For Hitler and the German military, 1942 was a key turning point of
World War II, as an overstretched but still lethal Wehrmacht
replaced brilliant victories and huge territorial gains with
stalemates and strategic retreats. In this major reevaluation of
that crucial year, Robert Citino shows that the German army's
emerging woes were rooted as much in its addiction to the "war of
movement"-attempts to smash the enemy in "short and lively"
campaigns-as they were in Hitler's deeply flawed management of the
war.
From the overwhelming operational victories at Kerch and Kharkov
in May to the catastrophic defeats at El Alamein and Stalingrad,
Death of the Wehrmacht offers an eye-opening new view of that
decisive year. Building upon his widely respected critique in The
German Way of War, Citino shows how the campaigns of 1942 fit
within the centuries-old patterns of Prussian/German warmaking and
ultimately doomed Hitler's expansionist ambitions. He examines
every major campaign and battle in the Russian and North African
theaters throughout the year to assess how a military geared to
quick and decisive victories coped when the tide turned against
it.
Citino also reconstructs the German generals' view of the war
and illuminates the multiple contingencies that might have produced
more favorable results. In addition, he cites the fatal extreme
aggressiveness of German commanders like Erwin Rommel and assesses
how the German system of command and its commitment to the
"independence of subordinate commanders" suffered under the thumb
of Hitler and chief of staff General Franz Halder.
More than the turning point of a war, 1942 marked the death of a
very old and traditional pattern of warmaking, with the classic
"German way of war" unable to meet the challenges of the twentieth
century. Blending masterly research with a gripping narrative,
Citino's remarkable work provides a fresh and revealing look at how
one of history's most powerful armies began to founder in its quest
for world domination.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
