The End: Hitler's Germany, 1944-45 (Allen Lane History) [Hardcover]

There are countless books on the final months of Third Reich, but this isn't quite like any other that I've read on the subject (and I possess upwards of 300...).

The End is not narrative history - if you're after a Beevor or Hastings approach to the final ten months of the Nazi regime, look elsewhere. The End is a serious study of why Germany fought to the end - and the consequences for the nation in doing so, based on a lot of heavy research: there are pages and pages of references and source notes - the author's spent a lot of time in archives scattered around Germany.

The End focuses almost exclusively on what happened within the ever-diminishing domain of the Third Reich, as seen through the eyes of ordinary Germans and high ranking politicians and generals. There's an insightful look at Albert Speer's rather schizophrenic actions in 1944-45 and Sir Ian is critical of the Officer Corps for repeatedly failing to stand up to Hitler to bring the war to an end.

The End closes with Germany's surrender - unlike some recent studies of the country's fall which go on to look at the first few months of Germany under Allied rule. If you read this book alongside Bessel Germany 1945: From War to Peace and Noble Nazi Rule and the Soviet Offensive in Eastern Germany, 1944-1945: The Darkest Hour then you'll have as complete an overview of the demise of the Third Reich and the immediate aftermath as you could ask for.

I have read much of Ian Kershaw,s previous work- he is always good - but some parts of his earlier books can be ,in my opinion, a little dry.
However, in this book Kershaw hits top form.The book is a page-turner- none of it can be skimmed.
Kershaw covers the last 10 months of the war and tries to answer the question -why did the Germans fight to the very end when the outcome was so obvious?
The answer seems to be the evil, demonic charisma of Adolf Hitler himself ,butressed by Goebbels propaganda(which kept the charismatic image of Hitler alive long after Hitler himself was a broken man -with no charisma left), and a fear of the Russians advancing from the East.
The book does not just cover high strategy but also gives revealing little glimpses of Hitler worrying about calling up postmen as he wants to keep an air of normality by maintaining postal deliveries or refusing to cut production of sweets and beer to keep up morale.We also see Hitler refusing Goebbels permission to shut down magazines ,which the Fuhrer liked.
There is also the chilling tale of the Nazi Mayor of Ansbach , in the very last days of the war having a student summarily executed for trying to persuade the town to surrender.Then ,when American tanks appeat outside the town ,4 hours later- the mayor steals a bicycle and flees.
The narrative of this book is gripping and the analysis is first rate-a masterpiece- highly recommended.!

This excellent book looks not only at the end of the war, but why the war dragged on so long when it was obvious to everybody but the most deluded that Germany had lost. Why did Germany refuse to contemplate capitulation before May 1945? Ian Kershaw points out that their refusal to do so was self-destructive, as a country defeated in war almost always seeks terms at some point. Yet, Germany fought to the last, ending in almost total devastation and complete enemy occupation.

The book begins with von Stauffenberg's failed attempt on Hitler's life. Hitler's charisma had weakened, but his popularity was revived by the attempt on his life. The failed uprising brought changes which ended up lengthening the war. Hitler's paranoia reached new depths and he explained any military failure on "cowards" trying to find a political way to escape. The uprising led to the power quadrumvirate of Speer, Goebbels, Himmler and Bormann. All those in high positions of power were aware that their fates were linked to that of Hitler. Hitler himself had said long before that the war would end with victory or his suicide, and he felt the German people had failed in some way and were not worth saving. Although Hitler's popularity never entirely died - perhaps the people felt they had invested too much in him - much of the population were war weary and saw defeat as the only outcome.

As the Ardennes - the last great German offensive - failed by Christmas 1944, it was almost all over. Yet, despite teetering, the regime survived. Kershaw looks at the way the leaders allowed the war effort to stagger on and how they strived to ensure there was no slackening of the war effort. The Nazi elite gave no hint that the war was unwinnable, maintaining a complete grip on the population, despite the devastating bombing raids and fear of falling into the hands of the Red Army. Using letters from soldiers and giving a great insight into the bizarre way government kept on issuing directives (ordering replacement fire buckets with the enemy virtually at the door) despite pleas from the struggling postal service for only urgent letters to be sent. Time and again, when everything seemed to be all over, Speer managed to find a way to make more armaments, Goebbels to raise workers to dig fortifications and the war machine found a way to fight on a little longer.

When Hitler committed suicide, many people did not even hear for days. Germany was in chaos, with many having no access to radio or newspapers. There was an epidemic of suicides as the war came, literally, to the civilian populations doorstep. However, the war still carried on, until Keitel finally signed the capitulation. Even after the capitulation, the Donitz administration was allowed to continue for a further fifteen days. It was as though the surreal regime was unable to end. In the ten months between July 1944 and May 1945 more civilians died than in all the previous years of the war. If only the attempt to kill Hitler and end the war had been successful, so many people would have been saved. Yet, to the bitter end, the Nazi war machine ground on - the concentration camps speeded up their killing, civilians suffered and soldiers on all sides died. This book helps explain the how and why those terrible events dragged on and is a riveting and compelling read.