Unconditional hatred;: German war guilt and the future of Europe

by Russell Grenfell

Hardcover "First World Edition" copyright 1953, Second printing, January 1954 with 273 pages. This book - a 21 gun broadside on policy rather than strategy-touches on so many raw nerves, conflicts with so many vested interests, that first publication hs had to take place in our still largely uncensored United States. Those who are still fighting World War II will not like this book; but those who ae tired of the same old black and white cliche's with regard to Germany will welcome it as a breath of fresh air. It is powerfully written and reads like a detective story.

Genres: History, World War II, Germany

273 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1961

Reviews

[CasaJB · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was first published in 1953. It is chock full of information on the anti-German lies, the comparably truly noble character of German power as exercised reaching back to Prussia, and the depravity and hypocrisy of the powers that fomented and ultimately won WWI and WWII.

Funny enough, there wasn't much mention of the greatest crime against humanity that definitely happened and that everyone should care about, but I've heard that that extortion racket - ahem I mean totally legitimate narrative - didn't come into vogue until the 1970s. In any case, the overall apparent lack of awareness of the influence of the tribe whose fortune is war was for me the glaring answer to many questions asked earlier in the book re: why did the UK (read: Churchill) go to war and have the aims it had. This truism is a pros pros: without awareness of the [censored]Q, nothing makes sense, and with it, everything does. Somewhat related, in a recent episode of Full Haus, guest Warren Balogh (aka Ahab) mentioned the nature of the enemy, epitomized by one of many apt sayings: Let's you and him fight.

This lack of awareness of one's true enemies also made the last few chapters about what should happen strategically in the interest of the UK (for example, a Franco-German-British alliance) basically a moot point. The UK and France and Germany have been perhaps irreparably altered, certainly if a great cleansing does not happen; the greatest threat comes from within, no doubt accompanied by much cackling and hand rubbing from those that hold true unconditional hatred in their hearts, as in their Talmudic cannon.

[Eduardo Freitas · Rating 5 out of 5]

"[And] you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John, 8:32).

I've read perhaps more than 200 books about both World Wars, a lot of them from a revisionist (i.e., critic) point of view. Recently, the Phoney Victor's Peter Hitchens made a little uproar for not following the gate-keepers' narrative even if only in a mild way. The present book, which I didn't even know it's existence shows the amount of silencing imposed by the gate-keepers on common reasoning and the command of history proper refusing propaganda and grandiloquence in words that will mean incomensurate sufferings.

What a great book!

[Bob Bingham · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was published in 1952, but the issues discussed are very much current (2020). Simply substitute Iraq or Iran for Germany and you get the idea. An excellent antidote to the hero worship of Churchill and FDR. The author has a great grasp of history and puts it to good use in refuting the bogus claim that Germany was solely responsible for WWI and WWII, as well as the oft repeated charge that Germans are uniquely evil and aggressive.

[Wayward · Rating 5 out of 5]

The biggest tragedy is that millions died because of the lies and hatred of a few.
Also very recommendable: The Myth of German Villainy.

[Paulo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captain Russell Grenfell reviews 400 years of European military history to make a passionate case for realism, restraint and even magnanimity in war and statecraft. His book makes for sobering reading; it covers a depressing catalogue of folly, greed and sheer crassness by all and sundry, with dozens of wars and millions of lives on the line.

While parts of the book are somewhat dated (the author sought to provide advice for Britain and Europe in the 50’s), the broad principles outlined therein, which underpinned the achievements of statesmen such as Wellington, Bismarck and Metternich, have stood the test of time. Captain Grenfell shows how these men, through prudent statecraft and restraint even in complete victory, created the conditions for decades of peace.

To me the highlight of the book is the author’s piercing analysis of the uneasy interface between war and politics, including several cases where the fates of entire nations hanged on dubious decisions by fickle or downright clueless actors, many of whom repeated the same mistakes as their predecessors. After reading through so much folly, one begins to wonder just what nasty surprises the future holds.

If nothing else, Unconditional Hatred serves as a warning against hubris and overreach. Perhaps we can only hope that governments will wait longer before repeating the same mistakes. Time will tell.

[Andreas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting, and at time eye-opening book that spans the period from Napoleon to the aftermath of the Second World War with its main focus on WW1 and WW2. In its outspoken criticism of English politicians like Grey and Churchill almost shocking, considering that the author is a retired captain of the Royal Navy.