Hitler's Wave-Breaker Concept: An Analysis of the German End

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Hitler's Wave-Breaker Concept: An Analysis of the German End Game in the Baltic

Among the many controversies of World War II, prominent is the debate over Germanyâ€™s strategy in the north of the Soviet Union, as the tide of war turned, and gigantic Russian armies began to close in on Berlin. In this long-awaited work, Henrik Lundeâ€”former U.S. Special Forces officer and author of renowned previous works on the campaigns in Norway and Finlandâ€”turns his sights to the withdrawal of Army Group North.

Providing cool-headed analysis to the problem, the author first acknowledges that Hitlerâ€”often accused of holding onto ground for the sake of itâ€”had valid reasons in this instance to maintain control of the Baltic coast. Without it, his supply of iron ore from Sweden would have been cut off, German naval (U-boat) bases would have been compromised, and an entire simpatico area of Europeâ€”including East Prussiaâ€”would have been forsaken. On the other hand, Germanyâ€™s maintaining control of the Baltic would have meant convenient supply for forces on the coastâ€”or evacuation if necessaryâ€”and perhaps most important, remaining German defensive pockets behind the Sovietsâ€™ main drive to Europe would tie down disproportionate offensive forces. Stalwart German forces remaining on the coast and on their flank could break the Soviet tidal wave.

However, unlike during todayâ€™s military planning, the German high command, in a situation that changed by the month, had to make quick decisions and gamble, with the fate of hundreds of thousands of troops and the entire nation at stake on quickly decided throws of their dice.

As Henrik Lunde carefully details in this work, Hitler guessed wrong. By leaving four entire battle-hardened armies in isolation along the Baltic, the Soviets pulling up to the Oder River encountered weaker opposition than they had a right to expect. Having economic (or aid) resources of their own, they cared little for Hitlerâ€™s own supply line and instead simply lunged at his center of power: Berlin. Once that was taken the remaining German pockets could be wiped out. The Germans deprived themselves of many of their strongest forces when they most needed them, and the climactic battle for their capital took place.

In this book, both combats and strategy are described in the final stages of the fighting in the Northern Theater, with Lundeâ€™s even-handed analysis of the campaign a reward to every student of World War II.

REVIEWS

â€œâ€¦ tackles "five exceedingly complicated and interrelated subjects to examine and understand Hitler's decision to defend the Baltic States at all costs." They are: military strategy; Hitler's strategic thinking; changing conditions affecting opposing forces; Hitler's fascination with Scandinavia and the Baltic Region; and the validity of Hitler's stated reasons for refusing to withdraw from the Baltic. In his short concluding chapter, Lunde addresses and debunks the validity of the reasons put forth by Hitler for his unshakeable attachment to the defense of the Baltic Region and Scandinavia.â€
Henry Gole, author of Soldiering, The Road to Rainbow, and co-author of Exposing the Third Reich: Colonel Truman Smith in Hitler's Germany

â€œâ€¦a detailed examination of one of the worst of Hitler's many bad decisions in the later years of the Second World War, and a valuable addition to the literature on the fighting on the Eastern Front.â€
History of War

"In Hitler's Wave-Breaker Concept, historian and former US Special Forces officer Henrik Lunde undertakes a sober, much-needed corrective evaluation of Hitler's military decisions, with a stress on the defensive actions of Army Group North after the attempt to defeat the Soviet Union had disintegrated.â€â€”Michigan War Studies Review

Country	USA
Author	Henrik Lunde
Binding	Hardcover
EAN	9781612001616
ISBN	1612001610
Label	Casemate
Manufacturer	Casemate
NumberOfItems	1
NumberOfPages	288
PublicationDate	2013-07-19
Publisher	Casemate
Studio	Casemate
ReleaseDate	0000-00-00

Hitler's Wave-Breaker Concept: An Analysis of the German End Game in the Baltic

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