Adolf Hitler | Vol. II | Downfall 1939-1945

Volume 2 of the much-praised Hitler biography – the path- way to war, the holocaust and decline

1939, the beginning of the Second World War, followed by the war of destruction in eastern Europe and the systematic mur- der of Jews. Which role did Adolf Hitler play in the dynamic that led to the greatest crime in the 20th century? Which characteristics of his personality were decisive here? How did Hitler use his power as supreme commander, which decisions did he take alone, which in consultation with the Wehrmacht leadership, with his generals? Volker Ullrich approaches these deciding questions cautiously, always on the basis of sources and literature. Once more, he manages to make the person Adolf Hitler palpable, while at the same time painting a por- trait of German society within National Socialism: it is only the interaction of both factors that allows the reader to un- derstand how it all happened – and which place Adolf Hitler occupies in history.