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1938
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1938 Hitler’s Gamble
GILES MACDONOGH
A Member of the Perseus Books Group New York
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Copyright © 2009 by Giles MacDonogh Published by Basic Books, A Member of the Perseus Books Group All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. For information, address Basic Books, 387 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016-8810. Books published by Basic Books are available at special discounts for bulk purchases in the United States by corporations, institutions, and other organizations. For more information, please contact the Special Markets Department at the Perseus Books Group, 2300 Chestnut Street, Suite 200, Philadelphia, PA 19103, or call (800) 810-4145, ext. 5000, or e-mail
[email protected] Designed by Brent Wilcox MacDonogh, Giles, 19551938 : Hitler's gamble / Giles MacDonogh. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-465-00954-1 (alk. paper) 1. Hitler, Adolf, 1889-1945. 2. Germany—History—1933-1945. 3. Germany—Politics and government—1933-1945. I. Title. DD256.5M23 2009b 943.086—dc22 2009036684 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
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For Augi Wiedergefunden
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Ich ging dann nach draußen, wo die Sterne funkelten und die Abschüsse am Himmel wetterleuchteten. Die ewigen Zeichen und Male—der Große Wagen, der Orion, die Wega, das Siebengestirn, der Gürtel der Milchstraße—was sind wir Menschen und unsere Erdenjahre vor diesem Glanz? Was ist unsere flüchtige Qual? Um Mitternacht, bei Lärm der Zecher, gedachte ich lebhaft meiner Lieben und fühlte, wie auch ihre Grüße durchdrangen. — E r n s t J ü n g e r, December 31, 1942
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Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix
Prologue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1
January . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
2
February . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
3
March . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
4
April, May, June . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
5
July . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
6
August . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
7
Sept