Reich

World War II Through German Eyes

Reich cover

Description

A rare and fascinating glimpse into the Reich as told through the eyes of German civilians and soldiers.

While Allied propaganda would have us believe that during World War II the German population were downtrodden workers, with no rights and under the power and influence of the all-controlling Gestapo, the truth is somewhat different. While the Allies saw Hitler as an evil to be removed from power, in 1933 the German people saw him as a saviour, able to rescue them from the humiliation the Treaty of Versailles imposed on them.

In the early days of the Nazi regime, the German people widely felt that they had social benefits unmatched by its neighbouring states, and that its poverty had been eliminated while its economy had been stabilised. James Lucas presents a fascinating insight into the real Reich, a glimpse into the life on the German home front, from the role of women to the propaganda machine, assessing the German view of how the war would be fought, and how Hitler directly intervened in all level of party politics and decisions.

Case studies of operations Barbarossa and Sealion provide an insight into military decisions of a wider scale. After many years' research and interviews with civilians and German soldiers, Reich offers a study of the social, economic and military phenomena of the Nazi regime.

Table of Contents

Author's Acknowledgements
Preface
Introduction

Part One: Political and Social Perspectives
The Genesis of the Nazi Party
The German Führer: Adolf Hitler
The Development of the Party 1933–39
The Party's Perspective of the Masses
The Party's View of Women
Concentration Camps
The Party's View of Germany's Enemies
The Party's Perspective of Europe
Party Control in the Last Year of the War
The Political Military Forces

Part Two: Economic Perspectives
The Party's Struggle with the Industrialists
Industry under Speer
The Führer's Military Toy Projects

Part Three: Military Perspectives
The Plan to Invade Great Britain
German Concern about the Balkans
The Attack upon the Soviet Union
'Bastogne Must Surrender!'
Delusion: Belief in the East–West Clash

Bibliography
Appendix 1: Principal Dates of the Third Reich
Appendix 2: Glossary
Appendix 3: Extracts from Sixteenth Army Operational Orders
Appendix 4: Sealion: 1940

Product details

Published Nov 20 2013
Format Ebook (Epub & Mobi)
Edition 1st
Extent 156
ISBN 9781782005896
Imprint Osprey Publishing
Series General Military
Short code GNM
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing

About the contributors

Author

James Lucas

James Lucas was an acclaimed historian specialisin…

Resources

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