Scorched Earth: The Russian-German War 1943-1944

Hitler's War on Russia #2

by Paul Carell

The classic! Paul Carrell's eastern front study picks up where Hitler Moves East left off. Beginning with the battle of Kursk in July 1943, Carell traverses the vast expanse of the Russian War, from the siege of Leningrad and the fierce battles of the norther front, to the fourth battle of Kharkov, and the evacuation of the Crimea, a withdrawal forbidden by Hitler. The book ends in June of 1944 when the Soviet Armies reach the East Prussian frontier.

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

652 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1966

About the author

Paul Carell (born Paul Karl Schmidt) was an Obersturmbannführer (lieutenant colonel) in the Allgemeine-SS (General SS) in Nazi Germany. He worked as the chief press spokesman for Joachim von Ribbentrop's Foreign Ministry, where he formulated propaganda for the foreign press. In this capacity during World War II, he maintained close ties with the Wehrmacht (German Army). After the war, he became a successful author, mostly of revisionist books that romanticized and whitewashed the Wehrmacht's role in World War II.

Reviews

[Olethros · Rating 3 out of 5]

-La plena objetividad es un ideal inalcanzable, ¿pero qué tal si lo intentamos?-.

Género. Historia.

Lo que nos cuenta. Monografía, a ratos ensayo y casi novela por momentos, sobre los acontecimientos militares en el Frente Oriental de la Segunda Guerra Mundial desde la Operación Citadel hasta la Operación Bagration.

¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:

http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...

[Olethros · Rating 3 out of 5]

-La plena objetividad es un ideal inalcanzable, ¿pero qué tal si lo intentamos?-.

Género. Historia.

Lo que nos cuenta. Monografía, a ratos ensayo y casi novela por momentos, sobre los acontecimientos militares en el Frente Oriental de la Segunda Guerra Mundial desde la Operación Citadel hasta la Operación Bagration.

¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:

http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...

[Guido Costantini · Rating 3 out of 5]

Less engrossing than the first volume ("Hitler Moves East 1941-1943"), possibly due the much more grim (for the Germans) situation, it still is a great book on the German-Russian war and, together with the first volume, makes one of the best opera on the period.

Still, Carell was a nazi-german and some caution should be taken in reading this book, perhaps reading in parallel something from a non German author.

[Heinz Reinhardt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although an older book, written before the West had full access to the Soviet archives (though Paul Carrel, a former journalist for the Nazi Party, did have some access to Soviet records as there are many first hand Russian accounts retold here), this is still a valuable, and rapid paced book on the decisive phase of the war on the Eastern Front.
The book is formatted a bit oddly, however, and it detracts a bit from the overall rating for it. For whatever reason, Herr Carrel decided to tell the tale of the epic Battle of the Kursk Salient first, before returning to where the first book (Hitler Moves East/Hitler's War on Russia) left off. This makes for a jarring reading experience although his coverage and analysis of the German perspective of the Kursk battles is very sound.
This book is, mainly, from the German/Axis perspective with accounts from the Germans, Finns, Romanians, Hungarians, Croats, Italians and Spaniards who took part in Hitler's ill fated anti-Slavic crusade. There are, as I mentioned prior, Russian/Soviet accounts as well, but they are a minority of the book.
Even so, this book is a valuable addition to your military history library. Carrel, decades before Glantz, Stahel, Citino and others pointed it out, showcases how well the Russians had improved and learned from those dreadful days of 41 and 42. He also brilliantly showcases the growing desperation of the German war effort, and the looming sense of impending catastrophe as the Soviets, post Kursk, begin to pile up victory after victory.
Although the book can be seen to place an emphasis on the heroic bravery of the German soldier and line officer (which may offend the hyper PC reader), it does so in such a way that, narratively, we see just how greatly improved the Red Army would become, and how diminished was the Wehrmacht by late 1943. Certainly they made the Soviets pay a horrendous toll in victory (inflicting on average losses to the Red Army of between 2.5 and 3-1 in the Germans favor), but the materially outnumbered, and logistically impoverished Germans lacked the means to make good their losses in either men, material or lost experience. While the Russians could, albeit with American Lend Lease aid.
The great failing of the narrative, however, is Carrel's parroting of the line told by German generals post war. Mainly that at Hitler's feet lay all the blame. While Carrel does do a good job of showcasing the genuine skill of the Red Army, he falls too often to the temptation to whitewash mistakes made by German commanders at the front and in the Staff.
Irregardless, few books of the war are as valuable as this one for the German side of the equation, a side of the coin that tends to be lost amidst the current generation of military historians who are more Russian centric.
This book, and the predecessor, can still be found though a bit pricey. However, they are both well worth the cost.
Very highly recommended.

[Mansoor Azam · Rating 5 out of 5]

awesome book again though not in league of "Hitler moves East". But that i guess is solely cuz its a story of defeat and sufferings on Eastern front by once Mighty Wehrmacht. But the author Paul Carell is ever mesmerizer. same gripping style, one feels fighting in the snow, crossing the rivers accompanying the grenadiers, sitting in the Wolf's lair and watching The Mighty Fuehrer commit mistake after mistake and the anguish that comes with it. In the twilight of German campaign in the East, u feel that paul Carell is the man who gives you the real German perspective.

[Julio The Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paul Carell brilliantly finishes his two-volume opera on the Russo-German war, wisely stopping his narrative at time the Russians reached and breached the borders of the Third Reich. The Germans proved to be brilliant tacticians after the defeat at Stalingrad, and that illuminated a tragic flaw; delaying for two more years a war that could not be won. Highlight: the battle of Kursk, or "Operation Citadel", which, contrary to popular belief was not the largest tank battle in history but rather German tanks versus Soviet anti-tank defenses. Is there a lesson here for Ukraine today?

[carl theaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book takes up where the author's 'Hitler Moves East'
left off continuing the detailing of the downward slide of the
German efforts on the Eastern front.

Carrell has been credited, or blamed, depending how you
want to look at it, for the general attitude of the valiant
German soldier of the West, fighting against all odds, attempting
to hold back the hordes from the East.

Well Carrell was an accomplished employee of the German
propaganda dept. during the days of the Third Reich and he was
writing this history during the Cold War, so maybe he knew
fertile ground when he saw it.

In any case, a good read, with about a dozen maps throughout
to help set the scenes.

[Piotr Kosakowski · Rating 3 out of 5]

,,Bo to była wina Hitlera "... Bądź co bądź ciekawie oddaje realia bitwy pod Porochonką czy ogólnie operację kurską.

[Otto Valkamo · Rating 2 out of 5]

For a generic history of the 1942-1944 campaigns; this is an okay book per say. For a detailed, full on fact and study & research-based history: definitely not.
Carell, as you might know, was an SS propaganda officer and worked with the likes of Joachim von Ribbentrop and so on, so that should already ring some alarm bells. However, as a generic book in detailed orientation, this book is alright, but it really offers no specific viewpoints and you'd be much better off taking David M. Glantz's Stalingrad trilogy, When Titans Clashed, Operations on Don's Left Wing and so on. This book has a few nice maps and some thoughts as well, but it shares the 'Mad Hitler' story in attempting to thwart the atrocities committed, ordered and overseen under the Wehrmacht, Heer, Luftwaffe and the standard officers - not just the Waffen SS or Einsatzgruppen.
The book generally discredits Hitler for his 'stupid moves', as they were, but one has to take into account Halder, Model, Keitel, von Bock, Manstein and so on. This book attempts to set Manstein as some 'epic hero' who could overwhelm any Soviet Red Army force if given resources and that Hitler wouldn't object, which is just untrue.
If you're starting out, maybe pick it up, but even then it would form a template of a distorted vision of history, events and atrocities of the Second World War, in the Eastern Front and by the German military.

[Binston Birchill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book covers many areas of the eastern front that have very little written about them. The author has an obvious bias, considering who he is that isn't surprising. It's important to remember that this is not the whole story of the war, with that being said I enjoyed finding out more about specific pockets and decisions they were made in these lesser known battles.

[Steve Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

WW2 on the East Front from the German perspective, essentially from the surrender at Stalingrad through the destruction of Army Group Center. If the author has a hero it is Field Marshall Manstein. The victors write history and one of the great values of the book is the perspective provided by the vanquished.

[Mario Lodos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting approach to the war in the Eastern front, with meticulous detail on several episodes and battles (like Tchervasky).

[Tyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

A companion to Hitler Moves East, this account is likewise superb in its details, describing the fighting in Ukraine especially well. The book has a pro-German tinge because the German perspective is dominant, but not to the extent of putting the reader off or ruining history. It breaks of at an interesting point, just before the collapse of Germany itself. That is, it covers the Eastern Front so long as there still was a front. I strongly recommend this account to readers of World War II history. It hits a sweet spot.

[Rick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second book in this set, after Hitler Moves East. Written from a slant towards Germany. Contains interesting accounts and details which makes it a good read for history buffs, especially those interested in WW 2 and particularly the eastern front.

[K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paul Carell seems to be very pro-Manstein.

[Arsalan]

an excellent book

[Nick Capo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Carell tells a good story, but he's not a reliable historian--this is white-washing, in so many ways.

[Tianxiao · Rating 5 out of 5]

有一种类似穿越的感觉，焦土战争中那些熟悉的地名，当下正在社交媒体上一遍一遍的出现。
地缘、政治、大国、格局，这些大词反复都在战争中宣传和解释其合理性。“人”才是根本，平民和一线的士兵最能体会战争惨烈，可惜和平时期的网民很可能以为自己不是平民。