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Juodasis edelveisas. Waffen-SS kario atsiminimai
Johannas Vossas Antrojo pasaulinio karo metais tarnavo 6-osios SS kalnų jėgerių divizijos „Nord� 11-ajame pulke „Reinhard Heydrich�. Knygoje „Juodasis edelveisas. Waffen-SS kario atsiminimai�, parašytoje Jungtinių Amerikos Valstijų kariuomenės nelaisvėje 1945�1946 m., autorius pasakoja apie tarnybą Waffen-SS gretose, į kurias įstojo 1943 m. pradžioje, būdamas septyniolikos, aprašo kovas su sovietais Karelijoje ir Suomijoje, su amerikiečiais � Vogėzuose, Mozelio bei Saro srityje.
Karo belaisvių stovykloje J. Vossas kurį laiką dirbo vieno JAV kariuomenės generalinės karo prokuratūros karininko raštininku ir turėjo priėjimą prie gausybės dokumentų apie holokaustą. Vis daugiau sužinodamas apie Waffen-SS narių dalyvavimą vykdant siaubingus nusikaltimus, autorius nusprendė giliai pažvelgti į savo sielą ir kritiškai persijoti kertinius ligtolinio gyvenimo įsitikinimus.
Karo belaisvių stovykloje J. Vossas kurį laiką dirbo vieno JAV kariuomenės generalinės karo prokuratūros karininko raštininku ir turėjo priėjimą prie gausybės dokumentų apie holokaustą. Vis daugiau sužinodamas apie Waffen-SS narių dalyvavimą vykdant siaubingus nusikaltimus, autorius nusprendė giliai pažvelgti į savo sielą ir kritiškai persijoti kertinius ligtolinio gyvenimo įsitikinimus.
296 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 2002
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
December 13, 2021
This was the personal account of a machine gunner who served in the SS-Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 11 Reinhard Heydrich, part of the 6th SS Mountain Division Nord. The story was written while when he was a POW held by the Allied forces. The narrative included how his upbringing, family interactions and opinions involving National Socialism, and the climate of 1930s Nazi Germany led to his ultimate volunteer for the SS at age 17.
Voss described his alpine/mountain warfare training and mobilization to the Finnish-Russian border above the Arctic Circle, the Karelia. Voss described a lot about his thoughts, the weather and conditions in Arctic warfare, and combat action that he encountered.
Overall the story focused on his thoughts and conscience while serving rather than combat. There are other books of this style that I enjoyed more like Obedient Unto Death by Werner Kindler. Thanks!
Voss described his alpine/mountain warfare training and mobilization to the Finnish-Russian border above the Arctic Circle, the Karelia. Voss described a lot about his thoughts, the weather and conditions in Arctic warfare, and combat action that he encountered.
Overall the story focused on his thoughts and conscience while serving rather than combat. There are other books of this style that I enjoyed more like Obedient Unto Death by Werner Kindler. Thanks!
July 18, 2021
Overall a useful addition to the war experiences of German troops in WWII, especially on the Russo-Finnish front.
The author provides some good insight into home-life and family before his days in action on the Russo-Finnish front and then latterly in the early 1945 actions against the US Army in the Saar-Moselle triangle. This then is interspersed with his thoughts as a PoW of the Americans and in the immediate post-war.
Joining the Waffen-SS in 1943 aged seventeen he served in the 11th Regiment, 6th SS-Gebirgsjäger Division “Nord�. They were deployed to and fought at the most northerly point of the Eastern Front close to the arctic circle. This then makes the author's story interesting from the action against the Russians; the geography, terrain and climate, including near perpetual light or darkness, to the Russo-Finnish treaty; and the Finns taking arms against their erstwhile allies and the retreat to Norway.
Whilst his unit were not engaged in any atrocities fighting with courage and conviction, I am less convinced by the author's suggestions he was wholly unaware of the treatment of the Jews/other persecuted people and indeed the holocaust. This aspect feels to my mind to be created by the author/publishers and goes against the wider now well researched recognition that the average German knew what was happening - that is not to say the author or all Germans agreed or supported, but it was inescapable on the home front, in conquered nations and for those civilians and military who supported and or knew the German troops of all designations deployed on the Eastern Front.
A book that is worth reading, leaving the reader to draw their own conclusions on the war and Nazism.
The author provides some good insight into home-life and family before his days in action on the Russo-Finnish front and then latterly in the early 1945 actions against the US Army in the Saar-Moselle triangle. This then is interspersed with his thoughts as a PoW of the Americans and in the immediate post-war.
Joining the Waffen-SS in 1943 aged seventeen he served in the 11th Regiment, 6th SS-Gebirgsjäger Division “Nord�. They were deployed to and fought at the most northerly point of the Eastern Front close to the arctic circle. This then makes the author's story interesting from the action against the Russians; the geography, terrain and climate, including near perpetual light or darkness, to the Russo-Finnish treaty; and the Finns taking arms against their erstwhile allies and the retreat to Norway.
Whilst his unit were not engaged in any atrocities fighting with courage and conviction, I am less convinced by the author's suggestions he was wholly unaware of the treatment of the Jews/other persecuted people and indeed the holocaust. This aspect feels to my mind to be created by the author/publishers and goes against the wider now well researched recognition that the average German knew what was happening - that is not to say the author or all Germans agreed or supported, but it was inescapable on the home front, in conquered nations and for those civilians and military who supported and or knew the German troops of all designations deployed on the Eastern Front.
A book that is worth reading, leaving the reader to draw their own conclusions on the war and Nazism.
August 2, 2011
This book probably speaks for the majority of German fighting men in World War II, January 19, 2010
I purchased this book as a source to peek into the mind of a Waffen SS soldier and determine whether his wartime experience supported the ridiculous stereotype handed down on these men over the decade: ruthless, evil killers fueled by nothing but pure hate. Sure, there is no shortage of evidence to the horrors that numerous members of the Third Reich inflicted upon Europe, but I've always found it naive to assume that those committing such atrocities represented even a majority of the men serving in the German military machine (like i don't view those responsible for Abu Graib or the My Lai Massacre representing the entire US Army).
I must say that I was pleasantly surprised with this memoir and finished it with a belief that Johann Voss, even as a member of the Waffen SS, seemed to be no different than any American soldier in the way he viewed and conducted his military experience ... doing his job and defending his country, politics aside.
Almost half of this book focuses on the author's life before joining the military. His childhood and home life were not rife with a fanatical devotion to all-things-Hitler and Nazi ideals, but more on the collective strength on each family member's individualism (from the Hitler-supporting sister to the outspoken anti-Hitler uncle). If anything, his time prior to joining the military was more about enjoying his youth, even with his father fighting with the German Army on the Eastern Front. His decision to join the Waffen SS was not a political decision, but more that of pride and personal challenge ... much akin to an American's desire to belong to the Rangers or SEALs.
Voss' duty in the northern sector of the Eastern Front near the end of the war gives the reader a glimpse into a theatre of conflict pretty much ignored. The combat he describes is not long and glorious, but short, hectic and blurry. Most of his military experience is about coping with deplorable winter conditions than combat. He describes his feelings about his former "brothers in arms" (the Finns) joining the ranks of the Soviets with understanding ... even through his unit's arduous retreat through difficult terrain and sub-zero weather to escape the Finns. The recollection of his final combat experience against Americans are effectively and vividly descriptive ... the reader can easily visualize the fighting. No medals, no glory, no hatred ... Voss portrays himself as a nothing more or less than a citizen soldier. Through the course of the book, he introduces us to individuals that have varying degrees of impact on him: family members, friends and comrades. By the end of the book, most all have been killed. As a POW he is faced with the atrocities leveled against the Waffen SS and must shamefully accept it's legacy. Nowhere in the book does Voss describe his unit participating in atrocities, but it is left to the reader to determine whether the author's wartime experience was "honorable" ... which is what I concluded.
Since the author wrote his memoirs during his stint as a POW, the book intermittently jumps from his recollection of events to "current" time (as a POW). Although that may be an annoyance to some, the breaks to his status as a POW give the reader a sense of intently listening to someone telling a story to the point where you feel like your witnessing the events with the author ... only to be brought out of the dream-like state by the phone ringing ... very effective.
I purchased this book as a source to peek into the mind of a Waffen SS soldier and determine whether his wartime experience supported the ridiculous stereotype handed down on these men over the decade: ruthless, evil killers fueled by nothing but pure hate. Sure, there is no shortage of evidence to the horrors that numerous members of the Third Reich inflicted upon Europe, but I've always found it naive to assume that those committing such atrocities represented even a majority of the men serving in the German military machine (like i don't view those responsible for Abu Graib or the My Lai Massacre representing the entire US Army).
I must say that I was pleasantly surprised with this memoir and finished it with a belief that Johann Voss, even as a member of the Waffen SS, seemed to be no different than any American soldier in the way he viewed and conducted his military experience ... doing his job and defending his country, politics aside.
Almost half of this book focuses on the author's life before joining the military. His childhood and home life were not rife with a fanatical devotion to all-things-Hitler and Nazi ideals, but more on the collective strength on each family member's individualism (from the Hitler-supporting sister to the outspoken anti-Hitler uncle). If anything, his time prior to joining the military was more about enjoying his youth, even with his father fighting with the German Army on the Eastern Front. His decision to join the Waffen SS was not a political decision, but more that of pride and personal challenge ... much akin to an American's desire to belong to the Rangers or SEALs.
Voss' duty in the northern sector of the Eastern Front near the end of the war gives the reader a glimpse into a theatre of conflict pretty much ignored. The combat he describes is not long and glorious, but short, hectic and blurry. Most of his military experience is about coping with deplorable winter conditions than combat. He describes his feelings about his former "brothers in arms" (the Finns) joining the ranks of the Soviets with understanding ... even through his unit's arduous retreat through difficult terrain and sub-zero weather to escape the Finns. The recollection of his final combat experience against Americans are effectively and vividly descriptive ... the reader can easily visualize the fighting. No medals, no glory, no hatred ... Voss portrays himself as a nothing more or less than a citizen soldier. Through the course of the book, he introduces us to individuals that have varying degrees of impact on him: family members, friends and comrades. By the end of the book, most all have been killed. As a POW he is faced with the atrocities leveled against the Waffen SS and must shamefully accept it's legacy. Nowhere in the book does Voss describe his unit participating in atrocities, but it is left to the reader to determine whether the author's wartime experience was "honorable" ... which is what I concluded.
Since the author wrote his memoirs during his stint as a POW, the book intermittently jumps from his recollection of events to "current" time (as a POW). Although that may be an annoyance to some, the breaks to his status as a POW give the reader a sense of intently listening to someone telling a story to the point where you feel like your witnessing the events with the author ... only to be brought out of the dream-like state by the phone ringing ... very effective.
March 27, 2017
The writing style of the book seems to lack something, much of the combat is glossed over, the author instead seems to spend more time examining the personal struggle of coming to grips with reality of his service and what his organization did during the war. Book itself is fairly short, just dont read this expecting any intense descriptions of combat on the Eastern Front or of Operation Nordwind. Its no 'Forgotten Soldier' or 'Blood Red Snow', the writing seems forced and doesnt flow too well.
July 4, 2017
Incredibly interesting story, written by a very eloquent and clearly intelligent young solider of the Waffen-SS. Have read plenty of WW2 solider autobiographies, but always from an US Army officer viewpoint; so this was really something different.
Black Edelweiss covers Johann Voss (real name Paul Karl Schmidt) and his life in service, beginning with his formative years growing up under the tyrannical National Socialist regime, and frames his ultimate decision (somewhat off-piste for him as he wasn't a card-carrying party member) to join and serve not in the regular army, but a combat SS unit.
His combat years in the arctic circle on the Finnish front were quite grim, and the endurance of hardships in the winter cold seem constant. But as final defeat looms, and Germany crumbled and collapsed around him, his greatest crisis emerges in dealing with firstly the pointlessness of it all, and secondly the discovery of how truly criminal the SS organisation was behind the front lines.
Here his existential struggle begins as he must reconcile his role as a combat SS soldier, who lost many close friends and sacrificed much for 'the cause', with a cause which is ultimately branded as evil, despite he and his unit not perpetrating the horrors which the SS is known for. In defeat, humilIation is added to unconditional surrender and total defeat.
"Ehre verloren, alles verloren." [honour lost, all lost.]
Five stars.
Black Edelweiss covers Johann Voss (real name Paul Karl Schmidt) and his life in service, beginning with his formative years growing up under the tyrannical National Socialist regime, and frames his ultimate decision (somewhat off-piste for him as he wasn't a card-carrying party member) to join and serve not in the regular army, but a combat SS unit.
His combat years in the arctic circle on the Finnish front were quite grim, and the endurance of hardships in the winter cold seem constant. But as final defeat looms, and Germany crumbled and collapsed around him, his greatest crisis emerges in dealing with firstly the pointlessness of it all, and secondly the discovery of how truly criminal the SS organisation was behind the front lines.
Here his existential struggle begins as he must reconcile his role as a combat SS soldier, who lost many close friends and sacrificed much for 'the cause', with a cause which is ultimately branded as evil, despite he and his unit not perpetrating the horrors which the SS is known for. In defeat, humilIation is added to unconditional surrender and total defeat.
"Ehre verloren, alles verloren." [honour lost, all lost.]
Five stars.
April 14, 2015
I guess it's fortuitous that I'm writing this review on the day that Günter Grass died. In any event, this firsthand account of a soldier in the Waffen S.S. who fought the "good war" (that is, mainly against the Russians, with no complicity in war crimes) was a fascinating account. Battle sequences are interleaved with scenes in which Johann Voss, stewing in a P.O.W. camp, reflects on his service. He wonders to himself if his comrades died in vain. He also spends a good deal of time pondering whether or not he was part of a criminal organization, rather than a band of brothers, due to the horrific behavior of the Waffen S.S. on the home front.
This book is essential, I think, to understanding the war from the German side, and it is also fascinating in that it raises more questions than it answers. The main question of the Second World War (or at least the Holocaust) is how much did the Germans know of the atrocities, and when did they know it? For years, international opinion held that the Germans were mostly oblivious to the systematic extermination program of the Nazis. As the years passed, and scholarship intensified, the consensus shifted to the opposite opinion, to the belief that the German people, for the most part, knew what the Nazis were up to from the beginning, and decided to turn a blind eye to the evils perpetrated by the Reich to which they swore loyalty.
Thus Voss's claims of obliviousness will rankle the sensibilities of those who refuse to believe the Germans (or at least some portion of the soldiers, engaged in fighting in the East) didn't know about the "Shoah" that Hitler and his henchmen perpetrated.
I'm giving this book a mixed review, ultimately, not because I doubt Voss's account (I don't), but because I believe the muddled chronology of the work, the shifting between the battlefield and the Prisoner of War camp, undermined a lot of the otherwise solid aspects of the book that I admired. I remember reading a piece by Michael Herr, in which he discussed the Stanley Kubrick film, "Full Metal Jacket," and it source material, "The Short Timers" by Gustav Hasford. Herr pointed out (as he paraphrased Kubrick) that the best war books were primarily confined to the business of fighting, and that those accounts that segued between home front and battlefield tended to be less effective than those accounts that focused strictly on the fighting. I concur with that view, and, while I admire Voss's desire to search his soul for an answer to the question of whether or not his service was entirely wasted, I would have preferred to read more about the battles in which he engaged. The bits he tells are fascinating, but, unfortunately, they don't add up to a complete picture, in this reviewer's opinion.
This book is essential, I think, to understanding the war from the German side, and it is also fascinating in that it raises more questions than it answers. The main question of the Second World War (or at least the Holocaust) is how much did the Germans know of the atrocities, and when did they know it? For years, international opinion held that the Germans were mostly oblivious to the systematic extermination program of the Nazis. As the years passed, and scholarship intensified, the consensus shifted to the opposite opinion, to the belief that the German people, for the most part, knew what the Nazis were up to from the beginning, and decided to turn a blind eye to the evils perpetrated by the Reich to which they swore loyalty.
Thus Voss's claims of obliviousness will rankle the sensibilities of those who refuse to believe the Germans (or at least some portion of the soldiers, engaged in fighting in the East) didn't know about the "Shoah" that Hitler and his henchmen perpetrated.
I'm giving this book a mixed review, ultimately, not because I doubt Voss's account (I don't), but because I believe the muddled chronology of the work, the shifting between the battlefield and the Prisoner of War camp, undermined a lot of the otherwise solid aspects of the book that I admired. I remember reading a piece by Michael Herr, in which he discussed the Stanley Kubrick film, "Full Metal Jacket," and it source material, "The Short Timers" by Gustav Hasford. Herr pointed out (as he paraphrased Kubrick) that the best war books were primarily confined to the business of fighting, and that those accounts that segued between home front and battlefield tended to be less effective than those accounts that focused strictly on the fighting. I concur with that view, and, while I admire Voss's desire to search his soul for an answer to the question of whether or not his service was entirely wasted, I would have preferred to read more about the battles in which he engaged. The bits he tells are fascinating, but, unfortunately, they don't add up to a complete picture, in this reviewer's opinion.
January 30, 2023
I read many first hand accounts of ww2 and this is one of the best.
The author finds himself in an allied pow camp wondering how he ended up serving in a “criminal organisation.� Knowing he started with the most noble of intentions, he goes back to his teenage years growing up in an upper middle class family in Nazi Germany and traces his story. It is this level of introspection which makes this book stand apart from your run of the mill military diary.
These events are now 80 years old. However, how good people miss all the signs and end up supporting despicable regimes is a lesson for our time as well.
The author finds himself in an allied pow camp wondering how he ended up serving in a “criminal organisation.� Knowing he started with the most noble of intentions, he goes back to his teenage years growing up in an upper middle class family in Nazi Germany and traces his story. It is this level of introspection which makes this book stand apart from your run of the mill military diary.
These events are now 80 years old. However, how good people miss all the signs and end up supporting despicable regimes is a lesson for our time as well.
December 31, 2018
The read was partly tough, not language or content wise, rather... choice of style. At times it felt forced and went over to abstract concepts without much of a warning. However content wise it included what it promised.
May 2, 2010
Quite an interesting perspective from a Waffen SS soldier who went into combat in Finland, then, briefly, against the American troops during Nordwind.
The book is, generally speaking, a recollection of the Author's actions as part of the 6th SS mountain Division, 3rd Battalion, SS mountain infantry Regiment 11. The major part of this unit deployment was in Finland, in Karelia (a rather remote, not widely known theater of operation to say the least), where Voss went through the hardship of arctic operations.
As the author realized the broader implications of the Nazi regime, he went through a severe soul-searching crisis to try to establish some sort of coherence and purpose for himself and his dead comrades. This is the inner core of the book, a tone that instills a sorrow of sort, because the author is obviously thorn between the sad realization that he was made the instrument of the Nazi evilness and the deep affection and sorrow he still harbors -quite understandably- for his fallen combat comrades.
Highly recommended.
The book is, generally speaking, a recollection of the Author's actions as part of the 6th SS mountain Division, 3rd Battalion, SS mountain infantry Regiment 11. The major part of this unit deployment was in Finland, in Karelia (a rather remote, not widely known theater of operation to say the least), where Voss went through the hardship of arctic operations.
As the author realized the broader implications of the Nazi regime, he went through a severe soul-searching crisis to try to establish some sort of coherence and purpose for himself and his dead comrades. This is the inner core of the book, a tone that instills a sorrow of sort, because the author is obviously thorn between the sad realization that he was made the instrument of the Nazi evilness and the deep affection and sorrow he still harbors -quite understandably- for his fallen combat comrades.
Highly recommended.
April 5, 2010
I've always had an affinity for the Finns & the events on the Finnish front. How many people even
know Finland was an ally of Germany?
I found this book a good read covering not just combat aspects, but many of the details of existing in the Arctic as well as the author's every day life leading up to the war. Interesting tidbits here and there, for example, when the Russians will probably occupy a village, they bury the church bell because the Russians would ship it back for scrap.
Includes maps that orient you to the action and 9 pages of pics.
I've always wanted to followup and read the '7 days in January: with the 6th SS Mountain Division in Operation
Nordwind, which would be another perspective on where this author's unit ends up after their retreat from Finland.
September 10, 2007
Besides the combat memoir, the author relates the reasons he joined the Waffen-SS (not the Allgemeine SS, which definitely are responsible for atrocities). He didn't want to fight a traditional European war of one Western nation against another. He wanted to specifically defeat Communism because it is totalitarian. Sadly, so was the nation he fought for. He was stationed mostly in Karelia (east of Finland) until 1944, then had to hike up to the Arctic Circle to Norway and down to around Oslo or so. After that, his light infantry units were wastefully sacrificed against American armor units to buy time. It's a short read. The lesson I took away from it is some Waffen SS soldiers were never evil; they just wanted to specifically kill Communists, not other Westerners.
November 30, 2018
I enjoyed the idea that this is a raw narrative from the mind of a man on the opposing side of the greatest conflict in human history, however I just couldn’t shake the feeling that it had been edited more than the author admits, and given the subject matter, and the authors allegiance to one of the most notorious fighting forces ever to exist, I completely understand why. My only wish is that he was more open about it. Perhaps I am wrong but that is the root of my 3 star rating.
April 15, 2013
Not your typical World War 2 memoir and a perspective that most Americans might not have been able to see before.
January 24, 2019
I’m half way through this and it’s an excellent book. I’ve read a few personal accounts of German soldiers in WW2. Up to know they have mainly focused on combat and all were Wehrmacht units.
I was sceptical about reading an SS book, partly because I was afraid I might enjoy reading about one of the most evil organisations to grace the planet and partly as it might be a pathetic attempt to justify national socialism.
However, I’ve the account to be honest. The author writes quite a bit about his unusual family where an uncle holds a British passport but is made nation less by the war. His indoctrination into national socialism, actually some really good illumination of the political basis of it and Hitlers philosophy.
I found this historically interesting and the arguments for standing up to Boleshivsm make the reason for war with Russia more understandable, something I’ve always struggled with.
His reasons for joint the SS and not the regular army are a bit glossed over, but taken into account how he was brainwashed into believing in Hitlers idea. There is a good insight into the waffen SS structure which appears far superior to the regular army, which may account for the effectiveness (and ferocity) of these units.
Most of these books reveal that they thought the war lost in 1942 and most weren’t Nazis, but they refer to a significant number of devote Nazis especially in the post war pow camps.
So far great book and glad he author was unafraid to publish. The more we understand how normal preople can get pulled into something horrific, the more likely we can stop it happening again.
BTW if you want gory combat read Tigers in the mud.
I was sceptical about reading an SS book, partly because I was afraid I might enjoy reading about one of the most evil organisations to grace the planet and partly as it might be a pathetic attempt to justify national socialism.
However, I’ve the account to be honest. The author writes quite a bit about his unusual family where an uncle holds a British passport but is made nation less by the war. His indoctrination into national socialism, actually some really good illumination of the political basis of it and Hitlers philosophy.
I found this historically interesting and the arguments for standing up to Boleshivsm make the reason for war with Russia more understandable, something I’ve always struggled with.
His reasons for joint the SS and not the regular army are a bit glossed over, but taken into account how he was brainwashed into believing in Hitlers idea. There is a good insight into the waffen SS structure which appears far superior to the regular army, which may account for the effectiveness (and ferocity) of these units.
Most of these books reveal that they thought the war lost in 1942 and most weren’t Nazis, but they refer to a significant number of devote Nazis especially in the post war pow camps.
So far great book and glad he author was unafraid to publish. The more we understand how normal preople can get pulled into something horrific, the more likely we can stop it happening again.
BTW if you want gory combat read Tigers in the mud.
August 22, 2022
Στον τίτλο του βιβλίου γράφει "Μνήμες πολέμου και συνειδήσεις", αλλά για συνειδήσεις δεν πολυγράφει. Εστιάζει στις στρατιωτικές επιχειρήσεις των ναζί στη Φινλανδία κυρίως, τυπικά και σχεδόν τριτοπρόσωπα, αν και κάπου περιγράφει και τον τιμονιέρη του πορθμείου που τους μετέφερε σε μία αποβάθρα: "Βλέπεις το βαρκάρη; ... Είναι ο Χάροντας που μεταφέρει τις φτωχές ψυχές στην άλλη όχθη του Αχέροντα. Ποιος είναι ο οβολός που θα του δώσουμε όταν έρθει η ώρα μας;"
Για το Ολοκαύτωμα δεν γράφει. Σε ένα κεφάλαιο μόνο αναφέρει για τα τρένα που μετέφεραν τόσες ψυχές στα στρατόπεδα συγκέντρωσης: "Τα ισχνά τους χέρια έβγαιναν από τα μανίκια τους, έτσι που φαίνονταν ακόμη πιο μεγάλα και τόνιζαν τις παρακλητικές κινήσεις τους. Ήταν ανθρώπινα πλάσματα που είχαν περιέλθει στο κατώτατο επίπεδο ευτεξελισμού. ... Αυτό που εκείνη τη στιγμή δεν ήταν παρά μια ασαφής αίσθηση, αποδείχτηκε σήμερα αληθινό: είχα ρίξει μια ματιά στην άβυσσο του κακού".
Ο συγγραφέας, τέκνο καλής οικογενείας και με καλή παιδεία, κατατάχτηκε ως εθελοντής στρατιώτης στα SS στα 17 του χρόνια. Δεν ήξερε, δεν γνώριζε. Στο τέλος του βιβλίου του όμως γράφει για τους νεκρούς εθελοντές συμπολεμιστές του: "Η υπόθεση για την οποία πέθαναν μπορεί να ήταν διεφθαρμένη και τα σύμβολα κάτω από τα οποία πολέμησαν μπορεί να ήταν ελεεινά, όμως η βαθιά τους αυταπάρνηση, η πίστη στην πατρίδα τους και η έσχατη θυσία τους είναι στοιχεία που από μόνα τους έχουν μια αξία, είναι το πνεύμα της νεότητας, χωρίς το οποίο ένα έθνος δεν μπορεί να επιβιώσει". Ορίστε;
Για το Ολοκαύτωμα δεν γράφει. Σε ένα κεφάλαιο μόνο αναφέρει για τα τρένα που μετέφεραν τόσες ψυχές στα στρατόπεδα συγκέντρωσης: "Τα ισχνά τους χέρια έβγαιναν από τα μανίκια τους, έτσι που φαίνονταν ακόμη πιο μεγάλα και τόνιζαν τις παρακλητικές κινήσεις τους. Ήταν ανθρώπινα πλάσματα που είχαν περιέλθει στο κατώτατο επίπεδο ευτεξελισμού. ... Αυτό που εκείνη τη στιγμή δεν ήταν παρά μια ασαφής αίσθηση, αποδείχτηκε σήμερα αληθινό: είχα ρίξει μια ματιά στην άβυσσο του κακού".
Ο συγγραφέας, τέκνο καλής οικογενείας και με καλή παιδεία, κατατάχτηκε ως εθελοντής στρατιώτης στα SS στα 17 του χρόνια. Δεν ήξερε, δεν γνώριζε. Στο τέλος του βιβλίου του όμως γράφει για τους νεκρούς εθελοντές συμπολεμιστές του: "Η υπόθεση για την οποία πέθαναν μπορεί να ήταν διεφθαρμένη και τα σύμβολα κάτω από τα οποία πολέμησαν μπορεί να ήταν ελεεινά, όμως η βαθιά τους αυταπάρνηση, η πίστη στην πατρίδα τους και η έσχατη θυσία τους είναι στοιχεία που από μόνα τους έχουν μια αξία, είναι το πνεύμα της νεότητας, χωρίς το οποίο ένα έθνος δεν μπορεί να επιβιώσει". Ορίστε;
August 6, 2021
An informative account of a Waffen-SS soldier's WWII experience.
A well written and detailed account of one volunteer of the Waffen-SS. Combining this memoir with others I've read I believe I have a fair understanding of the everyday fighting soldiers of this organization. I have read of the atrocities committed by certain regiments within the Waffen-SS behind the front lines on the eastern front and of course those working in the concentration camps like Auschwich, but those who were assigned to fighting regiments were superbly trained and ferocious fighters. I disagreed with the "blanket condemnation" of the organization as a whole. I have now read five separate memoirs, from a German, a Belgian, a Swedish, an Austrian, and a South Tyrolean. Separate stories, similar experiences, and a common fierce loyalty. I'm certain that some of these soldiers were aware of the atrocities that were taking place, but these were kids, 18-20 year olds, niave and impressionable. Condemn the leaders, not the soldiers.
A well written and detailed account of one volunteer of the Waffen-SS. Combining this memoir with others I've read I believe I have a fair understanding of the everyday fighting soldiers of this organization. I have read of the atrocities committed by certain regiments within the Waffen-SS behind the front lines on the eastern front and of course those working in the concentration camps like Auschwich, but those who were assigned to fighting regiments were superbly trained and ferocious fighters. I disagreed with the "blanket condemnation" of the organization as a whole. I have now read five separate memoirs, from a German, a Belgian, a Swedish, an Austrian, and a South Tyrolean. Separate stories, similar experiences, and a common fierce loyalty. I'm certain that some of these soldiers were aware of the atrocities that were taking place, but these were kids, 18-20 year olds, niave and impressionable. Condemn the leaders, not the soldiers.
June 6, 2020
Good story, based on a real life. Gives a good view into not only the mind and attitude of a Waffen-SS soldier, but the cultural mind of some of the German people of the 1930s and 1940s. Interesting views of combat training and combat from the German perspective.
Downplays the knowledge and understanding of the treatment of Jews, including the death camps and the Holocaust in general, however. Voss seemed to be using the ‘just following orders� mantra frequently.. some interesting dialogue, though, about the legality of the International Military Tribunal that prosecuted war criminals following the war.
Downplays the knowledge and understanding of the treatment of Jews, including the death camps and the Holocaust in general, however. Voss seemed to be using the ‘just following orders� mantra frequently.. some interesting dialogue, though, about the legality of the International Military Tribunal that prosecuted war criminals following the war.
August 14, 2017
A heart-felt and thoughtful telling of one young man's experiences all before the age of twenty-one. It is well written, easy to follow with ample explanation and maps. At times quite insightful and sometimes very personal and harrowing, both physically mentally, and morally. I would recommend this book.
Update 14.8.17 - The author mentions several times seeing and hearing geese as they were migrating during August. One night as I was laid in bed reading one of these passages, a flock of geese flew honking over my house on their long journey (I live in the north of England). It struck me as quite poignant and just a touch creepy.
Update 14.8.17 - The author mentions several times seeing and hearing geese as they were migrating during August. One night as I was laid in bed reading one of these passages, a flock of geese flew honking over my house on their long journey (I live in the north of England). It struck me as quite poignant and just a touch creepy.
August 21, 2023
I likhet med Guy Sajer sin bok er det et tykt lag med bitterhet over hele teksten rundt det faktum at hele SS ble fordømt som en kriminell organisasjon etter krigen. Voss er mer villig til og ta for seg konsentrasjonsleirene og einsatzgruppene enn det Sajer er, men også Voss bruker den samme begrunnelsen, forsvar av europa mot bolsjevisme, som en begrunnelse for å ha vervet seg i SS. Det er i det hele vanskelig å tro fullt ut på hans forsvar om å ikke ha visst noe om behandlingen av jøder og sovjetiske krigsfanger.
August 1, 2022
A solid account of the author's combat experiences (primarily) in Finland. Written as a young man, the author is very articulate as to why he joined the Waffen SS and believed combat veterans like himself unjustly criminalize by the actions of non-coms.
Recommended for those interested in German narratives and WWII in Finland in particular.
Recommended for those interested in German narratives and WWII in Finland in particular.
March 26, 2018
Fascinating account of the life of the common soldier on the Finnish/ Russian front and at the last the Western Front.
A very good account of the mind and experiences of the fighting Waffen SS soldier. The ones that spent the war on the front. Not behind the lines.
A very good account of the mind and experiences of the fighting Waffen SS soldier. The ones that spent the war on the front. Not behind the lines.
January 4, 2019
Exceptional memoir - Classic
Already a classic, fially took the time to absorb it - A must read - Felt too short, that the author had more to say, but in his own words, he said it all
Already a classic, fially took the time to absorb it - A must read - Felt too short, that the author had more to say, but in his own words, he said it all
April 15, 2019
Very Interesting
An excellent account of an SS soldier in the second world war. The thoughts , views and beliefs that troubled and strove him to carry on till the end. Very engrossing and well worth a read.
An excellent account of an SS soldier in the second world war. The thoughts , views and beliefs that troubled and strove him to carry on till the end. Very engrossing and well worth a read.
January 19, 2020
Really interesting to read the memoirs of a German soldier as documented whilst he was a POW. Most of the book features his time spent with SS mountain troops in Finland, a theatre of the war I knew very little about.
September 6, 2020
Exceptional
I was a little hesitant at first because this book was about an SS unit but it surprised me. It turned out to be an exceptional autobiography on an SS soldier who served his country without being involved in any war time atrocities. And it is extremely well written.
I was a little hesitant at first because this book was about an SS unit but it surprised me. It turned out to be an exceptional autobiography on an SS soldier who served his country without being involved in any war time atrocities. And it is extremely well written.
July 6, 2017
I enjoyed the blend of his battle experience and his battle of conscience in coming to terms with what the SS did at the concentration camps, Russia and on occasions at the front lines.
April 28, 2018
For those who came back and those who did not -- a tribute
Even as a combat vet I cannot begin to envision the suffering and motivations endured by all, victims and vanquished.
Even as a combat vet I cannot begin to envision the suffering and motivations endured by all, victims and vanquished.
February 15, 2019
Very good read about one of the lesser well known SS divisions. The author told a broad but riveting tale of disappointment, lost honor, and pure hell.
February 4, 2021
Definitely recommend this book
A lot of interesting personal and historical information. This account could be on a par with Guy Sajer Forgotten Soldier I read nearly 40 years ago.
A lot of interesting personal and historical information. This account could be on a par with Guy Sajer Forgotten Soldier I read nearly 40 years ago.
February 20, 2021
A full perspective
Getting this perspective on such a topic is absolutely necessary to understand the many dimensions and all encompassing nature of WWII. Well written and eloquently but simply put, this is a wonderful read.
Getting this perspective on such a topic is absolutely necessary to understand the many dimensions and all encompassing nature of WWII. Well written and eloquently but simply put, this is a wonderful read.
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