From the outbreak of war to the end of 1941, Germany was riding high over much of Europe; then it all began to go wrong. Volume V Part II of the comprehensive and authoritative Germany and the Second World War series spans the years 1942 to 1945, and looks in closely researched detail, and against a background of growing military setbacks and disasters leading to final defeat, at the administration and ruthless exploitation of the occupied countries and of Germany's own allies, and the effect on their populations (in particular their Jews, Roma, and Sinti) and national economies.

This comprehensive study of the meteoric rise to prominence of Hitler's crown prince Albert Speer, and his struggle to implement a 'total war' armaments policy in the face of opposition from the Party's Gauleiters and political rivals in the Nazi leadership, documents with a wealth of maps, diagrams, and tables the achievements of the arms drive he masterminded; a large part of this success is shown to have relied on the forced or slave labour of those under German domination. The conflicting claims of industry and the Wehrmacht for dwindling manpower resources are also considered.



Series description:

The volumes so far published in the magisterial ten-volume Germany and the Second World War series have attracted international acclaim as a major contribution to historical study. Under the auspices of the Militärgeschichtliches Forschungsamt [Research Institute for Military History] at Potsdam, a team of renowned historians has combined a full synthesis of existing material with the latest research to produce what will be the definitive history of the Second World War from the German point of view. The comprehensive analysis, based on detailed scholarly research, is underpinned by a full apparatus of maps, diagrams, and tables.

Translated by: Derry Cook-Radmore, Ewald Osers, Barry Smerin, Barbara Wilson