The Oder Front 1945 (Hardcover)

Aaron Stephan Hamilton

ISBN 10: 1906033870 / ISBN 13: 9781906033873

Published by Helion & Company, Solihull, 2011

About this Item

Hardcover. Nazi Germany's fall is regularly depicted through the dual images of Adolf Hitler directing the final battle for Berlin from his claustrophobic Fuehrerbunker, and the subsequent Soviet victory immortalized by the flying of the 'Hammer and Sickle' over the burnt-out Reichstag. This popular view, that Germany's last battle of World War II was a deliberate, yet fatalistic, defense of Berlin planned and conducted by Hitler, is largely a historically inaccurate depiction that fits a popularized characterization of the Third Reich's end. Germany's final battle began when Generaloberst Gotthard Heinrici took command of Heeresgruppe Weichsel (Army Group Vistula) on 20 March 1945, not when the massive Soviet offensive intended to capture Berlin was launched on 16 April. Heinrici, not Hitler, decided that there was only one strategic course left for Germany-hold the Soviets back along the Oder Front long enough to entice the Western Allies across the Elbe River. Heinrici knew two things: the war was lost and what remained of Germany was destined for postwar Soviet occupation. His intent was that a protracted defense along the Oder Front would force General Eisenhower to order the Western Allies into the postwar Soviet Zone of Occupation outlined in the Top Secret Allied Plan known as 'Eclipse', thereby sparing millions of Germans in the east the dismal fate of Soviet vengeance everyone knew was at hand. Berlin, Heinrici ordered, would not be defended. The capital of Germany would not become another 'Stalingrad' as Heinrici told his subordinates. A decision by OKW on 23 April to defend Berlin in a final decisive battle forced Heinrici into direct conflict with his superiors over the conduct of operations along the Oder Front -a conflict that undermined his capability to defend against the Soviets and ultimately cost Heinrici his command.In a companion volume to his successful and highly-regarded study of the Soviet assault on the city of Berlin, Bloody Streets, author A. Stephan Hamilton describes the planning and execution of the defense of the Oder Front, reconstructing it day-by-day using previously unpublished personal diaries, postwar interviews, Heeresgruppe Weichsel's war diary and daily command phone logs. Operations of the 3.Panzer Armee, 9.Armee, 12.Armee, and 21.Armee are covered in detail, with their unit movements depicted on over 60 wartime operational maps. The narrative is supported by an extensive selection of appendices, including translations of postwar narratives relating to Heeresgruppe Weichsel penned by senior German officers, biographical notes on notable officers of the Heeresgruppe, and highly detailed orders of battles. In addition to a number of b/w photographs, this study features 64 pages of operational maps reproduced in full color. "Historical accuracy comes from exhaustive research and a deft writer's hand. Hamilton's The Oder Front, 1945 will prove to be the definitive work on the little-understood Nazi defense outside the gates of the German capital. Shipping may be from our UK warehouse or from our Australian or US warehouses, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9781906033873

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Oder Front 1945 (Hardcover)
• Publisher: Helion & Company, Solihull
• Publication Date: 2011
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1906033870
• ISBN 13: 9781906033873
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

“Historical accuracy comes from exhaustive research and a deft writer’s hand. Hamilton’s The Oder Front, 1945 will prove to be the definitive work on the little-understood Nazi defense outside the gates of the German capital.” - Doug McCabe, Curator of the Cornelius Ryan Collection of World War II Papers, Ohio University

Nazi Germany's fall is regularly depicted through the dual images of Adolf Hitler directing the final battle for Berlin from his Führerbunker, and the subsequent Soviet victory. This popular view, that Germany's last battle was a deliberate yet fatalistic defence of Berlin planned and conducted by Hitler, is now declared largely a historically inaccurate depiction.

Germany's final battle began when Generaloberst Gotthard Heinrici took command of Heeresgruppe Weichsel on 20 March 1945. Heinrici, not Hitler, decided that there was only one strategic course left for Germany - hold the Soviets back along the Oder Front long enough to entice the Western Allies across the Elbe River. He knew two things, that the war was lost and what remained of Germany was destined for postwar Soviet occupation. He believed a protracted defence along the Oder Front would force the Western Allies into the postwar Soviet Zone of Occupation outlined in the Top Secret Allied Plan known as 'Eclipse', thereby sparing millions of Germans in the east the dismal fate of Soviet vengeance everyone knew was at hand. Berlin, Heinrici ordered, would not be defended. The capital of Germany would not become another 'Stalingrad'.

In a companion volume to his successful and highly regarded study of the Soviet assault on the city of Berlin, Bloody Streets, author A. Stephan Hamilton describes the planning and execution of the defence of the Oder Front, using previously unpublished personal diaries, post-war interviews, Heeresgruppe Weichsel's war diary and daily command phone logs. In addition to a number of black and white photographs, this study features 64 pages of operational maps reproduced in full colour.

About the Author

A. Stephan Hamilton is the author of 'Bloody Streets: The Soviet Assault on Berlin, April 1945' and the previous volume in this series, 'The Oder Front 1945: Generaloberst Gotthard Heinrici, Heeresgruppe Weichsel and Germany's Final Defense in the East, 20 March -4 May 1945' (both published by Helion). He has spent the majority of his spare time during the last decade researching and writing about the final months of World War II in Europe. When not writing a book, he works full time and serves as a Major in the United States Army Reserves. He is a recent graduate of the U.S. Army Reserve's Command and General Staff College and holds a B.A. and M.A. in History. He resides in Northern Virginia with his wife and two children.