Germany and the Second World War: Volume I: The Build-Up of German Aggression

This is the first volume in English of a comprehensive ten-volume history of the Second World War, written from the German perspective by the foremost German historians in the field. They have combined a full synthesis of existing material with the latest research to produce what will be the definitive history of the Second World War. This volume surveys the forces both inside and outside Germany which paved the way for Hitler. The book demonstrates that, despiteNazi propoganda and in stark contrast to 1914, most Germans in 1939 opposed a war which they nevertheless endured with such tragic consequences.

List of figures and maps; Notes on the authors; Notes on the translation; Abbreviations; Glossary of German terms; Introduction; Wolfram Wette: Part 1. Ideology, Propaganda, and Internal Politics as Preconditions of the War Policy of the Third Reich: Militarist and pacifist ideaologies in the last phase of the Weimar Republic; Propaganda mobilization for war; Organizing society in preparation for war; Hans-Erich Volkmann: Part II: The National Socialist Economy in
Preparation for War: From international economy to large-area economy; The National Socialist war economy; Job-creation and armament boom; The National Socialist economy under the 'New Plan'; The war economy under the four-year plan; Rearmament economy and aggression; The Third Reich's economic
readiness for war; Wilhelm Deist: Part III: The Rearmament of the Wehrmacht: The Reichswehr and national defence; The rearmament of the individual services 1933-1939; The Wehrmacht of the Third Reich; Manfred Messerschmidt: Part IV: Foreign Policy and Preparation for War: Hitler's 'Programme' and the problem of continuity in German foreign policy; The great powers and the aspiring great power; Bilateral foreign policy; Chances of hegemony: Stresa and the break-up of European solidarity; The
road to war 1936-1938; 1939: The initial position; Conclusions; Bibligraphy; Index of persons; Maps