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Blood and Iron: From Bismarck to Hitler the Von Moltke Family's Impact on German History
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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 943.080922
EAN: 9780060927677
ISBN: 0060927674
Label: Harper Perennial
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 448
Publication Date: November 06, 1996
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Release Date: June 20, 2000
Studio: Harper Perennial
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Editorial Review:
In the turbulent history of modern Germany the name of Moltke has stood for military power and also enduring moral strength. In the Franco-Prussian War and then World Wars I and II, in each a Moltke was a key figure, culminating in the arrest and execution for conspiracy by the Gestapo of Count Helmuth James von Moltke, the great-great-nephew of Field Marshal von Moltke, who had defeated the Austrians, then besieged and conquered Paris in 1871, and made Germany the dominant power in Europe. The Field Marshal's nephew, Helmuth Johannes Ludwig von Moltke, was Chief of Staff of the German armies in 1914. With his armies on the Maine only twenty miles from Paris, he suffered a nervous breakdown and was removed from command. And Helmuth James, working for Admiral Wilhelm Canaris in German intelligence and leader of the underground resistance to Hitler, was arrested by the Gestapo and tried and executed for treason in the last months of the war. At every major crisis in more than a century of German history the von Moltke family has played a critical role. The history of the family is thus a way of perceiving and assessing the history of modem Germany. For the Germany of the von Moltkes was also the Germany of Bismarck and Hitler, Wagner and Strauss, Nietzsche, Mann, and Brecht. Friedrich's vivid and knowledgeable style makes this an absorbing historical chronicle full of characters and events on a broad canvas along with personal histories, anecdotes, and gossip within and without the corndors of power.
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Count Helmuth James Von Moltke the Martyr
This was an excellent book, easy to read but full of very good detail. The Franco-Prussian war was well done, and would make a good survey to move onto Michael Howard's book should one wish. The only flaw I noticed was that the Count seemed rather two dimensional. His early life was not described that well, and it was hard for me to get a handle on how he arrived at his opposition to the regime. But, highly recommended none the less!
Rating:  - Germany's interesting history as told through one family
It's a fascinating book that looks at one family's enormous impact on the history and psyche of Germany from the late 1800s through the WW II. Looking at three men from three generations of German (Prussian) nobles, you can trace the ascendency of Germany in the 1800s, its near domination of Europe during WW I, and then the seeds of its downfall during WW II.
I bought the book because I was moving to Germany and wanted to know more than the basic history known by most Americans. I found ... Read More
Rating: - From Bismarck to Hitler the Von Moltke Family's Impact on German History
Book in wonderful condition, very rapid delivery
Rating: - The field marshal, the 'nervous nephew,' and the martyr
In the relatively brief history of Germany as a unitary state (131 years old this year), few non-royal families have played as important a role as the von Moltke family. In a time when the 'sweeping family saga' is a popular fiction genre, the fact that this story isn't only true, but also extremely well written, should commend it to any reader with an interest in European history.
Of course, the von Moltke family's impact actually reaches back before the Reich into the history of Prussia. The first ... Read More
Rating: - The Good, the Relatively Good and the Mediocre
A recurrent feature of Hollywood war movies of the sixties and seventies was the "good German" - the anti-hero (often played by a Max Schell type, though James Mason as Rommel was another attempt) who, despite his allegiance, was essentially humane. Subsequent literature (e.g. Hitler's Willing Executioners) has largely exploded the myth that the Reich was riddled with conscientious objectors. Nevertheless, some Germans truly were on the side of the angels, and among them Helmuth James von Molke, ... Read More
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