Ian Kershaw "The End"

[Hnabbe]

Why did Nazi Germany resist so desperately the allied attacks during the very last phase of the Second World War? It is a question that has intrigued me for a long time .And it is this question Ian Kershaw, the author of an excellent biogtraphy of Hitler has tried to answer in his recent study, “The End. The Defiance and Destruction of Hitler’s Germany 1944-1945” .

To tackle this problem historians have reverted to the theory of totalitarian rule which centers on the notion of sheer terror and ruthless repression. No doubt these were factors which forced both the Wehrmacht and the population to follow the suicidal dictates of the fanatical leadership of Nazi Germany. But as Kershaw observes there was “an undeniably apologetic strain” one used in postwar Germany “to exculpate almost the whole society from the crimes placed at the door of Hitler” and the clique of party leaders and key officials who were determined to fight to the last bullet. However, this was a politically inspired oversimplification as the author of this study has shown. Rather than following the once fashionable theories of totalitarian rule, Kershaw has uncovered a great many factors which throws doubt on the simplistic notion of a reluctant but coerced people who couldn’t but follow the will of their fanatical leaders.
For one thing, relentless Nazi propaganda had certainly had a considerable impact on generating the astounding resistance of the army and large segments of the population during the final phases of the war. For another,most of the officers’ corps had blindly stuck to its oath of allegiance to the “Führer” despite the fact that they knew that the game was lost. As a result, resistance against the western allies and especially against the “barbaric Bolsheviks” had only stiffened during the months that led to the total defeat of Germany.

In marshaling his arguments Kershaw utilizes Max Weber’s notion of charismatic rule to show Hitler’s grip on his satraps and through them on the population. The English historian’s approach gains considerably by examining the structures and mentalities induced by Hitler’s charisma which enables him to understand the nuances of the Nazi rule which doesn’t permit easy conclusions regarding either the “iron will” or the desperate defeatism of the German people.

The End” is a very complex but rewarding study which shows with particular force how the German's
technological and organizational know-how was utilized against all odds to prolong the war for many months -- well beyond the estimates of many optimistic allied leaders.