Cinq ans au GQG de Hitler (Tempus)

by Walter Warlimont

Un témoignage puissant sur la vie du haut commandement allemand, réglée pendant cinq ans sur les humeurs et la paranoïa de Hitler.
Le général Walter Warlimont est, de 1939 à l'automne 1944, le chef adjoint de l'état-major Opérations du haut commandement de la Wehrmacht. À ce titre, il est quotidiennement au contact du Führer, notamment lors des points de situation militaire. Il est donc le témoin privilégié de la vie du haut commandement et de son ambiance " à la fois de cloître et de camp de concentration ". Warlimont décrit avec une rare acuité la lente dégradation des moyens militaires allemands comme la paranoïa grandissante et le sentiment de toute-puissance de Hitler, persuadé d'être stratégiquement l'égal de Frédéric le Grand.
L'atmosphère, exaltée puis sinistre, est parfaitement rendue par la plume de l'auteur qui est aussi un guide précieux pour comprendre l'évolution stratégique et les principales batailles sur les différents fronts. Tandis que Hitler, médiocre stratège parfois porté par d'heureuses inspirations, veut tout diriger, les militaires et les hommes du parti nazi qui l'entourent s'inquiètent de plus en plus. Conjurés contre Hitler, opposants passifs et fidèles au Führer se côtoient ainsi pendant de longues années dans les locaux exigus du Grand Quartier général.

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

474 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1962

Reviews

[Bernard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Did not finish as it was too detailed to the point that I lost the bigger picture

[Zlatko Dimitrioski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very underrated. As part of Hitler’s wider HQ, Warlimont provides a fascinating picture of the war from the German side, showing with just how much dilettantism Germany, or rather Hitler, waged the war. The turning point was not Stalingrad, but the declaration of war on the US and Hitler taking over as Commander-in-Chief of the Army (he later even took over command of an army group for several months). From then on, Germany was doomed.

[Erik Graff · Rating 3 out of 5]

This insider memoir of Hitler's Headquarters primarily represents scenes of continuous bureaucratic infighting under the auspices of 'the Dictator" who, in the opinion of the author, led the German military from one disaster to another because of his inexperience and megalomania. As an office memoir punctuated by meagre reference to events on the ground it would probably be a pretty boring read to anyone not already well versed in the history of the war.

Interestingly, the author never mentions the race policies of the Reich or of how implimentation of them tied up vital military arteries. The only relevant moral qualm evinced by General Warlimont is as regards the Geneva Convention which was ignored by Hitler in his illegal orders that all Soviet commissars, military and civilian, be executed upon capture.

[George Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A chronological description of how Hitler ran Germany's World War II military operations. Written by a General Officer serving on the HQ staff during most of the war. Included are descriptions of various persona as they were viewed in this environment and detailed descriptions of the organizational complexities of the military units involved in prosecuting the war.
This is a book that can supplement and enhance prior knowledge and interest in the mechanics and management of warfare. It is also an outstanding historical example of how and why some complex organizations fail. Finally, this book includes pages of official transcripts that document what HItler actually said in the work settings.

[Lawrence · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inside Hitler's Headquarters provides a personal history of World War II as seen by the deputy chief of operations at the center of Nazi power during 1939-41. The attention to first-person experiences, philosophy, and observations lends much personal value to the story and brings alive military perceptions and insights not normally contained in histories of the period. Recommended for any in-depth study of Nazi history

[Larry Loftis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another must-have for Hitler/Nazi research ... from a primary source.