Мобилизованная нация: Германия 1939-1945

Николас Старгардт studies German life in the Second World War. He uses diaries and letters to trace how people felt. He follows their daily hardships through six years of war. He also shows how they came to face the Holocaust.

This history is for those who read about civilian life in war. It starts with Nazi plans to unite people behind Hitler after 1933. By 1939, these efforts shaped both home and public life.

Stargardt asks why many Germans thought they fought to defend themselves. Many thought this way but were not firm Nazis. They felt little joy at war, yet rarely asked why they fought. They blamed plots by the Allies and attacks by Poland. The book shows how they saw themselves as patriots who faced threats. They did not see themselves as serving Hitler's racial goals.