Posted: 12/6/2004 7:49:34 PM EDT
| I just finished reading this book, and it was fairly interesting to me. I wasn't aware of all the details regarding the fighting in Germany after VE Day. Polish DPs, released Jewish POWs and die hard Nazis fought in gangs and bands against each other as well as against the American occupiers. |
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Never read it, but the resistance in Germany did not end until 1948. The US back resisitance in Russian dd not end until 1948-1949. The war was not just "over" in 1945. There are also cases of American units attacking German SS units in full military action within a few days of the end of the war as well. |
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The book goes into detail about what happened. It begins in April 1945 and the fanatic resistance by SS and Hitler youth units. The myth of the Alpine redoubt is discussed as well. The author writes about some small scale victories by German units, although they merely prolonged the end. Some Americans committed atrocities against some SS units, mostly out of extreme frustration at the continued resistance in a lost cause by the die hard Nazis. The Americans knew the war was over and they felt the Germans should have all capitulated. After the war, Americans found it easy to fraternize with the German people, the fact of which outraged the freed Jewish POWs. The problem for the allies was what to do with all the freed Jewish people as well as the hordes of DPs, most of whom did not want to return to countries that were now dominated by the Russians. The German Werewolves did not die out until the 50s, although by 1948, they had pretty much had little influence over the Germen people who wanted to get on with their lives. One final comment about this book was that some Germans in 1946-47 openly said they preferred the Nazi regime to the allied occupation. This book is availiable from the Military book club. John |