"The Wehrmacht's Last Stand: The German Campaigns" Topic

… of 1944-1945

"By 1943, the war was lost, and most German officers knew it. Three quarters of a century later, the question persists: What kept the German army going in an increasingly hopeless situation? Where some historians have found explanations in the power of Hitler or the role of ideology, Robert M. Citino, the world's leading scholar on the subject, posits a more straightforward solution: Bewegungskrieg, the way of war cultivated by the Germans over the course of history. In this gripping account of German military campaigns during the final phase of World War II, Citino charts the inevitable path by which Bewegungskrieg, or a "war of movement," inexorably led to Nazi Germany's defeat.

The Wehrmacht's Last Stand analyzes the German Totenritt, or "death ride," from January 1944—with simultaneous Allied offensives at Anzio and Ukraine—until May 1945, the collapse of the Wehrmacht in the field, and the Soviet storming of Berlin. In clear and compelling prose, and bringing extensive reading of the German-language literature to bear, Citino focuses on the German view of these campaigns. Often very different from the Allied perspective, this approach allows for a more nuanced and far-reaching understanding of the last battles of the Wehrmacht than any now available. With Citino's previous volumes, Death of the Wehrmacht and The Wehrmacht Retreats, The Wehrmacht's Last Stand completes a uniquely comprehensive picture of the German army's strategy, operations, and performance against the Allies in World War II"

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Amicalement
Armand

Sounds good. The end of Nazis war has alway fascinated me.

Why is the decision to fight to the end by the Wehrmacht so difficult to comprehend to Western scholars. The Germans believed (quite reasonably) that the final defeat of Germany would lead to long term occupation and division of their country. Perhaps if only the western allies had been attacking they might not have made such fanatical resistance but to surrender meekly while they still had power to delay the end meant the vengeful Soviets would be able to exact a terrible price possibly leading to the permanent end of Germany as a nation.

If the US was being attached by overwhelming force by say, Russia and China, I would hope our armed forces would fight to the bitter end.

At any rate, it may only be the Cold War that allowed Germany to return to the western family of nations. I daresay if you could bring the German generals forward in time to see the re-unified, economically powerful, prosperous nation Germany is today, they probably could hardly wait to get back to 1944 or 45 and surrender to the western allies immediately.

Glad you like it my friend!. (smile)

Amicalement
Armand

Yes, the closer the Allies came to the German homeland, the harder many units fought. Particularly some SS and Foreign SS. Who knew they had no where to go and if captured they may not be treated as the standard EPW.

Like a wounded trapped animal they had no way out. Save for death. Especially if the USSR captured them. If they wasted time to capture them at all. I've also read some Polish units were also "ruthless" when combatting any German units. Getting "payback" was on a lot of Allied troops' minds, understandably.

I've heard some US WWII Vets or even shortly after the war, they really hated the Germans as well. E.g. like seen in the movie "Fury". I'm not saying that was the seminal work on that situation. But it certainly may have shown how some US troops hated the Germans, for a number of reasons. As well as that German SS unit that were fight ruthlessly to save their falling homeland. From the "foreign invaders". Again, not the seminal source, but certainly showed a perspective not always seen in some WWII movies, etc.