Wehrmacht Generals, West German Society, and the Debate on Rearmament, 1949-1959

(Hardback)

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Examining the fate of former German generals after the Second World War, this is one of the first books in English to utilize the extensive archival material now available on the West German rearmament debate. Focus is given to the role these generals played in military policy-making, in planning for democratic armed forces, and in public discussions on coming to terms with the National Socialist past. The former generals were active in behind-the-scenes military planning and debates on military reform, but they also engaged in public efforts to influence politics as spokesmen of veterans' organizations. Alaric Searle uncovers proof that some former generals tried to bypass parliamentary control of the Federal armed forces, while others intervened to thwart those efforts. Through their actions, these generals also became symbols and metaphors for the National Socialist past. At an early stage, the generals were involved in the media discussions on rearmament. From the mid-1950s onwards, they increasingly became the objects of critical press attention, most notably in a number of trials that centered on wartime execution orders. These trials immediately assumed relevance for the public debate on military reform and rearmament. In providing an account of the political and military activities of the Wehrmacht General Officer Corps after World War II, this work also contributes to the broader debate on the role of elites in West German society after 1945.

Reviews

[S]earle directs the spotlight of his inquiry into areas hitherto poorl lit and thereby, expands our knowledge of the German security debates of the 1950s.-German Studies Review
[S]earle has raised some provocative questions about the origins of the Bundeswehr and the relative success of democratization at different levels in the former military hierarchy.-H-German.net
Alaric Searle adds to the literature on West Germany's struggle with the Nazi past, here within the context of German rearmament in the 1950s. Using a vast selection of German records, Searle examines how Hitler's former generals involved themselves in debates over West Germany's integration into NATO and how their collaboration with Adolf Hitler defined their postwar role. This is a valuable study....Successful cooperation between pragmatic former generals and their civilian superiors in creating a new type of German army together with a conscious suppression of the Wehrmacht's worst crimes would delay a full reckoning with the past until after the Cold War. Searle shows nicely how this curious dichotomy occurred.-The Journal of Military History
Searle provides an important examination of the role of former Wehrmacht generals in the seminal event of early post-war German history, the rearmament of the Federal Republic. This is a work that deserves a wide readership among historians of modern Germany as well as among political scientists concerned with the influence of interest groups and organizational behavior on the development of government policy.-Sehepunkte
Some may dissent from Searle's judicious and thoughtful conclusions, but the book is especially valuable for readers new to the subject of transitions to democracy and reestablishment of military professionalism in Germany.-American Historical Review
"Searle directs the spotlight of his inquiry into areas hitherto poorl lit and thereby, expands our knowledge of the German security debates of the 1950s."-German Studies Review
"Searle has raised some provocative questions about the origins of the Bundeswehr and the relative success of democratization at different levels in the former military hierarchy."-H-German.net
"[S]earle directs the spotlight of his inquiry into areas hitherto poorl lit and thereby, expands our knowledge of the German security debates of the 1950s."-German Studies Review
"[S]earle has raised some provocative questions about the origins of the Bundeswehr and the relative success of democratization at different levels in the former military hierarchy."-H-German.net
"Searle provides an important examination of the role of former Wehrmacht generals in the seminal event of early post-war German history, the rearmament of the Federal Republic. This is a work that deserves a wide readership among historians of modern Germany as well as among political scientists concerned with the influence of interest groups and organizational behavior on the development of government policy."-Sehepunkte
"Some may dissent from Searle's judicious and thoughtful conclusions, but the book is especially valuable for readers new to the subject of transitions to democracy and reestablishment of military professionalism in Germany."-American Historical Review
"Alaric Searle adds to the literature on West Germany's struggle with the Nazi past, here within the context of German rearmament in the 1950s. Using a vast selection of German records, Searle examines how Hitler's former generals involved themselves in debates over West Germany's integration into NATO and how their collaboration with Adolf Hitler defined their postwar role. This is a valuable study....Successful cooperation between pragmatic former generals and their civilian superiors in creating a new type of German army together with a conscious suppression of the Wehrmacht's worst crimes would delay a full reckoning with the past until after the Cold War. Searle shows nicely how this curious dichotomy occurred."-The Journal of Military History

Author Bio

ALARIC SEARLE teaches modern and contemporary history at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet, Munich, where he is currently working on a project on military intellectual history in the 19th and 20th centuries. He recently co-edited An Anglo-German Dialogue: The Munich Lectures on the History of International Relations (2000), and authored the Clausewitz Forum Occasional Paper 1/2000, Herbert Rosinski (1903-1962) und seine Bedeutung fuer die Clausewitz-Forschung (2000). His articles and reviews have appeared in journals such as Canadian Journal of History, Intelligence and National Security, International History Review, War in History and Journal of Slavic Military Studies.