The German War - hardback

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SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2016 PEN HESSELL-TILTMAN PRIZE. The Second World War was uniquely a German war, initiated by the Nazi regime, which transformed it into a horrific conflict marked by genocidal actions long before the establishment of gas chambers. Over the course of the war, the Third Reich depleted its moral and physical resources, culminating in total defeat in 1945. Despite extensive literature on the war's origins, progression, and atrocities, we still lack insight into what motivated the German populace and how they endured the conflict until its conclusion. When the war began in September 1939, it faced significant unpopularity in Germany. However, the war persisted for nearly six years, supported by the active involvement of the German people. What did they believe they were fighting for? How did their perceptions shift with the war's changing dynamics— from early victories to devastating defeats and bombings? At what point did they recognize they were engaged in a genocidal war? Drawing on a wealth of firsthand accounts, this work explores the experiences of various individuals—soldiers, teachers, housewives, Nazis, Christians, and Jews—offering a compelling historical narrative that reveals the beliefs, hopes, and fears of a society that waged a brutal war of conquest and genocide.