Karl Doenitz and the Last Days of the Third Reich

by Barry Turner

Among the military leaders of the Second World War, Grand Admiral Karl Doenitz remains a deeply enigmatic figure. As chief of the German submarine fleet he earned Allied respect as a formidable enemy. But after he succeeded Hitler – to whom he was unquestioningly loyal – as head of the Third Reich, his name became associated with all that was most hated in the Nazi regime. Yet Doenitz deserves credit for ending the war quickly while trying to save his compatriots in the East – his Dunkirk-style operation across the Baltic rescued up to 2 million troops and civilian refugees. Historian Barry Turner argues that while Doenitz can never be dissociated from the evil done under the Third Reich, his contribution to the war must be acknowledged in its entirety in order to properly understand the conflict. An even-handed portrait of Nazi Germany's last leader and a compellingly readable account of the culmination of the war in Europe, Karl Doenitz and the Last Days of the Third Reich gives a fascinating new perspective on a complex man at the heart of this crucial period in history.

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

346 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 12, 2016

About the author

Barry Turner has been a full-time writer for 30 years. He has worked as a journalist and broadcaster in the field of politics, biography, travel and education, and is the author of over 20 books. He is a regular contributor to The Times as a book reviewer and serializer, and is the editor of the annuals The Writer's Handbook and The Screenwriter's Handbook.

Reviews

[Dimitri · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of "the last days of the Third Reich" and very little Doenitz - who had very little [time] left to command as the Führer's successor. His most praiseworthy accomplishment, Operation Hannibal or the evacuation of German civilians from the Baltic, is right there on the jacket.

Light on notes and bibliography, it's an easy read but not an authorative one. The best passages concern daily life on the U-boats and the formal surrender at Reims. The hardest passages concern the Wilhelm Gustloff disaster (9.000 dead) and that one line on refugee life in Denmark: of the 13.000 who died within the year, most were under 5. Including newborn twins. So much for a happy ending for that courageous woman.

Like a lot of lesser WWII books, it sneaks that one sentence by you that you can hang your overall understanding of the whole conflict on for the rest of your life: "for much of the war, the Baltic was a German lake".

[Igor Ljubuncic · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book on a dark chapter of human history.

As the title implies, it focuses on the last days of the Third Reich. Hitler names Doenitz his successor, which comes as a surprise given how much mistrust he had in the leadership around him, and it is up to the Navy's chief to figure out how to end the war with the smallest catastrophe for Germany.

We get a glimpse into the past, so we understand better Doenitz's motives and career, and the chapter on U-boat warfare is, as always, fascinating. Then, as he assumes the leadership, Doenitz runs Operational Hannibal, trying to evacuate as many German citizens from the eastern territories that are imminently going to be overrun by the Soviet advance. The operation is not just around military personnel and material, but also citizens, and the evacuation area covers much of the Baltics, Poland and eastern parts of Germany (technically Prussia).

Doenitz tries to do this - and to buy time - by negotiating with the West powers, trying to secure a separate surrender, but Eisenhover would not let anything happen without Stalin's approval. The parts of the book that revolve around the negotiations are really cool - it's amazing to see how much delusion and pride there can be, even with the inevitable end of Germany's power looming in sight. Even worse, the political backstacking between Speer, Doenitz and Himmler. A game of thrones. Then, the whole drama around the surrender, Montgomery's penchant for flair and public humiliation (and his own dislike of Patton), is equally astounding. It was never just a set of negotiations, there was a whole political aspect to it that has shaped the world as we know it today.

The last part is around the post-war trials. Doenitz was sentenced to 10 years - the Soviets wanted a death sentence, but his laywer successfully defended his position as an honorable naval commander, who waged a just war. In fact, some of the Western admirals testified in Doenitz's favor. But it was expected he had to be punished for taking on the helm of the Reich, and he gambled wrong when he continued with his anti-Bolshevik rants throughout May 1945, making himself into a nuisance with the occupation powers, who had no need for "strong" German characters meddling in the new-world order. The fact Doenitz believed European nations would side with him against the Soviets, after what German forces did in occupied countries throughout 1939-1945 shows that he completely misjudged the new reality after the surrender.

This is a very cool book in that it tries to avoid the simple black & white judgment, but then it also avoids glorifying the myth of military honor, which is often too easy to do in situations like this. Worth reading as it makes you think, and it doesn't give you a simple yes/no answer.

And there's much more than just that - Churchill's use of the Iron Curtain phrase, the establishment of FDR, the Berlin siege, life in prison, Doenitz's crazy ideas around democracy and kingdom, the concept of 'just following orders' at the Nuremberg Trials, life in Germany after surrender, and more.

This book is a wealth of facts, stories, scheming, politics, and warfare.

4/5 stars. Recommended.

Igor

[Nooilforpacifists · Rating 1 out of 5]

It has been quite some time since I read a book with no content. When I was a lad, I would have said the author copied the materiel from the Encyclopedia Brittanica. Now, all this stuff's available online.

Karl Doenitz was a buttoned-up fellow. But, I learned more about the inner workings of Albert Speer's mind than Admiral Doenitz. If you must use solely the Internet, dig deeper than Wikipedia.

[Boudewijn · Rating 3 out of 5]

The role Doenitz played in the last days of nazi Germany and his efforts to prolong the war in order to enable to save as many as possible Germans from the advancing Russian armies

Much to his own suprise, Karl Doenitz was appointed as the new Fuhrer of the Third Reich, bypassing Goering and Himmler. As the new leader of Nazi Germany, he was determined to save as many Germans from the advancing Russions. Operation Hannibal, the Kriegsmarine-led Baltic crossing which saved up to 2 million Germans from the Soviet advance, was underway and at the same time, Doenitz tried to broker a peace agreement with the British and Americans, in order to hold the Russian advance. However, the Allies would have none of it and in the end the general peace was signed.

During the Nurnberg trials, Doenitz was convicted to 10 years imprisonment and was released in 1956, after which he worked on his memoirs, which was published in 1958. He died in 1980.

Although the book is a nice read, the author nowhere delves into detail. The thoughts, actions and motivation of Doenitz's views are nowhere detailed, it doesn't go into detail of the life of Doenitz itself and the conclusion of the book is feeble. It therefore acts as a nice introductionary read, but for the real WWII buffs this book will not contain any new insights.

[Amanda Tuinstra ( Liefde voor boeken Amanda) · Rating 3 out of 5]

recensie volgt op mijn blog

[Herbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Een heel goed boek die deze Marineofficier volledig beschrijft. Het gaat cronologisch tot aan zijn dood eigenlijk en geeft een heel goed inzicht in zijn denken en handelen in de oorlogvoering door de Marine van Duitsland. Hij is veroordeeld als oorlogsmisdadiger maar na het lezen van dit boek stel je u daar wel vragen bij.
Een aanrader voor WOII verhalen en inzichten.

[Andrew Hickey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thin on Doenitz as a person, thick on details of the nightmare conclusions of world war 2 in eastern Europe and Berlin. Ultimately, for my taste, too much vindication of Doenitz's actions of 'only obeying orders'. His anti semitism is mentioned in only one sentence in the whole book, and his shoulder shrug at Nuremberg on being questioned about the camps tells all. 10 years in Spandau was too little. A quiet death in 1980 was too easy. A pat on the back by the author for rescuing his compatriots from the Russians is too glib.

[Keith Johnstone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book - well written and researched with a good narrative - difficult to put down, particularly the parts about Operation Hannibal. Only criticism is that there wasn't a huge amount on Doenitz, which considering he is in the title is surprising and the resource of his memoirs could have been more widely used.

[Steven Voorhees · Rating 3 out of 5]

Turner has written a very interesting, multifaceted but somewhat unfocused book about Admiral Karl Doenitz (1891-1980), the leader of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine (Navy). Doenitz's better known as Hitler's successor as fuhrer; the Third Reich's last leader. In April 1945, as the reich collapsed, Hitler and Eva Braun's deaths and the Russian army entered Berlin, Doenitz was essentially the last member of the Nazi high command left standing. He won a power and mind duel with Heinrich Himmler to become German Chancellor. Doenitz then focused on the surrender to the Allies. This taciturn German patriot, who called Hitler's life "a unique service for Germany," did his utmost to unify his nation and obtain the most favorable capitulation terms possible from Allied forces. But in the twelve years that came before, Doenitz, with innovation and courage, captained the German navy, held Russia at bay (figuratively and literally) in the Baltic and kept it in Nazi hands. He also led (with Hitler's grudging approval) Operation Hannibal, a massive relief mission in which thousands of refugees were rescued. Turner gives a lucid and valuable analysis of German naval operations and achievements (like the growth of the u-boat) during the 1930s through World War II. But he runs aground with a narrative that runs all over the place. Did he write a biography of Doenitz? An account of the conniving yet diligent Kreigsmarine? A primer on the dramatic Nazi surrender to the U.S., France, Britain and Russia? The answer's yes to all three. And while fascinating, it all seems murky somehow. But that's not to say Turner's tome's not worth reading. It is. For those who read it, just be mindful that many cooks are involved in this historical and human broth.

[Gavin O'Brien · Rating 4 out of 5]

Barry Turners work is an enjoyable and easy read which any enthusiast of World War Two will enjoy. This is not an in depth biography of Karl Doenitz, or a history of the Kriegmarine in World War Two, but rather a narrative of the role played by Karl Doenitz in the final days of the War, both in organizing the all but forgotten Operation Hannibal, and of the wrapping up of the Third Reich in May of 1945.

Turner gives a summery of the life and career of Doenitz as well as the military situation for Germany up to 1945 in the war on land and sea. Time is devoted to discussing the critical role of the submarine fleet and how the latest advances, had they been implemented earlier, could have had a great impact in the war with the western allies. It explains not only Doenitz's popularity with Hitler, but also the respect won for him in the eyes of the western allies by the superb and clean sea war which he fought.

The long discussion on the course of events during Operation Hannibal, the largest sea rescue operation in history, described as a larger Dunkirk, was a tremendous success, though was not without tragic loss of life. One cannot help but admire him for carrying out the operation with such limited resources and little time at hand. A success for which he is little appreciated today.

With regards to his brief tenure as President of Germany, the focus is on his wrapping up of military operations, keeping in mind the need to delay to allow German armies to move west to surrender to the allies. Given the fate of the majority of German soldiers who surrendered to the Russians, compared to the Allies, this was not entirely unreasonable. Though very narrative in scale, a good overall picture of events is present, and is still more detailed than what is found in other history books on the topic.

With regard to the Nuremberg trials the chapter is relatively brief and again presents an overview of events as does for his time spent in Spandau.

TBC

[Clay Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Karl Doenitz and the Last Days of the Third Reich offers an insightful examination of a complex figure in history. Barry Turner presents a balanced portrayal of Doenitz, highlighting his efforts to end the war swiftly while attempting to save German civilians and soldiers from the advancing Soviet forces. The book delves into the intricacies of wartime negotiations and political maneuvering, providing a compelling narrative that avoids simplistic moral judgments. It is a thought-provoking read that enriches our understanding of this pivotal moment in history, making it a worthwhile addition to any historical library.

[Felip · Rating 2 out of 5]

Deceiving. Reading the book title one world expect the author to shed some light on the last days of the Third Reich and new Doenitz Government, but the information on that matter is scarce and scattered all over the book. It's a somewhat interesting reading, but not insightful enough on the last days nor the Doenitz figure matters.

[Gilles Demaneuf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. Operation Hannibal, led by Doenitz, deserves to be better known.
It saved 2 mln Germans from the Soviet advance by ferrying them across the Baltic, with less than 0.5% loss in lives.

[ANDREW · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading it, doesn't go into as much depth on Doenitz as I would've liked, but a good read about Operation Hannibal and the final days of the war.

[Johan Verstraelen · Rating 4 out of 5]

With plenty of “ petites histoires” excellent literature

[Bruce Luter · Rating 3 out of 5]

More a narrative of the last months of the war than a bio of Doentitz. Clearly written, but no primary sources.

[Vikas Datta · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit brief about Nuremberg and Spandau, but gives Donitz his due for his final contributions...

[Michiel Van R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5