It has been generally assumed that the driving force behind German propaganda in World War Two was the Propaganda Ministry headed by Josef Goebbels, or the initiatives of various Nazi party organizations. There has been little research on the specific role of the Wehrmacht propaganda machine in this connection, even though it was the source for the bulk of German wartime propaganda material. This book deals with the history of the propaganda troops of the Wehrmacht, created shortly before WWII as a result of lessons learned concerning the importance of psychological warfare during WWI. This unique branch of service proved to be indispensable to the German propaganda effort during WWII. The products of its Propaganda Companies - better known as «PK, a term that became synonymous with high-quality war reporting in Germany - formed a crucial and popular part of wartime propaganda. The military propaganda organization worked closely with Goebbels's Propaganda Ministry and their cooperation contributed to the success of this young service. The veterans of the propaganda troops and their wartime and postwar products continued to influence the image of the Wehrmacht and WWII long after the war.

During World War II, the aviation industry stood among the largest industrial branches of the Third Reich. The manufacture of aircraft and air force equipment represented approximately 40% of total German war production and involved the employment of two million people. Thus, aviation factories became the place where scores of people experienced the war. Based on German records, Allied intelligence reports, and eyewitness reports, this study explores the military, political, scientific, and social aspects of Germany's World War II aviation industry, such as production, research and development, Allied attacks, the use of foreign workers and slave labor, and daily life and working conditions in the factories. Testimony from Holocaust survivors who worked in the factories adds a strong human component to the technological facade of the German aviation industry, providing a compelling new perspective on the history of the Third Reich.