Soldat

Reflections of a German Soldier, 1936-1949

By: Siegfried Knappe, Ted Brusaw

Narrated by: John Wray

Length: 12 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

A German soldier during World War II offers an inside look at the Nazi war machine, using his wartime diaries to describe how a ruthless psychopath motivated an entire generation of ordinary Germans to carry out his monstrous schemes.

©1992 Siegfried Knappe Charles T. Brusaw (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Inside the other side

I've previously read accounts written by German soldiers who fought in WWII, but this was one of the more interesting and personal ones. As reconstructed from his diary and interviews, we learn that Siegfried Knappe was an unusually capable and dedicated soldier who managed to rise through the ranks, starting as a humble private in the pre-war years, and ending up as a general staff officer who was present at Hitler's bunker before the end. Along the way, he experienced different aspects of German military life in that era, from being a teenager in a labor/indoctrination camp (sort of a pre-boot camp to get young adults used to regimentation), to being a proud young officer in infantry school, to carrying out his duties in an artillery regiment during the invasions of France and Russia, to watching things turn dire for Germany as Hitler's insane decisions doom the army in Russia and allow the massive Soviet military to smash its way to Berlin. A grim epilogue follows as he endures several years languishing in a Soviet POW camp, albeit one of the less bad ones.

As with most of the other German accounts I've read, Knappe pleads ignorance about the extent of Nazi lies and atrocities (i.e. he knew of concentration camps, but not their murderous function), and expresses remorse for his role in enabling what initially seemed like a just war to most Germans, but crossed the line into a war of aggression and conquest. Chillingly, he observes, "would I have spend much time thinking about this if we'd won the war? Probably not." He doesn't spend a lot of time on self-recrimination, though, and talks more about the horrors of life under Communism (which seems understandable, given his POW experiences).

Readers looking for combat stories won't find more than a few here, but there were plenty of other details that interested me. I'm often curious about the technical details of how things work, and I thoroughly enjoyed the sections describing how German soldiers were trained and organized, which go against the popular stereotype of mindless stormtroopers. Sadly, although the officers were instilled with a strong sense of professionalism, it seems that many were so intent on restoring the national prestige shattered after WWI and avoiding a redo of the trenches, that it didn't dawn on them that they were being used by crazy people. At least, not until their lives were about to be thrown away. And I could easily relate to the emotional parts of the story, to Knappe's anguish at losing friends and his brother, and at knowing that he might never see his family again.

Also interesting were his perceptions of Russia, both while on campaign and as a prisoner. Like the US, the USSR seemed to see the Cold War on the horizon. Inside his camp, the Russians used all kinds of Orwellian methods to break and indoctrinate high value prisoners, and some did cave in and become tools for the Soviet Union, as perverse ambitions or deep-rooted shame came to the surface. What little he has to say about the US and Britain is favorable, though I wonder if he was pandering to his audience a bit.

All in all, a humanizing and fairly sincere portrait of the other side. It's impressive that Knappe even survived to tell his tale, but he obviously had a lot of good luck. 60 million didn't.

Audible note: this isn’t one of the better narrated works here. The reader just rattles off the text in front of him. Didn’t bother me much, though.

Enticing ...

There is no doubt that this is a remarkable story. A man situated at the right place at the right time? Perhaps not! Still, there is so much of information here from Siegfried Knappe. Even though he was not necessarily fighting house to house in Stalingrad or facing the D-Day landings from the cliffs, he was close to the major operations as an officer. Especially telling is the last days of the battle of Berlin and the fight to defend the last vestige of the Third Reich. I read that part atleast twice to understand the mental pressures of the last men standing. However, as with other memoirs of the German soldiers, it is troubling to always note the absence of knowledge of the holocaust. Numerous times, he briefly mentions momentous occasions such as Kristallnacht, or his memory of a Jewish friend. But it is unconvincing, atleast to me. Yet, it is about country, family, and honor that drives Knappe to the end. Problems aside, it is a remarkable piece of history.

Explains support of Hitler

The utter patriotism of the soldier fighting for his country and his brothers in arms without the knowledge of the atrocities his government was committing makes for a very important read. The propaganda that kept the soldiers fighting to the bloody end shows the power of the media. This is a powerful read that goes along way to explain why millions of people followed Hitler.

a soldier's diary

Certainly one of the best books on WWII that I've read. It's much more a soldier's diary than "a shocking look inside Hitler's war machine", although there is inevitably some of that. It follows Knappe from the end of high school through the army's battles - Poland, France, Italy, USSR, the final days in Hitler's bunker and Berlin, and his capture and imprisonment by the Soviets for the 4 years following the war. Along the way we glimpse the European countryside and German gentile culture, family life, love and marriage, as well as disillusionment and disbelief at the tragedy and horrors inflicted both by, and on, Germany.

Interesting book unartistically read

A fascinating story of a German officer who joined pre-war army and rose from an artillery commander to a general staff officer and ended the war in Berlin providing briefings in the Hitler Bunker. He was captured there and spent five years in a Soviet prison camp. Great details of the nuts and bolts of how the army functioned, especially the artillery, so it's very useful info on that account. Like most WWII German memoirs it is somewhat of an exculpatory tale that while logical, leaves one skeptical that throughout the war he knew nothing of the concentration camps greatest horrors or even of the atrocities committed on the Eastern Front. The latter could hardly have escaped his notice, yet his criticisms fall only on the Soviets' behavior. With that caveat in mind, the book is very informative and well-written. The audio version would be immensely more enjoyable had it been handled by a more competent reader with more artistic flair for the dramatic as well as greater grasp of the German language. He botches the pronunciation of several German terms used in the book, but overall his shortcomings were a minor irritant in an otherwise good book. I recommend it for anyone interested in WWII in Europe, particularly the Eastern Front though he served in France and Italy as well.

Enjoyable, informative and written with the precision of a German staff officer.

A highly insightful and accurate view of the experiences of a Wehrmacht staff officer from the beginning of his military career prewar to his liberation from the heinous communist Soviet Union. A gripping account of survival when so many good people (German soldiers) died by slavery or out and out mass murder.

Deliver us, O Lord, from this publisher!

Here's the Publisher summary:
A German soldier during World War II offers an inside look at the Nazi war machine, using his wartime diaries to describe how a ruthless psychopath motivated an entire generation of ordinary Germans to carry out his monstrous schemes.

This book contains the memoirs of a rising German officer and his experiences. He had access to the Fuerherbunker in the last days of Hitler's life. This much is true.

There is very little "discription of how a ruthless psychopath motivated and entire generation....".

Knappe had a remarkable story to share, and well worth reading. Like all memoires, what you get is "how I would like others to remember my life", and you have to take the unverifiable with a grain of salt - especially after his boasts of having told is Russian interrogators precisely what would paint himself in the best possible light.

However, the publisher evidently thought that a simple narrative would not suffice. Note the summary. I'm surprised every third word was not in boldface with multiple exclamation points.

Cheesy marketing copy would have just ellicited an eyeroll, however it's clear that the publishers interference went far deeper. The book opens with the section covering a couple of months in 1945. Granted, the action was the Battle of Berlin which would probably draw the most readers, but it was clear that this exerpt was simply plucked from the back half of the book and inserted at the front. There is no introduction, people who you would "later" meet in are mentioned by surname only, etc. There is no transition to the next section, which was obviously intended to be the first. Finally, there is also the gap, without transition, from the story leading to the Battle of Berlin across the chasm to Knappe's imprisonment by the Russians following his capture.

I found the later the most interesting, as Knappe's description of life as a Russian prisoner was much more compelling than his tangential connection with Hitler. Knappe lashes out against the collaborators among the other prisoners, their motivations, etc. He's also doesn't shy away from naming names.

FInally, there is a continuing thread in which Knappe's disenchantment with Hitler and the high command grows and periodically recalls the prophetic words of the ski resort owner he encountered in 1936 - that Hitler would lead German to ruin. It is up to other readers to sort out how much of that is fact, Knappe's revisionism, or a ham-fisted publisher's demand that it would tie everything together. I couldn't manage it.

Haunting

This is the morally vacant account of the experience of a very lucky German soldier in WW11. It is not particularly well written but I'm finding it unforgettable. This is the diary of a man who is clearly intelligent, yet seems to have never examined the morality of his actions. There's no remorse here, no sense of compassion, no sense that he every questioned what sort of human he had been, just a dry factual account of the war in all it's horror. He did what he was told. I found it terrifying.

Could not put it down. Narrator was great

I hesitated buying it because of the critical reviews saying the narrator was terrible. But I liked the sample, and so I bought anyway. I find the narrator is perfect for this book. If you enjoy the sample, I think you'll enjoy the rest of the book even more.

An incredible story

An incredible story of a soldier that saw action on all fronts. A unique perspective from the German side of WWII narrated tactically and skillfully. A great listen!