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Waffen-SS – Europas nazistiske soldater
Forlaget skriver: Waffen-SS udviklede sig i løbet af Det Tredje Riges historie fra en beskeden livgarde for Hitler til at være en multietnisk og transnational massehær, som over en million mand passerede igennem. Et af de mest forbløffende paradokser i moderne militærhistorie. Flertallet af soldaterne kom fra Tyskland, men styrkerne talte mænd fra hele Europa; syd og øst, såvel som nord og vest. Soldaterne i Waffen-SS blev indsat på stort set alle europæiske fronter og i alle former for krig og ugerninger. De deltog i Holocaust, blev indsat i partisanbekæmpelse på Balkan, kæmpede mod de allierede hære i Italien, gjorde tjeneste på Vestfronten og mødte Den Røde Hær på Østfronten fra Nordkap til Kaukausus. Historikerne Claus Bundgård Christensen, Niels Bo Poulsen og Peter Scharff Smith har skrevet den hidtil mest omfattende samlede historie om Waffen-SS.
- GenresDanishNonfictionHistory
784 pages, Hardcover
First published November 6, 2015
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52 people want to read
About the author
Claus Bundgård Christensen
12 books4 followersClaus Bundgård Christensen (1968-) is a Danish historian and associate professor at Roskilde University known for his books related to collaboration and crime in Denmark during and following World War II.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 19, 2019
Een degelijk gestructureerd overzicht met een uitgesproken Scandinavische toets (de auteurs bouwen immers voort op hun eerder onderzoek naar de Deense deelname) dat, in tegenstelling tot pakweg Hitlers Vreemdelingenlegers: Een indringend portret van twee miljoen buitenlandse vrijwilligers in dienst van het Derde Rijk, meer te bieden heeft dan een eenvoudige waaier aan nationaliteiten of motivaties. De hoofdthese betreft de mythologische superioriteit van de SS gevechtstroepen als geheel. In werkelijkheid was hun strijdvaardigheid doorgaans middelmatig, ondanks de voorkeursbehandeling die zij genoten qua materieel, vooral de Tiger tanks.
Not all they were cracked up to be.
Not all they were cracked up to be.
April 6, 2021
I am pretty sure that this book has not been translated into English, but I think it should be.
The book does not give you combat accounts of the various Waffen SS units that participated during WWII, but gives you a chilling insight into this deep black part (of many) of the Third Reich. It shows you why and how Himmler organized it and how it gained its place in Hitler's sphere. The reach of Himmler into the lives of 'his' soldiers and how they were punished if they misbehaved is described in detail. 'Misbehaved' must be read here as in connection with the Waffen SS organization and its members, not against other human beings of course. The number of crimes committed by the Waffen SS is stagering, and the fact that many members were able to get away with it after the war is almost unbelievable.
The period after the war, and how the Waffen SS somehow became seen as 'elite', makes for an interesting read. Why do we still think that all the units part of this organization were 'elite' soldiers. The truth is quite different. It is also interesting to see how volunteers, well, not always, from different countries became part of it. How did they behave and how did the Germans see them?
If you are interested in this subject, this book is a MUST read! It doesn't make for a fun and quick read, but it does show that there are still misconceptions en misinterpretations today. It covers a broad range of subjects which show how powerful the organization became during the war years and how far reaching its influence was.
The book does not give you combat accounts of the various Waffen SS units that participated during WWII, but gives you a chilling insight into this deep black part (of many) of the Third Reich. It shows you why and how Himmler organized it and how it gained its place in Hitler's sphere. The reach of Himmler into the lives of 'his' soldiers and how they were punished if they misbehaved is described in detail. 'Misbehaved' must be read here as in connection with the Waffen SS organization and its members, not against other human beings of course. The number of crimes committed by the Waffen SS is stagering, and the fact that many members were able to get away with it after the war is almost unbelievable.
The period after the war, and how the Waffen SS somehow became seen as 'elite', makes for an interesting read. Why do we still think that all the units part of this organization were 'elite' soldiers. The truth is quite different. It is also interesting to see how volunteers, well, not always, from different countries became part of it. How did they behave and how did the Germans see them?
If you are interested in this subject, this book is a MUST read! It doesn't make for a fun and quick read, but it does show that there are still misconceptions en misinterpretations today. It covers a broad range of subjects which show how powerful the organization became during the war years and how far reaching its influence was.
April 2, 2021
En måske unødigt lang bog, hvor den kolossale viden til rådighed synes at have taget magten fra skribent trioen.
Flere gange opleves det som at læse en artikelsamling fra ikke en men flere konferencer med hyppige overlap, uensartede forfatterstemmer og en nærmest stædig ulyst til at organisere formidlingen i henhold til udvalgte temaer / gennemgående narrativer.
Men trods alt en imponerende bedrift, der uden tvivl vil fungere som udgangspunkt for fremtidige studier.
Flere gange opleves det som at læse en artikelsamling fra ikke en men flere konferencer med hyppige overlap, uensartede forfatterstemmer og en nærmest stædig ulyst til at organisere formidlingen i henhold til udvalgte temaer / gennemgående narrativer.
Men trods alt en imponerende bedrift, der uden tvivl vil fungere som udgangspunkt for fremtidige studier.
March 10, 2018
Een wetenschappelijk werk met een indrukwekkend ; een kanjer van een boek; een kurkdroog ijzig beeld van een afschuwelijke moordmachine, samengesteld uit hele gewone gebrainwashte mensen. Een enorm, vreemd genoeg multi-etnisch leger...
September 19, 2017
Een must-have voor Tweede Wereldoorlog geïnteresseerden. Het boek geeft een zeer gedetailleerd beeld van de Waffen-SS.
August 26, 2024
Great read about hitler's "special" forces. Must read for anyone willing to see behind the facade.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews