Inside Hitler's Headquarters, 1939-45

by Walter Warlimont

Book Overview

Warlimont, deputy chief of operations for the OKW from 1939 to 1944, was at the centre of power during one of history's most shattering periods. His account of World War II tells the story of men whom... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0891413952
• Release Date: January 1991
• Publisher: Presidio Pr
• Length: 658 Pages
• Weight: 1.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.5" x 1.8" x 6.5"

Customer Reviews

German military leadership in WWII

General Walter Warlimont was Deputy Chief of the Operation Staff at OKW (supreme command of German armed forces), i.e. number three in Hitler's personal miltary staff after Keitel and Jodl. This book is an accout of his experience in that position from the beginning of the war in 1939 to September 1944 when he had to leave for health reasons (he was wounded in the assassination attempt against Hitler). It is not an history of the war, and a good knowledge of the WWII operations and strategy is required to understand it. It is mainly concerned with the organisation aspects of the German High Command, in particular Hitler's increasing involvement in operations down to the smallest detail, the nefarious influence of nazi leaders on the conduct of the war, and the deteriorating relationship between OKW and the Army General Staff (OKH). To illustrate the point, there are a number of transcripts of OKW meetings, in which Hitler's peculiar personality and inept command methods appear clearly. It sounds a bit bureaucratic, but for a serious student of WWII it is a unique point of view on the way German strategic decisions were made. One really wonders whether Germany could not have conquered the USSR in 1941 were it not for Hitler's inept strategic decisions (going for Leningrad and the Ukraine instead of driving straight to Moscow as the Army recommended).

Good source on the German high command organization

The book is interesting for the student of World War II, since it gives a good account of life at Hitler's headquarters, the ambiance and the point of view of the general staff on the strategic situation. However, there is a lot of emphasis on the bureaucracy and organization of the German Army, and on the power struggles inside the General Staff, which I found not very interesting. You often get the impression that the author views the war more as a professional challenge, without expressing his opinion on its political and strategic implications.