Endgame, 1945: The Missing Final Chapter of World War II

by David Stafford

To end a history of World War II at VE Day is to leave the tale half told. While the war may have seemed all but over by Hitler's final birthday (April 20), Stafford's chronicle of the three months that followed tells a different, and much richer, story.


ENDGAME 1945 highlights the gripping personal stories of nine men and women, ranging from soldiers to POWs to war correspondents, who witnessed firsthand the Allied struggle to finish the terrible game at last. Through their ground-level movements, Stafford traces the elaborate web of events that led to the war's real the deaths of Hitler and Mussolini, the liberation of Buchenwald and Dachau, and the Allies' race with the Red Army to establish a victors' foothold in Europe, to name a few. From Hitler's April decision never to surrender to the start of the Potsdam Conference, Stafford brings an unprecedented focus to the war's "final chapter."


Narrative history at its most compelling, ENDGAME 1945 is the riveting story of three turbulent months that truly shaped the modern world.

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

608 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

David Alexander Tetlow Stafford is projects director at Edinburgh University's Centre for the Study of the Two World Wars and Leverhulme Emeritus Professor in the University's School of History, Classics and Archaeology.
Stafford took his B.A. at Downing College, Cambridge in 1963. He then undertook postgraduate study at the University of London, taking an M.A. and finally his Ph.D. in history in 1968.

Beginning his career with government service, Stafford served in the British Diplomatic Service as a third secretary at the Foreign Office from 1967 to 1968, and then as second secretary in 1968. He then took up an appointment as research associate (1968–70) at the Centre of International Studies at the London School of Economics and Political Science.

He then became assistant professor of history (1970–76) at Canada's University of Victoria in British Columbia. He was promoted to associate professor of history (1976–82) and finally professor of history (1982–84). He then became director of studies (1985–86) and executive director (1986–92) at the Canadian Institute of International Affairs in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. From 1992 to 2000 Stafford became a visiting professor at Edinburgh University's Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities, and then, from 2000, he became projects director at the Centre for the Study of the Two World Wars.

Stafford is particularly noted for his scholarly works concerning Winston Churchill and British intelligence, various aspects of the Second World War, and Twentieth Century intelligence and espionage with a focus on Britain. He now resides in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

He is a regular book reviewer, appearing in The Times (London), BBC History Magazine, The Spectator, The Times Literary Supplement, The New York Times, the Times Herald Tribune (Paris), and Saturday Night and the Globe and Mail (Toronto).

Reviews

[History Geek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like a lot of you guys, I love the Second World War history. I've been reading about it since I was old enough to pick up a book, covering all theaters, battles, and periods. This one was new for me though, and it was an amazingly enlightening read that covers the final month of fighting in Europe until the end of the Potsdam conference. It's a tragedy filled story that showcases the brutality of the Nazis, the Soviets, and the Anglo Americans alike, each in their own way very much guilty of civilian destruction without really blaming one directly. What I mean is this isn't a book that draws simple cliches like that Nazis were evil because they massacred innocents, and Soviets were evil because they raped hundreds of thousands, nor that Americans and British were evil because they leveled Germany's cities; instead it tells the story of a war torn Europe in a way I've never read about. So many books just end with VE Day and this continues with personal reflections of those that lived in that terribly uncertain time of allied occupation and the beginnings of rebuilding. It's a great read for anyone interested in world history and the Second World War, and an eye opener for open discussion on the true cost of that time. Check it out.

[Gram · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating account of the final weeks of World War II and the peace which followed Germany's unconditional surrender.
It is told through the words of British and American soldiers, war correspondents and people such as Francesca Wilson, who worked for the international relief agency, United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA) helping the millions of refugees and displaced persons in the aftermath of the war's end and Fey von Hassell who, along with her two young sons, was a prisoner of the SS from 1944 to 1945, due to her father's involvement in the attempted coup against the Nazi regime and Adolf Hitler on July 20, 1944.
This book is a real page turner - a compelling story, drawing upon diaries, letters, and personal testimonies of ordinary people combined with the actions of military and political leaders amid the misery that persisted across Europe long after the war's end.
Highly recommended to any student of history.

[Cindy Knoke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Endgame 1945 is an historical narrative told from the perspective of eyewitnesses, about the final three months after VE Day in Europe. It covers in fascinating detail events leading to the deaths of Hitler and Mussolini, the liberation of concentration camps and the challenges faced by allied occupying forces contending with the mass human trauma of war devastated Europe. It describes the Herculean task faced by relief agencies dealing with displaced persons and the traumas experienced by German women and children in Allied occupied Germany.
This book is a tour de force. Stafford is a brilliant writer and historian and his subject, these specific three months, has been mostly neglected by historians. This is a riveting, compelling read that is difficult to put down and stays with you long after you finish reading it. The extent of the trauma in Europe was mind boggling. The task of restoring order, Sisyphean. The heroism of the allies incredible and the suffering of so many hard to contemplate.
Highly recommend.

[Gisela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I dipped my toe in the months that followed VE Day with a story that made me angry, so I decided to have a read-around. I settled upon this as it spoke of personal stories from a diverse group of people caught up in a time as awful as the war itself.
I’m no expert but this is written well; having read, ‘The Long Road Home’ and ‘Savage Continent’, I found this forceful and convincing.
Plus, I learnt from this: additional info to those previous readings.
I can remember saying, years back, how ‘war is the greatest human tragedy’: a glib cliche that can be easily spouted. We pick these things up, we hear them said. The aftermath of this war is a difficult to imagine tragedy as much so as the war itself and a period I’ve never considered or heard talk of. A forgotten time.
A subject school curriculums avoid?
A subject the establishment would rather avoid? I’m not able to judge
I said this in my review of ‘The Long Road Home: The Aftermath of the Second World War’, the war did not end in 1945. Years of violence, killing, hatred and utter hardship followed.

[Jeff Rosendahl · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hoped this book would let me know more about the end of the war in Europe. I thought including stories from men and women who were participating in some way would be a great way to flesh out the story. Alas! Stafford has written a nearly un-readable volume that lacks big picture viewpoint and is confusing throughout. He tells us in the introduction that he will be following 9 (Western) people (American, Canadian, British, New Zealand soldiers; UNRRA worker; BBC correspondant; German mother married to an Italian who gets sent to concentration camp by the Nazis) between the period of Hitler's death and (roughly) the Potsdam conference. I thought at the beginning that 9 people was a lot and it turned out to be too many. Worse, Stafford follows them chronologically, so we hear about each one in each chapter. It would have been better for him to discuss each individual and their experience in separate chapters. Not surprisingly, we find at the end that nearly all of the 9 have published their own books or memoirs of their experiences, so Stafford is left with little to do other than try and provide a larger context for the individual experience. Sadly, I just didn't think that context was provided and that the book overall was poorly written.

[Bob · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Germany, the last few months of WW-II were an utter bedlam of competing problems. First, of course, was the assurance that fighting would actually cease, that no German units (maybe with, maybe without connection to the nazi hierarchy, or what was left of it) would continue fighting. Then, how to feed and house the millions of displaced persons, vast numbers of whom were recently freed from concentration camps. And how to prevent a war from making itself appear with the Red Army and with Tito.

Dealing with the nazi leadership was a small problem, by comparison. Some of the snakes -- like goering and himmler -- conveniently killed themselves. Nuremberg took care of many others, and countless individual scores were resolved locally by post-war revenge.

Ike understood the issues extremely well -- he took great care to avoid starting a war with Stalin, especially over conflicts about who could claim Berlin. He and Churchill, along with Truman, drew a hard line with Tito. The Cold War resulted, but that was probably the best of all alternatives ... Looking back, it is surprising that WW-II did not simply roll over into WW-West-vs-Stalin.

This book covered numerous aspects of the end of the war in Germany, and based these on the stories of about a half dozen people who were involved, in one form or another. The scenarios were described in great detail, enough that I felt like I was there. A very interesting set of situations.

[Claire]

The subtitle of this book says it all: 'Victory. Retribution. Liberation'. A disturbing and eye-opening picture of the final weeks and immediate aftermath of World War Two in Europe which clearly demonstrates that the death of Hitler and the collapse of the Nazi regime was more than just a cause for street parties; this was the beginning of a whole new set of problems and dilemmas for the Allies and the civilians of occupied Europe.



Stafford narrates the events partially through the words of a selection of individuals involved, including a female worker for UNRRA, a British BBC war correspondent, a refugee from Nazi Germany who parachuted back into Austria as an SOE agent, the daughter of a prominant German who had been executed for opposing the regime, and soldiers from Canada, New Zealand and the United States.



He is particularly interesting on the state of denial many Germans found themselves in in the immediate aftermath of the war's end, and on the situation in Italy, which is not often covered in any depth in books on this sort of subject. This is not an easy read, but Stafford throws into clear relief the depths that human nature can sink to on both sides of the ideological divide.

[Dennis · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the periods of history that I am fascinated with is the aftermath of World War 2 and how the Allies managed to sort of the mess of a destroyed Europe and a people without food, shelter, energy and the basics of life. In addition, some (particularly ex-SS and other Nazi officials) had false identification papers and were not wo they seemed to be. Not everyone was treated equally and for good reason as the different nations that were administering the peace had different standards. The Germans valiantly tried to surrender to the Western Forces and did their utmost to get away from the Russians and for good reason too, as they were treated appallingly badly. I greatly enjoyed this book. I must have as I gave it five out of five and I think it is one of the best on the period that I have read. This is the first book by David Stafford that I have read, but I like his style and in the future will seek out others that he has authored.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really good book about the last few months of WW2, following the experiences of several particular men and women through the experiences up to and beyond VE Days - several American GIs, a British war correspondent, a New Zealand intelligence officer, a German prisoner of war, a British aid worker. It explores how the conflict didn't necessarily end on VE Day, how there was still fighting in many places, how the new-found chaotic and confusing peace required as much effort and energy and organisation as the war, with so many prisoners, displaced persons, Nazis, partisans, collaborators milling about. It really makes you realise that for almost everyone the final victory was as bitter as a defeat, and no-one really won anything. A wonderful book.

[Themistocles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stafford tries to convey a feeling of a cross-section of politics, society, economy etc etc throughout Europe, through the stories of a few individuals. In this, he fails admirably, because it's largely impossible to do something of that sort. The characters described (real men and women) are not even characteristic of the peoples of Europe.

That said, their stories *are* very interesting and engrossing, and you'll find yourself going for just a few more pages. It's just that he could simply put the stories in order, instead of intertwining them.

[Katrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written...very grim subject matter. As I read it, I kept thinking that certain chapters of this book would make great supplementary reading material for a high school AP or college European History course because it put human faces to facts and figures.

[Scottnshana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've recently visited Nuremberg (where the anti-Semitism became laws) and Dachau (where people ended up when those laws were weaponized), and returning to those places helps us remember how otherwise healthy societies can go off the rails. I think in "Shutter Island" Dennis Lehane and Scorsese effectively fictionalized the shock and horror that Allied soldiers ran into when they liberated places like Dachau, but I also like to be reminded how General Eisenhower made the people living nearby go bury the dead in those camps. In "Endgame, 1945" Stafford also reminds us how Eisenhower made a conscious decision to keep our soldiers out of the meat-grinder that the two nastiest totalitarian regimes on the planet were producing in Berlin. Stafford narrates a landscape on the continent of refugees everywhere, liberated populations settling pre-war scores against each other, and a pervasive dread that the Nazis had stockpiled supplies in the mountains to facilitate a guerrilla war against the Allied armies trying to sort this chaos all out. Those victorious armies were also exhausted, and many of the accounts in the book speak of the fatigued soldiers' concerns about moving to the Pacific and the next fight. The reader can easily sense in the interviews and journals the relief at the news that Nagasaki had brought Imperial Japan to the peace table. To close the circuit, I would like to return to Dachau, where General Eisenhower sent the press in as a bulwark against the later Holocaust deniers--he knew someone needed to record the residue of evil we found there or it would be hard to believe. We also need to revisit Nuremberg, where the Allies tried and executed a good number of the captured Nazi leadership (the remainder found acquittal, went to prison, or hit the easy button and bit into cyanide capsules). I think works like "Endgame" are essential now, as the Greatest Generation and their memories of these events slip this mortal coil. We need to be reminded of how close "civilized" man is to slipping into venality and Hobbesian anarchy. We also need to recall the sacrifice and character that went into the task of storming the glacis of Europe. Recommend.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm glad to have read this book, though hesitate recommending it without caveats.

Focusing on the ~3 months around VE day, the introductory sentences capture the heart of the book's conclusion:

"Wars do not end when the fighting stops, and military victory in itself is no guarantor of peace. The wounded continue to die. The dispossessed still seek a place to call home. Parents search for lost children among the ruins..."

Endgame follows the personal stories of a dozen+ Allied soldiers, journalists, a UN worker and even political prisoner as they experience the events up to and after Allied victory in Europe.

Fighting in Italy and Germany. Liberating the concentration camps. Dividing Europe between Western vs Soviet armies. Chasing escaped Nazi offers. Looking for lost children taken from their parents by the SS.

There's much to reinforce the "good war" story many of of hold about WWII in Europe, but also plenty to challenge it. Or at least that the good war was to have a good peace.

As to the caveats to my 4-star rating, I found the books strengths in early sections become weaknesses in 500+ pages. The primary source material captures gut-wrenching personal stories in a way that "textbook" style history never can. But I also found there were too many protagonists with too many parallel stories to make for a cohesive narrative.

All in all, glad to have read it, learned a ton, but there's a reason it took me 4+ months to make it to the end.

[Brent L · Rating 4 out of 5]

Endgame looks at the months of April, May, June and July 1945.

The author uses the personal stories of 8 people to outline the wider events. He does a good job of giving a general overview of the political situation while also getting the reader to empathize and care for the experiences of his chosen 8 subjects. 8 people seemed like a good number - enough to provide variety (Canadian, British, American, New Zealander, German) but not so many that the book would become confusing.

I found the subject matter fascinating especially since I had not read much dealing with the immediate aftermath of ww2. The bizarre remnants of Nazism, the apprehension of war criminals, hunting for stolen art and treasures to recover, the mass migrations of people, repatriations, the measure of guilt of the civilian populations in defeated nations, and the political manoeuvrings between the Western Allies/Russians are all very interesting topics.

Great book, solid read.

[Christopher Seaton · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent account of the last days (and beyond) of WW II

This book is a textbook example of how to write a “personalized” history. It follows a number of individuals as it describes the ending of the war in Europe. Note that the title is a bit misleading, since there is nothing about the end of the war against Japan. That does not distract from the overall excellence of the book however. A really good ending was the epilogue, which answered the question “What became of them”. Having followed the individuals from approximately March 1945 to, at the end, no later than early 1946, it was really nice to have a chapter dedicated to telling us something of their postwar existence. Highly Recommended!!

[Patrick Nielson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Individual Lives At the End of WWII

Stories of the experiences of individuals caught up in the torrent of events at the end of WWII, the book races along juxtaposing the colossal events and figures of the war with these individual life events. Their stories pull the reader along at a pace that matches the speed of the weeks prior to VE Day. A great way to celebrate the 80th anniversary and to consider how the reader would have fared and is now faring in today’s world. An entertaining and thoughtful read.

[Sherrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ending a war is a matter of strategy, manipulating resources, and diplomacy. Getting people to stop killing one another is something else entirely. This book drives home the point that the dates and events we learn in history class do not even scratch the surface of what actually happens. Millions of refugees of every nationality, open racism on all sides, murder, revenge, apathy...rich white dudes signing some papers doesn't change minds. Changing minds is much harder than ending a war.

[Frank Hermens · Rating 4 out of 5]

I believe this book deserves 4.5 stars really. The only crisism I have is the somewhat messy timeline in which it is sometimes hard to follow the plentitude of characters.

This book gives an excellent overview of the subjects that are often overlooked in books about the European Theatre in 1945. Usually it all about the victory. VE-day. This book tells the story of the war that for many only started when for other peace was at hand.

[Teresa Fischer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, well-researched book. Bibliography is a great reference tool. I liked the way the author focused on what these 8 specific unknown’s in Europe went through from April 20 to July 16, 1945. In also touches on their paths crossing those of known characters in WW2 history. This book thoroughly added to my own basic knowledge base of the War. Highly recommended. There are graphic descriptions.

[Athena Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hitler kills himself April 30, 1945 -- VE Day May 8, 1945 (when Germany surrendered) -- yet everything was still in an uproar through 1945 and 1946 (still working thru the Nuremberg trials). when you hear "surrender" you think it's all over. what the Nazis in Europe -- scattering so many peoples (displaced persons), killing so many -- the details are unbelievable. very detailed book written thru 1st-person accounts of varying people living thru these events.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learnt so much about the finer details of the end of WWII across Europe, so much more killing of civilians and prisoners than I had realised. It does leave you wanting more, so read Aftermath by Harald Jaehner next, which goes into far more detail about the attempted denazification process and covers the rebuilding of German society.

[Kristen W · Rating 4 out of 5]

The most comprehensive, detailed book about the war from eyewitness testimonies out there. As others said, it’s a dense read. I read it over the summer in between “lighter” books. However gripping these accounts are, the book is still written in a very objective and factual way, hitting somewhere between academia and made for history buffs.

[Mary Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating account of the immediate aftermath of World War Two: the difficulties of finding and prosecuting the guilty, the threats to restoring the social order, and the precariousness of establishing peace and democracy.

[Jerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book focusing on the personal stories and human aspects of the end of WWII in Europe. Especially enjoyed the sections focusing on the standoff at Trieste. It was hard at times to follow all the primary characters and their storylines.

[Stephen Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book covers an aspect of World War Two which is rarely covered, the absolute chaos that ensued following the official end of the war. It is easy to think that war is followed by peace, yet this book shows clearly what a simplistic assumption that is.

[George · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent , detailed history of the last days of WWII in Europe from the points of view of simple allied soldiers and civilians caught up in the catastrophe.

Lots of information in this tome of which I was not aware

Great read

[John Fitzgerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was thorough, comprehensive, and well-written. If I had a quibble, it was maybe that the author didn't transition from one thread to the next in the smoothest way. Overall, an excellent read that helps me to understand the transition from war to "not war."

[Frank Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb

Brilliant portrayal of not just winning the war but also of winning the peace

Well researched and craftily threaded together

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

WWII and After

Never gave much thought to the aftermath of WWII until I started reading this book and I couldn't put it down.

[E G Melby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally finished it. Worth it. Dense, with lots of detail.