Hitler's Stalingrad Decisions

by Geoffrey Jukes

This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1985.

282 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1985

About the author

A former civil servant and scholar in international relations, Geoffrey Jukes spent 14 years in the UK Ministry of Defence and Foreign and Colonial Office, specialising in Russian/Soviet military history, strategy and arms control. He was a Senior Fellow in International Relations at ANU from 1967 to 1993, and an Associate of the Centre for Arab & Islamic Studies (the Middle East & Central Asia) until his death in 2010.

Reviews

[Mathieu Gaudreault · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this book we see Hitler thinking process in the World War II period from June 1942 ans march 1943. Hitler did have his sucess, good intuitions but have those two liability: He didn't listen to advisors and in a period of high tension did not work(he whas in Germany clearing his minds at his resort in the Bavarian Alps and party meeting from the time of Torch landing to Operation Uranus(the Soviet offensive to capture the Axis armies at Stalingrad).

The author mentions alternatives that were proposed and why Hitler dismissed them. Those alternatives are always put in context and we see Hitler way of reasoning. The author did give Hitler his due when many of his decisions did make sens(holding Stalingrad so the bigger Army Group A could escape the Caucasus). Some of the decisions were erronus(reinforcing North Africa in spite of the naval and air dominance of the Western allies as proposed by Rommel).


The last chapter is interesting because we see the leadership skill of Stalin(Vozd) and Hitler(Führer) put in contrast while showing the different context. Hitler had few powerfull allies(only militaristic Japan and a weak regional power as Italy) and had to gamble. Stalin only had one front war. In all the Soviet command structure whas simpler, Stavka, Stalin did had commitee decisions and did respect the mind of his officer cast. Hitler didin't have a cabinet meeting or commitee meeting and had contempt for his officers after the Typhon failure in December 1941.