Edward B. Westermann Livres

In Drunk on Genocide, Edward B. Westermann reveals how, over the course of the Third Reich, scenes involving alcohol consumption and revelry among the SS and police became a routine part of rituals of humiliation in the camps, ghettos, and killing fields of Eastern Europe. Westermann draws on a vast range of newly unearthed material to explore how alcohol consumption served as a literal and metaphorical lubricant for mass murder. It facilitated "performative masculinity," expressly linked to physical or sexual violence. Such inebriated exhibitions extended from meetings of top Nazi officials to the rank and file, celebrating at the grave sites of their victims. Westermann argues that, contrary to the common misconception of the SS and police as stone-cold killers, they were, in fact, intoxicated with the act of murder itself. Drunk on Genocide highlights the intersections of masculinity, drinking ritual, sexual violence, and mass murder to expose the role of alcohol and celebratory ritual in the Nazi genocide of European Jews. Its surprising and disturbing findings offer a new perspective on the mindset, motivation, and mentality of killers as they prepared for, and participated in, mass extermination. Published in Association with the US Holocaust Memorial Museum.

In Drunk on Genocide, Edward B. Westermann reveals how, over the course of the Third Reich, scenes involving alcohol consumption and revelry among the SS and police became a routine part of rituals of humiliation in the camps, ghettos, and killing fields of Eastern Europe. Westermann draws on a vast range of newly unearthed material to explore how alcohol consumption served as a literal and metaphorical lubricant for mass murder. It facilitated "performative masculinity," expressly linked to physical or sexual violence. Such inebriated exhibitions extended from meetings of top Nazi officials to the rank and file, celebrating at the grave sites of their victims. Westermann argues that, contrary to the common misconception of the SS and police as stone-cold killers, they were, in fact, intoxicated with the act of murder itself. Drunk on Genocide highlights the intersections of masculinity, drinking ritual, sexual violence, and mass murder to expose the role of alcohol and celebratory ritual in the Nazi genocide of European Jews. Its surprising and disturbing findings offer a new perspective on the mindset, motivation, and mentality of killers as they prepared for, and participated in, mass extermination.

The manuscript examines the Soviet military's unsuccessful efforts to subdue the Afghan mujahideen during a nine-year occupation, highlighting the radicalization of their military strategy that led to a campaign of terror. It emphasizes the pivotal role of airpower in executing punitive operations, including bombardments and chemical attacks. The analysis reveals how a technologically inferior adversary compelled the withdrawal of a major military power, offering valuable insights into the limitations of airpower in counterinsurgency and its implications for modern military strategy.

The book explores Adolf Hitler's justification for his aggressive expansion in Eastern Europe by comparing it to America's westward expansion and the displacement of Native Americans. Edward B. Westermann critically analyzes Hitler's claims of historical precedent, examining the parallels drawn between Nazi ideology and American Manifest Destiny. Through this lens, the author assesses the implications of such comparisons on the understanding of both the Eastern Front and the Indian Wars, highlighting the colonial fantasies that shaped these violent histories.

Exploring the evolution of expeditionary police advising missions, this edited volume brings together insights from global scholars and practitioners. It highlights the surge in police force development efforts since the Cold War and emphasizes the importance of historical context, tracing the practice back to the late 19th century. By analyzing past missions, the book aims to uncover valuable lessons that can inform contemporary approaches to building modern police forces in various countries.

Air raid sirens wail, searchlight beams flash across the sky, and the night is aflame with tracer fire and aerial explosions, as Allied bombers and German anti-aircraft units duel in the thundering darkness. These scenes, as this text shows, point to a key aspect of the German war effort.