We seek not to vindicate the Germans, but to humanize them. Most of us were born into the shadow of World War II and have no living memory of a time before it. I really hope this project will clear away the egregore of Hitler and the Nazis and instead give a look at the man and the people.
What Darryl's critics don't realize is that by a demystifying take like what he is doing, he can kill the egregore, and kill the all-consuming power that Hitler as our ultimate demon currently holds over our society.
No. Antifascism is the disease of which all the lies we are told about WW2 are the cause. WW2 has NOT been demystified if you walk away still believing in the anti-fascist religion which has been at the core of the post-WW2 political order.
Darryl, I was so grateful when you comped me a subscription a couple of years ago, and I am proud to have subsequently become a paid subscriber. There are very, very few Substackers I support with my tiny but precious moiety.
I cannot stand dishonesty and I hope The Free Press et al have the taste of ashes and sackcloth on the backs of their tongues forever and ever, etc. Alex Berenson greatly shrank in my regard over this.
It's been so many decades since I read Shirer's massive work, and I really only remember what he wrote of the terror of German women as the Soviets advanced. Did he touch on anything you write of in this series or was that an honesty too far?
I’ve always thought it would be a great history project for high school kids to research and write about what it meant to be a German or Japanese student during WW II. Their perspective (shaped by the governments) were much, much different than here in America.
"Churchill, Hitler and the Unnecessary War," by Buchanan. The last thing Hitler wanted was to bring down the UK; FDR however had quite the opposite intention. Buchanan makes a convincing case that Britain brought on a war that didn't have to happen, by virtue (well not really) of giving a "war guarantee" to Poland. Then there was Churchill's starvation blockade, the firebombing of Dresden, and so on. I'm less enamored with "the West" than I've ever been.
To be clear, there was another side who, with far more legitimacy, especially in hindsight, was fighting for a different vision of the West. At the end of the day, the function of all the lies told about the period are to prevent that vision from being studied and taken seriously.
Attention must also be drawn to the underlying Anglo vs Continental nature of these events. Anglos weren't the only causal factor but they were willing to destroy Europe before accepting that merchants can't rule a healthy civilization, which still is something they must come to terms with, or be made to, or else we will never move past the lies they tell to justify their allegiances with Europe's enemies.
The "enemy" font reminds me of a swastika. Well done. This is going to be a masterpiece.
Unfortunately, just to acknowledge that the "enemy" has a perspective, that millions of perfectly normal, dare I say "good," people can be drawn up in it...that will never be allowed.
The Propaganda War is the first war, the real war, and the only war. Everything else is just putting bullets through minds carrying the wrong propaganda.
Thanks for all this, by the way. I really enjoy the unbiased view of world history. I feel like I’ve been lied to my whole life. I mean I knew I was, but it’s kinda shocking when you actually see the proof.
I’ve been utterly fascinated by WW2 since high school, and specifically the eastern front. Despite the millions and millions of casualties it’s amazing there aren’t more first hand accounts. I think it mostly has to do with Germans being shamed post 1945, and Stalin sending everyone honest on his side to the gulags. I have a few books I’ve compiled (unread so far) but if anyone has a list by all means post it here.
Edit: Here’s what I have:
Blood Red Snow - the memoirs of a German soldier on the Eastern Front
By Gunter Koschorrek
Soldat - Reflections of a German soldier, 1936-1949
Siegfried Knappe
Sniper on the Eastern Front: the Memoirs of Sepp Allerberger
Albrecht Wacker
Panzer Commander: the Memoirs of Colonel Hans von Luck
Through the Maelstrom: A Red Army Soldier’s War on the Eastern Front, 1942-1945
Boris Gobachevsky
I am amazed at the lack of material from the soviet side. After all, war is written by the victors.
A limited bibliography of memoirs by ethnic German citizens of the USSR that survived deportation and special settlement.
Bachman, Berta, trans. Duin, Edgar, Memories of Kazakhstan: A Report on the Life Experience of a German Woman in Russia. Lincoln, NE: American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, 1983.
Bender, Ida, trans. Laurel Anderson, Carl Anderson and William Wiest, The Dark Abyss of Exile: The Story of Survival. Fargo, ND: Germans from Russia Heritage Collection, North Dakota State University Libraries, 2000.
Daes, Nelly, ed., trans. Nancy Bernhardt Holland, Gone without a Trace: German-Russian Women in Exile. Lincoln, NE: American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, 2001.
Toews, John B., ed., Journeys: Mennonite Stories of Faith and Survival in Stalin's Russia. Winnipeg, MAN: Kindred Productions, 1998.
I’M CONTENT TO DIE FOR MY BELIEFS
So cut off my head and make me a martyr.
No. They will forget.
Hell does exist.
God is a form. God is an idea ... But its reference is to something that transcends all.
No, they will forget
Why tear ourselves apart with this small question of religion?
Darryl, you’re the reason I joined Substack. Thanks for all you do.
We seek not to vindicate the Germans, but to humanize them. Most of us were born into the shadow of World War II and have no living memory of a time before it. I really hope this project will clear away the egregore of Hitler and the Nazis and instead give a look at the man and the people.
What Darryl's critics don't realize is that by a demystifying take like what he is doing, he can kill the egregore, and kill the all-consuming power that Hitler as our ultimate demon currently holds over our society.
As ForestRebel put it well recently: https://substack.com/@forestrebel/note/c-94371910?utm_source=notes-share-action&r=1mcpmt
Exactly.
In other words, Darryl is the real anti-fascist...!
No. Antifascism is the disease of which all the lies we are told about WW2 are the cause. WW2 has NOT been demystified if you walk away still believing in the anti-fascist religion which has been at the core of the post-WW2 political order.
Important to recognize that it isn't Hitler, but his opponents which wield that all-consuming power over our society. Make of that what you will.
Wish people looked at certain words that way.
Same here
I hope you plan on using some of these AI translation speeches throughout the series.
They will be used throughout, similar to how I spliced in the audio clips from Jonestown in God's Socialist.
What speech is used in the opening?
Thanks Darryl, when is the next one dropping from this series?
Darryl, I was so grateful when you comped me a subscription a couple of years ago, and I am proud to have subsequently become a paid subscriber. There are very, very few Substackers I support with my tiny but precious moiety.
I cannot stand dishonesty and I hope The Free Press et al have the taste of ashes and sackcloth on the backs of their tongues forever and ever, etc. Alex Berenson greatly shrank in my regard over this.
It's been so many decades since I read Shirer's massive work, and I really only remember what he wrote of the terror of German women as the Soviets advanced. Did he touch on anything you write of in this series or was that an honesty too far?
I am almost didn't want to like this post as it was at 88 when I opened the page.
I’ve always thought it would be a great history project for high school kids to research and write about what it meant to be a German or Japanese student during WW II. Their perspective (shaped by the governments) were much, much different than here in America.
Source on the music? That’s a maelstrom of wah pedal right there. Thanks for the trailer DC
Ratts of the Capital by Mogwai. Great band! You may also enjoy Godspeed You! Black Emperor.
Right on thanks. Further proof of my contention that the MM comments section is the best in all of Substack
And Martyrmade is a bargain, too! I pay more for several other Substacks that frankly don't compare nearly as well to Darryl's work.
I'm pretty sure it's the smartest, and will continue to think so until proven otherwise.
Godspeed released a full instrumental album dedicated to Gaza in October that is absolutely unmissable.
I'll have to check that out.
I'm sure they would all be mortified to discover they have fans in Darryl's comments.
Damn, good heads up. I missed that one.
I found Godspeed through God's Socialist.
"Churchill, Hitler and the Unnecessary War," by Buchanan. The last thing Hitler wanted was to bring down the UK; FDR however had quite the opposite intention. Buchanan makes a convincing case that Britain brought on a war that didn't have to happen, by virtue (well not really) of giving a "war guarantee" to Poland. Then there was Churchill's starvation blockade, the firebombing of Dresden, and so on. I'm less enamored with "the West" than I've ever been.
To be clear, there was another side who, with far more legitimacy, especially in hindsight, was fighting for a different vision of the West. At the end of the day, the function of all the lies told about the period are to prevent that vision from being studied and taken seriously.
Attention must also be drawn to the underlying Anglo vs Continental nature of these events. Anglos weren't the only causal factor but they were willing to destroy Europe before accepting that merchants can't rule a healthy civilization, which still is something they must come to terms with, or be made to, or else we will never move past the lies they tell to justify their allegiances with Europe's enemies.
'A nation of shopkeepers', eh? I'm none too fond of the British either.
The "enemy" font reminds me of a swastika. Well done. This is going to be a masterpiece.
Unfortunately, just to acknowledge that the "enemy" has a perspective, that millions of perfectly normal, dare I say "good," people can be drawn up in it...that will never be allowed.
The Propaganda War is the first war, the real war, and the only war. Everything else is just putting bullets through minds carrying the wrong propaganda.
End of March?! I can’t wait another month.
Thanks for all this, by the way. I really enjoy the unbiased view of world history. I feel like I’ve been lied to my whole life. I mean I knew I was, but it’s kinda shocking when you actually see the proof.
I literally pumped my fist and said “hell yeah!” loud enough for my wife to come in and ask what I’m so excited about.
I’ll never understand the folks who will choose uninformed outrage over viewing something so important as WWII from a different point of view.
Banger.
Looking forward to the next episode (and the freakout, of course).
This is so hype, can't wait for this!
How apropos, I was just listening to 'Deutschland' by Rammstein. I'm very excited for the next installment.
I was listening to 'Amerika' while reading this thread.
coca-cola, wonder bra...
And sometimes war.
I’ve been utterly fascinated by WW2 since high school, and specifically the eastern front. Despite the millions and millions of casualties it’s amazing there aren’t more first hand accounts. I think it mostly has to do with Germans being shamed post 1945, and Stalin sending everyone honest on his side to the gulags. I have a few books I’ve compiled (unread so far) but if anyone has a list by all means post it here.
Edit: Here’s what I have:
Blood Red Snow - the memoirs of a German soldier on the Eastern Front
By Gunter Koschorrek
Soldat - Reflections of a German soldier, 1936-1949
Siegfried Knappe
Sniper on the Eastern Front: the Memoirs of Sepp Allerberger
Albrecht Wacker
Panzer Commander: the Memoirs of Colonel Hans von Luck
Through the Maelstrom: A Red Army Soldier’s War on the Eastern Front, 1942-1945
Boris Gobachevsky
I am amazed at the lack of material from the soviet side. After all, war is written by the victors.
A limited bibliography of memoirs by ethnic German citizens of the USSR that survived deportation and special settlement.
Bachman, Berta, trans. Duin, Edgar, Memories of Kazakhstan: A Report on the Life Experience of a German Woman in Russia. Lincoln, NE: American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, 1983.
Bender, Ida, trans. Laurel Anderson, Carl Anderson and William Wiest, The Dark Abyss of Exile: The Story of Survival. Fargo, ND: Germans from Russia Heritage Collection, North Dakota State University Libraries, 2000.
Daes, Nelly, ed., trans. Nancy Bernhardt Holland, Gone without a Trace: German-Russian Women in Exile. Lincoln, NE: American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, 2001.
Toews, John B., ed., Journeys: Mennonite Stories of Faith and Survival in Stalin's Russia. Winnipeg, MAN: Kindred Productions, 1998.
Bloodlands
Gulag Archipelago
Red Famine
Gulag
Iron Curtain
White Pill
The Anti Humans
Excellent list but I was specifically referring to first hand accounts, so Gulag Archipelago yes but not Applebaum or Snyder for example.
Solzhenitsyn in general is an excellent author, although he came into the war late.