Techn. Univ., Diss.--Berlin, 2001.

Univ., Diss.--Bern, 2002. / Literaturverz. S. [339] - 368.

Conflict archaeology is a newly emerged field in archaeology. My purpose with this study is toexamine what kind of information it actually can provide regarding history. The main focus are onthe World War II German soldiers in Tulliniemi transition camp in Hanko. My choice of subject isbased in the fact that there are, for understandably reasons, only little knowledge of the everydaylife of German soldiers in Finland. This is done by focusing on the objects found in Tulliniemi andthe possible stories behind them. My study of different objects is done by analyzing, theorizing andidentifying them. This study shows that an object is more than just a physical form. It can tell usabout soldiers enjoyments, what they do on their free time and the traces war leaves in everydayobjects. These objects are the key to a more detailed perspective of the different aspects in war.

Univ., Diss.-2006--Frankfurt am Main, 2005. / Literaturverz. S. 209 - 221.

Universiẗat, Diss., 2003--Marburg.

This thesis uses the war crimes investigations carried out by the Wehrmacht between 1939-1945 to explore the creation and development of the narrative which the Nazi regime constructed to justify its war of aggression, conquest, and extermination. This source has been sorely underused and provides deep insight into the regime's official narrative - a narrative which seems fundamentally at odds with its true aims and its murderous actions. It claimed that the Reich was waging a war in self-defence and for humanitarian reasons. These justifications were designed to convince both the German population and international audiences. The regime did not simply lie, however, but gathered empirical evidence which it then used selectively to legitimise the war. By reconstructing this process, the thesis aims to understand the degree to which the regime was able to make its arguments convincing. This allows us to better understand how it was possible to mobilise so many ordinary Germans to support and fight the war and, indeed, to perpetrate horrendous crimes. In particular, this thesis seeks to explore the tension between the official narrative and the Reich's own crimes, arguing that these two were not diametrically opposed, but that there was a direct justificatory link between them. Crucial in this context was the degree to which the regime could portray its criminal actions as a response to those of the enemy. In doing so, this thesis develops on a historiography which has acknowledged the importance of the regime's justificatory framework, but which has yet to study the foundations on which this was based and how it developed over the course of the war. In short, this is a study of the German narrative of victimhood which underpinned the brutal war of extermination.

During the battles for East Prussia in the final year of the Second World War, the ruthless conduct of German troops resulted in vast material and personal damage. By focusing on the besieged ‘Festung Königsberg’ in the spring of 1945, this dissertation argues that the violence that transpired in Germany in 1945 can only be understood by devoting sustained attention to local actors and factors. By combining social history and military history approaches, the research restores agency to the German army, the Wehrmacht, as an active participant in the radicalisation of the German home front. This case study demonstrates that due to the fragmentation of Germany, the decisions and orders of Wehrmacht commanders had a disproportionately large impact at a local level. The radical nature of these decisions was the direct result of the commanders’ violent experiences during the preceding years, while the barbarised mindset of the rank-and-file encouraged the rigorous enforcement of military authority. The dissertation’s findings contribute to four themes within the historiography of the Second World War. First, it contributes to the recent debate surrounding the German Volksgemeinschaft by drawing attention to the limits of loyalty to the regime, and the actors and events that prompted this fidelity to shift. Secondly, by analysing a large number of unused archival sources, it provides the first in-depth urban history of everyday life in Königsberg during its 1945 siege. Thirdly, it challenges the conventional historiographical view in which fanatical Party officials were the main perpetrators of late-war violence by emphasising the significance of the Wehrmacht as a key actor. Even though large numbers of German troops operated in close proximity to German civilians, their conduct has hardly been considered as an explanation of the events of 1945. Lastly, this dissertation combines and transcends the different perspectives on German domestic and martial law, suggesting that the two were ever more closely intertwined as the war progressed, resulting in a shift of behavioural patterns. The focus on Königsberg and its immediate surroundings has allowed for a re-examination of late-war society, being the first to focus attention on the triadic relationship of Wehrmacht, Party, and civilian population.

The aim of this work is to analyse the development of relationships of German elite generals towards Adolf Hitler during Soviet Union Campaign in 1941-1945. It's necessary to follow these relationships from 1933, because they changed dramatically. In brief, Führer's behaviour to generals and his interventions to army issues will be describe. The main field of this work is the analysis of war operations during fights with Soviet Union from the point of view of Nazi generals and Führer. The basics of the work come from the ideas of generals and other important personalities close to Hitler written in their memoirs that are confronted with the historical literature.

Mit ihrem Beitrag, „‚Gerne will ich wieder ins Bordell gehen…‘. Wehrmachtsbordelle und Freiwilligkeit“, widmet sich Anne S. Respondek (M. A.) einem weitgehend unerforschten, wenn nicht tabuisierten, Gegenstand der neueren Geschichtswissenschaft zum Zweiten Weltkrieg – liegen zur Zwangsprostitution in Frankreich doch nur wenige, zur sexualisierten Gewalt und Prostitution in den Ostgebieten indessen keine nennenswerten Untersuchungen vor. Dem ‚male gaze‘ und den ‚blinden Stellen‘ des bisherigen Erkenntnisstandes begegnet die Verfasserin auf eine ebenso analytisch-kritische wie einfühlsame Weise, indem ihre genderorientierte Argumentation mit Hilfe neuen Quellenmaterials dem Einzelschicksal einer Frau aus Polen nachgeht. Dabei zeigt sie exemplarisch die perfiden, durch den NS-Staat sanktionierten Mechanismen männlicher Gewalt gegen betroffene Frauen auf, der auch die diffamierte, verfolgte, zur ‚Prostituierten‘ erklärte und ins Wehrmachtsbordell gezwungene Maria Kowalska bis zu ihrem Tod im KZ Ausschwitz ausgesetzt war.

Thesis (doctoral)--Historisches Institut der Universität, Bern, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (p. [339]-368) and index.