The First Nazi: Erich Ludendorff: The Man Who Made Hitler Possible - Rilegato

Brownell, Will; Drace-Brownell, Denise; Rovt, Alex

Rilegato

ISBN 10: 0715651048 ISBN 13: 9780715651049

Casa editrice: Overlook Press, 2016

Riassunto

General Erich Ludendorff was one of the most important military individuals of the last century, yet today, is one of the least known. One of the top two German generals of World War I, Ludendorff dominated not only his superior-General Paul von Hindenburg-but also Germany's head of state, Kaiser Wilhelm II. For years, Ludendorff was the military dictator of Germany. Ludendorff not only dictated all aspects of World War I, he refused all opportunities to make peace; he antagonized the Americans until they declared war; he sent Lenin into Russia to forge a revolution in order to shut down the Russian front; and then he pushed for total military victory in 1918, in a rabid slaughter known as "The Ludendorff Offensive." Shortly after losing the War in 1918, Ludendorff created the murderous legend that Germany had lost this war only because Jews had conspired on the home front. He soon forged an alliance with Hitler, endorsed the Nazis, and wrote maniacally about how Germans needed a new world war, to redeem the Fatherland. This savage man had staggering designs to build a gigantic state that would dwarf even the British Empire. Simply stated, he wanted the world.Ludendorff was the key German, instrumental in both world wars and the Russian Revolution. He changed the 20th century beyond recognition.

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Recensione

'The authors deliver a chilling, well-researched biography that opens a whole new window on the world wars and the German psyche at the time' Kirkus Review

'A well documented history of Erich Ludendorff... The two authors tell it with accuracy, vividness, and conviction. They fill a gap in our knowledge of how the Nazi disaster, especially the Holocaust, came to pass' Donald W. Shriver, president emeritus, Union Theological Seminary and author of An Ethic for Enemies

'A very accessible book about a little known chapter of history. This book exposes the critical role of General Ludendorff in shaping the course of WWI and the rise of the Nazis. A chilling view into the mind of a man who had a profound impact on the 20th Century... It is impossible to fully appreciate the Nazis without understanding Ludendorff... This book makes many chilling connections, and will provide insight and spark thoughts for experts and novices alike' --J. Furman Daniel, III, Research Professor in Grand Strategy, International Security and Military History, George Washington University

'A hero for early tactical victories in World War I, German General Erich Ludendorff should be remembered more for his spectacular strategic failures. It was Ludendorff who ultimately led Germany to defeat, served as midwife to the Russian Revolution, aided the early rise of Hitler, and helped set the stage for World War II and the Holocaust. In this important and compelling history, the authors' clear narrative and patient research succeed in connecting dots that have long been overlooked.' --Colonel Jay M. Parker, PhD Chair of International Security at the College of the National Defense University

'Erich Ludendorff was among the most important military figures of World War I. From August 1916 almost until the armistice in November 1918, Ludendorff led the Imperial German army to victory over the new Soviet Union and to crushing defeat at the hands of the Western Allies and the United States. A brilliant tactician and an abysmally poor politician and strategist, Ludendorff summed up the strengths and weaknesses of the German General Staff. After the war, he was instrumental in propagating the myth that Germany was undefeated [the stab-in-the-back legend], wrote the first book extolling 'total war;' briefly aided Hitler's new Nazi movement, and then drifted ever further into the haze of rightwing conspiracy theories that poisoned the Weimar Republic. His is a fascinating story of talent, discipline, obsession, and denial. --Professor Isabel Virginia Hull, PhD, Cornell University

L'autore

Will Brownell, Ph.D. served as a translator and interpreter for the US Army and State Department. He was educated at Exeter, Cornell, Columbia, plus the Universities of Madrid and Paris. An expert in European military history, he is the author of So Close to Greatness, the biography of Ambassador William C. Bullitt, the first US Ambassador to the Soviet Union. He lives in New York. Denise Drace-Brownell is a technologist, inventor, and international business executive. She was educated at Columbia and Rutgers, as well as the Universities of Pennsylvania and Illinois. She lives in New York.

Dettagli dell'edizione

• Editore: Overlook Press
• Data di pubblicazione: 2016
• Lingua: Inglese
• ISBN 10: 0715651048
• ISBN 13: 9780715651049
• Rilegatura: Copertina rigida
• Numero di pagine: 272
• Contatto del produttore: non disponibile
• Persona responsabile: HACHETTE LIVRE SA; https://www.hachette.fr/; ; 1 AVENUE GUTENBERG; MAUREPAS CEDEX; 78319; Francia