With Our Backs to Berlin: The Germany Army in Retreat 1945

by Tony le Tissier

In the final months of the Second World War in 1945, the German Army was in full retreat on both its Western and Eastern Fronts. British and American troops were poised to cross the River Rhine in the west, while in the East the vast Soviet war machine was steam-rolling the soldiers of the Third Reich back towards the capital, Berlin. Even in retreat, the German Army was still a force to be reckoned with and vigorously defended every last bridge, castle, town and village against the massive Russian onslaught. Tony Le Tissier has interviewed a wide range of former German Army and SS soldiers to provide ten vivid first-hand accounts of the fighting retreat that, for one soldier, ended in Hitler's Chancellery building in the ruins of Berlin in April 1945. The dramatic descriptions of combat are contrasted with insights into the human dimension of these desperate battles, reminding the reader that many of the German soldiers whose stories we read shared similar values to the average British 'Tommy' or the American GI and were not all crazed Nazis. Illustrated with photographs of the main characters and specially commissioned maps identifying the location and course of the battles, With Our Backs to Berlin is a fascinating read for anyone who is interested in the final days of the Second World War.

Genres: History, World War II, Military Fiction, Military History, Germany, War

266 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 2001

Reviews

[Gavin O'Brien · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really must say I enjoyed this book. For a long time since World War Two the first hand perspective and feelings of German soldiers has often been overlooked in favour of those stories told from the perspective of the allies. While such feelings were understandable it is now nice to see that a large volume of personal accounts by German soldiers are becoming more available.

Tony Le Tissiers' collection is very important among these for the vivid accounts collected from veterans of the war and their experiences in the twilight days of the war in Europe. The selection of voices who tell their stories are broad and range from a Hitler Youth scout enthusiastic to play his role in his nations destiny, to a battle hardened and vastly experienced soldier to who is under no illusion of his country's immanent downfall.

Together their stories paint a fast paced, tense and often horrifying picture of life on the front lines, where life and death were due as much to combat and as they were to simple fortune. All of them demonstrated a strong sense of duty and commitment to their fellow soldiers, civilians and their country, only finally giving way and saving their own lives when the fronts collapsed and the mass exodus and retreat began, some still looking to be of use elsewhere and continue the fight.

This is not a book about political thought, about who was right or wrong and naturally the memoirs themselves will have been somewhat neutralised by the voices themselves. Rather it is a collection of experiences of men who, even with all hope lost, continued to carry out their duty, subvert their fears, and fight on as best they could to the very end. One cannot help but retrieve a certain respect, however slight, for the continued functioning of the Germany army and its soldiers even at this late a stage in the war, and the determination of the German soldiers to defend their fatherland to the bitter end.

[Brian Hamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a series of vignettes from German soldiers (and one Russian) showing the dying days of the Third Reich as the Allies rushed in from the west and the Russians bulldozed in from the east to squeeze the life out of nazism in the heart of Berlin.

The action described and the privations experienced is, at times, overwhelming, when one reads of mounds of bodies being bulldozed aside to make way for more advances, it is almost beyond comprehension.

Some of the tales are a little more light-hearted, the story about the solider who kicked a dog that urinated on boots he wanted to take is surreal. The dog is taken away by none other than Eva Braun (who the solider does not recognise) and it is explained to him that he has kicked one of Hitler's pups. The solider couldn't care less.

Rather than paint the typical German soldier as an unthinking automaton they are shown as they really were, for the most part frightened and unable to express their true feelings in case the zealots (especially the SS) hear them and denounce them as traitors.

An interesting read which covers the closing chapter of WWII in Europe.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

The last days in Berlin covered off in segments from the soldiers and civilians that where there. Packed full of eye witness accounts of the fall of Berlin and the end of the war from the German perspective. I would love to see a follow on from the author about the aftermath of the war again from the German perspective.

[Steve Shallenberger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tony Le Tissier is one of my favorite authors. He does a nice mix of history and personal accounts to make for interesting reading. This book is about the final days of battle in Berlin during WW 2.

[Henry Curran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book loved it

Real history I couldn't put it down.
Very gritty and well thought out. Great structure to it.
World war two in all its horror

[Oscar · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book, magnificiently translated and grouped together by the author in the effort to recreate the (generally) realistic story of the last stand of Berlin. Composed of various biographies from numerous soldiers and officers from the far sides of the Wehrmacht, and even some special units.
The use of real locations while including a large variety of maps (on which can be found great information regarding local defences, Allied and German troop movements, etc...) increases the knowledge provided by the more than complete stories. The addition of certain radio message logs also increases the real feeling of this book, insisting on the fact that this is no art of fiction.

The well composed selection of stories does however at the end hit some form of a bump. This bump is in fact the biography written by the certain Willi Rogmann, a Waffen SS Sergeant. Although the book having provided the reader with proof of Willi's accomplishments, it is impossible to read his section of the book (which is, oddly, the largest of all) without feeling that something feels wrong, like his part was extracted from some sort of action packed low budget film. Reading it feels fake, and throws an unwanted lump of dirt on the great biographies presented beforehand.

Regardless of that small oddity, the book is a must read for those with a passion in history regarding those final moments of the war.

[Jack Hession · Rating 4 out of 5]

This books explores the last and bitter days of fighting from the perspective of German soldiers. The book brings new insight into the last days of the once formidible German Army. It is good story given by the common soldiers who simply fight on for undisputed loyalty or simply because they are trapped an have no other choice but to fight or die.

[James Prothero · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some fascinating insights to the desperate fighting in the last days of the second world war. It has proven to be a valuable part of my research for my latest novel, especially the exploits of sergeant-major Willi Rogmann. Well worth a read.

[Themistocles · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disjointed, dry, and some times not believable. A shame, really, it could've been so much better!