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The German Army, 1933-1945: Its political and military failure Hardcover – January 1, 1978

by Matthew Cooper (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 28 ratings
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Mathew Cooper's superb analysis of the association between Hitler, the German General Staff and with his generals sheds much new light on the reform of the Garman Army following WWI, Hitler's rapid increase of its power and strength on assuming leadership and on his conviction of brilliance on military matters, based on his early military successes in WWII. While the study covers the years from 1933 to Germany's surrender in 1945, most of the focus is on the situation during WWII, when Hitler's increasing interference with operational decisions and his growing distrust of his generals, particularly those from the traditional military classes and families. Such was the level of Hitler's intervention with battlefield decisions that Field Marshal Rundstedt, charged with halting the D-Day invasion, said that as commander-in-chief in the west his only authority " was to change the guard in front of my gate." A massive book and a wonderful insight into the leadership problems that confronted the German army in WWII.

It will shake up the ideas of all those who regard the staff of the Nazi-dominated German Army as paragons of military competence.--The Economist
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    598 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Macdonald and Jane's
  4. Publication date
    January 1, 1978
  5. ISBN-10
    0354010573
  6. ISBN-13
    978-0354010573
  7. See all details
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Macdonald and Jane's; First Edition (January 1, 1978)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 598 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0354010573
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0354010573
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.35 pounds
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 28 ratings

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Matthew Cooper

Matthew Cooper

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Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
28 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

pingufreddy
5.0 out of 5 stars Simply a great and masterful book
Reviewed in the United States on May 30, 2018
Verified Purchase
Exceptionally well written and a truly remarkable insight into the structure, brilliance and political weaknesses of the Great German General Staff. Nuanced and balanced Cooper has a clear and seemingly irrefutable set of analyses as to why the germans lost in Russia, how Hitler caused disaster repeatedly, and the overall inefficiencies and amateur nature of the party leadership. He covers it all and does so in prose that is just extraordinarily good. The man can really write and he does to stunning effect despite the boring title. Buy this book before it dissapears: it is the classic on the German army of the period.
2 people found this helpful
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Michael Dorosh
4.0 out of 5 stars Readable and Thought Provoking
Reviewed in the United States on October 14, 2002
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I have no idea why anyone would suggest that Cooper's book is flawed because it doesn't mention the Holocaust - it is simply not about that.
What this book does do is examine in detail the myth of Blitzkrieg and the inner workings of the command structures and way of waging war. Cooper lays out very clearly how the old myths were started, and describes very clinically how the German Army was a victim of its own traditions - both in its way of making war (modern "Blitzkrieg" actually can be dated back to at least 1866, as Cooper points out) and in its subversion by Hitler - obedience to a man (emperor of Führer) was the tradition by which the German Army ensured its own destruction.
Rivetting reading. I can't offer any deeper insight into the accuracy of some of the discussion - the earlier reviewers may have valid points about Engigma and the Russian Archives - but certainly this is the way to open one's mind to the idea that the German Army really wasn't all that revolutionary in its warmaking concepts.
I kept looking for Cooper to lay blame for the war on the Generals, or to absolve them completely - he does neither, as far as I can tell, though a book this dense needs to be read more than once for its full impact to make itself felt.
6 people found this helpful
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William Adams
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book
Reviewed in the United States on March 9, 2014
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This is a great history of the relationship between Hilter and the German Heers before and during World War Two. Highly recommended for the serious student of War World Two.
2 people found this helpful
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Gerhard Gengel
5.0 out of 5 stars Provides a visceral understanding of the main historical figures.
Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2014
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Fits smoothly with most of the other books I have read on the subject. But the more personal experiences of the movers and shakers adds much to the understanding.
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David Watts
4.0 out of 5 stars Not what I was expecting, but I'm disappointed.
Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2015
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When I purchased this book I was expecting more of a encyclical reference guide, not unlike the War Department's Handbook. This book is more of a strategic and political analysis of what lead to the German Army ultimately losing the war. While it's not what I had originally hoped to order I'm in no way disappointed with adding this book to my collection.
2 people found this helpful
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James W. Hartley
5.0 out of 5 stars The German Army 1933-1945
Reviewed in the United States on September 22, 2006
I am relativly late in reviewing this book in that many have reviewed it before me. The previous reviews run from Wonderful to Awful. I am in the wonderful camp. I found it extremely illumimating although, as others have pointed out there are flaws. I definitely found out things I did not know before and I am somewhat of a WWII buff.

Mr Cooper probably did rely heavily on memoirs but they can be useful to the historian as well as to the writer of those memoirs.

For example, discussions of particular battles may have some use but they may sugarcoat discussions about things for which they could be punished, such as the Wehrmacht's participation in the extermination of the jews. Mr Cooper doesn't even mention that. I can understand his not covering the holocaust, but the Wehrmacht had a definite role in rounding up Jews and at times, participating in their extermination.

Also, my impression is that the book wasn't about the army so much as it was about its Generals and their relations with Hitler. I saw very little on the German soldier except for broad generalities. That said, his description of what the Russian weather did to the german soldiers when they were outside Moscow in the winter of 1941 was graphic.

Usually in a book or manual, order of battle information is presented in a table. Mr Cooper put this information into prose and sometimes it got a little tedious wading through all that information.

On the positive side, it is a very detailed examination of how the Wehrmacht fared during the war. Their trials and tribulations as well as their successes. And it does, generally, read well.

It also filled in many gaps in my knowledge. Others may know these things. I didn't. For example, The Germans invaded Russia on June 22, 1941. By July they were already having second thoughts about the wisdom of that decision and in August, he quotes one General as saying they have greatly underestimated their Soviet enemy.

It is well known that it was Hitler who ordered "no retreat" at Stalingrad but Mr. Cooper documents just how often Hitler interfered with his Generals with the "no retreat" order. In fact, you get the impression that it was Hitler's amateurish meddling with strategy and tactics that was the primary cause of the Germans losing the war. I believe it.

Overall, I found this book to be both interesting and readable and that puts me in the "wonderful" column. I would recommend that anyone interested in WWII read it. It does have some flaws but so does virtually every book one would read.
4 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Ulla och LR Brostroem
5.0 out of 5 stars The history from the beginning.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 25, 2019
Verified Purchase
Very good. Recomended.
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