–\u00a0 Examines the contours between consent, camaraderie, and coercion in Hitler’s military<\/p>\n\n\n\n
–\u00a0 Analyzes whether desertion should be understood as a form of resistance to the Third Reich<\/p>\n\n\n\n
–\u00a0 Provides an important perspective on why German soldiers fought for so long, and with such vigor, well after it was clear that the Third Reich would collapse<\/p>\n\n\n\n
–\u00a0 Presents an accessible story that will appeal to readers interested in war and society, as well as military enthusiasts and WWII experts<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The first English language account of deserters from the German army during World War II Table of Contents<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Preface Douglas Carl Peifer<\/strong> is a Professor of Strategy and History at the US Air War College. His teaching and research interests focus on European history, contemporary European security issues; the World Wars; and mutiny, desertion, and dissent. Peifer’s books include Choosing War: Presidential Decisions in the<\/em> Maine, Lusitania, and<\/em> Panay Incidents<\/em>; Genocide, Airpower, and Intervention<\/em>; and The Three German Navies<\/em>. His articles have appeared in Contemporary European History<\/em>, European Security<\/em>, German Studies Review<\/em>, Journal of<\/em> Military History<\/em>, Naval War College Review<\/em>, Orbis<\/em>, War and Society<\/em>, and War in History<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Published: 24 April 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n 312 Pages<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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The German military executed between 18,000 and 22,000 of its personnel in World War II on the charges of desertion and “undermining the military spirt.” This book examines who these Wehrmacht deserters were, why they deserted, what punishment they could expect, and how German military justice operated. The German army was not apolitical, but rather a pillar of the Nazi state. Although much attention has been devoted to officers within the military who resisted Hitler\u2014particularly those associated with the July 1944 attempt on Hitler’s life\u2014far less attention has been paid to those who refused military service or deserted during the war. While providing a full account of what constituted desertion, how it was punished, and how many were convicted for the crime, the book makes the Wehrmacht deserter its main subject. It examines their motivations and the paths they took to evade military service, ranging from hiding in the Third Reich, deserting at the front line, or fleeing to neutral Switzerland or Sweden.
After the Second World War, Germans began a generation-long debate about the status that should be accorded Wehrmacht deserters. The topic would be debated between the two Germanies and engaged survivors and perpetrators, playwrights, and judges, those who had stayed in the ranks and those who had not. Was the Wehrmacht a coward, a victim, or a role model? The book’s discussion of this postwar debate has no equivalent in English, as it explains how and why Germany finally decided to overturn military court-martial verdicts from the Second World War fifty years after its conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Chapter 1: Putting a Face to the Numbers
Chapter 2 Overall Contours
Chapter 3 Deadly Blend: “Lessons Learned” & Nazi Ideology
Chapter 4: Ideology, Mindsets, and Military Law
Chapter 5: More Figures and Faces
Chapter 6: Molding Military Loyalty
Chapter 7: Reasons for Desertion
Chapter 8 Deserter Destinations and Reception
Chapter 9 Situating the Deserter in Post-War German Consciousness
Epilogue
Bibliography<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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