Germany and the Second World War Volume I: The Build-up of German Aggression

This is the first of a comprehensive ten-volume history of the Second World War, written from the German perspective and translated for the first time into English. This volume surveys the forces both within and outside Weimar Germany that paved the way for Hitler's accession to power. The authors examine the systematic preparation for war through rearmament, economic autarchy, diplomacy, and the penetration of German society at all levels. They consider the extent to which the movement can be regarded as a continuation of historic German nationalism; the limits of Hitler's involvement with the army and big business; and the lack of coordination between the administration and the armed services. Intensively researched and documented, this study demonstrates that, despite Nazi propaganda and in stark contrast to 1914, most Germans in 1939 opposed the war which they nevertheless endured with tragic consequences.

Wilhelm Deist, Manfred Messerschmidt, Hans-Erich Volkmann, Wolfram Wette

Project co-ordinated by the Militargeschichtliches Forschungsamt (Research Institute for Military History), Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany

Translated from the German by P. S. Falla, Dean S. McMurry, and Ewald Osers