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Germany, Hitler, and World War II: Essays in Modern German and World History
Far more than a conflict of imperial aggression, World War II was about "blood and soil," a fight to determine who would control the earth's resources and which races would be exterminated because they were deemed inferior or undesirable. This collection of essays, many never before published in English, illuminates the nature of the Nazi system and its impact on Germany and the world. Included are careful examinations of the Holocaust, the connections between the European and Pacific theaters of war, a comparative analysis of the leadership styles of Hitler, Stalin, Tojo, and Roosevelt and a look back at postwar Germany.
347 pages, Paperback
First published February 24, 1995
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About the author
Gerhard L. Weinberg
42 books32 followersGerhard Ludwig Weinberg is a German-born American diplomatic and military historian noted for his studies in the history of World War II. Weinberg currently is the William Rand Kenan, Jr. Professor Emeritus of History at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He has been a member of the history faculty at UNC-Chapel Hill since 1974
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 27, 2014
This book is a collection of insightful essays by one of the most accomplished scholars focusing on World War II. This is a great companion piece for the student of WWII, but I would probably not recommend it for someone who gets most of their WWII history from the movies or The History Channel. However, if you have read Weinberg's "A World at Arms" or Williamson Murray's and Allen Millett's "A War to be Won" (or similar sweeping history), then I think that you would find this book very enlightening. Weinberg does reference several of his own works throughout this book, which can serve as resources for further study if a particular essay raises your curiosity. Likewise, this is the type of book that that you can read out of order if the fancy strikes, as each chapter / section can stand on its own.
Overall an excellent and very readable resource.
Overall an excellent and very readable resource.
February 17, 2017
This is a collection of essays concerning the intellectual history of Germany during the Second World War. Gerhard Weinberg's anthology provides a thought provoking analysis of various topics including military, diplomatic, geopolitical, political, and economic histories. The collection is set up in a chronological manner to trace the origins of German militarism and nationalism all the way to her eventual downfall.
There are a couple of topics that stand out. The first is Weinberg's argument about Lebensraum or "race and space." Eradication and extermination of lesser races and peoples would create necessary room for German expansion in the agricultural regions of Central Europe. This is a straightforward way of describing Hitler's expansionist aims while framing it within the context of the times. The author does a fine job of crafting complex conclusions in way that render them as discussion points comparable to other histories regarding Germany's WWII perspective. The second topic, found in a single essay, deals with the subject of D-Day and why it was such a strategic success. As Weinberg argues, it is easy to conjure up D-Day's successes as the piercing of the Fortress Europe and the beginning of the continental downfall of Europe. What the reader needs to keep in mind is the alternative of failure. The required time to rebuild invasion forces and plan another operation would have allowed the German military to rebound in the East thus securing desperately needed fuel reserves in the Caucasus. If Germany would have been defeated after a second invasion then the consequences of the postwar order would have still been significantly different. Weinberg's masterful use of the counterfactual helps the historian understand why this battle was so pivotal in regards to the success of Europe and the origins of the Cold War.
This collection of essays is probably not for those who are unfamiliar with World War II or World War I. A sounds context is required of those histories as completing this anthology rewards the reader with a greater understanding of the complex foreign policy and military outlook of Germany during the Second World War.
There are a couple of topics that stand out. The first is Weinberg's argument about Lebensraum or "race and space." Eradication and extermination of lesser races and peoples would create necessary room for German expansion in the agricultural regions of Central Europe. This is a straightforward way of describing Hitler's expansionist aims while framing it within the context of the times. The author does a fine job of crafting complex conclusions in way that render them as discussion points comparable to other histories regarding Germany's WWII perspective. The second topic, found in a single essay, deals with the subject of D-Day and why it was such a strategic success. As Weinberg argues, it is easy to conjure up D-Day's successes as the piercing of the Fortress Europe and the beginning of the continental downfall of Europe. What the reader needs to keep in mind is the alternative of failure. The required time to rebuild invasion forces and plan another operation would have allowed the German military to rebound in the East thus securing desperately needed fuel reserves in the Caucasus. If Germany would have been defeated after a second invasion then the consequences of the postwar order would have still been significantly different. Weinberg's masterful use of the counterfactual helps the historian understand why this battle was so pivotal in regards to the success of Europe and the origins of the Cold War.
This collection of essays is probably not for those who are unfamiliar with World War II or World War I. A sounds context is required of those histories as completing this anthology rewards the reader with a greater understanding of the complex foreign policy and military outlook of Germany during the Second World War.
January 3, 2026
This work is, as stated in the title, a collection of essays about Germany, Hitler, and World War II, and not every essay is stellar--but quite a few are. I learned a lot and really enjoyed it. Weinberg was born into a Jewish family in Germany in the 1920s and had as much reason to hate Hitler as just about anyone, but he is the only historian I've read who actually indulges in a bit of snark now and then. This might mean that I just haven't read enough history. Maybe so. But I still enjoyed Weinberg's sass, as when he writes, "The very fact that the Japanese had started hostilities the way Germany had begun its attack on Yugoslavia earlier that year, by a Sunday morning attack in peacetime, showed what a delightful and appropriate ally Japan would be" (203).
And it was very helpful to read Weinberg's explanations of some of Hitler's motivations, including the idea that Germany had to produce all its own materials and be completely self-sufficient, as people struggled to understand the logic behind Trump's insane tariff policies in May 2025. The logic, utterly stupid and flawed as it is, becomes clearer when you think of it in terms of lebensraum and the need for the superior race/nation to be completely independent and not need to rely on any lesser nation for anything.
And it was very helpful to read Weinberg's explanations of some of Hitler's motivations, including the idea that Germany had to produce all its own materials and be completely self-sufficient, as people struggled to understand the logic behind Trump's insane tariff policies in May 2025. The logic, utterly stupid and flawed as it is, becomes clearer when you think of it in terms of lebensraum and the need for the superior race/nation to be completely independent and not need to rely on any lesser nation for anything.
April 3, 2019
I really enjoy the way Weinberg writes, and especially his willingness to point out misconceptions that become obvious only after being highlighted. For example, he stresses the need to understand how different theaters of the war impacted each other: the Germans could not use the same planes, or same troops, to simultaneously reinforce Stalingrad and North Africa in late 1942.
Weinberg argues that Hitler had, by the 1920s, a blueprint for the future and stuck to it. He did not hope to work with the British (except fleetingly); instead, from 1935 on, he was planning to violate the Naval Treaty. He wanted and expected war with the US, and did everything he could to propel Japan into attacking. And, at least until D-Day, he fully expected to reconquer all territories he had had to give up to the USSR counter attack.
This is basically a series of opinion essays. While one may disagree with some of his theses, Weinberg knows his subject so well and writes so engagingly that this is a fun and exciting book.
Weinberg argues that Hitler had, by the 1920s, a blueprint for the future and stuck to it. He did not hope to work with the British (except fleetingly); instead, from 1935 on, he was planning to violate the Naval Treaty. He wanted and expected war with the US, and did everything he could to propel Japan into attacking. And, at least until D-Day, he fully expected to reconquer all territories he had had to give up to the USSR counter attack.
This is basically a series of opinion essays. While one may disagree with some of his theses, Weinberg knows his subject so well and writes so engagingly that this is a fun and exciting book.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews