the war Germans thought they were fighting? How did the
changing course of the conflict - the victories of the Blitzkrieg, the first
defeats in the east, the bombing of Germany's cities - change their views and
expectations? And when did Germans first realise that they were fighting a
genocidal war?Drawing on a wealth of first-hand testimony, The German War is
the first foray for many decades into how the German people experienced the
Second World War. Told from the perspective of those who lived through it -
soldiers, schoolteachers and housewives; Nazis, Christians and Jews - its
masterful historical narrative sheds fresh and disturbing light on the
beliefs, hopes and fears of a people who embarked on, continued and fought to
the end a brutal war of conquest and genocide.
The Second World War was a uniquely German conflict, initiated by the Nazi regime, which transformed it into one of the most horrific wars in European history, employing genocidal tactics long before the establishment of gas chambers. Throughout the war, the Third Reich depleted its moral and physical resources, culminating in total defeat in 1945. Despite extensive literature on the war's origins and atrocities, the understanding of what motivated Germans and how they coped with the war remains elusive. When the war began in September 1939, it was largely unpopular in Germany, yet the active involvement of the German populace was crucial for its nearly six-year duration. This raises questions about the nature of the war Germans believed they were fighting and how their perceptions evolved through various phases of the conflict, from early victories to devastating defeats and bombings. At what point did they recognize the genocidal nature of their struggle? Drawing on extensive first-hand accounts, this exploration offers a rare insight into the German experience of the war, revealing the beliefs, hopes, and fears of individuals—soldiers, civilians, and various social groups—who participated in a brutal campaign of conquest and genocide.
"Drawing on a wealth of first-hand testimony, the German War is the first foray for many decades into how the German people experienced the Second World War. Told from the perspective of those who lived through it-- soldiers, school-teachers and housewives; Nazis, Christians and Jews-- its masterful historical narrative sheds fresh and disturbing light on the beliefs, hopes, and fears of people who embarked on, continued, and fought to the end, a brutal war of conquest and genocide"--
The book explores the evolution of militarism from the 1860s through the onset of World War I, analyzing how military ideologies and practices shaped national policies and societal attitudes during this transformative period. It delves into the political, social, and cultural factors that contributed to the rise of militarism, offering insights into its implications for global conflict and the historical context leading up to the war.
Witnesses of War is the first work to show how children experienced the Second
World War under the Nazis. As they absorbed the brutal new realities of German
occupation, Polish boys played at being Gestapo interrogators, and Jewish
children at being ghetto guards or the SS.
Ein breites Panorama von Kindheit und Jugend unter Naziherrschaft Als das erste Opfer eines Krieges gilt die Wahrheit, die Kinder sind sein letztes, denn sie tragen die Erinnerungen an Schrecken, Not und Tod viele Jahrzehnte lang mit sich. So vielfältig die Erlebnisse von Kindern und Jugendlichen unter den Nazis waren, so sehr sie sich durch die jeweiligen Lebensumstände unterschieden - im Dritten Reich und in den Konzentrationslagern, auf dem Land und in den vom Bombenkrieg zerstörten Städten, in Kriegsgefangenenlagern und in den großen Flüchtlingstrecks -, haben sie doch gemeinsam, daß der Zweite Weltkrieg sie tief geprägt hat. Nicholas Stargardt hat sich die gewaltige Aufgabe gestellt, die Erlebnisse und Erinnerungen dieser Generation in ihrer ganzen Vielschichtigkeit zu sammeln und als große Erzählung den Generationen der Kinder und Enkel zu vermitteln. Ein Buch, das vielen Familien Gesprächsstoff liefern wird.
