Crumbling Empire: The German Defeat in the East, 1944

Rating:
Summary: The outline and definition of defeat.
Review: By 1944 the direction of world war two is moving inexorably against Germany and evidence of this is seen on every military situation map.
Crumbling Empire: The German defeat in the east 1944 is written from a German divisional and corps perspective and follows the last desperate attempts of the German Wehrmacht to wedge the crushing Soviet offensive against Germany and her axis allies, particularly Romania and Hungary. The detailed text includes unit assignments and aggressive tactical warfare, including accounts of the lesser-known atrocities of SS units like the Kaminsky and Direlwanger battalions.
The well-written text includes a survey of the German diplomatic mission developing in the face of exponential military losses. Despite last-ditch espionage and effective rearguard actions, the German military position remains difficult throughout the entire campaign as there is literally no effective response against a vengeful Soviet onslaught that is determined to make the final moves in the great patriotic war.

Rating:
Summary: The outline and definition of defeat.
Review: By 1944 the direction of world war two is moving inexorably against Germany and evidence of this is seen on every military situation map.
Crumbling Empire: The German defeat in the east 1944 is written from a German divisional and corps perspective and follows the last desperate attempts of the German Wehrmacht to wedge the crushing Soviet offensive against Germany and her axis allies, particularly Romania and Hungary. The detailed text includes unit assignments and aggressive tactical warfare, including accounts of the lesser-known atrocities of SS units like the Kaminsky and Direlwanger battalions.
The well-written text includes a survey of the German diplomatic mission developing in the face of exponential military losses. Despite last-ditch espionage and effective rearguard actions, the German military position remains difficult throughout the entire campaign as there is literally no effective response against a vengeful Soviet onslaught that is determined to make the final moves in the great patriotic war.

Rating:
Summary: Yes, this book is a bit biased....
Review: I found Mitcham's account of the German defeat in the East to be thought provoking and interesting from a Western European viewpoint. He obviously favors the Germans and is almost disappointed that they lost. The author reminds the reader over and over again how the German soldier fought the Russian horde with unbelievable bravery and against the greatest of odds. It is an OK read from the German perspective but just about completely ignores the Russian view. I got the impression that Mitcham believes the Germans still could have stopped the Soviets in 1944 except for the meddling of Hitler and I think history shows us this is just not true and that by 1944 the Russians were all but unstoppable. The profiles of German commanders and their fate during or after the war is of particular interest for anyone who is really interested in the Eastern Front, otherwise, the book doesn't break any new ground.

Rating:
Summary: No Detail, Anti-German Bias
Review: If you are looking for a book that goes into any detail at all of the German East Front disasters of 1944, look elsewhere. This book is primarily a series of long slams of the German commanders of various sections of the front, followed by the briefest of sketchy descriptions of the fighting in their areas.

Rating:
Summary: No Detail, Anti-German Bias
Review: If you are looking for a book that goes into any detail at all of the German East Front disasters of 1944, look elsewhere. This book is primarily a series of long slams of the German commanders of various sections of the front, followed by the briefest of sketchy descriptions of the fighting in their areas.

Rating:
Summary: Great overview but few Russian sources
Review: Mitcham does a far better job on the obvious areas of the Ostfront, and actually covers some issues that carry into 1945. His sources are far more German oriented than Russian, and that always brings balance issues into the picture. He pays little attention to Hitler's dismissal of von Manstein and teh underlying reasons for that strange decision. The real annoyance is that a book about East Front that was published in 2001 used mostly German sources when more and more Soviet era sources are available.

Rating:
Summary: Crumbling Empire...Crumbled History
Review: Mr Mitcham omits facts and misleads his readers.One example is the number of soldiers in a Russian Division in 1944 and their quality. Crumbling Empire is almost a carbon copy of the title put out by former Nazi's who assert that they would have won except the Russians out-numbered us and we had Hitler. To Simplistic and biased. The author is not a Nazi, but a serious Russian Hater, "The Reds". Mr Mitcham says that a large number of German POWs were were turned over to the Partisans and put to death in horrible ways. Paul Adair says something of the same thing except he says it was German officers who said this. There is no mention of the Germam Army's complicity in millions of deaths of Jews, Russian POWs, alledged partisans, men women & children, deliberately murdered directly in the case of the Jews and indirectly buy the German Army stealing their food, and putting them out of their houses in the dead of Winter. Misleading,and Biased, not good history

Rating:
Summary: Situation East: Steel meets the Hammer.
Review: September 7, 2002
Crumbling Empire:
The German Defeat in the East 1944
By: Samuel W. Mitcham, Jr.

By its very title, this book is a detailed account of the changing tide of the war in the east.
Written mainly from a German intermediate corps and divisional perspective, the author intersects both graphic tactical details and a strategic explanation into a coherent discussion of the actual battles.
The book also includes biographies and accounts of lesser known but historically valuable leaders and units which served in this area. From the flanked, preempted commands of Field Marshal Ernest Busch to the largely unknown and less than honorable actions of the Kamensky and Direlwanger battalions; in addition to the vitally important role of famous and elite units like the 3rd SS panzer division "Totenkopf" and the 5th SS panzer division "Viking"--assigned missions of futility and impossibility (and almost achieved them).
At appropriate times, the author overlays with a description of the strategic military and diplomatic situation in the region or sector, and its impact on the vital control of natural resources--copper, bauxite, grain and petrol. It is not mentioned, but also needed foreign currency and gold reserves. Aspects in the war in the east that argueably caused the defeat of the German Reich faster than tactical bloodshead on the battlefield.
Supporting material includes substantive photographs and well documented, detailed footnotes and order of battle diagrams. And some front line situation maps which are lacking. In appearance, it looks as if the maps are hand drawn templates that have been photocoped. The information is compressed, cluttered and difficult to discern against the textual material referenced.
Beyond this, the book is well written and detailed towards the issue. The reader can both imagine and understand the inexorable situation facing the Germans, the ferocity and desperation of the battles themselves and an accurate survey of the strategic situation in the east in 1944 during declining months of the great patriotic war.

Sean Marche

Rating:
Summary: Situation East: Steel meets the Hammer.
Review: September 7, 2002
Crumbling Empire:
The German Defeat in the East 1944
By: Samuel W. Mitcham, Jr.

By its very title, this book is a detailed account of the changing tide of the war in the east.
Written mainly from a German intermediate corps and divisional perspective, the author intersects both graphic tactical details and a strategic explanation into a coherent discussion of the actual battles.
The book also includes biographies and accounts of lesser known but historically valuable leaders and units which served in this area. From the flanked, preempted commands of Field Marshal Ernest Busch to the largely unknown and less than honorable actions of the Kamensky and Direlwanger battalions; in addition to the vitally important role of famous and elite units like the 3rd SS panzer division "Totenkopf" and the 5th SS panzer division "Viking"--assigned missions of futility and impossibility (and almost achieved them).
At appropriate times, the author overlays with a description of the strategic military and diplomatic situation in the region or sector, and its impact on the vital control of natural resources--copper, bauxite, grain and petrol. It is not mentioned, but also needed foreign currency and gold reserves. Aspects in the war in the east that argueably caused the defeat of the German Reich faster than tactical bloodshead on the battlefield.
Supporting material includes substantive photographs and well documented, detailed footnotes and order of battle diagrams. And some front line situation maps which are lacking. In appearance, it looks as if the maps are hand drawn templates that have been photocoped. The information is compressed, cluttered and difficult to discern against the textual material referenced.
Beyond this, the book is well written and detailed towards the issue. The reader can both imagine and understand the inexorable situation facing the Germans, the ferocity and desperation of the battles themselves and an accurate survey of the strategic situation in the east in 1944 during declining months of the great patriotic war.

Sean Marche