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3 - “Gott mit uns”

Blitzkrieg, 1939–1941

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 April 2023

Doris L. Bergen
Affiliation:
University of Toronto
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Summary

Chapter 3 discusses the war from the attack on Poland in 1939 to the invasion of Norway, the Low Countries, and France in 1940, and Yugoslavia and Greece in 1941. Chaplains accompanied Wehrmacht units wherever they went, and this period of Blitzkrieg, rapid German victories, proved formative for them. Germany’s conquests opened up new territory for chaplains, who seized the opportunities to assert their loyalty and prove their worth. They gained an enormous audience of soldiers and also ministered to Christian populations in conquered and occupied territories. Chaplains witnessed and got used to German attacks on civilians, such as terror bombings in the Netherlands, shooting of prisoners in Norway, and rampant abuse of Jews and destruction of Jewish sites in Poland. This chapter makes extensive use of chaplains’ periodic reports, submitted up the chain of command. A surprising number of reports refer to chaplains ministering to German soldiers condemned to death by military authorities. The Wehrmacht chaplains projected an image as heroic, battle-hardened men who strengthened the resolve of the troops and built bridges to the homefront, for instance by providing Christian burials.

Type
Chapter
Information
Between God and Hitler
Military Chaplains in Nazi Germany
, pp. 78 - 112
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

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  • “Gott mit uns”
  • Doris L. Bergen, University of Toronto
  • Book: Between God and Hitler
  • Online publication: 14 April 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108767712.005
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  • “Gott mit uns”
  • Doris L. Bergen, University of Toronto
  • Book: Between God and Hitler
  • Online publication: 14 April 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108767712.005
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • “Gott mit uns”
  • Doris L. Bergen, University of Toronto
  • Book: Between God and Hitler
  • Online publication: 14 April 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108767712.005
Available formats
×