Gary Grigsby’s War in the East: The German-Soviet War 1941-1945 is a turn-based World War II strategy game stretching across the entire Eastern Front. Gamers can engage in an epic campaign, including division-sized battles with realistic and historical terrain, weather, orders of battle, logistics and combat results.
The critically and fan-acclaimed Eastern Front mega-game Gary Grigsby’s War in the East just got bigger and better with Gary Grigsby’s War in the East: Don to the Danube! This expansion to the award-winning War in the East comes with a wide array of later war scenarios ranging from short but intense 6 turn bouts like the Battle for Kharkov (1942) to immense 37-turn engagements taking place across multiple nations like Drama on the Danube (Summer 1944 – Spring 1945).
And even then British & American authors didn't believe the Germans and were too idle to check the actual Reports/diaries etc at the Bundesarchiv, the prevailing attitude was "well they would say that, they lost the war", which is why the 'myth' of the "Death Ride of the 4th Pz Army" at Kursk persists even to this day. Those British & American authors just refused to believe that German tank losses during Operation Zitadelle and especially at Prokhorovka were so low and kept peddling the figures the Soviets gave them.
When I was a kid in the 60's, the Germans had lost thousands of tanks at kursk, including hundreds of Tiger I's, we know now that there were only around 159 used during the operation of which only about 12 were lost. The same goes for the fallacy of hundreds of T-34's ramming other tanks.
I don't think these myths were perpetuated by qualified historians. If you read Zeimeke in 1966 you would have had an account based on daily entries in German records.
I don't recall Z's description of Kursk, but the narrative of the collapse that followed it pays attention to all factors that current accounts mention such as the landings of the Western Allies and Model fooling with reinforcements.
It depends on what you call 'qualified historians,' to be honest I no longer have my very early books on Kursk etc, because simply put they were "CRAP" and I can no longer recall the authors. I am sure that somewhere hiding away amongst my huge library I still have my copy of the magazine 'War Monthly' from the early 70's with the very same 'Death Ride' headline and soviet figures.
I can't comment on Ziemke, other than to say I've just looked in the only book of his I've got, 'Stalingrad to Berlin: The German Defeat in the East' and he seems to steer clear of giving figures for losses etc except on the odd occasion, and whilst the chapter on Operation Zitadelle is 22 pages long, the actaul battle only takes up 4 of those 22 pages.
Ziemeke's sources seem to be HQ documents of various kinds. He may not have been able to tease out much about the actual battle or he may have preferred to focus on the rationale and results of Kursk. Anyway, his work was available in the 1960s and the myths were perpetuated by others for other reasons.
Good list. And at least the lying German Generals had one thing going for them - they were actually there!
Hence their narrative is a construction long after the fact aimed at justifying their actions and not as close
to the events as daily HQ reports for example.
Has anyone read or have an opion on Brian Taylor two volume set:
Barbarossa to Berlin Volume One: The Long Drive East: 22 June 1941 to November 1942
(Barbarossa to Berlin a Chronology of the Campaigns on the Eastern Front 1941-45) (Vol 1) - Brian Taylor
Barbarossa to Berlin Volume Two: The Defeat of Germany: 19 November 1942 to 15 May 1945
(Chronology of the Campaigns on the Eastern Front 1941-45) - Brian Taylor
I have both Earl Ziemke & John Erickson two volume set and a few Glantz titles. I could pick both these up for the price of one book or spend 75 for the Glantz trilogy (Colossus) set.
Beta Tester for: War in the East 1 & 2, WarPlan & WarPlan Pacific, Valor & Victory, Flashpoint Campaigns: Sudden Storm, Computer War In Europe 2 SPWW2 & SPMBT scenario creator Tester for WDS games
For the end of the conflict, Armageddon by Max Hastings is excellent, as is The Last Battle by Cornelius Ryan (1966) which was the first book I ever owned on the topic.
Excellent read, manages to cover Barbarossa in detail without becoming tedious. Some really good stuff about what it was like for the average German soldier to WALK through miles and miles of flat neverending barren plains for days and weeks on end.
An easily readable and enjoyable introduction to the Eastern Front for those who prefer the human interest side rather than the strategic vastness (and blandness perhaps) of some the more academic tomes that are out there.
It's expensive ($92) but the best book about the Barbarossa planning and the fighting in AGC up to Smolensk.
Operation Barbarossa and Germany's Defeat in the East
Review
"thought-provoking and valuable. It dispels any illusions that the first months of Operation barbarossa were a pushover for the Wehrmacht; Stahel documents in detail, from German war diaries and letters, the heavy fighting and the high casualties." -Evan Mawdsley, The English Historical Review
"...a thoroughly researched, comprehensive, and convincing analysis of Barbarossa...Any still-lingering notions of a German 'genius for war,' as opposed to skill in some aspects of warmaking, is unlikely to survive this intellectually-disciplined, archivally-documented analysis of one of history's most misbegotten, mistakenly executed campaigns." - Journal of Military History
War Without Garlands (Kershaw) is good for atmosphere, but doesn't contain much discussion of strategy. Main fault is few and inadequate maps. I can't imagine why an author or publisher would think an English speaking readership would have memorized a detailed map of European Russia (or would always have a Russian atlas conveniently at hand.) This is a common failing in military history which I could never understand (a pet peeve of mine.)
Last year I read Erich von Manstein's "Lost Victories". In my opinion it is a very well written book that describes war from the operational side, while never getting too technical and remaining a good read from a very personal pov.
+1 good read, although the stats are a bit basis towards Germans. Was almost going to use this book as proof that captured equipment in WitE is very low compared to historical. Even so, many source still have about 2,500 tanks, of all types, captured in the 41 Kiev pocket alone. I had a few very big pockets like Kiev in WitE and never saw anything close to this in my captured tank pools. Think game models this very low and non-historical, but that's another post. Although, in all fairness a portion of that captured equipment was sent to other fronts.. like west.
Back to books... ANY book by David M. Glantz is a MUST! Starting to read To the Gates of Stalingrad (3 volume set). Mr Glantz is top notch historian and scholar. He had a very informative book on Kursk too: Battle of Kursk
- Beta Tester WitE and ATG
- Alpha/Beta Tester WitW and WitE2
"Invincibility lies in the defence; the possibility of victory in the attack." - Sun Tzu
If you can read German, I would recommend as overview the "offical war history" by the Militärgeschichtliches Forschungsamt: Das Deutsche Reich und der Zweite Weltkrieg, especially volume 4 (Barbarossa), 6 (1942-1943), 8 (1943-44 with new insight to Zitadelle) and 10 (1945). Volume 4 and 6 are some what dated, 8 and 10 a rather new.
I would also recommend: Johannes Hürter: Hitlers Heerführer - Die deutschen Oberbefehlshaber im Krieg gegen die Sowjetunion 1941/42 (Study of the German senior commanders of the Army groups and armies during Barbarossa).
Also: Christian Hartmann: Wehrmacht im Ostkrieg: Front und militärisches Hinterland 1941/42. A sample study of five German division (one Panzerdivion, two Infantrydivisions and a Securitydivision and a Korück). Mabye you could take a look at the review in Journal of Military History Volume 74. Nr.1 January 2010.
Also: Roman Töppel: Kursk – Mythen und Wirklichkeit einer Schlacht, in Vierteljahreshefte für Zeitgeschichte Nr. 3 2009 (about Legends and lies concerning the battle of Kursk. Should be read together with Mansteins Lost Victories or Guderians memories, to see what kind of disorted history the are trying to tell).
Also: Bernhard Wegener: Erschriebene Siege. Franz Halder und die Historical Division und die Rekonstruktion des Zweiten Weltkriegs im Geiste des Generalstabes, in Müller (ed.): Politischer Wandel, organisierte Gewalt und nationale Sicherheit: Beiträge zur Geschichte Deutschlands und Frankreichs (shows how Halder managed to rewrite history with his former comrades in arms in service of the Americans nd how they blamed mostly Hitler for all mistakes and not themselves). Should be read together with Wood, James A: Captive Historians, Captivated Audience: The German Military History Program, 1945-1961, in The Journal of Military History, Volume 69, Number 1, January 2005, pp. 123-147.
Also: Christoph Rass: 'Menschenmaterial': Deutsche Soldaten an der Ostfront. Innenansichten einer Infanteriedivision 1939 - 1945 (the 253. Infantrydivison is here researched. Highly recommendable, but maby difficult to read).
Also: Rüdiger Overmanns: Deutsche militärische Verluste im Zweiten Weltkrieg (about German war casulties. Show also how misleading van Crefelds Fighting power is).
In case of the memories of German Generals you should be carefull in reading them. Most try to explain and excuse themselfs as unguilty of everything and had especially nothing to do with war crimes and the holocaust. In case of Manstein you should read Oliver Wrochem: Vernichtungskrieg und Geschichtspolitik: Erich von Manstein. In case of Guderian there is no serious modern critical scholary biography (yes, I mean Macksey et. al). A frist try to do this is Russell A. Hart: Guderian: Panzer Pioneer or Myth Maker? Did you now that Manstein got a bonus of 250.000 Reichsmark and Guderian 1.000.000 Reichsmark by Hitler?
Hope it helps. Sorry, if the professional historian comes through [&o]
If you can read German, I would recommend as overview the "offical war history" by the Militärgeschichtliches Forschungsamt: Das Deutsche Reich und der Zweite Weltkrieg, especially volume 4 (Barbarossa), 6 (1942-1943), 8 (1943-44 with new insight to Zitadelle) and 10 (1945). Volume 4 and 6 are some what dated, 8 and 10 a rather new.
I would also recommend: Johannes Hürter: Hitlers Heerführer - Die deutschen Oberbefehlshaber im Krieg gegen die Sowjetunion 1941/42 (Study of the German senior commanders of the Army groups and armies during Barbarossa).
Also: Christian Hartmann: Wehrmacht im Ostkrieg: Front und militärisches Hinterland 1941/42. A sample study of five German division (one Panzerdivion, two Infantrydivisions and a Securitydivision and a Korück). Mabye you could take a look at the review in Journal of Military History Volume 74. Nr.1 January 2010.
Also: Roman Töppel: Kursk – Mythen und Wirklichkeit einer Schlacht, in Vierteljahreshefte für Zeitgeschichte Nr. 3 2009 (about Legends and lies concerning the battle of Kursk. Should be read together with Mansteins Lost Victories or Guderians memories, to see what kind of disorted history the are trying to tell).
Also: Bernhard Wegener: Erschriebene Siege. Franz Halder und die Historical Division und die Rekonstruktion des Zweiten Weltkriegs im Geiste des Generalstabes, in Müller (ed.): Politischer Wandel, organisierte Gewalt und nationale Sicherheit: Beiträge zur Geschichte Deutschlands und Frankreichs (shows how Halder managed to rewrite history with his former comrades in arms in service of the Americans nd how they blamed mostly Hitler for all mistakes and not themselves). Should be read together with Wood, James A: Captive Historians, Captivated Audience: The German Military History Program, 1945-1961, in The Journal of Military History, Volume 69, Number 1, January 2005, pp. 123-147.
Also: Christoph Rass: 'Menschenmaterial': Deutsche Soldaten an der Ostfront. Innenansichten einer Infanteriedivision 1939 - 1945 (the 253. Infantrydivison is here researched. Highly recommendable, but maby difficult to read).
Also: Rüdiger Overmanns: Deutsche militärische Verluste im Zweiten Weltkrieg (about German war casulties. Show also how misleading van Crefelds Fighting power is).
In case of the memories of German Generals you should be carefull in reading them. Most try to explain and excuse themselfs as unguilty of everything and had especially nothing to do with war crimes and the holocaust. In case of Manstein you should read Oliver Wrochem: Vernichtungskrieg und Geschichtspolitik: Erich von Manstein. In case of Guderian there is no serious modern critical scholary biography (yes, I mean Macksey et. al). A frist try to do this is Russell A. Hart: Guderian: Panzer Pioneer or Myth Maker? Did you now that Manstein got a bonus of 250.000 Reichsmark and Guderian 1.000.000 Reichsmark by Hitler?
Hope it helps. Sorry, if the professional historian comes through [&o]
Das Deutsche Reich und der Zweite Weltkrieg actually exist in translated versions as "germany and the second world" by Oxford University press. I have Volume IV. Its one of the best books i have read. At least when it comes to the background, deployements etc for Barbarossa. Vol IV (which cover the preparement for and 6-7 months of the eastern front only) is 1300+ pages. Its pricy though at about 200-300$.
But if price is no matter then i would start with this.
To follow the war by use of maps, the West Point series (I forget the exact title-Iam at work...). is very good. I don't have the one on the Eastern Front, but the one on the Pacific War is excellent and although there is no text except for what is on the maps, the map explanations are very clear.There are accompanying textbooks that go with the map books, but I don't have any of them.
Panzer Battles - Mellenthin
Mellenthin was the chief of staff of 48th panzer corp from late 1942 onwards so was very much in the thick of it.The first half of the book deals with his experiences in North Africa under Rommel.
Well, arguably the most detailed books about the American Civil War aren’t written in French but in English. Thus, for the Eastern front, this may mean you’ll get more info if you can read Russian and German. In those languages lots of works, solid ones and apologetic ones full of aganda continuously are published since 1945. Most of them are just not translated into English. Thus, from a broader international perspective, even the very well reputed David Glantz arguably has not set THE “gold standard”, only perhaps for the English language publications. Yes, he’s done a lot of research in Russian archives, but others did so as well, but they didn’t publish in English. Plus, even Glantz isn’t undisputed. I remember quite a lively debate between Glantz (or his followers) and Zetterling about Kursk.
On the other hand lots of Russian and German publications about the war have their own apologetic or retro-triumphal agenda. So it’s (always) a good idea to check out exactly who has written this stuff, when it was written and what sources and archives it is based on. The more cited files and footnotes, the better. It might not be a good idea to directly compare a book from Mr. Glantz (a third country historian, not directly involved in the matter) and Mr. Manstein (well, you all know). Those two play in different leagues and, in fact, they play different games at all.
As for archives, the German files are accessible since the war, in Germany, plus as war booty in Washington and (since the 1990s are slowly becoming accessible) in Moscow (like the Russian Archives themselves). A defeated state is the historians’ best friend.
Books in English:
(in no particular order)
Germany and the Second World War: Volume IV: The Attack on the Soviet Union by Horst Boog, Jürgen Förster, Joachim Hoffmann, and Ernst Klink (Feb 18, 1999) (Detailed German grand operational perspective, including papers about German intel, anticipations and Allies; heavily based on German archive files)
Germany and the Second World War: Organization and Mobilization in the German Sphere of Power, Wartime Administration, Economy, and Manpower Resources 1942-1944/5 (Germany and the Second World War, Vol 5/II) by Rolf-Dieter Muller, Hans Umbreit, Derry Cook-Radmore, and Bernhard R. Kroener (Apr 10, 2003) (Its’s the economy, stupid! Fascinating details concerning the Eastern front like manpower & personnel management, TOE planning, production “wonders”, ammo consumption by type and its tactical meaning; heavily based on German archive files)
Catherine Merridale, Ivan’s War, The Red Army 1939-1945. (Condensed human micro-perspective relying on Russian and German archives plus on interviews)
Richard Overy, Russia’s War: A history of the Soviet war effort, 1941-1945. (Orientation based on international secondary works)
Michael Geyer und Sheila Fitzpatrick, Beyond Totalitarianism: Stalinism and Nazism Compared, Cambridge University Press (2008)
Books in German
Wehrmacht im Ostkrieg: Front und militärisches Hinterland 1941/42 von Christian Hartmann (Gebundene Ausgabe - 28. Juli 2010)
Unternehmen Barbarossa: Der deutsche Krieg im Osten von Christian Hartmann von Beck (Broschiert - 16. März 2011)
Der deutsche Krieg im Osten 1941-1944: Facetten einer Grenzüberschreitung von Christian Hartmann, Johannes Hürter, Peter Lieb, und Dieter Pohl von Oldenbourg (Ledereinband - 16. September 2009)
Hitlers Heerführer - Die deutschen Oberbefehlshaber im Krieg gegen die Sowjetunion 1941/42 von Johannes Hürter (Gebundene Ausgabe - 5. März 2007)
Ein deutscher General an der Ostfront. Die Briefe und Tagebücher des Gotthard Heinrici 1941/42. von Gotthard Heinrici und Johannes Hürter (Taschenbuch - Mai 2001)
Das belagerte Leningrad 1941-1944: Die Stadt in den Strategien von Angreifern und Verteidigern von Jörg Ganzenmüller (Gebundene Ausgabe - 1. März 2007)
Das Deutsche Reich und der Zweite Weltkrieg, 10 Bde., Bd.4, Der Angriff auf die Sowjetunion von Horst Boog, Jürgen Förster, Joachim Hoffmann, und Ernst Klink (Gebundene Ausgabe - 1. Mai 1983)
Das Deutsche Reich und der Zweite Weltkrieg, 10 Bde., Bd.5/2, Organisation und Mobilisierung des deutschen Machtbereichs: Kriegsverwaltung, Wirtschaft und personelle Ressourcen 1942 - 1944/45 von Bernhardt R. Kroener, Rolf-Dieter Müller, Hans Umbreit, und Militärgeschichtliches Forschungsamt (Gebundene Ausgabe - 1. Juli 1999)
Das Deutsche Reich und der Zweite Weltkrieg, 10 Bde., Bd.8, Die Ostfront - Der Krieg im Osten und an den Nebenfronten von Karl-Heinz Frieser, Klaus Schmider, und Klaus Schönherr (Gebundene Ausgabe - 2007)
An der Seite der Wehrmacht: Hitlers ausländische Helfer beim »Kreuzzug gegen den Bolschewismus« 1941-1945 von Rolf-Dieter Müller (Gebundene Ausgabe - 19. September 2007)
Die Herrschaft der Wehrmacht: Deutsche Militärbesatzung und einheimische Bevölkerung in der Sowjetunion 1941-1944 von Dieter Pohl (Gebundene Ausgabe - 7. April 2008)
Das Deutsche Reich und der Zweite Weltkrieg, 10 Bde., Bd.10.1, Das Ende des Dritten Reiches – Der Zusammenbruch des Deutschen Reiches 1945 von Rolf-Dieter Müller (Gebundene Ausgabe - 28. April 2008).
I haven't seen anyone recommending Thunder on the Dnepr. I have been reading this book at the same time I have been playing the game and have to say they go very, very well together. Mind you, this book gives you a whole other view of Soviet strategy during '41 as "the authors claim that the failure of the Wehrmacht to conquer Russia during the campaign of 1941 was due to the brilliant planning of Marshals Zhukov and Timoshenko."
This book has caused me to re-evaluate my views of the 1941 part of the Great Patriotic War and my approach to creating a simulation of this campaign. The defense of the upper Dnepr has been documented in other books, but, that this defense was pre-conceived and not just spur-of-the-moment or last-ditch scrambling has never been made clear before now. I'm not sold on everything the author(s) contend. (E.g., rather than believe Pavlov was set up for failure, I'm more inclined to believe that Stalin allowed Zhukov and Timoshenko to start preparing a defense in depth in case Pavlov was wrong, which possibility showed up from the wargames, and/or in case the Germans struck while the Red Army was still being re-organized.) I perceive there were a number of reasons why the blitzkrieg failed in the Soviet Union. It is evident from the information in this book, that Soviet strategy for a defense in depth was a contributor.
