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With Paulus at Stalingrad
Authors: Wilhelm Adam and Otto Rühle
Translated by Tony Le Tissier
Publisher: Pen & Sword Military Books
The saying goes that history is written by the victor but in the case of “With Paulus at Stalingrad” the tradition has been broken; this history has been written by someone on the losing side. Colonel Wilhelm Adam was Field Marshal Paulus' ADC during the encirclement and surrender of the the German 6th Army at Stalingrad. His memoir of the momentous events of 1942 and 1943, written during his retirement in the 1960s, chronicles the isolation, starvation and defeat of the army as it was abandoned to its fate by the German leadership.
The book, originally written in German, has been ably translated by Tony Le Tissier for an English-speaking audience. His translation is readable and flows well as he has balanced the needs of the translation against being faithful to the original text.
Wilhelm Adam, writing long after the war after a successful career in the East German government, has created a chronological memoir that reads like a contemporary diary. He has reconstructed conversations and the way he was feeling as if he was writing it at the time and has been largely successful in creating the impression of a contemporary diary. However, there are constant reminders that he is also writing with the benefit of a large helping of hindsight. Colonel Adam, following a period of captivity as a prisoner of war, changed his world view to become a fervent supporter of the Soviet regime and chose to return to the German Democratic Republic in East Germany. As a supporter of the Communist party, he went on to form a part of the GDR government.
Putting aside reservations about the memoir being written long after the events, this book reads like a diary. Adam charts the slow-motion catastrophe well, showing how the generals of the 6th army foresaw the risks to their flanks, requested permission to avoid encirclement, planned for a breakout and were ultimately abandoned to their fate. It is the hopelessness of their situation that comes through most strongly in this book as repeated requests to the German high command and Hitler himself failed to elicit the common-sense response that they expected. Their disbelief at the lack of action from headquarters, even though they sent multiple emissaries, highlights the 6th Army's impotence in the face of an irrational and dysfunctional leadership. The code of honour espoused by General Paulus, that a German officer must always follow his orders, is exposed as a folly for him and a tragedy for his men.
The tragedy that unfolds over the 286 pages of the book is viewed through the lens of a staff officer attempting to carry out his job as chaos overwhelms his army. The accounts of the terrible conditions faced by the wounded, the bitter cold that led to soldiers freezing at their posts and the suicides of those unable to continue are harrowing. Tragicomic episodes, such as the delivery of completely inappropriate supplies, such as a container of women's fur coats or batches of medals, add to the tragedy as the promised Luftwaffe air supply bridge fails to materialise. As Adam goes about his duties, he describes the deterioration of the army, seeing the starvation and hopelessness first hand from his privileged position. For the reader, it is almost a relief when Paulus is eventually forced to surrender, acting contrary to heavy hints that he is expected to kill himself. Adam can claim one of his few successes as he convinces Paulus that suicide would not be an honourable act.
In captivity, the German generals are treated well; the fate of the rest of the 235,000 prisoners is not explored here as the book remains focussed on the fate of the officers. Within the commander's circle, captivity becomes a mixture of boredom, personal development, petty intrigue and political machinations. Once in captivity, Adam and eventually Paulus are slowly convinced to join the Freies Deutschland movement, aimed at freeing the German people from the Nazi leadership.
The book is split into seven chapters with a few pages of well-chosen photos. Each chapter is split into short anecdotes or scenes, presumably a sign that this account was constructed after the event from a series of memories. Here I have some concerns about the retelling of conversations; how accurate are these likely to be after twenty years have passed? However, taken in good faith as a fair representation of the conversations taking place, they do help to recreate the emotions and opinions expressed by the officers.
The other aspect of this book that jars slightly is the gushing admiration expressed for the Russian regime as Adam charts his conversion to the Soviet cause. Whilst I have no reason to doubt his fervour, his recreation of the steps on his path to enlightenment feel contrived, as if written with hindsight rather than as a diary entry.
This is perhaps the essence of the book. It should be read as an extraordinary memoir rather than as a diary or a general account of Stalingrad. It is focussed on Wilhelm Adam's experiences of the war and ignores the wider context. Perhaps Adam would not have been so easily converted to the Soviet cause if he had known of the horrors his lower ranked compatriots were going through, with some 95% of soldiers and NCOs dying in captivity.
As it stands, this is a fascinating book that draws the reader in to the unfolding catastrophe through the eyes of a well-placed witness. Here honour and duty are still important whilst their men are struggling with more pressing matters of survival. As a study of German commanders under extreme stress, this book is a useful addition to the English-language
The book, originally written in German, has been ably translated by Tony Le Tissier for an English-speaking audience. His translation is readable and flows well as he has balanced the needs of the translation against being faithful to the original text.
Wilhelm Adam, writing long after the war after a successful career in the East German government, has created a chronological memoir that reads like a contemporary diary. He has reconstructed conversations and the way he was feeling as if he was writing it at the time and has been largely successful in creating the impression of a contemporary diary. However, there are constant reminders that he is also writing with the benefit of a large helping of hindsight. Colonel Adam, following a period of captivity as a prisoner of war, changed his world view to become a fervent supporter of the Soviet regime and chose to return to the German Democratic Republic in East Germany. As a supporter of the Communist party, he went on to form a part of the GDR government.
Putting aside reservations about the memoir being written long after the events, this book reads like a diary. Adam charts the slow-motion catastrophe well, showing how the generals of the 6th army foresaw the risks to their flanks, requested permission to avoid encirclement, planned for a breakout and were ultimately abandoned to their fate. It is the hopelessness of their situation that comes through most strongly in this book as repeated requests to the German high command and Hitler himself failed to elicit the common-sense response that they expected. Their disbelief at the lack of action from headquarters, even though they sent multiple emissaries, highlights the 6th Army's impotence in the face of an irrational and dysfunctional leadership. The code of honour espoused by General Paulus, that a German officer must always follow his orders, is exposed as a folly for him and a tragedy for his men.
The tragedy that unfolds over the 286 pages of the book is viewed through the lens of a staff officer attempting to carry out his job as chaos overwhelms his army. The accounts of the terrible conditions faced by the wounded, the bitter cold that led to soldiers freezing at their posts and the suicides of those unable to continue are harrowing. Tragicomic episodes, such as the delivery of completely inappropriate supplies, such as a container of women's fur coats or batches of medals, add to the tragedy as the promised Luftwaffe air supply bridge fails to materialise. As Adam goes about his duties, he describes the deterioration of the army, seeing the starvation and hopelessness first hand from his privileged position. For the reader, it is almost a relief when Paulus is eventually forced to surrender, acting contrary to heavy hints that he is expected to kill himself. Adam can claim one of his few successes as he convinces Paulus that suicide would not be an honourable act.
In captivity, the German generals are treated well; the fate of the rest of the 235,000 prisoners is not explored here as the book remains focussed on the fate of the officers. Within the commander's circle, captivity becomes a mixture of boredom, personal development, petty intrigue and political machinations. Once in captivity, Adam and eventually Paulus are slowly convinced to join the Freies Deutschland movement, aimed at freeing the German people from the Nazi leadership.
The book is split into seven chapters with a few pages of well-chosen photos. Each chapter is split into short anecdotes or scenes, presumably a sign that this account was constructed after the event from a series of memories. Here I have some concerns about the retelling of conversations; how accurate are these likely to be after twenty years have passed? However, taken in good faith as a fair representation of the conversations taking place, they do help to recreate the emotions and opinions expressed by the officers.
The other aspect of this book that jars slightly is the gushing admiration expressed for the Russian regime as Adam charts his conversion to the Soviet cause. Whilst I have no reason to doubt his fervour, his recreation of the steps on his path to enlightenment feel contrived, as if written with hindsight rather than as a diary entry.
This is perhaps the essence of the book. It should be read as an extraordinary memoir rather than as a diary or a general account of Stalingrad. It is focussed on Wilhelm Adam's experiences of the war and ignores the wider context. Perhaps Adam would not have been so easily converted to the Soviet cause if he had known of the horrors his lower ranked compatriots were going through, with some 95% of soldiers and NCOs dying in captivity.
As it stands, this is a fascinating book that draws the reader in to the unfolding catastrophe through the eyes of a well-placed witness. Here honour and duty are still important whilst their men are struggling with more pressing matters of survival. As a study of German commanders under extreme stress, this book is a useful addition to the English-language
Reviewed by Chris Stevenson
Follow Chris on Twitter @WW1TheGreatWar
Follow Chris on Twitter @WW1TheGreatWar