Combat and genocide on the Eastern Front : the German infantry's war, 1941-1944 / Jeff Rutherford.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction: the German infantry's war -- The Wehrmacht and German society -- Preparations for war -- Attack with a ruthless offensive spirit and a firestorm of destruction: the opening phase of Operation Barbarossa -- Will the continuation of this attack be worth it? The drive on Leningrad -- It is only a question of where, not if, civilians will starve: the 121st Infantry Division and the occupation of Pavlovsk -- The failure of Operation Barbarossa: the fusion of ideology and military culture -- The Soviet Winter Offensive 1942: Demiansk and the Volkhov River -- The population shouted out to the interpreter that one would rather be shot instead of being left to starve: the evolution of military necessity -- From one mess to another: war of attrition in northwest Russia -- We need to fight to the end, so oder so: combat and the reconstruction of Army Group North -- A more rational occupation? The contradictions of military necessity -- As miserable representatives of the miserable twentieth century, we burned all of the villages: the scorched earth retreat to the Panther line -- Conclusion: the primacy of military necessity.