The Wehrmacht: The German Army of World War II

This important addition to the literature on the Wehrmacht concentrates on the tactics of the armies, corps and divisions of Hitler's Germany Army, discussing in detail topics such as the Blitzkrieg and the concept of mobile defense used so successfully during the latter stages of the war. The text also explains why the army was able to fight so long and so effectively, and covers the reasons behind its adaptability, the superiority of much of its later equipment, and its basic capacity to improvise. In addition to its in-depth coverage of strategy, this reference also features an exhaustive section on the equipment used by the German Army in World War II - everything from tanks and self-propelled guns to small arms and engineering equipment, each illustrated by a black and white line diagram and accompanied by a specifications table. The Wehrmacht includes an examination of all the army's fighting units. Crucially, the book also seeks to answer the most important basic question: why was the German soldier so good at fighting in World War II? In responding to that question, The Wehrmacht offers original perspectives that promise to stimulate exciting new debate on this subject.

Part One - Creating the Machine;1 Background;2 Hitler Creates a New Army, 1918-39;3 Blitzgrieg!;Part Two - The Years of Attack;1 Poland;2 Norway;3 The West, 1940;4 North Africa;5 The Balkans;6 Barbarossa;7 Stalingrad;Part Three - The Nature of the Army;1 Senior Command Structure and Leadership Methods;2 Junior Commanders;3 The Army and the Nazi Party;Part Four - The Years of Defence;1 Basic Defensive Tactics;2 Italy, Yugoslavia and the Aegean;3 Retreat in the East4 The Army and the Waffen-SS;5 Retreat in the West;6 Spring 1945 - The Final Reckoning;Part Five - Hardware;Appendices;Casualties;PoWs;Recruitment, conscription and social analysis;Ranks and functions.

Tim Ripley
Illustrated Hardcover no d/w as issued, Brown Reference Group 2003 352pp

Vg+

The Wehrmacht: The German Army of World War II