Germany, Hitler, and World War II (Essays in Modern German and World History)

Far more than a conflict of imperial aggression, World War II was about "blood and soil," a fight to determine who would control the earth's resources and which races would be exterminated because they were deemed inferior or undesirable. This collection of essays, many never before published in English, illuminates the nature of the Nazi system and its impact on Germany and the world. Included are careful examinations of the Holocaust, the connections between the European and Pacific theaters of war, a comparative analysis of the leadership styles of Hitler, Stalin, Tojo, and Roosevelt and a look back at postwar Germany. Contents Preface Introduction Part I. Background 1 The defeat of Germany in 1918 and the European balance of power 2 National Socialist organization and foreign policy aims in 1927 3 The world through Hitler’s eyes Part II. The Nazi system 4 The Nazi revolution: A war against human rights 5 Propaganda for peace and preparation for war Part III. Background for war 6 Hider and England, 1933-1945: Pretense and reality 7 German foreign policy and Austria 8 Germany, Munich, and appeasement 9 A proposed compromise over Danzig in 1939? 10 The German generals and the outbreak of war, 1938-1939 11 Hider’s decision for war Part IV. World War II 12 German diplomacy toward the Soviet Union 13 The Nazi-Soviet pacts of 1939: A half century later 14 From confrontation to cooperation: Germany and the United States, 1917-1949 15 Pearl Harbor: The German perspective 16 Global conflict: The interaction between the European and Pacific theaters of war in World War II 17 The “Final Solution” and the war in 1943 18 July 20, 1944: The German resistance to Hitler 19 D-Day after fifty years: Assessments of costs and benefits 20 German plans for victory, 1944-1945 21 Reflections on running a war: Hitler, Churchill, Stalin, Roosevelt, Tojo 22 Some thoughts on World War II 23 A new Germany in a new world Appendix: The end of Ranke’s history? Reflections on the fate of history in the twentieth century Index Reflecting on the greatest war in human history, one cannot help but think about the terrible conflict as a whole, its leaders, its peoples, and the puzzles still open about its conduct. Leaders on both sides realised that at stake from the very beginning was a complete restructuring of the world order. More than a conflict of imperial aggression, World War II was about who would live and command the globe's resources and which peoples would disappear entirely because they were believed to be inferior or undesirable by the victor. This collection of special studies in twentieth-century German and world history illuminates the nature of the Nazi system and its impact on Germany and the world. Bringing together essays now widely scattered and several never previously published in English, this volume examines the Holocaust, the connections between the European and Pacific theatres of war, as well as the effects, leaders, and research problems of World War II. By examining the effects of World War II, its leaders, its problems, and the Holocaust, this volume provides an illuminating study of the nature of the Nazi system and its impact on Germany and the world This collection of essays, previously widely scattered and some never before published in English, illuminates the nature of the Nazi system and its impact on Germany and the world. Emphasis is placed on illuminating key topics which have been badly misunderstood or misrepresented in the past, including the true impact of the Treaty of Versailles of 1919, the connections between the European and Pacific theaters of war, and Germany's relations with England, the United States, and the Soviet Union.