Product Description

HitlerÂ’s empire was the largest, most brutal and most ambitious reshaping of Europe in history. Inspired by the imperial legacy of those such as the British, the Third Reich cast its shadow from the Channel Islands to the Caucasus and ruled hundreds of millions. Yet, as Mark MazowerÂ’s groundbreaking new account shows, it was an empire built on an illusion. From HitlerÂ’s plans for vast motorways crossing an ethnically cleansed Russian steppe, to dreams of a German super-economy rivalling AmericaÂ’s, Mazower reveals the lethal fusion of mass murder, modern managerialism and colossal incompetence that underpinned the Nazi New Order. Ultimately HitlerÂ’s empire ended up consuming its own, leaving destruction in its wake and finishing not just with the downfall of Germany, but an entire continent.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #14628 in Books
• Published on: 2009-04-30
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 768 pages

Review
'[A] beautifully constructed account of life under the horrifying Nazi empire ! Splendid' - Norman Stone, Guardian 'Remarkable ! provocative ! an important new book' - Adam Tooze, Sunday Telegraph 'A brilliant account' - David Cesarani, Independent 'A first-class account' - Richard Overy, Literary Review 'Brilliant ! a must for anyone who has a serious interest in the dreadful Third Reich' - Justin Cartwright, Spectator 'Exposes the intellectual bankruptcy of the enterprise with forensic skill and wit' - Christopher Silvester, Daily Express

Herald
`In many ways an exemplary volume.'

Review
`Remarkable ... provocative ... an important new book'

Customer Reviews

Excellent
This is a first class book which allows a comparative reading of the Nazi occupation of different countries of Europe. What it really shows is the difficulty of trying to see Nazi occupation as a monolith. In reality the practice pursued in the different occupied countries varied enormously- according to which German administration was dominant in the occupied country, according to Nazi stereotypes of each country and what they hoped to achieved from occupying it, according to how the population of each country responded, not forgetting that Nazi occupations generally became more severe with time. A complex history but well worth reading about.

It had a great review in The Spectator's book pages
This book had a really excellent review in the London Spectator magazine dated 5th July. It made me put this book on my wishlist. One of the central theses of the book is that the Germans themselves were surprised and unprepared for the complete collapse of their Western European enemies in 1940. Thus, there were no settled policies, and given the subjective nature of racial hatred, and the competing heirarchies of SS, the Army, Civil Service and competing Gauleiters, chaos was inevitable and, ultimately, cost Germany the war. Mythical concepts of German destiny and racial hatred prevailed over military necessity and pragmatism. Mazower quotes Goebbels saying, perhaps ironically, 'If anyone asks us how you conceive the new Europe, we have to reply that we don't know.'

Excellent Book
So much literature and history related to World War II in Europe passes through the prism of emotionalism that it actually ends up as propaganda either villifying or lionizing groups or individuals. Whether it be the need to praise the heroism of allied troops, establish the obscene nature of the holocaust or chronicle the perfidity of statesmen, it seems that authors are so often in the thrall of their emotions that the literature is on some level or another, tainted. While Mazower does not by any means disregard the incredible immorality of Nazi policy in Europe, he takes a clinical and wide angle approach to his analysis.

He sets out to examine why the Nazis did what they did and what they hoped to achieve. He gets to the nub of it by identifying an issue that plagued German policy and self-conception from the time of Bismarck. How should Germany best deal with the problems of mixed ethnic communities containing significant populations of Germans outside the Reich?

It is understanding that this question is the infamous "German Question" that Hitler tried so outrageously to "solve" that provides the framework to the book and the entire conflict. The irony is that Hitler's war did indeed end up "solving" this German Question but in a way that was far different from what Hitler intended.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough.