BLUF
German generals writing after WW2 blamed Hitler for their incompetence leading Western and Russian historians to perpetuate this myth.Summary
This book review by Mg Singh Emge of Stephen G. Fritz's 'The First Soldier makes the following points:
- Some historians refuse to take Hitler seriously despite the fact he shook the world to its roots.
- Fritz demolishes the "Hitler was an idiot" school of World War II history.
- Hitler had read the German masters of military thought - von Moltke and Clausewitz.
- He adapted the concept of mechanized warfare and blitzkrieg, initially winning in Poland, France, Norway, Russia, North Africa, etc.
- Like Napoleon, Hitler believed in going on the offensive whenever possible and mounting a tenacious defence when required.
- Hitler's racial and other policies of domination resulting in the holocaust overshadowed—and rightly so—his military strategy.
References
Recent Runway Posts related to this topic:
- The Soviet Union And The Eastern Front | The Runway (govcms.gov.au)
- The Battle of the Bulge: Hitler’s Desperate Gambit Crushed by American Grit | The Runway (govcms.gov.au)
References from the Web:
- APR 2020 The Importance of the Strategic Level: Germany in the Second World War –the Bridge
- German armed forces high command- Holocaust Museum
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