The Last Nazis: SS Werewolf Guerrilla Resistance in Europe 1944-1947

by Perry Biddiscombe

Founded by Heinrich Himmler in 1944 when it became clear Germany would be invaded, the Werewolf guerrilla movement was given the task of slowing down the Allied advance to allow time for the success of negotiations, or "wonder weapons." Staying behind in territory occupied by the Allies, its mission was to carry out acts of sabotage, arson, and assassination, both of enemy troops and of "defeatist" Germans. Perry Biddiscombe details Werewolf operations against the British, Russians, and fellow Germans, on the Eastern and Western Fronts and in the post-war chaos of Berlin. Giving the lie to the established story of a cowed German population meekly submitting to defeat, this is a fascinating insight into what has been described as "the death scream of the Nazi regime."

Genres: History, World War II, War, Germany, Nonfiction

288 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2000

Reviews

[Bill FromPA · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good summary of the Werewolf issue - not quite as negligible as many authors indicate nor as sinister as thriller writers make it.

Most incidents detailed occurred before German surrender and were therefore acts of war, though sometimes carried put by un-uniformed personnel. This is inevitably the story of a series of isolated groups with little overall strategy or command. The plans for partisan warfare were not as thorough as other Nazi initiatives - perhaps no high ranking officials wanted to get in front on this because it presumed military defeat - and "defeatism" was ironically one of the things for which "Werewolves" were supposed to punish their fellow Germans.

The post-war incidents are even more isolated and unfocused than the wartime actions, and the organized groups described are all centered around individual conspiracy theorists or megalomaniacs. Some non-lethal bombings in Nuremberg and Stuttgart aimed at de-nazification officials and venues.

The importance of "Werewolf" was probably more psychological than physical (though several hundred wartime casualties are attributed to it), enhanced by Nazi "Werewolf radio" broadcasts in April 1945. Allied forces were less likely to trust any German and no doubt imagined the Werewolf numbers greater than they actually were.

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Toward the the end of World War II, the Nazis trained boys to act as guerrilla warriors against the Allies.

[E. Kahn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overview of Nazi post-war resistance against Allied occupation. It's okay as far as it goes but it is severely lacking in many ways, ranging from the initial training of the guerrilla cadres to equipment caches to Allied counterinsurgency operations to its eventual folding into Gladio-type units in West Germany, all of which are alluded to but never seriously discussed.

[Gregory Klages · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another compelling book by Biddiscombe on a similar topic as his previous Werwolf! manuscript. This one is more accessible for a general interest reader, being more event/narrative oriented, but sacrifices some of the larger thematic sense-making and analysis.

[David Engel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty well told story of post-WWII resistance of diehards. This was a rather depressing saga of the roots of neo-nazis.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entirely fascinating; one of the few published histories on the little known Werewolf partisans. Exhaustively researched.

[Frederick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very thoroughly sourced work that adds a new dimension to our understanding of the complexities of post war Germany. I recommend it for people interested in WW2.

[Albert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written and meticulously researched work about previously little known topic.