General Discussion

are in End of a Berlin Diary. It was written in 1945-46, and I think it reflects how raw were the wounds inflicted by Germans throughout Europe. Shirer covered the Nuremberg Trials for CBS radio, and translated and included in his book many of the documents used by the prosecution. The documents are shocking to read even today, back then no doubt more so. How Hitler and the General Staff deliberately planned their wars of aggression. How, for instance, Russian POW's were deliberately starved to death as a matter of policy. How SS soldiers dressed in Polish uniforms attacked a Prussian radio station as a "false flag" operation meant to justify the start of the war--with the soldiers who participated then murdered so as to leave no witnesses. How the gas chambers at Auschwitz were designed after experiments in mass killing conducted at other camps. And on and on and on.

By the time The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich came out fifteen or so years had passed, and so I think his views may have tempered some. By then democracy in Germany had seemingly taken hold, and "the German problem"--as he put it--didn't seem quite so urgent. Also, the Rise and Fall, as you point out, was history, whereas Berlin Diary and especially End of a Berlin Diary are more his first hand observations and ruminations.

I somewhat disagree when you say Weimar was "imposed" on Germany. Perhaps in the sense that it was the result of the lost war, but it sprang out of the revolution that began with the sailors' mutiny in Kiel and then spread throughout the fleet. The Social Democrats, largest party at the time, took power and proclaimed the republic after the Kaiser fled. But yes, this was the first time Germany had experience with anything like a democratic government, aside from the short lived attempts during the failed revolution of 1848.

Winston Churchill also played a part in killing the Morgenthau Plan, as well as other schemes to punish Germany. To be clear, he was in favor of the Nuremberg trials and bringing war criminals to justice. But there's an account of Stalin, at one of the Big Three summits, insisting that 40,000 German officers be summarily executed at the end of the war. He wanted the entire General Staff and then tens of thousands of the top ranking officers stood before firing squads. Churchill told Stalin he'd rather be executed on the spot himself right then and there rather than be part of such doings. Stalin then said he was only joking, but Churchill, recounting this in his memoir, said he doubted it.

I'm holding my breath until President Harris is inaugurated. I'm hoping for the best, but can't help but feel nervous about the outcome.

Thanks for your post, and best wishes.