Myths, Amnesia and Reality in Military Conflicts, 1935-1945
Jan 2017 · Cambridge Scholars Publishing
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310
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About this ebook
Stalin fabricated the myth that the Germans carried out the Katyń massacre and the West accepted it while always suspecting the reality. In the same way, each country tried to forget the more painful memories of its past and construct its own mythology. The Germans were never taken to task at Nuremberg for bombing because the Anglo-Americans virtually carried out a war of annihilation. The French Gaullist myth was that it was decadent politicians who caused the defeat, and that fighting France freed itself. In a similar vein, the Italian resistance was fostered as a myth and used postwar to cover the fascist period of their history. British and American popular history tends to portray their countries as the main victors often ignoring the massive Russian contribution, and generally concentrates on the barbarity of the Eastern war. Much is forgotten and much enhanced; both incidents and leaders. The Italian military historian of this book writes in depth about the Italian war so often ignored in western history, and tackles the myth of Italian cowardice, while the British author takes a cold, calculated look at Anglo-American leaders such as Montgomery, Mountbatten, Clark, Patton, and questions the myth of the special relationship between Great Britain and the USA, as well as the official and unofficial amnesia relating to self-inflicted gas wounds in Italy.
About the author
The Revd Dr Andrew Sangster is the author of several history books, including a history of France 1936–1946 entitled The Agony of France; Diary of a Parish Priest, a history of England since 1184 written from the point of view of the Church; Field Marshal Kesselring, a reappraisal of this famous German commander; and Two and a Half Deserters, which studies the events leading up to desertion in the Italian campaign through the eyes of three nationalities. Of this last book, Sir Michael Howard wrote “I have seldom read anything that deals so well with the ‘underside of war.’” He holds a doctorate in Modern European History, and also has degrees in Law, Theology, English and History.
Dr Pier Paolo Battistelli is a military historian who completed his MA at the University of Perugia, Italy, and he received his doctorate from the University of Padua, Italy, with a thesis on the Italian-German military partnership in 1940–43. He is a scholar and professional researcher of the period 1914–1950 with a special interest in German-Italian military cooperation. His publications include Rommel’s Afrika Korps, Italian Blackshirts, and World War Two Partisan Warfare in Italy.
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