Tag: William L. Shirer

“This Is Berlin”: Radio Broadcasts from Nazi Germany – William L. Shirer

On By Genyc79In World War IILeave a comment

In December 1940, the late William L. Shirer (1904-1993), a CBS foreign correspondent stationed in Berlin, Germany, departed from the country and returned to his native United States of America. His exit was bittersweet for Germany had become a second home and Shirer’s voice become a part of history through his radio broadcasts emanating from inside the Third Reich. After successfully smuggling his notes out of Germany, he later compiled what became the ‘Berlin Diary: The Journal of a Foreign Correspondent, 1934-1941‘, which is a fascinating look into daily life in Germany as German Chancellor Adolf Hitler (1889-1945) took over the country and marched towards World War II (1939-1945). This was followed by the ‘End of Berlin Diary‘ in which Shirer returns to Germany following the war. I highly recommend both books which capture the war through the words of one of the best journalists to have worked in his field. This book is a collection of his radio broadcasts from Berlin during the period of 1938 to 1940 as the war inched closer and Hitler tightened his grip over the German people.

Following a brief introduction in which Shirer’s relationship with the late Edward R. Murrow (1908-1965) we join Shirer in Berlin where Hitler is drawing up plans to annex foreign territory to the German empire. The Broadcasts are brief but contained within are interesting details about the approaching war from the citizen’s point of view. The Nazi propaganda is on full display, and Shirer mentions himself how censors screened his broadcasts ahead of time. The official narratives became tightly controlled, and this undoubtedly due to the edicts of propaganda chief Joseph Goebbels (1897-1945), whom Shirer had previously met. However, Shirer did his best to report what he saw, and his broadcasts reveal the fault lines within Germany which would be exposed as the war dragged on. But for now, the Nazis had their narrative and were successful in making the people believe Germany was only defending itself against foreign aggression and that the war would be brief. The truth of course, was far darker and Germany learned a painful lessons as the Third Reich collapsed and Allied forces marched into Berlin in April 1945.

As the months go by, the grim reality of a long campaign settles in after initial Germany victories across Europe following the outbreak of the war on September 1, 1939. The war comes as no surprise to Shirer, who covers the increasing tensions with each broadcast. And the question as to how England would respond is answered quickly. The battle was on and Germany began its blitzkrieg across Europe. Shirer reports on them all as European countries succumb to the Germany military. However, while ground troops successfully marched across Europe, conquering England was not as easy as the Nazis believed, and the bombing campaigns from the air by each country increase with each riveting broadcast as th suspense builds. Shirer was a master at his craft, and the tension can be felt sharply as he reports on the developments. And his personal observations of Hitler’s speeches add a haunting aspect to the unsettling broadcasts.

As I read the transcripts, I noticed how effective Nazi propaganda was through the responses given to Shirer from his interviews of Berliners. They deeply believed that England was the reason for the war and that it would only last a few weeks. They would later be proved wrong on both points. And the luxuries of life they took for granted disappeared as the war heated up. But for Germany’s Jews, life became hell on earth and Shirer mentions new laws targeting the Jewish population, but none of the broadcast reveal anything about the concentration camps or the deadly policy known as the Final Solution. Frankly, I did not expect them to due to the requirement of approval Shirer needed from German censors prior to each session. However, what he does reveal is enough for readers to see that Jews would be blamed for everything wrong in Germany and even abroad. The Nazi propaganda about America’s involvement is a head scratcher. The attacks at Pearl Harbor were well over a year away and isolationism retained staunch support in America.

America’s entry into World War II occurred well after Shirer had returned home. Disillusioned with increasing censorship and deteriorating conditions inside Germany, he made his exit before the downfall of the Third Reich. Discussions about Hitler’s beliefs, his co-conspirators who are discussed within the book, and Germany’s defeat will continue for years to come. This August will mark eighty-one years since the surrender of Japan and end of the saga of World War II. But that does not mean the world cannot once again see the horrors which occurred between 1939 and 1945. Shirer’s books, diaries, and his broadcasts are both an examination and a warning of what happens when tyranny and evil are allowed to flourish. If you are a history buff or have a never-ending curiosity about World War II, this book is for you.

“Surely our job as American broadcasters is to report to you as objectively as we can the facts and the trends and the atmosphere we find in these nations of Europe. And having done that, let you draw your own conclusions. We are simply reporters.” – William L. Shirer

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07H17M78Y
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Rosetta Books, November 17, 2014

End of a Berlin Diary – William L. Shirer

On By Genyc79In JournalLeave a comment

In December 1940, American Journalist William L. Shirer (1904-1993) made his departure from Germany as World War II intensified. On September 1, 1939, the Germany military crossed into Poland and ignited the word conflict mankind has seen to date. After arriving back on United States soil, Shirer turned the journal he maintained while living abroad into the best-selling book ‘The Berlin Diary: The Journal of a Foreign Correspondent 1934-1941 ‘. The book is a fascinating first-hand account of the Nazi seizure of power in Germany and the road to war. Following Germany’s defeat in 1945, Shirer returned to the country to survey the damage inflicted from Allied forces. This is the journal of his time in Germany following the collapse of German Chancellor Adolf Hitler’s (1889-1945) Third Reich, the trials at Nuremburg and the final days of former Nazi party officials and military officers. 

The book begins with Shirer back home in America, traveling from city to city. However, Germany remains in his thoughts and soon enough he is on his way back to the country he left as World War II heated up. I can only imagine the emotions Shirer felt upon his return, but what he writes in the journal makes it clear that he is both shocked and saddened to see the physical condition of locations he once frequented. As I read, I could picture the devastation he confronted as he drove through streets which one held Hitler’s rallies, restaurants, and other meeting places for social interaction. The physical destruction comes as no surprise due to the relentless Allied bombings and infantry operations as American, British, and Soviet troops closed in on Berlin. But Shirer is focused on more than that and takes a deep dive into the secret Reich documents discovered which reveal the road to war planned by Hitler and his co-conspirators. 

As Shirer explores the documents, the diary takes on more of a history book format in which planning sessions and other meetings are examined. While this does not fit the typical format for a “journal”, it does have a place due to his accounts from the trials at Nuremberg where captured Nazi officials face justice. I did find the secret documents interesting, and there are revelations within them about Hitler’s true feelings towards the Japanese and Soviet Union. Further, they remove all doubt as to Germany’s intention to violate Poland’s independence. The looming war eventually begins and at first, Germany rides a wave of success. But the entry of the United States into the conflict and the decision by Hitler to turn on the Soviets, were the initial stages of failure in the downfall of Nazi Germany. The mistakes made by Hitler and the insanity surrounding his war planning are on full display, and by 1943 it was clear to many that Germany would lose the war. But the concluding chapter was still two years away. 

Among the documents he focuses on are statements by people in Hitler’s underground bunker who had knowledge of Hitler’s death and the movement of his remains. This is a long-discussed topic, and we may never know for certain, but the statements provided are interesting. The people interviewed are also certain that Hitler died in the bunker and did not escape to South America. Aviator Hanna Reitsch (1912-1979) was one of the last people to see Hitler alive and was firm in her statement that he died in the bunker. Her interview is included as well as Shirer pieces together the last moments of the Reich’s leader.  

Eventually Shirer makes his way to Nuremberg to witness the trials of the Nazi officials. His reporter skills kick into high gear as he notes the mannerisms and reactions of the men who plotted world domination and sent millions of Jewish people to their deaths. The list of characters is too long for this book and Shirer does not attempt to cover the entire trial in his journal. However, he provides enough for us to see the unsavory and ridiculous people who made up Hitler’s cabinet, and why power in the wrong hands is extremely dangerous. It should also be noted that Shirer had interacted with Nazi officials personally as Hitler rose to power. He is not merely an observer but someone who was very well acquainted with the defendants and encountered them regularly as he wrote the Berlin Diary. He was a witness to history and his return to Germany provided more than enough proof that leaving in 1940 was a wise decision. 

While I do admit the Berlin Diary is rated higher in reviews, I personally liked this follow-up. Further, it was never intended to be the final word on the Nazi story. However, Shirer did cover that extensively in his masterpiece ‘The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany‘, which I strongly recommend for anyone interested in Hitler’s rise, the war, and the downfall of his empire. If you have read the Berlin Diary or are curious as to what Shirer found when he went back to Germany, this book should be added to your list. 

“One more wise remark from Plutarch that seems deadly timely today. Of the machinations of Cæsar, Antony, and Lepidus, which finally brought Cicero to his doom, he remarks: ‘Thus they let their anger and fury take from them the sense of humanity and demonstrated that no beast is more savage than man, when possessed with power answerable to his rage’. ” – The Berlin Diary, William L. Shirer 

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07H185X8F
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Rosetta Books (September 6, 2016)

William L. Shirer: Twentieth Century Journey: The Start, 1904–1930; The Nightmare Years, 1930–1940; A Native’s Return, 1945–1988 – William L. Shirer

On By Genyc79In AutobiographyLeave a comment

shirer Quite some time has passed since my last post, mainly due to work matters and my being fully invested in finishing the book that is the subject of this review.  Originally, I had planned on reading this three-part autobiography by William L. Shirer (1904-1993) one book at a time but Amazon also offers them combined and I decided to take the plunge.  Shirer  is by far, one of my favorite authors and there was no way I could pass this one up.  Some of you may be familiar with him and recall that he is best known for his time as a CBS correspondent stationed in Nazi Germany during Adolf Hitler’s (1889-1945) rise to power. Upon returning to the United States, he moved to radio full time and lived the rest of his years as an author of historical non-fiction that has stood the test of time. 

At the onset, I did not fully appreciate the length of the material.  And to say that the e-book is a long would be an understatement.  But contained within is an incredible story by one of America’s greatest witnesses to history.  Up first is volume one called “The Start” and his story begins in the Midwest in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on February 04, 1904, shortly after the turn of the century.  America was a very different place and Shirer is a master storyteller who brings the distant past back to life, allowing us to re-live what it was like in a time before cars, planes and the modern technology we take for granted daily.  As Shirer tells his story, he reveals something about his family’s ancestry that would later be a source of irony in the book. To be more specific, Shirer explains: 

“The family name originally was Scheurer, a fairly common name in the German Black Forest region. Some time during the trek west it was Anglicized to Shirer. My grandfather attached no importance to the change, explaining to me once, when I asked him, that it was done mainly because the town officials and tradesmen mistakenly kept writing it the way they thought it sounded, and it was simpler to go along with them.” 

In a twist of fate, the author of German stock, would make his name famous by reporting on the atrocities of the Third Reich in his family’s fatherland.  But Germany was not his first destination as a foreign news correspondence. In fact, Germany was not even on his list of places to be stationed.  How and why he left the United States to work in Europe is fully explained and it is clear that from a young age, Shirer’s life was destined to be anything but ordinary.  It surely was a complex fate and Shirer sums up the turn of events in this passage: 

“I had come over to Europe for two months. As it turned out, I would remain there to live and work for two decades, experiencing and chronicling the remaining years of an uneasy peace, the decline of the democracies, the rise of the dictatorships, turmoil, upheaval, violence, savage repression, and finally war.” 

Shirer did return to the United States early in his career, but a meeting with Robert Rutherford “Colonel” McCormick (1880-1955) of the Chicago Tribune turned out to be more than he could ever expected and set him down the path that would take him back to Europe and finally Berlin, where he would witness the rise of Nazi Germany.  The first volume is a good and Shirer’s memories of his time in Europe wherein he convalesced with some of the greatest writers and stars are interesting.  Among the many stars who make an appearance are literary greats Sinclair Lewis (1885-1951), Gertrude Stein (1874-1946) and Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961).  Shirer is like a human recorder, observing everything and brining the past back to life through his words.  It becomes clear that Europe is a second home and a place more familiar to him than the United States.  And though he would eventually return home, the reader will begin to see that Europe is the place where the best is yet to come and his to Germany in the second volume called “The Nightmare Years”, is where we see the William Shirer that most of us will be familiar with.  

In the second volume, Berlin takes center stage as Hitler is ramping up the Germany war machine as part of his master plan to dominate Europe. But first, he moves to annex neighboring countries without the use of force and Shirer revisits each episode to explain how Hitler pulled off those feats and why no one moved to stop him.  It will make some readers wonder whether World War II could have been prevented as early as 1938. Hitler seized on the inaction of Britain and France, setting his sights on Poland. But this time, people did step in and the world went to war.  Shirer, who had left the Chicago Tribune in a weird series of events that is discussed in the book, was hired by legendary broadcaster Edward R. Murrow (1908-1965) to become the CBS Correspondent in Berlin. This change of fate placed Shirer at the scene of the crimes so to speak as the Nazi regime plotted and schemed its way to become a looming threat across an entire continent. 

His interactions with the German officials are particularly amusing and reveal the façade presented to ordinary Germanys by the Nazis who had assured them that Germany did not want war with anyone.  Reich Minister of Propaganda Joseph Goebbels (1897-1945) makes repeated appearances throughout the story and the full extent of his delusion is on display.  Shirer gives his analysis of Goebbels and the other characters in Hitler’s inner circle whose names are infamous in world history.  I believe Oscar Wilde had it right when he said “the world is a stage, but the play is badly cast”.  However, in Nazi Germany, the cast was not only but deadly to anyone deemed inferior or Jewish.  Shirer does not go into the issue of the concentration camps extensively and I believe to do so would have required a different book. But he does bring up the matter later on during the Nuremberg trials. This part of the story is focused on the rise, menace and fall of Nazi Germany but in a highly compressed format.  Also, Shirer and his family left Germany in 1940, five years before the Germany military surrendered to Allied forces. His return home and life after war are covered extensive in volume three titled “A Native’s Return”. 

Upon returning home, Shirer starts the process of becoming re-acclimated with his native land. I do not believe he ever imagined how his life would change as he re-settled in America.  He found a place on radio but his relationship with Murrow takes a strange turn and Shirer goes through the entire story of his departure from CBS. I have not heard Murrow’s side if he ever put it in writing or gave statements orally.  But, the influence of former CBS president William S. Paley (1901-1990) is clearly evident and cast a dark cloud over the events as they play out.  But Shirer does not stay down for long and moves through life facing adversity head on.  And one decision in 1954, changed his life and reputation forever. It was then that he decided to write his masterpiece, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany, a book that remains among my favorites.  What I found surprising through Shirer’s words is that originally, no one wanted to publish the book.  It sounds mind-boggling today but I can understand that in 1954, a book over 1,000 pages was not an easy sell and still is not.  But in writing that book, Shirer created the definitive account of the Third SS Reich.  

Following the success of the book, Shirer embark on another project about the French defeat in World War II, a book which I have added to my list.  That book’s creation and reception are explained and shows the extent of knowledge Shirer possessed with regards to the war.  As the third volume progresses, he offers his continuing commentary on historical events in American history from Watergate to the Iran-Contra scandal.  And his frankly discusses his personal problems including the relationship with his wife Tess and his heart problems in later years.  Incredibly, Shirer never stops moving and even fulfils is dream of seeing Russia.  A good recap of that trip is also included in Shirer’s signature writing style.  As the third volume winds down, Shirer provides an overview of his life and those of his closest friends who all meet their own ending in various ways.  It truly is an incredible story of a journey through a century that changed our world.  As an American, he was placed in a unique position observe the world and as a final reflection, Shirer closes the three-part series with this quote that I personally can relate to for a number of reasons: 

“It was a complex fate, maybe, as Henry James said, to be an American and one, I realize, not especially admired by some in other countries and other cultures, who perceived us as “the ugly Americans.” Still, as I wrote in the last line of the general introduction, I am glad it was mine.” – William L. Shirer 

B08L9JTCYQ

The Rise and Fall Of The Third Reich:A History of Nazi Germany-30th Anniversary Edition-William L. Shirer

On By Genyc79In World War II1 Comment

20180602_225945History always has many witnesses.   Audio, video, word of mouth and the written word serve as the recorders for the events that are occurring.  When Adolf Hitler began his rise to power, all of Europe and the rest of the world took notice.  Many of those nations never imagined that the menace from Austria would become Chancellor of Germany and unleash a wave of terror never before seen across the continent.  His climactic rise to power and fall is a case study that has been the subject of debates and discussions since the end of the Second World War in 1945.  Even today we continue to learn new facts about Hitler and secrets of the Third Reich.  William L. Shirer (1904-1993) lived in Germany as correspondent for CBS news and served as a first-hand witnesses of the rise of national socialism carried under the banner of Hitler’s N.S.D.A.P.    As the war in Europe unfolded, he returned to the United States and his memories of his time in Germany served as the basis for the Berlin Diary. During his residence in Germany, he had been censured by Nazi regime from speaking on air. Shirer took advantage of the time to start a book on the Reich, a book that became a masterpiece and the definitive account of the rise and fall of the Third Reich.

Hitler’s seizure of power by means of annexation of the smaller countries surrounding Germany showed to the world the true nature of his regime and the pending doom that awaited Europe.  By the time the war was over, nearly fifty million people had died.   Germany was split in half and became the center of aggression between the United States and Soviet Union.  The story of the Nazi empire has caused many to ask how did Hitler assume power and why did the German people give it to him?  And if the German military was as supreme as their leaders thought, why did Germany suffer defeat in a second world conflict?  The answers to these questions are contained within the pages of this book and Shirer provides a staggering amount of information about what really transpired behind the scenes hidden from the German public.  The book is divided into several smaller parts, each focusing on a different period in the war.   But the author covers the Reich from start to finish giving the reader a complete account of one of history’s darkest moments.

While the book is not a “official” textbook to be used by educators, I do think it should supplement any course material on the holocaust and the war. Shirer’s work is of critical importance and will remain with us for generations.  It is the go to source for the story of the Nazi reign.  All of the characters make an appearance in the story and some parts of the narrative are a bit comical as the Nazis simply make up the rules as they go along. But what is even more intriguing is the often opposing views taken by Hitler and his Generals. Many knew that a madman had seized power and was leading Germany down a path of destruction yet no one seemed to be able to stop the Austrian menace. Shirer once said that “the cardinal error of the Germans who opposed Nazism was their failure to unite against it”.  The Führer, seemingly one step ahead of those under him, often played subordinates against each other creating a climate of suspicion that undermined any efforts to remove him from power. And at his call, were a number of loyal Nazi party members all too happy to do the regime’s dirty work.

I cannot overstate the importance of this book.  To understand the machinations at play that pushed the German war machine forward, Shirer’s words are an invaluable source.  The book is by no means short, running well over one thousands pages.  But contained within those pages is the story that can never be erased.   The world has changed drastically since 1945.  Hitler’s ghost is still among as those loyal to the Nazi party, pledge their undying allegiance to an ideology that went down at the hands of Allie forces more than seventy years ago. His supporting cast of characters retain their places in infamy as part of a failed regime that based its foundation upon the idea of “Aryan supremacy”.   But unbeknownst to the Germany people, there was much that was hidden from them by Hitler, the man some came to love but many began to fear.  Had they known the truth about the Nazis, perhaps he would have been removed from power before the war reached its deadly heights.  We can only ask what if at this point about how things might have been.  But as we look back and study the war, Shirer is there with us reminding us along the way of everything that happened during the rise and fall of the Third SS Reich.

ISBN-10: 1451651686
ISBN-13: 978-1451651683