Die Attentäter. Der 20. Juli - von der Kollaboration zum Widerstand.

by Theodore S. Hamerow

Though written as an historical account, On the Road to the Wolf's Lair reads at times like a spy thriller, complete with intrigue and danger. It is also meticulously researched, offering insight into the rise and fall of the Third Reich from the perspective of German resisters who once supported the movement. What is most interesting about the members of the civil service, military, and the clergy who came to oppose Hitler is that they initially embraced the party warmly, many of them sharing the nationalist fervor and anti-Semitism that characterized the Third Reich. In fact, it was their level of enthusiasm that originally granted them their high status and privilege within the dictatorship. In this engrossing account, historian Theodore S. Hamerow closely examines why these people chose to reverse their alliance not only in spirit, but to take active steps to overthrow the regime, culminating in an unsuccessful attempt to assassinate Hitler at his headquarters--the "Wolf's Lair"--in East Prussia in 1944. The book is less a strategic rendering than an analysis of motives, and Hamerow does not paint the resisters as unconditional heroes or moralists. Rather, he reveals all their foibles in an attempt to highlight the depth of their ultimate repulsion to Hitler's monstrous master plan. In telling his story, Hamerow also makes it clear that the resistance was stronger than initially believed by both Germany and the Allies, for it included high-ranking officers as well as bureaucrats at virtually every level of the government. In this way, the author makes a sizable contribution to the history of the Nazi party, adding a valuable volume to the ever-expanding World War II archives.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

Hardcover

First published April 15, 1997

Reviews

[Penecks · Rating 2 out of 5]

Once again, I'm torn on a book's rating based on readability versus academic merit, and dryness versus fact presentation. On the Road to the Wolf's Lair doesn't do anything particularly wrong, however, it is perhaps betrayed a bit by its premise: the events that caused and ultimately lead up to the 1944 assassination plot, perhaps the most well known zenith of German resistance to their own Nazi overlords. Yet, in getting to even the start of the war, Hamerow puts us through somewhat of a slog.

If you are interested in the Weimar Republic, you may as well stop reading this and grab the book. For general WWII readers, be prepared for a large and circular retelling of the rise of the Nazis essentially seen through religious, civilian, and some military elements of 20's and 30's Germany. In fact, probably more than half the book is simply this very academic retelling of what random resistance members (some in name only) thought of the state of this new national socialism. Hamerow fails to really even introduce the vast majority of the "cast." Outside of the Stauffenbergs and maybe larger figures like Beck, these religious and civilian leaders are most likely unknown to general WWII leaders.

There is a ton of information packed into the text, however for the non-academic, going through every single minor church sermon or civilian letter to find bits and pieces of "anti-Nazi" thought, then doing the same song and dance for another relatively forgettable German, is not the most engaging reading. Hamerow is a great writer, in that he makes it not obvious one has spent an entire chapter reading what could have probably been summarized on two pages, were it not for each individual's mildly different experience.

Once the war rolls through, the book is saved a bit and opens up, now showing more active resistance and the thoughts behind each type of plotter, some working out of morality, others to save their own skins, or something in between. In fact this duality and public perception of the resistors is presented as the main thesis through the end of the book. The would-be coup leaders are first seen with suspicion, then revulsion, and finally acceptance as a post-war Germany looks for new heroes.

Perhaps the fact that Hamerow does not even detail anything about the assassination bomb attempt, and basically refers us to other works, points to how this book particularly nails down some topics while seemingly ignoring the general reader. There is very little to ease one into the wealth of information within. I can't say I recommend this one as any historical overview of this portion of military history.

[Kate Forsyth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is an in-depth examination of the men behind the ill-fated Valkyrie plot to assassinate Hitler, and the events which drove them to take such a drastic and dangerous path. It does assume the reader is well acquainted with the story, so should perhaps be read in conjunction with the famous classic account by Allen Welsh Dulles, Germany’s Underground: The Anti-Nazi Resistance. Dulles was OSS chief in Bern, Switzerland, during World War II and was acquainted with many people in the German Resistance.