Inside Hitler's High Command

Megargee, Geoffrey P.; (Foreword by Williamson Murray)

ISBN 10: 0700610154 / ISBN 13: 9780700610150

Published by University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, 2000

About this Item

Lawrence, Kansas: University of Kansas, 2000. Near Fine condition in bright, shiny Near Fine Dust Jacket. No chips. No tears. No owner's name or bookplate. No remainder marks. No underlining. No highlighting. No margin notes. Clean, tight, and unmarked. Illustrated with photos and many portraits of Nazi officers. Wire diagrams show organization of the German high command. Chapter notes. Bibliography. Index. "Comprehensive, well written, important. Megargee has a superb grasp of the internal politics of the German Army and does a first-rate job in describing the personalities of the high command and their relationships" -- James S. Corum. From the Dust Jacket: "Challenging previous accounts, Geoffrey Megargee shatters the myth that German generals would have prevailed in World War II if only Hitler had not meddled in their affairs. INSIDE HITLER'S HIGH COMMAND reveals that while Hitler was the central figure in many military decisions, his generals were equal partners in Germany's catastrophic defeat. Megargee exposes the structure, processes, and personalities that governed the Third Reich's military decision making and shows how Germany's presumed battlefield superiority was undermined by poor strategic and operational planning at the highest levels. His study tracks the evolution of German military leadership under the Nazis from 1933 to 1945." Keywords: Third Reich. WWII. WW2. Germany. Military History. First Printing of the First Edition. Hardcover. Publisher's gray boards/Jacket not priced or clipped. 8vo. xxi, 327pp.

Seller Inventory # 002684

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Inside Hitler's High Command
• Publisher: University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas
• Publication Date: 2000
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0700610154
• ISBN 13: 9780700610150
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: First Printing of the First Edition.
• Condition: Publisher's gray boards
• Dust Jacket Condition: Jacket not priced or clipped
• Seller catalogs:
  • Military History / Military Science

About this title

Synopsis

Challenging previous accounts, Geoffrey Megargee shatters the myth that German generals would have prevailed in World War II if only Hitler had not meddled in their affairs. Indeed, Megargee argues, the German high command was much more flawed than many have suspected or acknowledged. Inside Hitler's High Command reveals that while Hitler was the central figure in many military decisions, his generals were equal partners in Germany's catastrophic defeat.

Megargee exposes the structure, processes, and personalities that governed the Third Reich's military decision making and shows how Germany's presumed battlefield superiority was undermined by poor strategic and operational planning at the highest levels. His study tracks the evolution of German military leadership under the Nazis from 1933 to 1945 and expands our understanding of the balance of power within the high command, the role of personalities in its organizational development, and the influence of German military intellectuals on its structure and function. He also shows how the organization of the high command was plagued by ambition, stubbornness, political intrigue, and overworked staff officers. And his "a week in the life" chapter puts the high command under a magnifying glass to reveal its inner workings during the fierce fighting on the Russian Front in December 1941.

Megargee also offers new insights into the high command crises of 1938 and shows how German general staff made fatal mistakes in their planning for Operation Barbarossa in 1941. Their arrogant dismissal of the Soviet military's ability to defend its homeland and virtual disregard for the extensive intelligence and sound logistics that undergird successful large-scale military campaigns ultimately came back to haunt them.

In the final assessment, observes Megargee, the generals' strategic ideas were no better than Hitler's and often worse. Heinz Guderian, Franz Halder, and the rest were as guilty of self-deception as their Fuhrer, believing that innate German superiority and strength of will were enough to overcome nearly any obstacle. Inside Hitler's High Command exposes these surprising flaws and illuminates the process of strategy and decision making in the Third Reich.

About the Author

Geoffrey P. Megargee is Applied Research Scholar at the Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies, U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, and a contributor to World War II in Europe: An Encyclopedia.