The Indoctrination of the Wehrmacht : Nazi Ideology and the War Crimes of the German Military

"Far from the image of an apolitical, 'clean' Wehrmacht that persists in popular memory, German soldiers regularly cooperated with organizations like the SS in the abuse and murder of countless individuals during the Second World War. This in-depth study demonstrates that a key factor in the criminalization of the Wehrmacht was the intense political indoctrination imposed on its members. At the instigation of senior leadership, many ordinary German soldiers and officers became ideological warriors who viewed their enemies in racial and political terms--a project that was but one piece of the broader effort to socialize young men during the Nazi era"-- Provided by publisher Far from the image of an apolitical, "clean" Wehrmacht that persists in popular memory, German soldiers regularly cooperated with organizations like the SS in the abuse and murder of countless individuals. This in-depth study demonstrates that a key factor in the criminalization of the Wehrmacht was the intense political indoctrination imposed on its members. At the instigation of senior leadership, ordinary German soldiers and officers became ideological warriors who viewed their enemies in biological and political terms-a project that was but one piece of the broader effort to socialize young men during the Nazi era The Indoctrination of the Wehrmacht Copyright Contents Introduction Chapter 1. A Political Military? Chapter 2. The Goals and Effects of Indoctrination Chapter 3. The Beginnings of Nazi Ideological Education in the Wehrmacht Chapter 4. The Lead-Up to War and the Poland Campaign Chapter 5. The Hitler Youth and the Reich Labour Service Chapter 6. Christianity and the Military Chaplaincy Chapter 7. The Serbian Campaign and the Eastern Front Conclusion Bibliography Index This in-depth study reveals that military indoctrination was but one piece of the larger effort at the socialization of young men during the Nazi era.