Guderian's War Memoirs

Author: (German) Heinz Wilhelm Guderian / Dai Yaoxian
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-03-01
Features: The original title of this book is "Memoirs of a German Soldier." The author, Heinz Wilhelm Guderian (June 1888 – May 1954), was a German Field Marshal of the Nazi army and a war criminal of World War II. He was the founder of the German Panzer forces, and his military ideas and combat theories were a major component of the German Fascist "Blitzkrieg" theory. Before the outbreak of World War II, he served as the Chief of Staff of the German Army Transport Inspectorate and the Panzer Command, as well as the commander of Panzer divisions and rapid forces. In 1938, he led his troops in the annexation of Austria and the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia. During World War II, he held various positions, including Corps Commander, Panzer Army Commander, Panzer Army Group Commander, Chief of the Panzer Troops, and Chief of the General Staff of the German Army. He proposed that the Panzer troops were the "decisive role" in the army, with other branches in a supporting position, and the idea of concentrating Panzer units as a whole, forming the core of the "Blitzkrieg" theory. After Germany's unconditional surrender in May 1945, he was captured by American forces; he was released in 1948. In the book, he describes in detail the creation of the German Panzer forces and their use in World War II, as well as their lessons learned, clarifying his views on the use of Panzer troops, and commenting on the leaders of the Third Reich and the German military command structure. This war memoir is an invaluable resource for studying World War II, especially Guderian's "Blitzkrieg" theory. The author stubbornly maintains a Nazi stance in the book, accusing the invaded nations of tormenting the German people and glorifying the aggressive crimes of the Fascist German army, desperately trying to excuse and justify Nazi crimes. Readers are advised to carefully discern when reading.