Description
Book SynopsisOperation Barbarossa, Hitler's invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941, led to one of the most brutal campaigns of World War II: of the estimated 70 million people who died in World War II, over 30 million died on the Eastern Front. Although it has previously been argued that the campaign was a pre-emptive strike, in fact, Hitler had been planning a war of intervention against the USSR ever since he came to power in 1933. Using previously unseen sources, acclaimed military historian Rolf-Dieter Muller shows that Hitler and the Wehrmacht had begun to negotiate with Poland and had even considered an alliance with Japan soon after taking power. Despite the signing of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, at the declaration of war in September 1939, military engagement with the Red Army was still a very real and imminent possibility. In this book, Muller takes us behind the scenes of the Wehrmacht High Command, providing a fascinating insight into an unknown story of World War II.
Trade ReviewThe Unknown Eastern Front demonstrates that history - especially of a highly sensitive issue like this one - is rarely about neat binary categories of black and white, good and evil.' Roger Moorhouse, TLS 'In lifting the veil with which history has shrouded these men, Muller - has opened up a new vista on a largely forgotten, and sometimes deliberately neglected, but crucial aspect of recent history.' Nigel Jones, Spectator 'The Unknown Eastern Front demonstrates that history - especially of a highly sensitive issue like this one - is rarely about neat binary categories of black and white, good and evil.'Roger Moorhouse, TLS 'In lifting the veil with which history has shrouded these men, Muller - has opened up a new vista on a largely forgotten, and sometimes deliberately neglected, but crucial aspect of recent history.'Nigel Jones, Spectator ' - this is an important subject - [Muller] supplies full and useful detail on the contribution of all the different peoples who participated, with information on the numbers of soldiers and the tasks they were expected to fulfill.' Richard Overy, History Today 'A definitive work.' Die Welt; 'Mr. Muller's achievement is not only to explain Hitler's strategic thinking but also to debunk the myth of him as a master of Machiavellian deception' - Brendan Simms, The Wall Street Journal
Table of ContentsList of Illustrations List of Abbreviations Introduction Germany and its Neighbours in the East A War of Intervention against the Soviet Union? A Turning Point in German-Polish Relations Preparations for War in the East Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index
