Order in Chaos: The Memoirs of General of Panzer Troops Hermann Balck

AUSA Books – Foreign Military Studies

by Hermann Balck, Carlo D'Este (Foreword), David T. Zabecki (Editor)

German general Hermann Balck (1897–1982) was considered to be one of World War II's greatest battlefield commanders. His brilliantly fought battles were masterpieces of tactical agility, mobile counterattack, and the technique of Auftragstaktik, or "mission command." However, because he declined to participate in the U.S. Army's military history debriefing program, today he is known only to serious students of the war.

Drawing heavily on his meticulously kept wartime journals, Balck discusses his childhood and his career through the First and Second World Wars. His memoir details the command decision-making process as well as operations on the ground during crucial battles, including the Battle of the Marne in World War I and his incredible victories against a larger and better-equipped Soviet army at the Chir River in World War II. Balck also offers observations on Germany's greatest generals, such as Erich Ludendorff and Heinz Guderian, and shares his thoughts on international relations, domestic politics, and Germany's place in history. Available in English for the first time in an expertly edited and annotated edition, this important book provides essential information about the German military during a critical era in modern history.

Genres: History, Biography, Military Fiction, World War II, Military History, War, Nonfiction

561 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1981

About the author

General der Panzertruppe Hermann Balck was a German Army officer who served in both World War I & World War II. He was the son of Generalleutnant William Balck, who was a prolific writer on military subjects during the early twentieth century.

Reviews

[Relstuart · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hermann Balck has been called the greatest German general no one has ever heard of. Part of this is that he did not choose to participate in interviews after the war so a couple decades of historical writing went by without his story being told for writers/historians to take into account. While he fought on multiple fronts some of his biggest victories came against the Russians and were not publicized as they would have been had they been against other allies. Probably his greatest feat was over a three week period when his one division defeated the entire Soviet Fifth tank army. "...the Soviets commanded a local superiority of 7:1 in tanks, 11:1 in infantry, and 20:1 in a local superiority of 7:1 in tanks, 11:1 in infantry, and 20:1 in artillery. But Balck, leading from the front, reacting instantly to each enemy thrust, repeatedly parried, surprised, and wiped out superior Soviet detachments. Over the next few months his division would rack up an astonishing one thousand enemy tank kills." From http://www.historynet.com/the-greates...

As a side note: I have not seen any indication anywhere that says Balck joined the Nazi party. For an extended period of time regular army members (which Balck was) were not allowed by law to be a member of any political party in Germany.

Balck kept journals during his life and was able to use those as an aid to write his memoirs several decades after WWII was finished. He briefly relates the story of his life growing up as a child and then really begins to focus as WWI kicked off on not only his life but adding some political commentary on what is going on around the war. This book is valuable not just because it tells one man's story, but because he talks about the broader picture around him that he saw as moving his country and culture to make the choices they did. The commentary about German culture during and after WWI leading into the second world war is well done and adds to the value of reading this volume.

He relates several things that reflect his recognition of anti-Semitism in Germany (there are a decent number of German writers in their memoirs who are completely silent on the subject, Balck is at least honest to include what he does). However, he also denies he knew about the holocaust/systemic elimination of people based on race. This is not uncommon from many front-line leaders (which Balck was).

Balck was a smart man on the tactical level with excellent operational level leadership. He consistently beat foes with more forces that he had and was able to think outside the strategic box he learned in WWI as he adapted to new ways of utilizing the power of attack over defense with the growth of military tech (motorized transport, the tank, and the power of the air force).

Balck is not remembered like Rommel but his achievements place him in the same conversation.

Some statements that stood out as I read them:
"It has been reported widely that Hitler screamed at everybody. I have heard that many times, but I do not know anyone who claims to have been screamed at personally by Hitler. I do know of two incidents of screaming involving Hitler, but in both cases it was not Hitler doing the screaming. One was Guderian, the other one was Hitler's Naval adjutant, Admiral Karl-Jesco von Puttkamer. But despite all my conscience efforts to evaluate Hitler with complete objectively, I cannot escape the final verdict, he was our downfall. Beware of strong men who do not know the limits of their power."

"As in Clauswitz's "harmony of forces" concept, intelligence is curse if not supported by a strong personality. This problem has been compounded in modern times as politicians and journalists have expanded their influence and encountered second-rate men everywhere. While impressed with their cleverness and obliging manners, they fail to recognize their shortcomings, often compounded by a lack of military background and knowledge."

"Never again can a single wild-eyed idealist be allowed to acquire unchecked power."

"At the beginning of the modern era of history the motives of war were of a confessional nature. This period ended with the Thirty Years' war which started as a religious war and led into the age of the Kabinettskriege, which characterized the period up to the revolutionary and Napoleonic war. From that point wars were primarily national wars, until the world wars. Following those conflicts we are now in a period of social wars. Confessional, dynastic, and national causes no longer resonate, but even a conscientious objector will take up arms in support of a social agenda."

[Denis Vasilev · Rating 4 out of 5]

Мемуары немецкого генерала Германа Балька, успевшего повоевать и в Первой Мировой и во Второй Мировой. Интересные размышления о причинах войн, революции и межвоенном времени, прихода к власти нацистов. Автор был успешным полководцем, одним из наиболее умелых в Германии, но все же не смог избежать и преувеличений своих достижений и штампов, когда дело касалось французких, советских и польских войск. Мемуары были написаны в 80 х годах, но на англ были переведены только в 2015, поэтому сейчас стали небольшой сенсацией. В отличие от мемуаров остальных немецких генералов на русском не изданы, хотя не менее значимы и пожалуй более обстоятельны и интересны, чем например Гудериана. Мемуары очень интересны, оценка 3 за «патриотизм» не лучшего толка, хотя сам автор в НСДАП не состоял. Победы описаны обстоятельно, поражения одним абзацом - «пришлось выпрямить линию фронта, нанеся огромные потери», все таки время по-настоящему честной литературы тогда еще не настало

[Edward L · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent memoir from the German viewpoint including WWI through WWII. General Hermann Balck was a soldier's soldier. Too bad he was on the wrong side. Throughout the book he seemed to me to always be a military professional who did not mix politics with his military career.

What was most notable to me was his advocacy to attack even when facing an enemy that out numbered him in soldiers and equipment. Time and again on the Eastern Front rather than holding a defensive line he attacked with his panzers and successfully stopped the Russians and destroyed a great number of their tanks, soldiers and equipment. He also had an uncanny ability to strike where least expected. General Balck is perhaps the greatest tactical tank commander during WWII.

[Edgar Raines · Rating 4 out of 5]

Edgar Raines | 5 comments
I just finished reading Hermann Balck's _Order in Chaos: The Memoirs of General of Panzer Troops Hermann Balck_. Like most high-ranking German officers, Balck is an amalgam of the three monkeys who "hear no evil, speak no evil, and say no evil" when it comes to the Holocaust. On other issues, he is much more forthcoming, although not always in the way that he thinks. He is certainly right to argue that after the war many German generals blamed their own errors on Hitler. The dead Fuhrer became a convenient scapegoat. He also argues that the West became a dumping ground for all the generals who failed in the East. (Balck spent most of the war fighting the Russians.) Poor leadership in his view made a major contribution to the collapse of the German Army in Normandy. He blames von Bock for the German failure at Moscow in 1941. He failed to give Kluge firm orders and Kluge in turn failed to adequately support Guderian. At the same time, Balck holds von Rundstedt in low regard as a soldier. His mind, argues Balck ran firmly in the tempo of World War I. This analysis is somewhat contradicted by Balck's analysis of the Normandy campaign, i.e, that success depended upon adopting the correct approach but that Hitler never settled the contest between those who favored a operational approach (von Rundstedt) and those who favored a tactical solution (Rommel). Given the overwhelming advantage the Allies enjoyed in the air, the tactical solution was in Balck's view the only viable option. Then why did it fail? He suggests that Rommel's and Spiedel's plotting against Hitler had something to do with it. Of course, this assumes that Rommel was involved, a fact that many historians would argue is not proven. As this last bit of analysis suggests, Balck at the time of his writing in his 70s and 80s was somewhat nostalgic for the time when he was in his prime. One telling anecdote, when Balck surrendered the Sixth Panzer Army to the Americans in 1945 he gave the Hitler salute to the American division commander who accepted his surrender. Maj. Gen. Horace McBride was not amused. The University of Kentucky Press with the support of the Association of the United States Army is to be commended for publishing the first English-language text of Balck's memoirs.

[Dean Marquis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book and I was quite impressed. I must admit that I knew the book should be read because I have read other Autobiographical works by other German Generals. I also have read Panzer Battles by von Mellenthin. He served under Rommel and under Balck. He rated Balck as a better commander. Balck doesn't get as much praise as Rommel even though Balck fought on both Fronts. Rommel never fought against the Russians.

[Friedrich Von der weth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ojalá hubiera leído este libro antes 📚

Hermann Balck, el mejor General táctico y operacional del Ejército alemán…. del que pocos han escuchado.

¿Por qué no nos suena el General Balck? Porque decidió no participar de ningún proceso de recopilación histórica impulsado por 🇺🇸, después de la Segunda Guerra Mundial.

Sin afiliación política y tras la guerra, fue declarado inocente; trabajó en una fábrica para sostener a su familia; y ayudó a la OTAN a planificar la defensa europea ante la amenaza soviética. Sus memorias fueron traducida al inglés por un grupo de Generales americanos el año 2017.

Este libro , es el diario de vida del General Balck. Sirvió en ambas guerras, fue herido 7 veces y es reconocido por Generales americanos y alemanes, como el mejor Comandante de Campo durante la segunda guerra mundial.

Durante la Primera Guerra Mundial, tuvo un desempeño similar al de Rommel. Sin embargo, durante el siguiente conflicto Balck lo supera. A Rommel se le atribuyen 28 meses de combate, comandando una división, un cuerpo de ejército, un ejército y dos grupos de ejercito (ninguno en el frente soviético). Balck combatió 36 meses comandando unidades de similar magnitud. 29 de esos meses los pasó peliando contra los rusos y muchos en invierno. Si bien, ambos peleaban en desventaja numérica; fue Balck quien logró derrotar, con una división, el Quinto Ejército Sovietico (una diferencia aproximada de 11 contra 1). En 1945 con siete divisiones logró frenar 45 soviéticas. Rommel y Balck poseían filosofías de liderazgo parecidas, pero el segundo era maestro, no solo en el ambiente táctico, sino que en el operacional.

Creo que, de los publicados por Generales alemanes, este es el mejor libro que he leído . Libre de la mano de Basil Liddell Hart, logra fundir realmente su visión militar y política de ambas guerras; entregándonos una fuente invaluable de experiencias.

Creo que, las experiencias más significativas son las que tienen que ver con el liderazgo. Leyendo el libro uno se puede percatar de los resultados del verdadero mando tipo misión y de las implicancias físicas, mentales y morales, sobre quienes tienen la responsabilidad de ejercerlo en el ambiente humano mas demandante: la guerra

[Penecks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Much like Guderian's memoir, this is a clearly recorded piece of history, detailing Balck's experiences in the first world war, the uneasy interwar period in Germany, and finally his higher commands on the eastern and western fronts in WWII.

Undoubtedly it's going to be easier for an officer to record events than an enlisted man, and the sharp organization of this book is very telling of the education received by some of these high class men that were essentially bred into their roles. Balck easily traverses operational objectives and events under his command, and frequently inserts some historical reference or casually mentions how the mountains he is fighting near were part of his family's summer villa or some other worldly statement. One even notices his appreciation for the cultures he is fighting with and against, and people under his occupation.

Of course, there is no real dirty laundry here; the book occasionally reads like we are with a Steve Irwin, seemingly fascinated by the events around him, but never really connecting to the bloody reality of war. This might seem crazy to some readers, but I think given the thinking of these Prussian officers at the time, and their conduct of the war, I feel it does come across as genuine most of the time. While Balck was a celebrated officer, perhaps he does massage his own ego a bit much in some parts. Readers are generally made aware of mistakes of his fellow commanders, while the troops directly under him are excused from criticism. Since it's a memoir this is mostly acceptable, but it is the only main pang about the work.

[Bill Harper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely the best autobiography by a WW2 General ever. I know it sounds like an exaggeration but believe me it is the best. General Balck has written what I believe is the most honest, eye opening and meaningful story. He is completely candid and does not apologize for his actions. He was never a Nazi as Hugh Cole claimed in the Lorraine Campaign. He gives credit to Hitler on the military side but also is critical of him when he was wrong. He refused to be a part of the US Army's Historical interviews, and even believes that the Generals that did were trying to clear their names of any crimes by blaming others or not knowing about any war crimes. He went on to help the United States, come up with the AirLand Battle strategy of the 80s and 90s with former Chief of Staff Colonel von Mellenthin. If you are true WW2 fan, you will read this book it will help you understand the fight on the Eastern Front and the personality of the German General Staff officers in the war.

[Jamie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I finished this but I'll admit that I started skimming halfway through. I'm not sure how much value these memoirs have because I don't know if I can trust anything this man says. His military descriptions seem accurate, but he included bold-faced lies on many other subjects. His description of German actions in Naples, for one thing. German behavior towards Italian civilians was just as shameful and disgusting as it was in every other country they invaded. The way Balck goes on and on about his 'fairness' and promises of 'harsh treatment' if the Italians didn't behave was honestly infuriating. I've come across that in many memoirs written from the German perspective concerning WW2. Even if they put pen to paper many years later, they still have that arrogance and cruelty that led them to believe treating non-Germans as subhumans was perfectly acceptable.

[Andrew Garrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Should be read by all army officers, particularly those in the combat arms. this might be the best memoir that I have read yet. filled with experience and valuable lessons while remaining fairly objective and true to his history. unapologetic for his conduct of the war which gives it a little more credibility than other self serving memoirs.

[Chase Metcalf · Rating 3 out of 5]

First hand perspective of war on Eastern Front at Flag officer level with interesting perspective on Hitler and the German leadership on WWII. Bogged down at times in extraneous detail and at times lacked detail of larger conflict but informative if you are interested in WWII.

Would read Lost Victories in place if this if only going to read one book.

[Larry · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting portrait of leadership. Highly recommended to anyone in the business.

[Stephen Nussman]

Summary of book.

A very interesting book filled with info. Very detailed and well written nice to see a lesser known general re wives some written attention.

[Paul C]

Good account

[Robert Drumheller · Rating 5 out of 5]

When discussing concerning the greatest generals of World War II, Hermann Balck's name must be considered in the discussion.

[Themistocles · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've been struggling a bit with how to rate this book. In the end I've decided to judge it on two criteria - the strategic side of it and the politics side of it.

To begin with the latter: I think it's fair game, since Balck himself got quite political in his memoirs. Unfortunately, Balck comes across as a first-class warmonger even though he, time and again, tries to distance himself from the Nazi party. So, ok, maybe he was not a member and he gives no indication that he agreed with, say, the holocaust, but on the other hand reading such phrases as "the burning villages were inspiring for the great German soldier" or claiming again and again that pretty much all other nations were useless against the might of that proud German soldier gets a bit long in the tooth after a while. Or, how about a Hungarian officer whose overly mixed blood didn't allow for great capacity? For him the Germans were welcomed like liberators and friends wherever they went (I'm Greek, so his description of "crowds" (read:German citizens in the city) that cheered the Germans when they entered Thessaloníki is particularly cringe-worthy). So, in effect, his effort to position himself the way he wants kind of fail miserably - he's not a Nazi yet he behaves like one - extremely arrogant and totally indifferent. I guess that's his version of "professional".

The military side of it - well, that one is somewhat interesting, but not terribly so. His descriptions sound very distant so that, although you get to glean some details about the history of the war or the organizational particularities of the German army, it doesn't sound like the war amounted to much. His arrogance comes across once again when criticizing others and holding his own opinion like the One and Only, but even that he doesn't do very well; for instance, towards the beginning he claims that shortening the lines has no advantage whatsoever in a very naive argument, yet later, and quite naturally, he time and again shortens his own lines. His after the war analysis is more often than not terribly wrong, too.

In conclusion I find this book to be a bit of a failure on both tasks that Balck set out to accomplish. I wasn't bored at any point, but not thrilled either. One good point is the editor's comments (as footnotes) unmasking and pointing out Balck's mistakes and shortcomings.