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The True German: The Diary of a World War II Military Judge
Werner Otto Müller-Hill served as a military judge in the Werhmacht during World War II. From March 1944 to the summer of 1945, he kept a diary, recording his impressions of what transpired around him as Germany hurtled into destruction―what he thought about the fate of the Jewish people, the danger from the Bolshevik East once an Allied victory was imminent, his longing for his home and family and, throughout it, a relentless disdain and hatred for the man who dragged his beloved Germany into this cataclysm, Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party. Müller-Hill calls himself a German nationalist, the true Prussian idealist who was there before Hitler and would be there after. Published in Germany and France, Müller-Hill's diary has been hailed as a unique document, praised for its singular candor and uncommon insight into what the German army was like on the inside. It is an extraordinary testament to a part of Germany's people that historians are only now starting to acknowledge and fills a gap in our knowledge of WWII.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published September 24, 2013
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October 25, 2023
The diary of Werner Otto Mueller-Hill is a powerful look at crime/law under tyranny; as he must pass judgement on young soldiers who go AWOL Werner Otto Muellar-Hill wonders wh will hold the leaders of the Nazi regime accountable for their crimes: he would have been shot if this diary was found - powerful and horrifying.
October 14, 2013
Werner Otto Muller-Hill was an upper-middle class German from Frieburg. He served as a military judge in the First World War before he went home to pursue a legal career. He was recalled to active duty in the German Wehrmacht, again to serve as a military judge in 1940. He was very pro-German, and very anti-Nazi. He started keeping a journal in March 1944 as a record for his young son, in the event he did not survive the war. Defeatism and criticizing the Fuhrer were crimes in Hitler's Germany, so if the things Muller-Hill wrote in his diary were ever found out, it could mean his death. But he survived the war, closing his journal two weeks after the German surrender to the Allies. He was sixty years old at the end of the war. Muller-Hill died in 1977.
German military justice was draconian during WWII. For example, the introduction provides the statistic that during WWI, German military courts sentenced 48 soldiers to death. However, under Nazi rule from 1933 to 1945 at least 20,000 and maybe as many as 33,000 or more soldiers, civilians, and POWs subject to military justice were put to death. (p. xvi) As Benjamin Carter Hett says, "Nazi military law...specified both harsh penalties and a speedy procedure, with few rights for defendants." (p. xix) Werner Otto Muller-Hill was one of the "good" judges though, who obviously thought a soldier would perform better back in his unit rather than hanging on the end of a rope.
What makes Muller-Hill's diary so interesting, and so valuable as a historical tool, is the amount of information he had, or moreover, what he knew. On April 5, 1944 Muller-Hill wrote that "We are rushing head-long into the worst kind of defeat...In a year we'll know more!!!" He almost predicted the outcome of the war and the date of Germany's defeat. Filtered through propaganda, briefings through his chain of command, newspaper and radio, this rear echelon officer knew quite a bit about things that previously we thought the average German did not. Along with his insight, he was often sarcastic and sometimes humorous. He talks of missiles being fired at London as "retribution" for the landings in Normandy (pp. 49-52) and also predicts the futility of the Battle of the Bulge (p. 131). He praises the attempt on Hitler's life (p. 59) and is upset about the use of 14-year old boys being put into defensive positions toward the end of the war (p. 92).
Most startling is Muller-Hill's rant about a speech given by Minister of Propaganda Joseph Goebbels, where he writes "What nerve this man has! How dare he talk about gruesome maltreatment of women and children, when we've summarily murdered hundreds of thousands of Jewish women and children in Poland and Russia!" (p. 155). For me this helps to dispel the myth that the general populace of Germany, particularly the Wehrmacht, had no knowledge of the Holocaust before the end of the war.
"The True German" is a quick read, and in the real voice of an astute observer of what was going on around him. Reading this book provides the opportunity to hear what a very knowledgeable German officer was thinking at the time the events unfolded around him. His words are not filtered by a historian or other writer. The book is, in fact, a primary source document, both enlightening and entertaining. A nice addition to your WWII library.
German military justice was draconian during WWII. For example, the introduction provides the statistic that during WWI, German military courts sentenced 48 soldiers to death. However, under Nazi rule from 1933 to 1945 at least 20,000 and maybe as many as 33,000 or more soldiers, civilians, and POWs subject to military justice were put to death. (p. xvi) As Benjamin Carter Hett says, "Nazi military law...specified both harsh penalties and a speedy procedure, with few rights for defendants." (p. xix) Werner Otto Muller-Hill was one of the "good" judges though, who obviously thought a soldier would perform better back in his unit rather than hanging on the end of a rope.
What makes Muller-Hill's diary so interesting, and so valuable as a historical tool, is the amount of information he had, or moreover, what he knew. On April 5, 1944 Muller-Hill wrote that "We are rushing head-long into the worst kind of defeat...In a year we'll know more!!!" He almost predicted the outcome of the war and the date of Germany's defeat. Filtered through propaganda, briefings through his chain of command, newspaper and radio, this rear echelon officer knew quite a bit about things that previously we thought the average German did not. Along with his insight, he was often sarcastic and sometimes humorous. He talks of missiles being fired at London as "retribution" for the landings in Normandy (pp. 49-52) and also predicts the futility of the Battle of the Bulge (p. 131). He praises the attempt on Hitler's life (p. 59) and is upset about the use of 14-year old boys being put into defensive positions toward the end of the war (p. 92).
Most startling is Muller-Hill's rant about a speech given by Minister of Propaganda Joseph Goebbels, where he writes "What nerve this man has! How dare he talk about gruesome maltreatment of women and children, when we've summarily murdered hundreds of thousands of Jewish women and children in Poland and Russia!" (p. 155). For me this helps to dispel the myth that the general populace of Germany, particularly the Wehrmacht, had no knowledge of the Holocaust before the end of the war.
"The True German" is a quick read, and in the real voice of an astute observer of what was going on around him. Reading this book provides the opportunity to hear what a very knowledgeable German officer was thinking at the time the events unfolded around him. His words are not filtered by a historian or other writer. The book is, in fact, a primary source document, both enlightening and entertaining. A nice addition to your WWII library.
September 24, 2015
THE TRUE GERMAN is a diary that covers the time frame between March 1944 to June 1945.
It was written by a military judge, Werner Otto Muller-Hill. Muller-Hill was in his late 50's as the war began. Too old, and really too valuable to be sent to either front, he sat instead as a military judge, and for our purposes this puts him in a unique position of being an insider to the social and political structure of the fall of the 3rd Reich, as he was able to hear information from military and political leaders, as well as common soldiers and civilians.
Since I'm not a student of this era, I found much of the content new and interesting. I learned a great deal about the German mindset. How they viewed the French, British, Americans and Russians. [He writes at one point that Americans do not enjoy fighting against determined resistance. But only attacks after he has ground down his enemy by his air force.]
And it was fascinating to see parallels to modern events. For just like modern politicians, some Germans held onto their beliefs so firmly that they could not imagine that events would not turn out they way they wanted. So there was always the hope for a secret weapon to turn the tides. And with their own powerful internal media, they only heard the feedback they wanted to hear. Defeat was inconceivable.
The TRUE GERMAN is not a book just about politics and military maneuvers. There's insight into what daily life was like. Herr Muller-Hill had a wife and young son. And he writes about how they all adjust to war; everything from picnics, the shortage of shoes, bombings, as well as how he was treated for a heart condition.
He also writes about things that I hadn't considered before. For example, one doesn't read much or hear much about what the Germans might have thought would be their fate once they lost the war. The author writes about this frequently. In terms of whether Germany would be broken up, or allowed to remain whole.
He also writes about retribution from the Jews --something that had never crossed my mind.
Quote:
"From now on until the end of the war, we will get to read every day about what our enemies plan to do with us after our defeat. As impartial voices, the authors cite the two pro-Nazi newspapers in Switzerland, DI TAT and DAS VATERLAND. It is clear that Jewry, which we have mistreated so badly, is determined to get revenge of the Old Testament sort. If they had their way, as many Germans would be murdered, as we killed Jews in cold blood in Poland and Russia."
THE TRUE GERMAN is very readable. The author was erudite and writes in a personal and chatty fashion. If you have more than a passing interest in WWII, I would highly recommend this work. I thought it was a fascinating look into German life during the last stages of the war.
It was written by a military judge, Werner Otto Muller-Hill. Muller-Hill was in his late 50's as the war began. Too old, and really too valuable to be sent to either front, he sat instead as a military judge, and for our purposes this puts him in a unique position of being an insider to the social and political structure of the fall of the 3rd Reich, as he was able to hear information from military and political leaders, as well as common soldiers and civilians.
Since I'm not a student of this era, I found much of the content new and interesting. I learned a great deal about the German mindset. How they viewed the French, British, Americans and Russians. [He writes at one point that Americans do not enjoy fighting against determined resistance. But only attacks after he has ground down his enemy by his air force.]
And it was fascinating to see parallels to modern events. For just like modern politicians, some Germans held onto their beliefs so firmly that they could not imagine that events would not turn out they way they wanted. So there was always the hope for a secret weapon to turn the tides. And with their own powerful internal media, they only heard the feedback they wanted to hear. Defeat was inconceivable.
The TRUE GERMAN is not a book just about politics and military maneuvers. There's insight into what daily life was like. Herr Muller-Hill had a wife and young son. And he writes about how they all adjust to war; everything from picnics, the shortage of shoes, bombings, as well as how he was treated for a heart condition.
He also writes about things that I hadn't considered before. For example, one doesn't read much or hear much about what the Germans might have thought would be their fate once they lost the war. The author writes about this frequently. In terms of whether Germany would be broken up, or allowed to remain whole.
He also writes about retribution from the Jews --something that had never crossed my mind.
Quote:
"From now on until the end of the war, we will get to read every day about what our enemies plan to do with us after our defeat. As impartial voices, the authors cite the two pro-Nazi newspapers in Switzerland, DI TAT and DAS VATERLAND. It is clear that Jewry, which we have mistreated so badly, is determined to get revenge of the Old Testament sort. If they had their way, as many Germans would be murdered, as we killed Jews in cold blood in Poland and Russia."
THE TRUE GERMAN is very readable. The author was erudite and writes in a personal and chatty fashion. If you have more than a passing interest in WWII, I would highly recommend this work. I thought it was a fascinating look into German life during the last stages of the war.
January 3, 2018
I was hoping this memoir would have a bit more focus on what it was like being a judge during WWII. The author wrote this so his son would know what he really thought in case he did not survive the war. He was deeply unhappy with the direction Germany went and thought they were led by a madman. The author spoke about the difficult military situation and how Germany was likely to lose the war. The author spent much if not all the war in Germany as a military judge and had a few comments about that.
From the introduction: "In the words of one military historian, the work of German lawyers during WWII amounted to nothing less than the building of a "façade behind which mass murder could appear as legal."
The Judge does mention one case about a conscripted deserter who hardly spoke any German. He was caught put on trial with a request for the death penalty. The judge gave him 15 years in prison. The general overturned the sentence and sent it back for a new trial. Which also sentenced the man to 15 years. They moved the case to another judicial district to try him a third time and a third judge also sentenced him to 15 years in prison. The judges had the last laugh on that one.
Interesting that the author notes that one of the reasons as Germany is clearly losing the war that their political leadership pointed to for reasons that people should remain optimistic, was citing critical letters to the editor about the war in English newspapers. The German public lapped this argument up, but the author points out this only proves the enormous freedom allowed under the Allies. "A society that can tolerate that in the fifth year of war must be doing pretty damn well."
From the introduction: "In the words of one military historian, the work of German lawyers during WWII amounted to nothing less than the building of a "façade behind which mass murder could appear as legal."
The Judge does mention one case about a conscripted deserter who hardly spoke any German. He was caught put on trial with a request for the death penalty. The judge gave him 15 years in prison. The general overturned the sentence and sent it back for a new trial. Which also sentenced the man to 15 years. They moved the case to another judicial district to try him a third time and a third judge also sentenced him to 15 years in prison. The judges had the last laugh on that one.
Interesting that the author notes that one of the reasons as Germany is clearly losing the war that their political leadership pointed to for reasons that people should remain optimistic, was citing critical letters to the editor about the war in English newspapers. The German public lapped this argument up, but the author points out this only proves the enormous freedom allowed under the Allies. "A society that can tolerate that in the fifth year of war must be doing pretty damn well."
September 9, 2022
"How did ordinary Germans follow the Nazis into the abyss!" You might well ask.
The incredulity expressed today within suchlike statements regarding that particular historical period are interminable and resonate endlessly. Temporal consciousness of the here and now has forever imbued humanity with the notion of an unquestionable understanding of ones current state of righteous maturity as a society. It is somehow automatically presumed (or more likely believed) that, as a result of humanities all encompassing evolution (to the here and now), communities have reached an end point in understanding which represents the enth degree of the epitome of moral consciousness, righteousness and knowingness (a hierarchical rather than holarchical understanding) of a world view. This world view is central to ones values and beliefs, and can be imagined to be a core universal ephemeral understanding in all societal structures. Indeed it is this popular perception of the here and now (held at any one point in time) by individual civilizations throughout human history, that functions in service of cohesiveness for their community. Germany's consciousness of understanding back then, in this regard, was no different to that of todays global consciousness. However it is unthinkable today to accept that our current position of the highest moral ground could ever bring us to the immoral catastrophes of the past. We have come to hold (as those did in the past) an unshakeable faith in our worldly political, lawful, jurisdictional, scientific, medical and organizational leadership, and in its unyielding charge; of thinking, of caring, of protecting and of righteous benevolence such that any thoughts or acts to the contrary are banished out of mind and out of any possibility of existence. In conjunction, and as a consequence of this "phenomenon of trust", individual and collective wellbeing is consolidated and guaranteed through the bonding of belonging within the community. Methods of coordinating thought (education, information, propaganda, coercion, exclusion) are used to bring citizens into alignment. The Nazis well understood this phenomenon and actively pursued its reinforcement through these methods as part of their policy of Gleischaltung. These methods of bonding effectively foment the bridge between the self and the community providing invaluable cohesion for the functioning of a society. One may then be inextricably connected to the other in consciousness and trust. Such is the state of being that blinds our judgement and incriminates those who might act on its behalf, and in stubborn belief, of the very righteousness this phenomenon strives to uphold. The varying degrees of human action in accordance of this compelling phenomenon is one that has been consistent in many cultures and societies throughout history. Germany's consciousness of good faith in their leadership then, was no different to the consciousness we hold within our global community today, neither are the methods employed by our governments today.
Werner Otto Muller-Hill was a military judge of the Third Reich in service of the Wehrmacht during World War II. "The True German" is a reproduction in book form of a primary source document translated by Jefferson Chase and with introduction by Benjamin Carter Hett. It is in fact the diary kept by Muller-Hill during the final stages of the war from March 1944 to Germany's defeat in May 1945. It was first published in 2011 in German and translated and published in English in 2013. His intent in writing such a document, he himself explained might be "of some interest' to his young son (who retained the document without release until its date of first publish), however the impending defeat of Germany he well recognized at that time, and thoughts of savior from retribution might well have been in mind. Regardless, the insight that such a document represents is more than just a record of events; as per the dying days of a regime under siege; the extent of Russian encroachment and allied victory; or even evidence of the extent to which Germans knew of the holocaust. It records the thoughts of a participant imbued with a particular world view and captured within a situation of unimaginable compromise, whereby ones concept of self, and collective belonging are at war with each other. The world he knew of his home and his people was not as facile as he might once have believed. His sense of identity, as a Prussian idealist ironically placed him at odds with the intentions of the Nazis but he was still a proud German. He held in belief and humanitarian conscience, a world view consistent of that time period as per his position as a German and that of a humanitarian within the broader context of the cosmos. Benjamin Carter Hett described him in this way: "...in the wartime diary of German military judge Werner Otto Muller-Hill, we have the remarkable record of a man, who from inside this murderous system, never sentenced a man to death and saw it as his mission to protect and defend the soldiers who came before him. More than that: Muller-Hill was an implacable opponent of the Nazis, who managed to avoid becoming a member of the Nazi Party..." and this: "We should not expect Muller-Hill to be what he was not: a citizen of democracy of the early twenty-first century, with all the views that would entail. He was a conservative and patriotic German, a military officer in wartime. He did not want his country to lose." Muller-Hill's integrity of individual conscience was clearly at odds with that of his allegiance to the collective, and that being as it were, was characteristic of the conundrum that the ordinary German consciousness endured, albeit to varying degrees of understanding, awareness and conviction. The glue that bound these opposing notions of allegiance to the self on the one hand as opposed to the allegiance to the collective on the other, was the perceived existential threat from the east in the form of communism and from within in the form of the subhumans or "untermensch". Nazi propaganda held one as part of the other, a disease in the form of, the bolsheviks, the Jews, the insane, the disabled, and any other social outsiders. Such beliefs fitted well with the popular globally held sciences of the time stemming from Darwinism and the theory of Eugenics. Hett recognizes the German acceptance of the perceived external existential threat: "It seems safe to say that most Germans most of the time accepted most of the regime's broader claims. Letters and diaries from 1941, for instance, from soldiers and civilians alike, reveal a striking readiness to believe that Germany's war against the Soviet Union was "preventative", that the German attack had narrowly averted a catastrophic Soviet assault on Germany." The perceived internal threat and its dealings, it seems, was simply accepted by the ordinary German, sometimes in hate and sometimes in an out of mind negligence and denial with regard to the plight of the Jews. Hett points out : "But of course there are different kinds and degrees of "knowing". Considerable evidence points to widespread German civilian knowledge of the "Holocaust by bullets" - the mass shooting of Jews by the SS Einsatzgruppen (special task forces) in Poland and the Soviet Union in 1941 and 1942. Knowledge of the "Holocaust by gas" - mass murder... was more limited... But perhaps the most important point is that, in the words of historian Ian Kershaw, "the road to Auschwitz was built by hate, but paved with indifference."" It seems that the plight of the Jews was of little concern to most Germans when their own wellbeing and that of their collective protectorate; their world of Germany, was under threat.
Turning now to Muller-Hill's own thoughts and dialogue, it is possible to ascertain the essence of what I had originally referred to as this "phenomenon of trust", and the varying degrees of its affect on individuals.
On thoughts of his fellow countrymen and women with reference to a phenomenon of "psychosis", "paralysis", "strangeness" and "blindness":
Entry April 04 1944:
"People were mentally paralyzed by an infernal propaganda. What's more: why would rational leaders want war when, regardless of how the international community may have been rebuffed, they had achieved the lion's share of their foreign policy aims? Any reasonable person would have thought that they wouldn't. Amidst Hitler's repeated assurances that he wanted peace, there was no reason to suspect that our leadership would be as demonically possessed as we now have, to our horror, realized."
Entry April 21 1944:
"Its strange. The German people seem to be suffering from a complete loss of memory. Anyone capable of remembering a thing would have to wake up and see that the demagogues realize our cause is lost and are trying to sprinkle dust in people's eyes. Hitlers speech before Stalingrad and the state of the front today should alone be enough to open the eyes of millions. Inexplicably they remain blind."
Entry September 23 1944:
"D.E. a doctor in Aalen who visited me yesterday told me the following which I'm recording here: 1... the fuhrer supposed told...that the people didn't know how close to victory they were! There's no need to say anymore. 2. A manufacturer, a long time party member... said that infantrymen were being issued small handheld boxes. If you pushed a button, planes would fall down out of the sky and tanks would be suddenly frozen in their tracks. In my opinion these are symptoms of a grave psychosis from which the populace is suffering at the moment." The belief in miracles is flourishing as never before."
On thoughts of the blind trust in leadership and the so called experts:
Entry April 14 1944:
"Anyone who has experienced the stupid heads of our determined political leaders and their followers at their events can tell that respectable, cultured Germany has been buried. But its only been buried by these one hundred thousand lame brains. It should rediscover itself when these pathetic leaders are gone."
Entry April August 29 1944:
"Gen Dittmar spoke very generally today, having effectively nothing to say. He talked about innovations in weaponry that had been mentioned by an "authentic" source. So who is this "authentic" source, the speaker's employer, the Ministry of Propaganda? The way our leaders simply toss balls back and forth shows how far we've fallen in terms of experts keeping the people "informed".
On thoughts of incredulity at his colleagues simple minded blind faith, the wishful excuses they espouse and the denial of the reality:
Entry April 14 1944:
"Today after eating in the officers' mess I went home with comrade Sch-U. In civilian life, he's a judge at a magistrate's court, and he still talks about our inevitable victory... When I estimated the probability the war had been spectacularly lost at almost 100 percent he replied: But Herman Goring assured us that we would master the situation. This sentence spoken by an educated German in 1944, simply must be recorded for posterity. It speaks volumes... Millions within the sheeplike herd that is Germany are equally gullible. You can do anything to them, as long as you possess the necessary shameless irresponsibility, when making promises."
Entry July 11 1944:
"...the Sunday essay by Mr Moraller, in which he writes that the time has not come in the west to destroy or push back the invaders. [the explanation offered in face of overwhelming odds on the western front] He should have his head slapped. But nothing is going to change. Shortly before we drown, there'll still be people bellowing about how final victory is inevitable."
Entry August 17 1944
"Here in our staff we have an active judge who's young and energetic but by no means bloodthirsty. He's a committed National Socialist who was thus far absolutely convinced of our final victory and who steadfastly opposed any thoughts that might have shaken German confidence. He's a fellow who would never act against his own convictions because of orders from above - someone with backbone. It's terrible to watch how this man, whose five senses are intact, suffers from the evermore undeniable thought that "it could all go wrong" and how he desperately searches for miracles that could avert our impending defeat."
On thoughts of how the propaganda reflects ones own wish to not see the reality around them:
Entry June 05 1944
"Today, some high ranking military judges and several officers from the Wehrmacht Command in Berlin ate in our mess. One of them opined that only a person who listened to foreign radio could be unsure of our victory. I have no idea whether he meant his words seriously or not. If he did believe in his thesis, its a sign of how hollow his head is. I rarely listen to foreign radio because its too dangerous, but my thinking apparatus is still working normally, without being externally "steered". The root of steered thinking may be stupidity, which uncritically believes and internalizes whatever propaganda puts forth. But - this is a Phenomenon that, as I noted previously, Keyserling [Herman von Keyserling was a contemporary Baltic German philosopher] identified - the root cause may also be that thought is steered by ideas that are not injected by propaganda, but rather reflect wish complexes. If you realize that, then the bottomless failure of people's minds is nothing that spectacular, even if it's completely incomprehensible to everyone else. One of our staff's better wits, Major X, assigns generals and ranking officers, in particular, to this human category. I hastened to add that university professors and lawyers run neck and neck with them."
On thoughts of how even his own enlightened situation and path of action is one chained in moral dilemma of allegiance to self (and family) and the belonging of country and duty.
Entry September 04 1944
"One's own destiny recedes in importance at a moment like this, when a diligent but, politically speaking, intolerably stupid people is approaching its own physical demise... What sort of situation am I facing? I'm a military judge, not someone intended to be part of a fighting force... For the short span of time in which business can proceed as normal, I will dutifully deal with my files. I'm 59 years old. A hundred kilometers away sit Daisy and 11 year old Benno. They need me very much And I cant do a thing for them because my duty keeps me chained here."
The diary of Werner Otto Muller-Hill is one of an ordinary person desperately trying to make sense of a world gone mad. For him it seemed as if, in his own words, those around him had somehow forsaken rational reasonable thought and were caught in a current or tidal wave that drew all along with it, even those who, in varying degrees of understanding (including himself) were drawn into a holding pattern that maintained the solidarity of the insanity. The ever present glue of ones belonging made escape from it an option not to be contemplated as it would tear away ones sense of identity, and wreak havoc (ironically) on their moral and ethical integrity. As a result impossible irrational beliefs were conjured in compensation. In reality, it was this "phenomenon of trust", built into ones sense of order, of their world born into, brought up to believe in, and of righteous trust, is what they could not escape. To depart from it in an ideological sense, it seemed, would ultimately be more catastrophic than the real world catastrophe enveloping them. And so today (and presumably in every temporal state of consciousness) it is "normal" to be astounded by the seeming immaturity of the calamity in action and thought of societies of past generations. For (it seems) they had not yet reached the pinnacle of righteousness and knowing we enjoy in current consciousness.
Today is the 1st of September, 2022. The world is in the throes of reeling from what must surely be seen in the future as the calamity of the 21st century. No doubt our descendants will look upon our actions and thoughts with incredulity. As was the case before, we have participants of varying degrees of understanding locked into our own tidal wave of a current that will likely take our world to its crashing conclusion. What that conclusion is, we have no way of knowing. At least one of our more enlightened participants has already proposed an explanation of understanding. Psychology professor Mattias Desmet in his book "The Psychology of Totalitarianism" has outlined a theory of phenomenon he calls "Mass Formation". It pertains to what he believes he is observing in action today, and what he believes had been in action in societies of the past including that of the German and Russian totalitarian experience of last century: "Mass formation is, in essence, a kind of group hypnosis that destroys individual's ethical self awareness and robs them of their ability to think critically. This process is insidious in nature; populations fall prey to it unsuspectingly. To put it in the words of Yuval Noah Harari: Most people wouldn't even notice the shift toward a totalitarian regime. We associate totalitarianism mainly with labor, concentration, and extermination camps, but those are the bewildering stages of a long process." As in Muller-Hill's time, the parallels we see today are apparent in the authoritarian actions of our supposedly benevolent democratic governments. Indoctrination has taken the form of informed and trusted information. Any public information disputing the mainstream narrative is censored. Government and private agencies have been created to police information sources. Scientists, medical professionals, academics and lawmakers that were once considered experts in their fields have been marginalized. Ordinary citizens that hold alternative beliefs and opinions are shouted down as conspiracy theorists. Medical professionals have been threatened with disbarment for not parroting official policy. Coercion is utilized to compel populations to submit to an experimental medical procedure and alternative life saving medications have been banned. All these actions today on a world wide scale are indisputable, yet ignored with the catch cry of "the better good". Once again a perceived existential threat is used to manipulate unwitting populations whose only misgiving is the unconditional faith they have placed in their governments, and in the perceived righteousness and knowingness of their time.
The incredulity expressed today within suchlike statements regarding that particular historical period are interminable and resonate endlessly. Temporal consciousness of the here and now has forever imbued humanity with the notion of an unquestionable understanding of ones current state of righteous maturity as a society. It is somehow automatically presumed (or more likely believed) that, as a result of humanities all encompassing evolution (to the here and now), communities have reached an end point in understanding which represents the enth degree of the epitome of moral consciousness, righteousness and knowingness (a hierarchical rather than holarchical understanding) of a world view. This world view is central to ones values and beliefs, and can be imagined to be a core universal ephemeral understanding in all societal structures. Indeed it is this popular perception of the here and now (held at any one point in time) by individual civilizations throughout human history, that functions in service of cohesiveness for their community. Germany's consciousness of understanding back then, in this regard, was no different to that of todays global consciousness. However it is unthinkable today to accept that our current position of the highest moral ground could ever bring us to the immoral catastrophes of the past. We have come to hold (as those did in the past) an unshakeable faith in our worldly political, lawful, jurisdictional, scientific, medical and organizational leadership, and in its unyielding charge; of thinking, of caring, of protecting and of righteous benevolence such that any thoughts or acts to the contrary are banished out of mind and out of any possibility of existence. In conjunction, and as a consequence of this "phenomenon of trust", individual and collective wellbeing is consolidated and guaranteed through the bonding of belonging within the community. Methods of coordinating thought (education, information, propaganda, coercion, exclusion) are used to bring citizens into alignment. The Nazis well understood this phenomenon and actively pursued its reinforcement through these methods as part of their policy of Gleischaltung. These methods of bonding effectively foment the bridge between the self and the community providing invaluable cohesion for the functioning of a society. One may then be inextricably connected to the other in consciousness and trust. Such is the state of being that blinds our judgement and incriminates those who might act on its behalf, and in stubborn belief, of the very righteousness this phenomenon strives to uphold. The varying degrees of human action in accordance of this compelling phenomenon is one that has been consistent in many cultures and societies throughout history. Germany's consciousness of good faith in their leadership then, was no different to the consciousness we hold within our global community today, neither are the methods employed by our governments today.
Werner Otto Muller-Hill was a military judge of the Third Reich in service of the Wehrmacht during World War II. "The True German" is a reproduction in book form of a primary source document translated by Jefferson Chase and with introduction by Benjamin Carter Hett. It is in fact the diary kept by Muller-Hill during the final stages of the war from March 1944 to Germany's defeat in May 1945. It was first published in 2011 in German and translated and published in English in 2013. His intent in writing such a document, he himself explained might be "of some interest' to his young son (who retained the document without release until its date of first publish), however the impending defeat of Germany he well recognized at that time, and thoughts of savior from retribution might well have been in mind. Regardless, the insight that such a document represents is more than just a record of events; as per the dying days of a regime under siege; the extent of Russian encroachment and allied victory; or even evidence of the extent to which Germans knew of the holocaust. It records the thoughts of a participant imbued with a particular world view and captured within a situation of unimaginable compromise, whereby ones concept of self, and collective belonging are at war with each other. The world he knew of his home and his people was not as facile as he might once have believed. His sense of identity, as a Prussian idealist ironically placed him at odds with the intentions of the Nazis but he was still a proud German. He held in belief and humanitarian conscience, a world view consistent of that time period as per his position as a German and that of a humanitarian within the broader context of the cosmos. Benjamin Carter Hett described him in this way: "...in the wartime diary of German military judge Werner Otto Muller-Hill, we have the remarkable record of a man, who from inside this murderous system, never sentenced a man to death and saw it as his mission to protect and defend the soldiers who came before him. More than that: Muller-Hill was an implacable opponent of the Nazis, who managed to avoid becoming a member of the Nazi Party..." and this: "We should not expect Muller-Hill to be what he was not: a citizen of democracy of the early twenty-first century, with all the views that would entail. He was a conservative and patriotic German, a military officer in wartime. He did not want his country to lose." Muller-Hill's integrity of individual conscience was clearly at odds with that of his allegiance to the collective, and that being as it were, was characteristic of the conundrum that the ordinary German consciousness endured, albeit to varying degrees of understanding, awareness and conviction. The glue that bound these opposing notions of allegiance to the self on the one hand as opposed to the allegiance to the collective on the other, was the perceived existential threat from the east in the form of communism and from within in the form of the subhumans or "untermensch". Nazi propaganda held one as part of the other, a disease in the form of, the bolsheviks, the Jews, the insane, the disabled, and any other social outsiders. Such beliefs fitted well with the popular globally held sciences of the time stemming from Darwinism and the theory of Eugenics. Hett recognizes the German acceptance of the perceived external existential threat: "It seems safe to say that most Germans most of the time accepted most of the regime's broader claims. Letters and diaries from 1941, for instance, from soldiers and civilians alike, reveal a striking readiness to believe that Germany's war against the Soviet Union was "preventative", that the German attack had narrowly averted a catastrophic Soviet assault on Germany." The perceived internal threat and its dealings, it seems, was simply accepted by the ordinary German, sometimes in hate and sometimes in an out of mind negligence and denial with regard to the plight of the Jews. Hett points out : "But of course there are different kinds and degrees of "knowing". Considerable evidence points to widespread German civilian knowledge of the "Holocaust by bullets" - the mass shooting of Jews by the SS Einsatzgruppen (special task forces) in Poland and the Soviet Union in 1941 and 1942. Knowledge of the "Holocaust by gas" - mass murder... was more limited... But perhaps the most important point is that, in the words of historian Ian Kershaw, "the road to Auschwitz was built by hate, but paved with indifference."" It seems that the plight of the Jews was of little concern to most Germans when their own wellbeing and that of their collective protectorate; their world of Germany, was under threat.
Turning now to Muller-Hill's own thoughts and dialogue, it is possible to ascertain the essence of what I had originally referred to as this "phenomenon of trust", and the varying degrees of its affect on individuals.
On thoughts of his fellow countrymen and women with reference to a phenomenon of "psychosis", "paralysis", "strangeness" and "blindness":
Entry April 04 1944:
"People were mentally paralyzed by an infernal propaganda. What's more: why would rational leaders want war when, regardless of how the international community may have been rebuffed, they had achieved the lion's share of their foreign policy aims? Any reasonable person would have thought that they wouldn't. Amidst Hitler's repeated assurances that he wanted peace, there was no reason to suspect that our leadership would be as demonically possessed as we now have, to our horror, realized."
Entry April 21 1944:
"Its strange. The German people seem to be suffering from a complete loss of memory. Anyone capable of remembering a thing would have to wake up and see that the demagogues realize our cause is lost and are trying to sprinkle dust in people's eyes. Hitlers speech before Stalingrad and the state of the front today should alone be enough to open the eyes of millions. Inexplicably they remain blind."
Entry September 23 1944:
"D.E. a doctor in Aalen who visited me yesterday told me the following which I'm recording here: 1... the fuhrer supposed told...that the people didn't know how close to victory they were! There's no need to say anymore. 2. A manufacturer, a long time party member... said that infantrymen were being issued small handheld boxes. If you pushed a button, planes would fall down out of the sky and tanks would be suddenly frozen in their tracks. In my opinion these are symptoms of a grave psychosis from which the populace is suffering at the moment." The belief in miracles is flourishing as never before."
On thoughts of the blind trust in leadership and the so called experts:
Entry April 14 1944:
"Anyone who has experienced the stupid heads of our determined political leaders and their followers at their events can tell that respectable, cultured Germany has been buried. But its only been buried by these one hundred thousand lame brains. It should rediscover itself when these pathetic leaders are gone."
Entry April August 29 1944:
"Gen Dittmar spoke very generally today, having effectively nothing to say. He talked about innovations in weaponry that had been mentioned by an "authentic" source. So who is this "authentic" source, the speaker's employer, the Ministry of Propaganda? The way our leaders simply toss balls back and forth shows how far we've fallen in terms of experts keeping the people "informed".
On thoughts of incredulity at his colleagues simple minded blind faith, the wishful excuses they espouse and the denial of the reality:
Entry April 14 1944:
"Today after eating in the officers' mess I went home with comrade Sch-U. In civilian life, he's a judge at a magistrate's court, and he still talks about our inevitable victory... When I estimated the probability the war had been spectacularly lost at almost 100 percent he replied: But Herman Goring assured us that we would master the situation. This sentence spoken by an educated German in 1944, simply must be recorded for posterity. It speaks volumes... Millions within the sheeplike herd that is Germany are equally gullible. You can do anything to them, as long as you possess the necessary shameless irresponsibility, when making promises."
Entry July 11 1944:
"...the Sunday essay by Mr Moraller, in which he writes that the time has not come in the west to destroy or push back the invaders. [the explanation offered in face of overwhelming odds on the western front] He should have his head slapped. But nothing is going to change. Shortly before we drown, there'll still be people bellowing about how final victory is inevitable."
Entry August 17 1944
"Here in our staff we have an active judge who's young and energetic but by no means bloodthirsty. He's a committed National Socialist who was thus far absolutely convinced of our final victory and who steadfastly opposed any thoughts that might have shaken German confidence. He's a fellow who would never act against his own convictions because of orders from above - someone with backbone. It's terrible to watch how this man, whose five senses are intact, suffers from the evermore undeniable thought that "it could all go wrong" and how he desperately searches for miracles that could avert our impending defeat."
On thoughts of how the propaganda reflects ones own wish to not see the reality around them:
Entry June 05 1944
"Today, some high ranking military judges and several officers from the Wehrmacht Command in Berlin ate in our mess. One of them opined that only a person who listened to foreign radio could be unsure of our victory. I have no idea whether he meant his words seriously or not. If he did believe in his thesis, its a sign of how hollow his head is. I rarely listen to foreign radio because its too dangerous, but my thinking apparatus is still working normally, without being externally "steered". The root of steered thinking may be stupidity, which uncritically believes and internalizes whatever propaganda puts forth. But - this is a Phenomenon that, as I noted previously, Keyserling [Herman von Keyserling was a contemporary Baltic German philosopher] identified - the root cause may also be that thought is steered by ideas that are not injected by propaganda, but rather reflect wish complexes. If you realize that, then the bottomless failure of people's minds is nothing that spectacular, even if it's completely incomprehensible to everyone else. One of our staff's better wits, Major X, assigns generals and ranking officers, in particular, to this human category. I hastened to add that university professors and lawyers run neck and neck with them."
On thoughts of how even his own enlightened situation and path of action is one chained in moral dilemma of allegiance to self (and family) and the belonging of country and duty.
Entry September 04 1944
"One's own destiny recedes in importance at a moment like this, when a diligent but, politically speaking, intolerably stupid people is approaching its own physical demise... What sort of situation am I facing? I'm a military judge, not someone intended to be part of a fighting force... For the short span of time in which business can proceed as normal, I will dutifully deal with my files. I'm 59 years old. A hundred kilometers away sit Daisy and 11 year old Benno. They need me very much And I cant do a thing for them because my duty keeps me chained here."
The diary of Werner Otto Muller-Hill is one of an ordinary person desperately trying to make sense of a world gone mad. For him it seemed as if, in his own words, those around him had somehow forsaken rational reasonable thought and were caught in a current or tidal wave that drew all along with it, even those who, in varying degrees of understanding (including himself) were drawn into a holding pattern that maintained the solidarity of the insanity. The ever present glue of ones belonging made escape from it an option not to be contemplated as it would tear away ones sense of identity, and wreak havoc (ironically) on their moral and ethical integrity. As a result impossible irrational beliefs were conjured in compensation. In reality, it was this "phenomenon of trust", built into ones sense of order, of their world born into, brought up to believe in, and of righteous trust, is what they could not escape. To depart from it in an ideological sense, it seemed, would ultimately be more catastrophic than the real world catastrophe enveloping them. And so today (and presumably in every temporal state of consciousness) it is "normal" to be astounded by the seeming immaturity of the calamity in action and thought of societies of past generations. For (it seems) they had not yet reached the pinnacle of righteousness and knowing we enjoy in current consciousness.
Today is the 1st of September, 2022. The world is in the throes of reeling from what must surely be seen in the future as the calamity of the 21st century. No doubt our descendants will look upon our actions and thoughts with incredulity. As was the case before, we have participants of varying degrees of understanding locked into our own tidal wave of a current that will likely take our world to its crashing conclusion. What that conclusion is, we have no way of knowing. At least one of our more enlightened participants has already proposed an explanation of understanding. Psychology professor Mattias Desmet in his book "The Psychology of Totalitarianism" has outlined a theory of phenomenon he calls "Mass Formation". It pertains to what he believes he is observing in action today, and what he believes had been in action in societies of the past including that of the German and Russian totalitarian experience of last century: "Mass formation is, in essence, a kind of group hypnosis that destroys individual's ethical self awareness and robs them of their ability to think critically. This process is insidious in nature; populations fall prey to it unsuspectingly. To put it in the words of Yuval Noah Harari: Most people wouldn't even notice the shift toward a totalitarian regime. We associate totalitarianism mainly with labor, concentration, and extermination camps, but those are the bewildering stages of a long process." As in Muller-Hill's time, the parallels we see today are apparent in the authoritarian actions of our supposedly benevolent democratic governments. Indoctrination has taken the form of informed and trusted information. Any public information disputing the mainstream narrative is censored. Government and private agencies have been created to police information sources. Scientists, medical professionals, academics and lawmakers that were once considered experts in their fields have been marginalized. Ordinary citizens that hold alternative beliefs and opinions are shouted down as conspiracy theorists. Medical professionals have been threatened with disbarment for not parroting official policy. Coercion is utilized to compel populations to submit to an experimental medical procedure and alternative life saving medications have been banned. All these actions today on a world wide scale are indisputable, yet ignored with the catch cry of "the better good". Once again a perceived existential threat is used to manipulate unwitting populations whose only misgiving is the unconditional faith they have placed in their governments, and in the perceived righteousness and knowingness of their time.
December 4, 2013
Müller-Hill started his diary in March 1944 in an attempt to leave a record for his son. The diary continues through to June 1945. Müller-Hill served as a military judge in World War I and found himself recalled to the role during World War II.
The diary was used by Müller -Hill as a place to record his criticisms of the Nazi regime and his conviction that Germany was on a certain path to defeat. It was a crime in Nazi Germany to criticise the regime, thus Müller-Hill was taking a risk by keeping this diary. If it were discovered, it could result in him being sentenced to death.
Müller-Hill felt he was one of the fairer judges. He felt that it was his role to protect those soldiers who had slipped up, rather than to punish them unfairly, and was one the few judges to have never pronounced a death sentence. He felt his tendency towards leniency was the reason he was never promoted.
He is quite vocal in his criticisms of those in charge of the military operations and those who supported them. At times he tested his colleagues to see which of those agreed with his views and which of those he should avoid any sort of critical discussion with. He also extensively criticised the press, who supported the views of the commanders, and the public who swallowed these words, unquestioning of their lack of representation of the realities of the war. Müller-Hill highlights many aspects of the actions of the Nazi command that he disagrees with, including the use of 14 year old boys in the desperation not to lose in the last stages of the war.
I found the book lacking two things that would be useful to the reader. Firstly, Müller-Hill mentions several times that he has included an article or speech in the diary, but these have not been included in the book. Secondly, I would also have liked a map highlighting the location of all places mentioned in the book. On several occasions I felt the need to look at the map to gain more understanding of the situations described in the text.
Overall, this book is a thought-provoking read, and, as a primary source, is an important document for those who are interested in this period of history.
The diary was used by Müller -Hill as a place to record his criticisms of the Nazi regime and his conviction that Germany was on a certain path to defeat. It was a crime in Nazi Germany to criticise the regime, thus Müller-Hill was taking a risk by keeping this diary. If it were discovered, it could result in him being sentenced to death.
Müller-Hill felt he was one of the fairer judges. He felt that it was his role to protect those soldiers who had slipped up, rather than to punish them unfairly, and was one the few judges to have never pronounced a death sentence. He felt his tendency towards leniency was the reason he was never promoted.
He is quite vocal in his criticisms of those in charge of the military operations and those who supported them. At times he tested his colleagues to see which of those agreed with his views and which of those he should avoid any sort of critical discussion with. He also extensively criticised the press, who supported the views of the commanders, and the public who swallowed these words, unquestioning of their lack of representation of the realities of the war. Müller-Hill highlights many aspects of the actions of the Nazi command that he disagrees with, including the use of 14 year old boys in the desperation not to lose in the last stages of the war.
I found the book lacking two things that would be useful to the reader. Firstly, Müller-Hill mentions several times that he has included an article or speech in the diary, but these have not been included in the book. Secondly, I would also have liked a map highlighting the location of all places mentioned in the book. On several occasions I felt the need to look at the map to gain more understanding of the situations described in the text.
Overall, this book is a thought-provoking read, and, as a primary source, is an important document for those who are interested in this period of history.
May 24, 2014
Dry and full of minute details about World War II, this is nonetheless a worthwhile read.
In the spring of 1944, a German military judge began writing a diary recording his thoughts and observations on the waning days of Nazi Germany. The question that pervades this book: Did Müller-Hill began writing this diary because he thought it finally safe to be honest, or did he see the writing on the wall and want to mount a preemptive defense of his actions if the Allied forces decided to prosecute him? It’s a more serious version of fiction’s reliable narrator framing device and adds a fascinating subtext to the book. Müller-Hill’s insights into a crumbling society are chilling, the lessons within his entries having a relevance far beyond his place and time. Recommended.
In the spring of 1944, a German military judge began writing a diary recording his thoughts and observations on the waning days of Nazi Germany. The question that pervades this book: Did Müller-Hill began writing this diary because he thought it finally safe to be honest, or did he see the writing on the wall and want to mount a preemptive defense of his actions if the Allied forces decided to prosecute him? It’s a more serious version of fiction’s reliable narrator framing device and adds a fascinating subtext to the book. Müller-Hill’s insights into a crumbling society are chilling, the lessons within his entries having a relevance far beyond his place and time. Recommended.
August 3, 2016
This is the diary of Werner Otto Müller-Hill who served as a military judge in the Werhmacht during World War II. The translated diary spans from March 1944 to the summer of 1945. It is a really interesting contemporary account of the life and events at this time. A fascinating must read for anyone like myself who has an interest in World War II
- Received this book free from good reads first read
- Received this book free from good reads first read
September 17, 2014
It was an interesting perspective and I enjoyed it. Although I thought it was a little hard to finish because some of the journal entries were not real exciting. The pace picks up though toward the final months of the war.
October 15, 2013
This is a fantasic book for my autie! :) thanks!
January 28, 2015
Amazing account that blends legal acumen, critical thought applied to propaganda and military strategy. I only wished it had lasted longer and covered his life after the war.
January 15, 2020
The title is a bit intimidating, but this is an excellent book.
November 28, 2017
Whilst an interesting recording of one mans state of mind in late 1944 and into 1945, the most interesting aspect of these diary extracts were not the individual himself, for his position and views become quickly apparent, but his observations and recording of those and the environment around him.
Having read several tones on this period in history from the European German view point, the observations by the diarist of the media and the persona's around him are of interest when questions may arise as to why Germany, and some of her allies, fought to the point of vanquishment and not that of their forbears in 1918.
The preface to this edition was well written if not a little too detailed in the use of select extracts of the diary to follow. Well worth a read for those well or non versed in this period of history recorded from the German side of the conflict.
Having read several tones on this period in history from the European German view point, the observations by the diarist of the media and the persona's around him are of interest when questions may arise as to why Germany, and some of her allies, fought to the point of vanquishment and not that of their forbears in 1918.
The preface to this edition was well written if not a little too detailed in the use of select extracts of the diary to follow. Well worth a read for those well or non versed in this period of history recorded from the German side of the conflict.
November 21, 2022
Riveting.
The book title "The True German" is silly. The French edition title (on the book copyright page) translates to "War diary of a German military judge 1944-1945". The title of the German edition (also found on Goodreads) was "'One saw it coming and was still shocked': The war diary of a German army judge in 1944/1945"
The book title "The True German" is silly. The French edition title (on the book copyright page) translates to "War diary of a German military judge 1944-1945". The title of the German edition (also found on Goodreads) was "'One saw it coming and was still shocked': The war diary of a German army judge in 1944/1945"
October 20, 2013
Otto Muller-Hill was a military judge in the Wehrmacht in World War II. From March 1944 to June 1945 he kept a diary of his thoughts on the war and on the public propaganda of the Hitler regime. Keeping a diary in which were recorded one's frank thoughts was a small act of courage. Muller-Hill repeatedly mentioned that if the diary were discovered it would mean his death. The Nazi's were extraordinarily repressive towards any criticism, even of a nature that in open societies that would hardly raise an eyebrow.
Muller-Hill was not a member of the Nazi party. According to his words, he attempted to be lenient in judging and passing sentences on soldiers who had transgressed military law. He says that, unlike many of his peers, he never pronounced a death sentence. (The introduction states that in WWI 48 Germans subject to military justice were executed; in WWII the number runs from 20,000 to as high as 33,000.)
Muller-Hill was highly critical of the Hitler reign. He wrote of the propaganda that spewed from party and media organs that described the castrophe unfolding on the Eastern and Western fronts in fantastical ways that no one could possibly believe. Yet, he concluded that the majority of Germans did accept the lies of their government: that "wonder" weapons would be introduced that would turn the tide; that forces were be marshalled to resume the offensive; that the invasion of France was on the brink of failure, etc. His conclusion that Germans did follow the distortions and lies of their government reminds us of how manipulable the masses of people really are.
One of the interesting things about reading a contemporaneous diary is that we, unlike the writer, know how things turned out. Muller-Hill was amazing prescient about what the final outcome would be and correctly analyzed how each engagement on both fronts spelled the inevitable doom of the German war effort.
The presentation of an "honest", thinking German of the era points inevitably to the question of what did he know about the massacre of the Jews. Muller-Hill is absolutely clear that the murder of Jews was not unknown. Muller-Hill believes that the guilt due to the German people would be punitively visited on them by the soon-to-be victorious Allies.
What are we to make of the fact that, while writing honestly but secretly, about the nature of the Hitler regime, he was nonetheless a part of it. Clearly to openly oppose the war machine would have been a self-destructive, if not fatal, act. In the midst of the massively oppressive control exercised over the German people are we to dismiss Muller-Hill's unwillingness to publicly reveal his opposition? Perhaps such a course would be more than could be expected of any of us.
Perhaps a book for mainly students of the Nazi era and WWII, this journal reminds us all of the dangers of totalitarianism and how people can be manipulated by political leaders.
Muller-Hill was not a member of the Nazi party. According to his words, he attempted to be lenient in judging and passing sentences on soldiers who had transgressed military law. He says that, unlike many of his peers, he never pronounced a death sentence. (The introduction states that in WWI 48 Germans subject to military justice were executed; in WWII the number runs from 20,000 to as high as 33,000.)
Muller-Hill was highly critical of the Hitler reign. He wrote of the propaganda that spewed from party and media organs that described the castrophe unfolding on the Eastern and Western fronts in fantastical ways that no one could possibly believe. Yet, he concluded that the majority of Germans did accept the lies of their government: that "wonder" weapons would be introduced that would turn the tide; that forces were be marshalled to resume the offensive; that the invasion of France was on the brink of failure, etc. His conclusion that Germans did follow the distortions and lies of their government reminds us of how manipulable the masses of people really are.
One of the interesting things about reading a contemporaneous diary is that we, unlike the writer, know how things turned out. Muller-Hill was amazing prescient about what the final outcome would be and correctly analyzed how each engagement on both fronts spelled the inevitable doom of the German war effort.
The presentation of an "honest", thinking German of the era points inevitably to the question of what did he know about the massacre of the Jews. Muller-Hill is absolutely clear that the murder of Jews was not unknown. Muller-Hill believes that the guilt due to the German people would be punitively visited on them by the soon-to-be victorious Allies.
What are we to make of the fact that, while writing honestly but secretly, about the nature of the Hitler regime, he was nonetheless a part of it. Clearly to openly oppose the war machine would have been a self-destructive, if not fatal, act. In the midst of the massively oppressive control exercised over the German people are we to dismiss Muller-Hill's unwillingness to publicly reveal his opposition? Perhaps such a course would be more than could be expected of any of us.
Perhaps a book for mainly students of the Nazi era and WWII, this journal reminds us all of the dangers of totalitarianism and how people can be manipulated by political leaders.
March 19, 2016
In March 1944, a judge in the German Wehrmacht started keeping a diary as "a candid attempt to do justice to reality and to break free from the empty phrases of propaganda", phrases that grew increasingly surreal as the war came to a close. Despite the hardships noted in his diary, Müller-Hill concluded that "the people have to endure the ultimate misery of this lost war so that the last and stupidest German also says: Never again National Socialism." Müller-Hill’s act could have had him executed. His diary includes numerous reference to contemporary newspaper articles that he had clipped and included in his diary. However almost all of these are not included, resulting in a loss of context for many of the observations made in Müller-Hill’s diary.
Müller-Hill’s rationale in keeping a diary was that "Perhaps after the war they will not be completely uninteresting…". This modest objective was achieved.
Müller-Hill’s rationale in keeping a diary was that "Perhaps after the war they will not be completely uninteresting…". This modest objective was achieved.
May 3, 2017
In early 1944 it’s highly likely that this intelligent, independent and clear-thinking upper class German could see the defeat of Germany as being the most likely outcome of the war. And so you have to wonder about his real reasons for starting, in March of that year, to keep a diary recording his criticism of the Nazi regime.
Published in the last 10 years this primary source record of the frame of mind of a military judge, a member of the Nazi regime’s ‘engine of terror’ (under the German Military Penal Code over 20,000 people were condemned to death) provides an eye-opening glimpse into German society in that last year of the war.
While never a member of the Nazi party, Mueller-Hill was a German patriot. ‘Poor, poor Germany!’ gets more than one repetition as well as ‘There’s nothing more to be said’ as he complains about the dire leadership. Patriotic pride in German military capabilities in the face of enormous difficulties conflicts with his exasperation at ‘the most naïve mass (of people) ever to populate a continent’. Nazi propaganda, combined with brutal repression, was effective and the diarist rails against the stupidity and fools he sees around him, people who have faith in official claims (and fake news) – ‘Our leaders have picked the right people to match their brand of politics’.
This is an engrossing commentary from inside a country at an extraordinary time. Mueller-Hill demonstrates an impressive prescience, born of an ability to think logically without being swept up in wishful thinking stoked by a whirring propaganda machine, and proven by the subsequent course of events. In passing it throws light on how much was known by the population generally of the fatal treatment of the Jews.
It’s also a lesson for our times, for he shows how gullible a people can be under a manipulating leadership and he challenges us to question our assumptions, preconceptions and attitudes stemming from the daily news; to find out and to think for ourselves. As he comes to the end of the war his self-serving disappointing leadership are written off as a ‘small criminal gang’ and he looks forward to the time when he’s free to speak his mind openly. You will have to decide for yourself how self-serving he was himself in writing this illuminating memoire that takes you deep into his world.
Published in the last 10 years this primary source record of the frame of mind of a military judge, a member of the Nazi regime’s ‘engine of terror’ (under the German Military Penal Code over 20,000 people were condemned to death) provides an eye-opening glimpse into German society in that last year of the war.
While never a member of the Nazi party, Mueller-Hill was a German patriot. ‘Poor, poor Germany!’ gets more than one repetition as well as ‘There’s nothing more to be said’ as he complains about the dire leadership. Patriotic pride in German military capabilities in the face of enormous difficulties conflicts with his exasperation at ‘the most naïve mass (of people) ever to populate a continent’. Nazi propaganda, combined with brutal repression, was effective and the diarist rails against the stupidity and fools he sees around him, people who have faith in official claims (and fake news) – ‘Our leaders have picked the right people to match their brand of politics’.
This is an engrossing commentary from inside a country at an extraordinary time. Mueller-Hill demonstrates an impressive prescience, born of an ability to think logically without being swept up in wishful thinking stoked by a whirring propaganda machine, and proven by the subsequent course of events. In passing it throws light on how much was known by the population generally of the fatal treatment of the Jews.
It’s also a lesson for our times, for he shows how gullible a people can be under a manipulating leadership and he challenges us to question our assumptions, preconceptions and attitudes stemming from the daily news; to find out and to think for ourselves. As he comes to the end of the war his self-serving disappointing leadership are written off as a ‘small criminal gang’ and he looks forward to the time when he’s free to speak his mind openly. You will have to decide for yourself how self-serving he was himself in writing this illuminating memoire that takes you deep into his world.
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