Interrogations: The Nazi Elite in Allied Hands, 1945 | Richard Overy

Interrogations: The Nazi Elite in Allied Hands, 1945 | Richard Overy | After the event the Nazi elite views on the Reich

books:

Interrogations: Th...

	Interrogations: The Nazi Elite in Allied Hands, 1945 Richard Overy Viking Adult, 2001 - 650 pages average customer review:based on 2 reviews view larger image
	for more information click here

While the trial of Hitler's fallen elite at Nuremberg has been thoroughly documented, the interval between the Nazis' capture in May and June 1945 and the start of the actual trial in late November has until now remained shrouded in shadow. With Interrogations, acclaimed historian Richard Overy opens a new window into the Third Reich, providing an intimate glimpse of the savage dictatorship in its death throes. More than thirty transcripts of the interrogations are reproduced here for the first time, allowing us to hear the voices of the newly captured "Hitler gang"-including Göring, Speer, and Hess-as they squirmed under the Allies' glare. Interrogations is the stark and disturbing history of defeat; it lays bare as never before the human weaknesses that made the Third Reich possible.

for more information click here

Exploring Alienated Minds.

"Interrogation: Inside the Minds of the Nazi Elite" is a disturbing and enlightening book. It collect the transcription of the interrogations, put to different Nazi leaders, very soon after they were captured and before they were submitted to trial at Nuremberg.

This book refers in its first part, all the main issues which the Allied confront, in order to mount a trial for the War Criminals.
British, American and Russians, the French were incorporated later, had very different points of view and criteria as how to perform this.
Who were to be indicted; which should be the charges; which will be the legislation used; who should be the Chairman of the Court; who will conduct the defense; etc. These and other substantial points were being discussed even before the end of the war.

As soon as the peace was signed, all Intelligence forces started to search for the Nazi leaders. Some were captured without problem. Some committed suicide before being caught or immediately after. They were disseminated in very different kind of prisons and receiving different treatment. Finally agreement between the Allies is attained and a common list of War Criminals produced. Once they were all rallied in one prison, they were subjected to interrogation, with a standard protocol and rules.

The second part of this work centers on the transcriptions of these interviews. A very rich material emerges here. Curiously, much of it was not used in the trials, so it is little known to the great public.
It is from these notes that Overy, wisely, selects and presents very significant excerpts to the reader. He grouped them thematically and adds some personal comments.
The different personalities and strategies from the defendant are shown: Göring boisterous and unremorseful; Hesse fakes his madness; Ribbentrop tries to look confused, overwhelmed by Hitler's power; Speer plead some guilt and penitence.
It is a gallery of dubious characters trying to survive by blaming Hitler and deflecting their guilt.
The depositions of the responsible of the extermination camps are devastating: they really can not grasp the horror of what they have done.

It is a book to read in order to have some understanding of a dark period of Human history. I strongly recommend it for history aficionados and general public.
Reviewed by Max Yofre.

for more information click here

After the event the Nazi elite views on the Reich

After WW2, many of the top people in the Nazi regime where imprisoned and interrogated. This book discusses these people and their views.

I suppose being a ww2 buff, I have read almost all this before so I did not learn much new on the subject. Still I found many of the comments interesting. There are some interesting comments on Holocaust denial which started even when it was taking place. You can also see how little even top officials played in the decision making in the Reich.

What is also a major thread throughout the book of what exactly caused the defeat of the Nazi regime. I suspect here the writer feels the Allied bombers played a much part in this then most historians today give it credit.

If you are interested in this subject I recommends another book too "22 Cells in Nuremberg by Douglas M Kelley MD"

for more information click here

products you might be interested in