BOOK REVIEW: Barbarossa The Russian-German Conflict 1941-45

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 BOOK REVIEW:

 Barbarossa

The Russian-German Conflict 1941-45 

 Alan Clark


Alan Clark’s Barbarossa, The Russian-German Conflict 1941-45, was first published in 1965. Just over 20 years from the start of the German invasion of Russia. Clark had access to a plethora of emerging accounts from both German and Russian sources. For the defeat of Germany in the East, many German writers almost universally cast blame on either Hitler or simply that they were outnumbered. And of the Russians? A narrative evolved in order to protect the Communist Soviet Union; its colossus, the vanguard of socialist freedom.

Clark, very skillfully, avoids the narrow and biased view of both camps and writes in Barbarossa an extremely powerful and resilient account of the ‘Great Patriotic War.’ This work has been my ‘go to’ account when delving deeper and deeper into the most enormous and complex period in World War II history.

I am struck with Barbarossa’s clarity; how Clark weaves smoothly from Hitler’s inner circle to the background of the average SS soldier’s training in Bad Tolz to the plight of the Russian infantryman who was so poorly led, poorly equipped and so very full of a natural courage and indomitable spirit. Clark’s thesis was to destroy the myths; the German blame game (sic Hitler) and the official Soviet narrative; of a well-oiled machine with in exhaustive power simply steam rolling to Berlin.

Barbarossa is colored by the height of the Cold War, as it was written in 1965. As such, it was probably far more important at its time of publishing than now. Many new works have appeared, and far more of them have had access to a treasure trove of recently released Soviet archives. Nevertheless, I find Clarks account powerful, gripping, and somehow, it still resonates. To me, Clarks account appears fresh, more closely connected to that most dark period in martial history.

Barbarossa begins inside the Reich and the inner circle of OKW and Hitler. And it ends in Berlin. Clark moves chronologically through all the phases of the Eastern front from the first days in June 1941 to the ruins of Berlin in 1945. My favorite element of this particular book, is the use of actual ‘minutes’ of conversation between Hitler and his General Staff. They are illuminating, striking, and educative.

Hitler: Are you on that line?

Kluge: No that one.

Zeitzler: The other map shows the exact position today. Up there is the withdrawal.

Hitler: Please show it to me on the map.[1]

 

Clark presents the inner workings of the decision makers from the German side in such a way as to demonstrate their genius and shortcomings. And he also illustrates the genius of Hitler in such a way as to make the argument for his incompetence the sole excuse of an German ‘apologist.’ Clark’s approach is rewarding and methodical in a way that presents the sharp contrasts and contours that is the Eastern front.

Of the Russians, Barbarossa also demonstrates the Russian dilemma in 1941 as well as their learning, sacrifice, and occasional incompetence as they wrestled with the expanse that was Western Russia. I still use Barbarossa as a measuring stick for any new book published on the Russian-German War. It resonates today, is refreshing, comprehensive and sharply contrasts the Russians and their German foes in an unapologetic way.


[1] Clark, Alan, Barbarossa: The Russian-German War 1941-45, Quill Publishing, New York 1985


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