- Summary
- The Waffen-SS was the military wing of Heinrich Himmler's SS and one of the most feared combat organizations of the twentieth century. During its short history, the elite divisions of the Waffen-SS acquired a reputation for military excellence, but their superb battlefield record was matched by their repeated atrocities against soldiers and civilians alike. The Waffen-SS was always more than just a simple combat force. Himmler envisaged it acting as the vanguard for a Pan-Germanic empire under the control of Europe's Aryan peoples. He actively sought out racially acceptable recruits from across the continent, ultimately transforming the Führer's protection squad into a vast multinational army with 900,000 men passing through its ranks. The role of the Waffen-SS in furthering the aims of the Third Reich is the central theme of this portrayal of Adolf Hitler's political soldiers. In this definitive single-volume history, the author considers the contribution of foreign troops to the Waffen-SS, examines its specialist training and ideological outlook, and describes the battles and campaigns that brought it both frame and notoriety. -- Dust jacket flap.
- Format
- Book
- Author/Creator
- Gilbert, Adrian, author.
- Published
- New York, NY : Da Capo Press, Hachette Book Group, Inc., 2019
©2019
- Locale
- Germany
Europe
Allemagne
Front occidental
- Edition
- First edition
- Contents
-
Himmler's Army
Foundation Stones
Creating an Elite
The March to War
The Destruction of Poland
Deployment in the West
Invading the Netherlands
The Assault on France
France Defeated
Transition and Expansion
Balkan Diversion
The Greatest War in History
Operation Barbarossa
Advance on Leningrad: Army Group North
Across the Ukraine: Army Group South
Drive on Moscow: Army Group Center
Holding the Line: Eastern Front
At the Edge: Eastern Front 1942-43
Kharkov Counterstroke
Kursk: Clash of Armor
A Call to Arms
An Army of Europeans
Defending the Ukraine
Battle in the North
Shoring up the Line
Partisan Wars: The Eastern Front
Partisan Wars: The Balkans
War in the West
Battle for the Beachhead
Unequal Struggle
Collapse and Recovery
Final Gamble in the West
Fight to the Last
Disaster in Hungary
The Waffen-SS Destroyed
Aftermath.
- Notes
-
Includes bibliographical references (pages 439-474) and index.
Himmler's Army -- Foundation Stones -- Creating an Elite -- The March to War -- The Destruction of Poland -- Deployment in the West -- Invading the Netherlands -- The Assault on France -- France Defeated -- Transition and Expansion -- Balkan Diversion -- The Greatest War in History -- Operation Barbarossa -- Advance on Leningrad: Army Group North -- Across the Ukraine: Army Group South -- Drive on Moscow: Army Group Center -- Holding the Line: Eastern Front -- At the Edge: Eastern Front 1942-43 -- Kharkov Counterstroke -- Kursk: Clash of Armor -- A Call to Arms -- An Army of Europeans -- Defending the Ukraine -- Battle in the North -- Shoring up the Line -- Partisan Wars: The Eastern Front -- Partisan Wars: The Balkans -- War in the West -- Battle for the Beachhead -- Unequal Struggle -- Collapse and Recovery -- Final Gamble in the West -- Fight to the Last -- Disaster in Hungary -- The Waffen-SS Destroyed -- Aftermath.
