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Interrogations: The Nazi Elite in Allied Hands, 1945

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"Interrogations" by Richard Overy is an important book concentrating on the question of prosecution of the perpetrators of Nazi crimes during the WWII during the Nuremberg Trials. The book additionally claims a few insights into the character of Hitler political and military leadership, organization of Nazi state, character of Hitler's minions and the effects of these structures of German people.

First half of the book concerns itself with some legal questions facing the Nuremberg trials, dealing mostly with the ambiguous nature of the tribunal as both legislative and judicial authority, questions of legitimacy of the trial and reconciliation of French and Russian "rational" legal traditions and precepts of Anglo-Saxon common law. Additionally, political problems and disagreements between the Allies on the nature of persecution (although not punishment) are presented in some detail. Later, main defendants and their careers are introduced and the narrative moves to the trial itself.

In the second half, one finds affidavits and interview records for major defendants dealing with the nature and character of leadership and decision making in Nazi dictatorship. Most of them deal with the enigma of Hitler and his hold on military, economic and ideological character of Nazi state. Familiar arguments of "psychological" hold the superhuman strength of Furhers character, and the personal nature of the power structures in Nazi Germany are presented.

Overall, I find the sections dealing with the nature and legal aspects of persecution the most interesting. Unfortunately, the book suffers from the duality of purpose; one could not expect the exhaustive treatment of both the legal issues facing the Allies and nature of War in the same volume. Ad-mixture of primary sources as the Appendix is useful, if however diluting of the main points. One has a feeling that those were added to increase the size of the book, since they lack extensive indexing and other research tools one expects from the professional book in history.

I guess most people ask themselves at some time, how do rational, seemingly decent human beings come to the point of sanctioning, organising and then carrying out the systematic destruction of around 11 million people, (give or take), with 6 million of them being Jewish? It is a tough one, and it is even tougher to understand, should one even want to try understanding it.

"Interrogations" by Richard Overy goes some way into seeing how those brought to trial at Nuremberg dealt with the reality of what they had done and how they tried to explain it. The book gives some background information on the charges brought against them, the people carrying out the interrogations and so on. There are a couple of chapters on individuals such as Goering, Hess and Von Papen. Other chapters are based on topical issues, like genocide, Hitler himself, and so on.

It is interesting the way which legal implications of the trials developed. One example is the way in which organisations themselves were deemed "criminal" and then anyone associated with them was open to arrest. The Nazi prisoners protested the move, of course.

Of the individuals, I found Goering the most fascinating, in the sense that he did not seem to attempt any avoidance of responsibility. Others tried to distance themselves, or in the case of Speer, tried to show himself as a neutral civil servant. Goering never seemed to do that, and just accepted his part in it.

People interested in the Nazi phenomena and the Holocaust of the Jews and other victims of the Nazi death camps, "Interrogations" is "essential reading", as another reviewer stated. Thoroughly engrossing and thoroughly recommended.

'Interrogations' brings some new light to the mode of thinking of many of the top Nazis. I have read both 'Nuremberg' by Persico and 'Nuremberg Diary' by Gilbert, and I feel that these books can all interplay with one another. 'Nuremberg' is the overall story of the trial and its main characters. 'Nuremberg Diary' takes us behinds the scenes, so that we see more of the psyche of the Nazis. And finally, this book, 'Interrogations', is a worthy prequel. These are the pre-trial interviews, an area that has been overlooked in the main by chroniclers of the war crimes trials. Here we get testimony concerning Albert Speer's alleged plot to kill Hitler and his cronies; the testimony of Robert Ley, which is often overlooked as he committed suicide before the trials began; and the mystery of Hess's 'amnesia.' Also, some sobering testimony from extermination camp guards, discussing how they hated working in the crematorium because of the smell, but they got used to it enough that they could eat a sandwich while working. Recommended.

While at times overwhelming in both size and scope, "Interrogations: The Nazi Elite in Allied Hands, 1945" is a necessary addition to works about the Holocaust. Richard Overy has done a tremendous job at organizing and summarizing the transcripts taken from Nazi war criminals during the Nuremberg trials. In Part One he clarifies history and sets the stage for Part Two, where the words of the guilty speak for themselves.

To even conceive of a trial of Nazi war criminals was a tremendous undertaking that faced the Allies towards the end of WWII. Knowing that Hitler and his ministers of evil would take the stand in court, they feared that his charisma could sway opinion and break through the flimsy-seeming charges. Perhaps the world was spared this circus event through the cowardice of Hitler and others of his entourage who took their own lives at war's end, but one has to wonder what it would have been like.

The Allies were able to cooperate and create a tribunal to try these war criminals, and spent hours interrogating them to find out their exact knowledge of Hitler and his plans. The flimsiest part of the charge was that of conspiracy to wage aggressive war - there were no documents to support any conspiracy charge, which intelligent and adept Nazi members in prison knew. Yet the Allies pressed ahead, knowing that some men would deny any knowledge, or blame everything upon Hitler or his other dead officers, and in at least one case, feign amnesia to disrupt the interrogations.

What comes across in Part Two of Overy's book is the brazen attitude of all of the men who were tried during this tribunal. Overwhelmingly, these men either denied their roles or took resolute pride in what they accomplished, downplaying the death figures or depicting themselves as turncoats trapped under Hitler's sway with no exit. It is chilling and insightful at the same time to read the testimony of these men, men who murdered millions nonchalantly and knew Hitler intimately. And even though the majority of these men were convicted and executed, it still feels as if justice has not been achieved for the terror that they perpetrated.

"Interrogation: The Nazi Elite in Allied Hands, 1945" is a disturbing and enlightening book. It collect the transcription of the interrogations, put to different Nazi leaders, very soon after they were captured and before they were submitted to trial.
The book address in the first part, the main issues with which the Allied were confronted, in order to mount a trial for the War Criminals. British, American and Russians, the French were incorporated later, had very different points of view and criteria as how to perform this. Who were to be indicted; which should be the charges; which will be the legislation used; who should preside the Court; who will conduct the defense; etc. These and other substantial points were being discussed even before the end of the war.
As soon as the peace was signed, all Intelligence forces started to search for the Nazi leaders. Some were captured without problem. Some committed suicide before being caught or immediately after. They were disseminated in very different kind of prisons and receiving different treatment. Finally agreement between the Allies is attained and a common list of War Criminals produced. Once they were all rallied in one prison, they were subjected to interrogation, with a standard protocol and rules.
The second part of this work centers on the transcriptions of these interviews.A very rich material emerges here. Curiously, much of it was not used in the trials, so it is little known to the great public.
From this notes, Overy, wisely select and present very significant excerpts to the reader. He grouped them thematically and adds some personal comments. Different personalities and strategies from the defendant are shown: Göring boisterous and unremorseful; Hesse faking madness; Ribbentrop trying to look confused, overwhelmed by Hitler's power; Speer pleading some guilt and penitence. A gallery of dubious characters trying to survive blaming Hitler and deflecting their guilt. The depositions of the responsible of the extermination camps are devastating: they really can not grasp the horror of what they have done.
A book to read in order to have some understanding of a dark period of Human history.
Lastly, the hardback edition is a very beautiful object in itself, first quality paper and printing is used.
Reviewed by Max Yofre.

There are a lot of Nazi wannabees in the world, and many of them claim that the Holocaust never happened, or more insidiously, that the Holocaust was "exaggerated" (whatever the blank that meants). There's a book of interrogation transcripts taken from Nazis after the war. It is not pleasant reading. I do wonder, in this age of PC, whether the public school system actually teaches about the Holocaust and the stupidity of Holocaust deniers.

Dieter Wisliceny, one of Eichmann's lieutenants, put the number of Jews exterminated at 4,817,700, based on personal recollection and while looking at a table (not reproduced) showing the numbers from this or that country or part of a country. He doesn't mention the Ukraine, where another 500,000 or more were killed by mobile SS units, or Germany, where his figure of 180,000 appears much too low. He does recount that Eichmann told him that Polish Jewry were the powerhouse for world Jewry and were to be completely exterminated. That amounts to over 3 million killed.

"I am convinced that with the exception of the few thousands of Polish Jews found alive in concentration camps, every single Polish Jewish individual has been killed." -- Wisliceny (p 368)

Another interrogation (more like a conversation) between two other people has the disturbing scene in which they begin to laugh as they recount how bad the area near the killing rooms smelled, but how it got to the point where one could eat a sandwich in there. That conversation ends with the man being interrogated saying that the only good thing that came out of the project was that a few million Jews were killed.

Dr. Robert Ley, a notorious and self-proclaimed anti-Semite wrote an open letter to the German people saying that the Jews and Germans had to make peace with one another, but he did so in such a slimy, unrepentant, ambivalent way that I got a little sick reading it. That [characterization deleted] killed himself in his cell rather than be tried for his criminal activities.

Other than the Holocaust, another subject somewhat illuminated by these transcripts is the conduct of the war, and the reasons behind some obvious tactical and strategic mistakes by Germany, most notably its failure to invade Britain and end the threat of a two front war. Hitler and others were concerned that the British Navy was too strong for Germany to invade. And yet, Germany opened up a second front before it was ready (if indeed it ever could have been) rather than prepare the UK invasion.

Keitel said that if the USSR could have been overcome by 1941 and forced to capitulate all would have been fine, and that he'd held that view at the outset. He also noted that Germany had only six divisions on the eastern front after the division of Poland, and that continuous guerrila warfare was going on, along with a massive buildup of Soviet forces, and increasing territorial and other demands that Hitler couldn't accept. Had the non-aggression pact not been signed, or Stalin's bluff ignored, the issue of a vulnerable eastern border wouldn't have arisen, and the overwhelming of western Europe including the UK could have gone forward. The Bismarck drew off much of the British naval strength, and that would have been the time to launch the invasion. Luckily for the world, Hitler didn't comprehend strategy, and actually didn't even comprehend tactics.

In short, this is highly recommended, but don't expect to be cheered up by it. It's a necessity to know one's enemy, and the Nazis and their current day apologists (including commentators in Middle Eastern media, where the so-called "myth of the Holocaust" is commonly believed) and comrades in arms are ours.

This book is essential reading for those who have read much of the European theatre of World War II and even more particularly of the Hitler regime. The transcripts of the interrogations and the submitted writings of Albert Speer alone make this book a must read- if you have read enough on these subjects you will recognize the source material the historians have relied upon, including Kershaw's excellent two volume biography of Hitler.

This book covers the gap between the end of WWII in Europe, with Nazi leaders either on the run or committing suicide, and the commencement of the Nuremberg trials. During this interim, a number of interrogations occurred with the principals determined to be culpable and subject to trial. It was very interesting to read the words of those closest to Hitler- Speer, Ribbentrop, Guderian, etc. Ribbentrop, especially, confirms his incompetence during questioning and it is not beyond belief that his defense of ignorance may in fact be true.

But it is Speer to whom the reader will recognize as the most intelligent and competent of the captured. He could not gain closer access to Hitler due to Boerrman in the later years and this may have proved to be a great tragedy for Germany. I will next read his "Inside the Third Reich" given this book.

Overall, an excellent contribution to the history of the Third Reich and highly recommended.

There has been much analysis of the deeds, motives and consequences of Germany's Nazis, some of it brilliant, some of it rubbish, much in between. But there is simply no substitute for their actual words.
Thanks to the exhaustive interviews conducted by the allies prepatory to the Nuremberg trials and the organizing and editing skills of Richard Overy, today's readers have easy access to many of those words.
"Interrogations" lays bare the banality of evil, the chilling hate and the mindless obedience of Nazi war criminals. They also present a comprehensive account of the workings of Nazi Germany, including the leadership of Adolph Hitler. More so then in his own writings, Hitler's architect, Albert Speer provides a richly detailed account of his and Hitler's activities and mindset.
Indeed the mindset of the various interviewees is compelling subject matter to ponder. Many seem to realize in retrospect what a terrible mistake they had made. They practically seem to be speaking of someone else as they openly discuss their participation in the horrors of the Nazi regime. The detestable Herman Goring is an exception suggesting no regrets about actions or beliefs.
The book is divided by subject matter, including genocide, perspectives on Hitler, the waging of War and Rudolph Hess. Those interrogated include Speer, Goering, Joachin von Ribbentorp and Alfred Jodl.
Overy does a masterful job of introducing the topics and the people, providing background and perspectives.
"Interrogations" is an important addition to the library of any student of World War II and of the Holocaust. It also stands well by itself as a fascinating study of human nature at its most destructive.

"Interrogation: Inside the Minds of the Nazi Elite" is a disturbing and enlightening book. It collect the transcription of the interrogations, put to different Nazi leaders, very soon after they were captured and before they were submitted to trial at Nuremberg.

This book refers in its first part, all the main issues which the Allied confronted, in order to mount a trial for the War Criminals.
British, American and Russians, the French were incorporated later, had very different points of view and criteria as how to perform this.
Who were to be indicted; which should be the charges; which will be the legislation used; who should be the Chairman of the Court; who will conduct the defense; etc. These and other substantial points were being discussed even before the end of the war.

As soon as the peace was signed, all Intelligence forces started to search for the Nazi leaders. Some were captured without problem. Some committed suicide before being caught or immediately after. They were disseminated in very different kind of prisons and receiving different treatment. Finally agreement between the Allies is attained and a common list of War Criminals produced. Once they were all rallied in one prison, they were subjected to interrogation, with a standard protocol and rules.

The second part of this work centers on the transcriptions of these interviews. A very rich material emerges here. Curiously, much of it was not used in the trials, so it is little known to the great public.
It is from these notes that Overy, wisely, selects and presents very significant excerpts to the reader. He grouped them thematically and adds some personal comments.
The different personalities and strategies from the defendant are shown: Göring boisterous and unremorseful; Hesse fakes his madness; Ribbentrop tries to look confused, overwhelmed by Hitler's power; Speer plead some guilt and penitence.
It is a gallery of dubious characters trying to survive by blaming Hitler and deflecting their guilt.
The depositions of the responsible of the extermination camps are devastating: they really can not grasp the horror of what they have done.

It is a book to read in order to have some understanding of a very dark period of Human history. I strongly recommend it to history aficionados and general public too.

Reviewed by Max Yofre.

It's a good read as history and for the legal intrigues but I wasn't warned about the macabre photos. Nonetheless it's well written and good reference material documenting that part of history.