Wehrmacht Generals, West German Society, and the Debate on Rearmament, 1949-1959

Examining the fate of former German generals after the Second World War, this is one of the first books in English to utilize the extensive archival material now available on the West German rearmament debate. Focus is given to the role these generals played in military policy-making, in planning for democratic armed forces, and in public discussions on coming to terms with the National Socialist past. Alaric Searle uncovers proof that some former generals tried to bypass parliamentary control of the Federal armed forces, while others intervened to thwart those efforts.