Hitler's Lost State - The Fall Of Prussia & The 'Wilhelm Gustloff' Tragedy

Seen as an agricultural utopia within Hitler's Germany, it is often the view that both East and West Prussia had remained relatively untouched during the Second World War. Yet the violence, prejudice and murder associated with the National Socialist regime that brought most of Europe to ruin were widespread throughout Prussia during its brief existence. When the MV 'Wilhelm Gustloff' was sunk by a Russian submarine just after 2100 Hours on 30 January 1945, 9,343 passengers - 5000 of them children - would perish. It was the worst loss of life in maritime history, six times greater than the one of the RMS Titanic in 1912.Launched by Adolf Hitler on 5 May 1937 and the KdF ('Kraft durch Freude' Lit: "Strength Through Joy'') as a recreational and propaganda tool, the MV Wilhelm Gustloff would suffer the same fate as the nation it once represented. Yet 75 years later, her tragic story is still unknown to many. Combining existing material and new findings, this book tells the story of Prussia's rise and fall as a military power, the attempts by brave civilians as well as military personnel determined to overturn the evil regime they had made an oath to serve and the desperate evacuation of refugees to the West in one of the greatest exodus ever seen, as told by those who were there.40 B/W Pictures.Originally Published in 2020, this is the Digital 2021 Re-release Version.Authors:Born in to a military family, Tim Heath’s interest in history led him to research the air war of the Second World War, focussing on the German Luftwaffe and writing extensively for The Armourer Magazine. During the course of his research he has worked closely with the German War Graves Commission at Kassel, Germany, and met with German families and veterans alike. Following the successful debut of Hitler’s Girls, The Jungle War Against the Japanese will be Tim Heath’s latest contribution to retelling the heavily scrutinised Second World War from a fresh perspective.MICHELA COCOLIN is an Italian-German national living in West Sussex, UK. After completing secondary school in Italy, she moved to the UK, gaining qualifications in English Language Teaching, Creative Writing and Computer Studies. Michela taught evening classes for fifteen years and more recently has been involved in music education and music-related social media administration. Michela is a keen amateur musician and a life member of the London Cello Society. She has also a deep interest in German history, particularly with regard to the German Resistance and events that led to the collapse of Prussia, which have strong family connections. Seen as an agricultural utopia within Hitler's Germany, it is often the view that both East and West Prussia had remained relatively untouched during the Second World War. Yet the violence, prejudice and murder associated with the National Socialist regime that brought most of Europe to ruin were widespread throughout Prussia during its brief existence. When the MV \_Wilhelm Gustloff\_ was sunk by a Russian submarine just after 9pm on 30 January 1945, 9,343 passengers - 5,000 of them children - would perish. It was the worst loss of life in maritime history, six times greater than the one of the RMS Titanic. Launched by Adolf Hitler on 5 May 1937 and the KdF (Kraft durch Freude = Strength through Joy) as a recreational and propaganda tool, the MV \_Wilhelm Gustloff\_ would suffer the same fate as the nation it once represented. Yet 75 years later, her tragic story is still unknown to many. Combining existing material and new findings, this book tells the story of Prussia's rise and fall as a military power, the attempts by brave civilians as well as military personnel determined to overturn the evil regime they had made an oath to serve and the desperate evacuation of refugees to the West in one of the greatest exodus ever seen, told by those who were there. This WWII history chronicles the rise and fall of Nazi Prussia as well as the ill-fated exodus of its civilian refugees in 1945. Seen as an agricultural utopia within Hitler's Germany, Prussia is thought to have gone untouched during the Second World War. Yet the violence of the National Socialist regime was widespread throughout the German state. As the Red Army advanced on its borders in 1945, nearly ten thousand civilians evacuated the region aboard the MV Wilhelm Gustloff —only to perish when the ship was sunk by a Soviet submarine. It was the worst loss of life in maritime history, six times greater than that of the RMS Titanic . Combining existing material and new findings, this book tells the story of Prussia's rise and fall as a military power. It chronicles the attempts made by brave civilians and military personnel to overturn the Nazi regime, as well as the desperate evacuation of refugees in one of the greatest exoduses ever seen, told by those who were there. Cover Book Title Copyright Table of Contents Introduction Chapter 1 Prussia: Birth of a European Power Chapter 2 The First World War Chapter 3 1918–1933: The Descent into Madness Chapter 4 Black Aurora Chapter 5 By a Cursed Hand Chapter 6 The Minority Nightmare Plate section Chapter 7 Resisting Evil Chapter 8 Blood and Fire Chapter 9 Harbour of Hope Chapter 10 The Cruellest Night Chapter 11 A Tale of Two Lost Cities Chapter 12 Nemesis at Potsdam Afterword Acknowledgements Bibliography Back Cover Examines the lives of those who lived in East and West Prussia under the Third Reich era, their role in Germany's aspirations for world domination, those who survived the Soviet massacres that took place in the region and those who survived the greatest maritime disaster in history.