An exercise in questionable memory

Contrary to its misleading title, this book does not cover ALL OPERATING short the Great Patriotic War to resume Soviet terminology that was fought the German and Russian armies from 1941 to 1945.

This book is the testimony of a Wehrmacht officer and is interesting or appalling - it depends - in more ways than one.

Firstly because the regiment was part of the author belongs to Army Group Centre. Except for the beginning of the war (tripping Barbarossa and Battle of Moscow), he will not take part in other major battles of this emblematic theater of conflict (Stalingrad, Kharkov, Kursk). In fact most of the book covers 1941 and the first months of 1942. Then the forehead becomes very static. Even though this is frustrating compared to the promises of the title of the book, it remains instructive because it covers a little known area of ​​conflict and the nature of the confrontation of 1914-1918 is more a trench as the blitzkrieg. It sheds light on a little known part of the front, even Soviet historiography has tried to erase due to military errors and terrible losses of the Red Army against the salient of Rzhev.

Secondly because the author is trying to keep a very neutral tone compared to Nazi ideology and speak only of the exploits of the Wehrmacht on the theater: the successes, their suffering, and admittedly a certain admiration on the power of the German war machine. It is certainly not wrong to write a book on the Wehrmacht without returning constantly on the massacres of the Nazis. The author endeavors in this direction to have a very neutral tone and to distance the Hitler regime to speak only of stories of soldiers.

Despite this, the book disturbs repeatedly. In the first preface in which the author justifies this work - after publishing a compendium delivering its previous examination of conscience - (!) By requests for French readers "struck" by the "politically correct" systematic nature of repentance German. The mind boggles !! These French people must not have known the horrors of the occupation in order to apply as incongruous. The book is then interesting and appalling on the posture taken by the author and what we can read between the lines. By evacuating in a few sentences the atrocities committed by the Germans on the Eastern Front to deplore especially that these vile actions have put in the background memory and bravery of the combatants, the author sets the scene. We can basically blame him he fact that certainly does honestly and demand for these "French" readers. Only an abysmal awkwardness that causes trouble during playback.

In reading the testimony, we understand better and we remain confused by the pea instead of the brain that took the place of political consciousness to the German military at the outbreak of the invasion of the USSR. The validity in the eyes of the soldiers of this war of aggression is limited to the fight against the threat posed to the hordes Occident "Judeo-Bolshevik" Asian. Faced with such arguments and at the suffering that will cause this conflict could be measured brainwashing reached by the Nazi regime. The truth in my opinion is more complex and reads between the lines of the author: intoxicated by the countryside of France, was the impression that he comes to the German soldiers again dune military promenade to do a new show of force of the Wehrmacht. The author certainly trying to say that his unit tried to respect the rules of war (passage on the decision by unity not shoot prisoners political commissars, which we do not really know if it was as followed only this). However, the realities of this confrontation without thank you timidly reappear in other passages it is clear that military action came at the expense of civilians, but over which the author does not dwell longer, as sil sagissait justify quon does not an omelet without breaking eggs.

The blunders continue when the author sévertue compare the fighting around Rzhev with those of Verdun German army by putting in parallel with the French hairy 14-18 and German Staff with Petain. It hallucinates! For the Germans are Rjev as they were at Verdun in the context of aggression. Although the hardness of the fighting is certainly similar to the soldiers of both camps and wars, how can we dare to assimilate the camp of the aggressors with the victims of violence?

We could go with this witness to the unquestionable objectivity but which, in this concern for objectivity, lack of decline dramatically. Although about again was not talking about the Nazi crimes, there is no mention of the atrocities committed by the German army and that the rumor was however tenacious, even among the troops who are taking no part.

This book shows definitively and without the knowledge of the author the complete lack of political consciousness or awareness while short on certain aspects (author hailing coats sewn by foreign workers in Germany). It is certainly regrettable that the memory of the sacrifices of his comrades were overshadowed by these crimes and can be identified with him that all members of the Wehrmacht not nétaient all Nazi bloodthirsty brutes. But even if it's sad to say, oblivion of these German fighters of the East front can also be a form of justice in history.