Book Four: War: Early Victories and the Turning Point
The Conspirators Come Back to Life
- Shirer begins the book's twenty-sixth chapter by recapping the activities of the ineffective band of men who, throughout the past three years, had been conspiring to take Hitler down.
- As long as the German Army had been scoring easy victories, to the glory of the Third Reich, the conspirators couldn't interest many people in overthrowing Hitler.
- But once the tide of war began to turn, it was a different story.
- They thought the time was ripe for action, because the war hadn't been completely lost yet. Maybe they could stage a coup and still sign a pact with the Allies that might allow Germany to keep some of the land they'd gained during the war and avoid being completely demilitarized.
- As usual, they couldn't decide on a course of action. Kill Hitler? Arrest him?
- They also couldn't decide on the new government that they intended to create once Hitler had been removed. Some of the more conservative conspirators wanted a return to the monarchy; others pushed to appoint a regent; still others advocated a more democratic arrangement.
- Shirer writes that there was one person who did have a clear plan of action: Adolf Hitler.
The Last Great German Offensives of the War
- By the spring of 1942, both German and Russian troops were exhausted. Fighting slowed as Germany took account of the terrible losses it had suffered over the winter campaign.
- Hitler made plans to attack Russia to the south and take Stalingrad.
- Hitler needed help from Mussolini, so the two leaders met so Hitler could reassure Mussolini that things were going gangbusters with Russia and in Africa.
- The Duce's representative knew he was bluffing.
- Thanks to General Erwin Rommel, Germany had won particularly stunning victories in North Africa, but as Shirer explains, Hitler failed to take full advantage of them.
- He didn't give Rommel the reinforcements he needed to continue, and British continued to make inroads in the Mediterranean.
- Shirer argues once more that Hitler never really understood international warfare.
The German Summer Offensive in Russia: 1942
- Things went well for Hitler in the summer of 1942.
- U-boats were destroying British and American shipping in the Atlantic at an impressive rate.
- Axis powers were in control of much of the Mediterranean coast, and Hitler headed an empire from the Arctic Ocean south to Egypt; from France to the border of Central Asia.
- He had his sights on the oil fields of the Caucasus. He was convinced the Russians were finished.
- But the Axis attempt to seize Stalingrad met with strong Russian resistance and soon became a drawn-out, devastating defeat.
- Hitler's generals started to realize that his military strategy was becoming totally out of touch with reality. If he didn't like what he heard, he just fired the messengers.
The First Blow: El Alamein and the Anglo-American Landings
- Rommel had gains and losses throughout the autumn of 1942.
- Anglo-American forces won a huge victory at El Alamein, Egypt in early November, which Shirer calls the beginning of the end for Hitler.
- Other Anglo-American victories proceeded quickly throughout the autumn of 1942, including their occupation of French territories in Northwest Africa.
Disaster at Stalingrad
- Back in Stalingrad, the German offensive against the city wasn't exactly going as planned.
- By the third week of November 1942, it became clear to the Army commanders that the German troops outside of Stalingrad would soon be surrounded by Soviet armies if Hitler didn't order a retreat.
- True to form, Hitler angrily ordered his troops to stay put. Bad decision.
- The German troops outside of Stalingrad soon found themselves hemmed into the city, surrounded by Russian troops, and swiftly losing men.
- Mussolini piped up long enough to tell Hitler to "cut his losses in the East, make some sort of deal with Stalin and concentrate Axis strength on defending the rest of North Africa, the Balkans and Western Europe." (4.26.118-19) Hitler ignored him.
- By January 1943, the siege of Stalingrad was still continuing, and the Soviet Army had offered the Germans a chance to surrender. Hitler refused the offer, and ordered the troops to fight to the end.
- Germany and its allies lost nearly 200,000 men at Stalingrad, all because Hitler would rather see German soldiers die than surrender to an enemy.
- About 91,000 half-frozen, bloodied German soldier, including 24 generals, were marched in 24-below temps to POW camps in Russia.
- Hitler was angry that the Generals were still alive as opposed to knowing how to properly die for the Reich.
- The Nazis announced the defeat to the German public and Hitler declared four days of mourning.
- Shirer concludes that from Stalingrad on, the Germans were on the defensive and their allies were in control.
- Britain carried out massive bombing campaigns in German cities that gave German citizens their first experience of what their country was inflicting on the rest of the world.