An Honourable Defeat: A History of German Resistance to Hitler, 1933-45

by Anton Gill

FIRST OWL EDITION. 1995 Henry Holt trade paperback, Anton Gill (Art A Biography of Peggy Guggenheim). Despite the threat of summary trial and execution, a tiny minority of Germans opposed National Socialism by distributing dissident literature, meeting secretly to discuss politics and sheltering Communist Jews and other political outlaws. Gill documents such acts of courage along with the organized German resistance to Hitler, which, as he shows, had networks in the army, the church, the Abwehr (military intelligence and counterespionage agency), the Foreign Office and the conservative opposition.

Genres: History, Germany, Nonfiction, World War II, Holocaust, Politics, European History

293 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Anton Gill worked for the English Stage Company, the Arts Council of Great Britain, and the BBC before becoming a full-time writer in 1984. He has written more than twenty books, mainly in the field of contemporary history.

aka Oliver Bowden

Reviews

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

No civilized nation on Earth is as haunted as its history as Germany. For twelve years, one of the worst governments conceivable reigned over the heart of Europe, and the people in the land of poets and thinkers seemed content to let it be so, even to do his bidding. But some acted on that disquieting sense that something was amiss with the NSDAP; some took action. An Honourable Defeat examines the record of those Germans who did more than quietly dissent, those who took action. In the end their efforts did little to drive the monsters from power, but they were the nation's conscience, and reflecting on what they thought and attempted to do can only work to the good.

An Honourable Defeat sees resistance against Hitler and company being driven by a few main groups: youth movements, the Catholic Church, disenfranchised political rivals on the left, and -- lastly, conservative forces within the army. Of these, leadership from the army was the most effective, although at war's end all it could show for itself were a few stalled assassination attempts and one destroyed conference room. In general, resistance took two forms, passive and active. Youth groups often engaged in passive resistance, organizing literary circles and groups to dance to music forbidden by the regime. Dissenting officers within the military threw the odd wrench in the wheel, fighting against their own sense of duty and obedience to do so. Some were placed in truly awful positions; one "SS spy" had to oversee a death camp while collecting and forwarding information. In terms of active sense, no mention is made of any organized attempts to sabotage war material production, but Gill does cover youth leaflet campaigns, pulpit condemnation, and (of course) military officers' attempts to effect a coup.

In many ways this is a tragic history; in addition to the people destroyed by Hitler and his memory, and the tortuous stress endured by many members of the resistance who lived double lives, there remains the fact that not much was accomplished. In some cases, plots were ruined by bad luck, or misinformation; one early attempt to blow up Hitler's plane in flight failed because of the cold at high altitude. The military officers were slow to take decisive action, struggling with where their duty lay; this was especially quarrelsome once the war began in earnest. It was one thing to kill Hitler for merely threatening conquest, but once Germany was embroiled in a fight to the death against Russia, who would dare leave the nation leaderless? The civilians who took action were limited by their lack of experience; one promising leader's career was cut short early on when he was seen out in public wearing a "ROT FRONT" button. First rule of resistance: don't advertise being an enemy of the state.

An Honourable Defeat is by no means complete (efforts by civilians to shelter Jewish neighbors are overlooked, for instance), it demonstrates how early and how varied German resistance to tyranny was. While it never brought forth the kind of world-shaking fruit anyone would prefer, the fact of that little seed of righteous defiance existing within us offers hope against the threat of future malfactors.

[Orion · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you wish to fight fascism, this is a necessary read.

I chose this book due to my own perceived similarities between the current state of United States affairs and still found myself shocked by how much we are repeating history. I suggest this book be required reading for all anti-fascists in this new age of hyper-nationalism and the rise of fascism in the United States.

[Ana-Maria Bujor · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a rather detailed account of the opposition to the Nazi regime in Germany. The book is quite depressing in many ways. First, you know while reading that their efforts were not bound to lead anywhere in particular. Second, it's depressing how few people with actual resources did something (but that happens in most totalitarian regimes). I'm sure there are way more people to mention than those in the book - all the smugglers of information, all the people who hid Jews in their homes, and so on, but most of them are probably lost to history. Those we do know about are hardly perfect people and the book does a good job at showing this. Sure, there are highlights, especially among religious figures and the White Rose movement. But most of the others got caught up in petty politics, their own antisemitism, nationalism and more than anything, fear, which I completely understand. Even though I knew how it all ended, the book reproduces the tension of the moment very well.
I found the lone wolves to be most interesting - the bomb maker, the Auschwitz guard looking to expose everything, the butcher that butchered least and died without telling on anyone, in spite of torture.
All in all, interesting history, even though it did not give me as much faith in humanity as I would have expected. The fact that it's so detailed contributes to this. There were points in which it was hard to follow who was who and who had what position. Nevertheless it's worth reading and got me to look for more information about some particular people.

[Donald Kirch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew about Stauffenberg, but damn! This is a complex story about how several brave and dedicated German soldiers plotted, enacted, and ultimately failed to get rid of one of the Twentieth Century's greatest monsters.

[Marquise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Works as an introductory book, but it's thin on details and depth.

[Melkor von Moltke · Rating 4 out of 5]

When something comes out about resistance to Hitler and the Third Reich, its focus is usually on the July 20th plot and Operation Valkyrie. While this was an important event for German Resistance, and one the book does not skip, Stauffenberg and his fellow officers are not the single focus of this book. Honorable Defeat delves into the various plots and conspirators who, in one way or another, resisted Hitler.

One of the book's great strengths is the number of individuals included in it. From teenage resisters to retirees approaching death the author attempts to include as many individuals as possible who made a stand against the regime. At the same time this can get a little confusing, as the reader can feel bombarded by the sheer volume of names. It doesn't help that many families were involved so sorting them out may pose a challenge to the reader. Also, I found the author's sentence structure a little confusing at times but this did not really hinder my reading of the book.

All in all Honorable Defeat is a very good book for anyone interested in German Resistance, as well anyone interested in the Nazis' gradual takeover over German life during the 30s and 40s.

[Erik Graff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked this one up, along with a host of other books about the history of Germany, at the eBay resale store in East Dundee, Illinois. Didn't know anything about the author, but had read some things about the resistance previously.

Gill's book was as good as I might have hoped. The subject matter, internal resistance to the Nazi government, is intrinsically interesting and the author writes well. The only impediment to complete absorption were the very many persons followed by the narrative. Considerately, Gill provides a Who's Who as an appendix.

I saw the movie Valkyrie when it came out, the one about the failed attempt to blow up Hitler in 1944, an attempt detailed at the end of this book. Now, having read this and being more familiar with the characters, I'd like to see that again.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book covers all of the various German plots against Hitler's life, throughout the time the Nazis were in power, and German resistance to the Nazis in general. The author lays out all the reasons that resistance was so difficult, and how well the Nazis accomplished suppressing resistance to their party in general and Hitler specifically.

Since most of the plots came from within the German military, the book concentrates on those, but also gives a good amount of coverage to other resistors such as Johann Georg Elser, pro-Communist resistors/spies, Sophie Scholl and the White Rose movement, and other anti-Nazi youth organizations.

There was a lot more than just the July 20 plot (as seen in the movie Valkyrie), and this book is a good place to start if you want to learn more about the subject.

[Lona Manning · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very detailed (and of course, depressing) account, with many personal anecdotes to bring to life what would otherwise be too many names to keep track of -- the people who resisted Hitler from within. (There is a listing at the end). Most of the stories are about military men who knew that Hitler was leading their country to disaster but hesitated to take the fatal step. I particularly was heartened by the stories of the rebellious youth in Nazi Germany. There is a chapter on the inspirational and heartbreaking Sophie Scholl and her brother, of the White Rose group. I currently live in a country where citizens who criticize their government can be arrested and sent to prison. Life goes on normally on the surface. Cherish and defend civil liberties--the first of these is the right to free speech.

[Nick De guingand · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favourite part of WW 2 was the conviction and bravery of these strong people. The book deals with each group separately- youth and the White rose, the church , the military, Abwehr etc. While there are many names to remember there is a glossary to help. The information is presented as a very easily digested and unfolding tragedy. The chaos and smokescreen behind which they needed to work to implement their coup are well described. It leads you to an empathetic and heartbreaking viewpoint.

[Roger Wilsher · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is possibly one of the most depressing, if informative books, I have come across. Why? Because it lays bare just how close the world came to swerving the Second World War.
If only the British Government had not been hell-bent on the idea that appeasement could get them out of the hole in the direction of which the world was heading then things could have been so different.
This book is a masterclass in how different perspectives have the power to produce very different outcomes.

[David Highton · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book which serves to show the effectiveness of Hitler’s police state but also how many of the resistors spent their time theorising about a post-Nazi government and unrealistically hoping to keep the territorial gains. There were also a lot of very brave men and women who died, particularly after the failed bomb attempt in July 1944

[Vikas Datta · Rating 4 out of 5]

An old tragic story, told with considerable insight..

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful account of this relatively little known chapter in modern German history.

[Chuck Heikkinen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent and needed look into some of the Germans who resisted Hitler and National Socialism. Well-researched and quite systematic.

[Dennis · Rating 4 out of 5]

For some years I have wondered if anyone in Germany was opposed to Hitler during the war years. Sure, I was aware of the failed assassination attempt on 20 July 1944, but other than that we are generally presented with a picture that Hitler was universally loved by the German people until the very end. That myth is exploded by this excellent detailed book that spells out the consistent opposition to Hitler and the Nazis throughout the war, despite the prospect of death if the efforts were discovered by the ever searching Gestapo. These opposition groups made consistent efforts to contact the Allies, particularly the British who ignored them. Foreign Minister Anthony Eden was particularly dismissive and one approach even got to Roosevelt's desk. Hitler was aware of potential assassination attempts and constantly changed his program and seemed to have a sixth sense about danger. The most serious assassination attempt was made on July 20, 1944, ten months before the end of the war and came close to success, but after that even Hitler realised that the war was lost.

[Rick · Rating 3 out of 5]

An Honourable Defeat is one of those books that I am glad I read, but struggled to get through. It is about an important and much neglected topic, German resistance to the Nazi Regime. The book tells that story effectively, but at times gets bogged down in the details of the connections between all the resisters. As a result, it is not the most readable book, but it still accomplishes its main to task: to bring to light the heroic actions of thousands of Germans who risked and lost their lives by opposing the Nazi regime. I found it particularly interesting how the appeasement of Hitler by Britain and France before the war actually undermined the resistance movement and kneecapped a potential coup.

[Don · Rating 2 out of 5]

Detailed

A comprehensive tale of the many attempts by brave people to overthrow Nazis. I was unaware of how many and it is somewhat relieving to know this. History tends to paint things too black and white. Perhaps because the truth reveals that we could all allow it to happen again in different circumstances.
Difficult because of the nature of case after case to avoid becoming tired when reading.

[Marty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great overview of the history of German resistance to the Third Reich. Some really interesting figures, ranging from socialists to aristocratic conservatives. Though sometimes the author makes statements without elaboration which I found irksome. Recomend if you like WW2 or even just the moral issues of when loyalty to your country and state conflict.

[Jane Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

World War II Story

A good, detailed book on the resistance to Hitler. The author introduces the reader to each player, describing how committed he was and how much he contributed. It Iran interesting book and it has the most detailed story of the July 20 bombing I have read.

[albie_of_nonfic · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good introductory overview of the German resistance to Hitler, but does not stand out in what is a very cluttered field.

[ariane · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little out-dated but not too shabby. If you've already read your Peter Hoffmann (you have read your Hoffmann, haven't you?) you won't read anything new about the Bomb Plot. However, I did appreciate Gill's portraits of leading members such as Oster, Beck, and Canaris. Then again, I was a little surprised at some of the people he glossed over, Olbricht and Fellgiebel in particular, especially since he calls both of them "key" figures in the Bomb Plot in their respective Who's Who bios at the end of the book. (While I'm on the subject...with so many excellent biographies out there in English by authors who really capture the essence of a historical figure, I think it's a shame that there really aren't any about the members of the officer's resistance. Somebody go out and write me some, I want a decent bio on Tresckow in English sometime before I die.) The story of the Red Orchestra is noticeably thin (and, I do believe, a bit misleading), but given that the book was published in 1994 I think it can be forgiven for that. I did, though, like his chapter on the White Rose and the Edelweiss Pirates - I'm going to have to do some digging in the over-priced & out-of-print academic corners of Amazon for more info on the latter; I'd never heard of them before! Overall I'd say that this is a pretty good survey for beginners to the Widerstand, especially if you were intrigued by "Valkyrie" (which you must see!) or only know about it from select chunks of The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany (which I don't really recommend). Readers more familiar with the subject may find much of it too general (or wince at some of the mistakes, like when Gills says that Stauffenberg was Bavarian) but overall I'd say it's not too bad.

[Ietrio · Rating 1 out of 5]

The piles of bodies are proof there was nothing honorable about this defeat. It was a lame defeat of a few half-wits. Yea, everybody who takes the side of the resistance makes a gamble: if they win that means good jobs, fame and fortune, the ability to lead others, if they don't than in most cases it is prison and probably death. And it has been like that most probably from the dawn of humanity. The French and German resistances are the ones that have won. So every idiot shot during a night time raid becomes a demigod simply because his dead has to enhance the aura of those still alive. Of course, like any mythology is is all a lie based on some facts and like any mythology it builds upon the "you can't imagine how it really was, unless you were one of *us*". The author knows he is building a hagiography and he is very wise to abruptly stop at 1945. What happened next is somehow lost, and the crimes of the East are "because of the Soviets", and building on the West with nazi leadership is also lost.

[Mary Loblaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

A worthwhile read.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Throughout the time the Nazis were in power, there were those who resisted - some by aiding those persecuted by the regime, some by spreading word of the atrocities committed, and some by actively attempting to assassinate Hitler to put an end to the horrors. The government went to extreme lengths to quash any and all resistance movements, imprisoning millions and executing thousands for the smallest offenses. Very few active resisters survived. This book covers many of the movements and plots against the Nazi regime, both non-violent ones such as the fairly well known group "White Rose" operating out of the University in Munich and the various assassination plots against Hitler culminating in the final and most famous ill-fated attempt on 20 July 1944. In the more than 20 years since the book was published, the stories of some of these resistance movements, such as the White Rose and the 20 July plot, have gained greater international visibility, with movies about them reaching audiences worldwide. Others, who should be remembered no less than their more famous counterparts, are barely known even in Germany by any but those actively seeking out their tales. Along with all the horrors of the Nazi time, this too is a piece of history that should not be forgotten.