201:
189:
25:
582:. Mellenthin blames Wehrmacht's defeat solely on the Soviet advantages in men and materiel, describing the Red Army as a "ruthless enemy, possessed of immense and seemingly inexhaustible resources". As the result, according to Mellenthin, the "endless waves of men and tanks" eventually "submerged" the supposedly superior Wehrmacht.
585:
Wehrmacht's adversaries on the
Eastern Front are consistently depicted in derogatory and racial terms, including in a section dedicated to the "Psychology of the Russian Soldier". According to Mellenthin, "Russian soldier" is a "primitive being", characterised by "mental sluggishness" and lacking a
133:
942:
535:, documents Wehrmacht's campaigns that he participated in. The book was reprinted six times in the U.S. between 1956 and 1976 and continues to be popular among readers who romanticize the German war effort. The veracity of Mellenthin's
927:
592:
was instrumental in forming the misconceptions which influenced the U.S. view of
Eastern Front military operations up to 1995, when Soviet archival sources became available to Western and Russian historians. The historian
947:
932:
601:
in the West as "a faceless and mindless horde" whose idea of military art was to "smash everything in its path through numbers, brute force and sheer size". Citino includes
643:
Schach dem
Schicksal. Ein deutscher Generalstabsoffizier berichtet von seiner Herkunft, seinem Einsatz im 2. Weltkrieg und seinem beruflichen Neubeginn nach dem Kriege
952:
937:
491:
Mellenthin surrendered to the
British Army on 3 May 1945 and spent two and a half years in an internment camp. After his release, Mellenthin emigrated to
558:
Critics point out that
Mellenthin tends to downplay Wehrmacht's failures while extolling the fighting qualities of the German soldier. The historians
42:
917:
566:
have characterized
Mellenthin's works as part of the "exculpatory memoirs" genre that fed the post-war revisionist narrative, alongside books by
810:
769:
89:
61:
840:
819:
798:
650:
624:
108:
957:
922:
68:
878:
477:
314:
280:
889:
870:
46:
788:
75:
543:
lists
Mellenthin in the group of German generals who authored apologetic, uncritical studies on World War II, alongside
398:
663:
324:
57:
637:
NATO Under Attack: Why the
Western Alliance Can Fight Outnumbered and Win in Central Europe Without Nuclear Weapons
319:
250:
35:
424:
401:
military operations up to 1995, when Soviet archival sources became available to
Western and Russian historians.
432:
222:
436:
851:
615:
548:
531:
520:
461:
449:
378:
360:
339:
605:
among the German officers' memoirs that are "at best unreliable and at worst deliberately misleading".
376:. A participant in most of the major campaigns of the war, he became known afterwards for his memoirs
82:
912:
907:
414:
329:
254:
481:
344:
262:
567:
304:
815:
794:
765:
646:
620:
783:
757:
645:. In: Soldatenschicksale des 20. Jahrhunderts als Geschichtsquelle. Bd. 11, Osnabrück 1988,
563:
552:
428:
309:
485:
469:
457:
334:
270:
194:
132:
844:
779:
571:
559:
544:
901:
597:
notes the influential nature of
Mellenthin's works in shaping the perceptions of the
594:
579:
540:
453:
156:
836:
508:
496:
492:
473:
441:
417:
was also a World War II general. In 1924, Friedrich von Mellenthin enlisted in the
373:
298:
266:
258:
240:
206:
176:
172:
397:
was instrumental in forming the misconceptions that influenced the U.S. view of
24:
575:
419:
410:
218:
539:
and other works has been called into question over the years. The historian
504:
390:
586:"religious or moral balance". He describes them as "primitive" "Asiatics".
616:
Panzer Battles: A Study of the Employment of Armor in the Second World War
943:
Officers Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
598:
465:
389:
genre that fed the post-war revisionist narrative, put forth by former
152:
619:. First Ballantine Books Edition (1971). New York: Ballantine Books.
500:
386:
841:"American Perspectives on Eastern Front Operations in World War II"
476:
in eastern France. On 28 December, Mellenthin was given command of
928:
German prisoners of war in World War II held by the United Kingdom
382:, first published in 1956 and reprinted several times since then.
423:; in 1932 he married Ingeborg von Aulock. He was assigned to the
372:(30 August 1904 – 28 June 1997) was a German general during
688:
686:
684:
18:
427:
in 1935. Between 1937 and June 1941, Mellenthin held several
448:
Until May 1944, Mellenthin served as chief of staff of the
484:. From March to May 1945 he was chief of staff of the
468:. In September 1944, Mellenthin followed Balck to the
354:
286:
276:
246:
236:
228:
212:
182:
162:
139:
123:
49:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
464:, and the spring 1944 retreat through the western
791:: The Nazi-Soviet War in American Popular Culture
762:The Wehrmacht Retreats: Fighting a Lost War, 1943
385:Mellenthin's works were part of the exculpatory
948:Military personnel from the Province of Silesia
814:. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press.
630:German Generals of World War II: As I Saw Them
933:Major generals of the German Army (Wehrmacht)
716:
692:
632:(1977). Norman: University of Oklahoma Press.
8:
764:. Lawrence, KS: University Press of Kansas.
507:in Africa from 1961 until 1969. He died in
452:in the occupied Soviet Union, under General
439:, where he served as a staff officer in the
858:
120:
435:; in June 1941, Mellenthin was posted to
109:Learn how and when to remove this message
793:. New York: Cambridge University Press.
680:
740:
728:
811:The Wehrmacht: History, Myth, Reality
704:
7:
47:adding citations to reliable sources
953:Recipients of the Gold German Cross
639:. Duke Press Policy Studies, 1984.
16:German general during World War II
14:
883:28 December 1944 – February 1945
480:, which was then engaged in the
199:
187:
131:
23:
938:Military personnel from Wrocław
918:German male non-fiction writers
34:needs additional citations for
890:Harald Freiherr von Elverfeldt
871:Harald Freiherr von Elverfeldt
1:
789:The Myth of the Eastern Front
529:, translated into English as
751:General and cited references
664:Myth of the clean Wehrmacht
635:R. H. S. Stolfi, E. Sobik:
325:Second Battle of El Alamein
974:
518:
320:First Battle of El Alamein
58:"Friedrich von Mellenthin"
885:
875:
866:
861:
717:Smelser & Davies 2008
693:Smelser & Davies 2008
425:Prussian Military Academy
130:
743:, pp. 204–205, 208.
515:Authorship and reception
370:Friedrich von Mellenthin
125:Friedrich von Mellenthin
923:German military writers
808:Wette, Wolfram (2007).
499:, worked together with
409:Mellenthin was born in
445:until September 1942.
549:Kurt von Tippelskirch
521:Panzer Battles (book)
450:XXXXVIII Panzer Corps
229:Years of service
958:Writers from Wrocław
415:Horst von Mellenthin
330:Battle of Stalingrad
43:improve this article
879:9th Panzer Division
482:Battle of the Bulge
478:9th Panzer Division
345:Battle of the Bulge
281:9th Panzer Division
263:XLVIII Panzer Corps
568:Erich von Manstein
525:Mellenthin's book
305:Invasion of Poland
896:
895:
886:Succeeded by
862:Military offices
784:Davies, Edward J.
771:978-0-7006-1826-2
758:Citino, Robert M.
431:positions in the
367:
366:
119:
118:
111:
93:
965:
888:Generalleutnant
869:Generalleutnant
867:Preceded by
859:
852:Panzerschlachten
848:
843:. Archived from
825:
804:
775:
744:
738:
732:
726:
720:
714:
708:
702:
696:
690:
564:Edward J. Davies
553:Waldemar Erfurth
527:Panzerschlachten
503:and represented
456:, including the
315:Balkans Campaign
310:Battle of France
223:Army (Wehrmacht)
214:
205:
203:
202:
193:
191:
190:
169:
149:
147:
135:
121:
114:
107:
103:
100:
94:
92:
51:
27:
19:
973:
972:
968:
967:
966:
964:
963:
962:
898:
897:
892:
882:
873:
835:
832:
822:
807:
801:
780:Smelser, Ronald
778:
772:
756:
753:
748:
747:
739:
735:
727:
723:
715:
711:
703:
699:
691:
682:
677:
672:
660:
611:
523:
517:
486:5th Panzer Army
470:4th Panzer Army
458:Battle of Kursk
407:
355:Other work
350:
349:
335:Battle of Kursk
295:
271:5th Panzer Army
269:
265:
261:
257:
253:
221:
200:
198:
197:
195:Weimar Republic
188:
186:
171:
167:
151:
150:August 30, 1904
145:
143:
126:
115:
104:
98:
95:
52:
50:
40:
28:
17:
12:
11:
5:
971:
969:
961:
960:
955:
950:
945:
940:
935:
930:
925:
920:
915:
910:
900:
899:
894:
893:
887:
884:
874:
868:
864:
863:
857:
856:
855:by Mellenthin.
847:on 2017-02-02.
831:
830:External links
828:
827:
826:
820:
805:
799:
776:
770:
752:
749:
746:
745:
733:
731:, p. 205.
721:
709:
707:, p. 234.
697:
695:, p. 111.
679:
678:
676:
673:
671:
668:
667:
666:
659:
656:
655:
654:
640:
633:
627:
610:
607:
603:Panzer Battles
590:Panzer Battles
572:Heinz Guderian
560:Ronald Smelser
545:Ferdinand Heim
537:Panzer Battles
532:Panzer Battles
519:Main article:
516:
513:
462:Battle of Kiev
413:; his brother
406:
403:
395:Panzer Battles
379:Panzer Battles
365:
364:
361:Panzer Battles
356:
352:
351:
348:
347:
342:
340:Battle of Kiev
337:
332:
327:
322:
317:
312:
307:
296:
291:
290:
288:
284:
283:
278:
274:
273:
251:III Army Corps
248:
244:
243:
238:
234:
233:
230:
226:
225:
216:
210:
209:
184:
180:
179:
170:(aged 92)
164:
160:
159:
141:
137:
136:
128:
127:
124:
117:
116:
31:
29:
22:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
970:
959:
956:
954:
951:
949:
946:
944:
941:
939:
936:
934:
931:
929:
926:
924:
921:
919:
916:
914:
911:
909:
906:
905:
903:
891:
881:
880:
877:Commander of
872:
865:
860:
854:
853:
846:
842:
838:
837:Glantz, David
834:
833:
829:
823:
821:9780674025776
817:
813:
812:
806:
802:
800:9780521833653
796:
792:
790:
785:
781:
777:
773:
767:
763:
759:
755:
754:
750:
742:
737:
734:
730:
725:
722:
719:, p. 90.
718:
713:
710:
706:
701:
698:
694:
689:
687:
685:
681:
674:
669:
665:
662:
661:
657:
652:
651:3-7648-1729-1
648:
644:
641:
638:
634:
631:
628:
626:
625:0-345-24440-0
622:
618:
617:
613:
612:
608:
606:
604:
600:
596:
595:Robert Citino
591:
587:
583:
581:
580:Hans von Luck
577:
573:
569:
565:
561:
556:
554:
550:
546:
542:
541:Wolfram Wette
538:
534:
533:
528:
522:
514:
512:
510:
506:
502:
498:
494:
489:
487:
483:
479:
475:
471:
467:
463:
459:
455:
454:Hermann Balck
451:
446:
444:
443:
438:
434:
430:
429:general staff
426:
422:
421:
416:
412:
404:
402:
400:
399:Eastern Front
396:
392:
388:
383:
381:
380:
375:
371:
363:
362:
357:
353:
346:
343:
341:
338:
336:
333:
331:
328:
326:
323:
321:
318:
316:
313:
311:
308:
306:
303:
302:
301:
300:
294:
289:
285:
282:
279:
275:
272:
268:
264:
260:
256:
252:
249:
245:
242:
239:
235:
231:
227:
224:
220:
217:
211:
208:
196:
185:
181:
178:
174:
166:June 28, 1997
165:
161:
158:
157:German Empire
154:
142:
138:
134:
129:
122:
113:
110:
102:
99:November 2012
91:
88:
84:
81:
77:
74:
70:
67:
63:
60: –
59:
55:
54:Find sources:
48:
44:
38:
37:
32:This article
30:
26:
21:
20:
876:
850:
849:A review of
845:the original
809:
787:
761:
736:
724:
712:
700:
642:
636:
629:
614:
602:
589:
588:
584:
557:
555:and others.
536:
530:
526:
524:
509:Johannesburg
497:Trek Airways
493:South Africa
490:
474:Army Group G
472:and then to
447:
442:Afrika Korps
440:
437:North Africa
418:
408:
394:
384:
377:
374:World War II
369:
368:
359:
299:World War II
297:
292:
287:Battles/wars
267:Army Group G
259:Afrika Korps
241:Generalmajor
207:Nazi Germany
177:South Africa
173:Johannesburg
168:(1997-06-28)
105:
96:
86:
79:
72:
65:
53:
41:Please help
36:verification
33:
913:1997 deaths
908:1904 births
741:Citino 2012
729:Citino 2012
293:See battles
255:Second Army
902:Categories
705:Wette 2007
670:References
576:Hans Rudel
495:, founded
420:Reichsheer
393:generals.
358:Author of
219:Reichswehr
183:Allegiance
146:1904-08-30
69:newspapers
675:Citations
511:in 1997.
505:Lufthansa
405:Biography
391:Wehrmacht
839:(1987).
786:(2008).
760:(2012).
658:See also
599:Red Army
277:Commands
213:Service/
466:Ukraine
411:Breslau
387:memoirs
232:1924–45
153:Breslau
83:scholar
818:
797:
768:
649:
623:
501:Luxair
460:, the
215:branch
204:
192:
85:
78:
71:
64:
56:
609:Works
90:JSTOR
76:books
816:ISBN
795:ISBN
766:ISBN
647:ISBN
621:ISBN
578:and
562:and
433:Army
247:Unit
237:Rank
163:Died
140:Born
62:news
45:by
904::
782:;
683:^
574:,
570:,
551:,
547:,
488:.
175:,
155:,
824:.
803:.
774:.
653:.
148:)
144:(
112:)
106:(
101:)
97:(
87:·
80:·
73:·
66:·
39:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
