Recommended reading on the minor Axis nations

[Rivet]

Does anyone know any good books about the Finnish Winter War and Continuation War in English?

Its been some years, and by years I mean at least a couple decades, since I've read it, but for the first part of your question, you might check out A Frozen Hell: The Russo-Finnish Winter War of 1939-40, by. William Trotter.

[Rivet]

The Royal Hungarian Army in World War II, by Nigel Thomas, provides a good overview.

[tonyp]

Does anyone know any good books about the Finnish Winter War and Continuation War in English?

Its been some years, and by years I mean at least a couple decades, since I've read it, but for the first part of your question, you might check out A Frozen Hell: The Russo-Finnish Winter War of 1939-40, by. William Trotter.

Three sources I have in my e-library:

Finland's War of Choice: The Troubled German-Finnish Coalition in WWII (Henrik O. Lunde)
This was published in 2011. I have not read the entire book yet, but it's a detailed narrative in English and the same author also published a great read called Hitler's Pre-Emptive War: The Battle for Norway, 1940.

Department of the Army Pamphlet (PAM 20-271): Germany Northern Theater of Operations, 1940-1945
This was published in 1959 based on sources available at the time, so I would expect some inaccuracies based on information discovered and declassified in the years since. However, there is a decent section on operations in Finland.

Hitler's Arctic War: The German Campaigns in Norway, Finland, and the USSR 1940-1945 (Chris Mann & Christer Jörgensen)
This is an enjoyable read with a lot of great photos and maps. May be overly broad but worth checking out.

[Dr Eisvogel]

Ivica Šarac: Kultura selektivnoga sjećanja - Hrvati Hercegovine i Nezavisna Država Hrvatska. Od proklamacije NDH do talijanske reokupacije (travanj-rujan 1941.). [Culture of selective memory - Herzegovina Croats and Independent State of Croatia. From proclamation of Independent State of Croatia to Italian Reoccupation (April-September 1941)]

http://hrsvijet.net/plugins/content/ima ... 5d9fc.jpeg

Author is dr. Ivica Šarac, docent at History Department of Faculty of Philosophy, University of Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is the first part of planned trilogy.

Author uses comparative method and focuses on primary documents to reconstruct the events of 1941 after establishment of Independent State of Croatia (NDH) until September 1941, because it is these events that were the source of stereotypes recycled again and again in historiographies (Bosniak, Croat, Serb, Yugoslav Communist) during the following decades.

He starts with analysis of April violence between Royal Yugoslav Army and Croat/Muslim insurgents in which most of the casualties were inflicted on Croat and Muslim civilian population.

He notices a lull in violence between April and June 1941.

Author comes to conclusion that NDH authorities conducted different policies depending on faction in charge (Ustashe on one side and Special Commissioner for prefectures Dubrava and Hum, general Vladimir Laxa, on the other who resented Ustashe picking sides in long-standing Muslim vs. Serb conflict).

Šarac analyses June and August waves of violence conducted by NDH authorities as the by-product of different approaches/policies by Ustashe on one side and Home Guard/Gendarmerie on the other to disarm ethnic Serb population. Also, he analyzes autonomous actions of the local Ustashe militia units (Croat/Muslim) and finds that there were causal relations them between the two Serb uprisings, first at the end of June/beginning of July led by former Royal Yugoslav Army officers and pre-war members of Chetnik Associations and the second at the end of July/beginning of August led by Communists and Chetniks. In the mentioned two waves of violence most of casualties was inflicted on Serb civilian population.

The author analyses the provenance and profile of Ustashe organizers of terror.

He finds that Yugoslav Communist propaganda historiography about the leading role of Catholic clergy in Ustashe terror does not have a factual base in reality. He says that parts of clergy were involved in politics on NDH side, but not in the organization of terror.

The book has 383 pages, it was published in 2012. Publisher: Crkva na kamenu, Mostar. The archival records used are from Zagreb and from archives in Herzegovina. German-language and English-language literature was used.

[DenesBernad]

Volume 1 of 'Magyar Warriors', dealing with the history of the Hungarian armed forces between 1919-1945, has been published by Helion. Details here: http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... s#p1935445

[Sid Guttridge]

Hi Denes.

It looks very promising. I am definitely in the market.

One question -

In the taster pages on your link, one map has written beneath it, "At the end, the dismembered Hungary lost 67.12% of its territory and 58.2% of its population."

Does the text elsewhere go on to explain what nationalities this 58.2% of the population were? If so, does it offer only the Hungarian version of population statistics, or does it also offer comparitive Romanian/Slovak/Ukrainian,Croat versions of the population make up of the lost territories?

The history of East/Central Europe is riven by such nationalist disputes and how they are treated tends to give an idea as to the historical detachment of books.

Cheers,

Sid.

[DenesBernad]

One question -
In the taster pages on your link, one map has written beneath it, "At the end, the dismembered Hungary lost 67.12% of its territory and 58.2% of its population."
Does the text elsewhere go on to explain what nationalities this 58.2% of the population were? If so, does it offer only the Hungarian version of population statistics, or does it also offer comparitive Romanian/Slovak/Ukrainian,Croat versions of the population make up of the lost territories?

Hello Sid,

Thank you in your interest in the book. Definitively, you're one of the people I am really looking forward to reading comments of.

Answering your question, yes, I did include the ethnic composition of the Kingdom of Hungary prior to and after the war. See enclosed:

The history of East/Central Europe is riven by such nationalist disputes and how they are treated tends to give an idea as to the historical detachment of books.

I agree with you. I attempted to show all aspects of the story, not only the pure Hungarian view. I also avoided politically charged words, like 'liberation', 'occupation' of the disputed territories. I also used the place names and borders valid at the time of the described events, as I consider this as the fair and historically correct approach - even if it will generate negative reactions. However, I am certain people outside Hungary will voice their opposition to particular events described differently in their history books. But unfortunately it is not possible to avoid such criticisms (even attacks) when one deals with such a 'hot' topic as the recent history of Central and East European history, when the borders were pushed back and forth many times - see the anecdotes I included as footnote on page 42.

[Sid Guttridge]

Hi Denes,

A good response.

I look forward to reading it.

Cheers,

Sid.

[DenesBernad]

Hi Sid,
I am wondering if you had a chance to get your hands on the book. If yes, I'd like to hear your comments.
Of course, this is valid to other readers as well.
Dénes

[Sid Guttridge]

Hi Denes,

Not yet. I have to order sparingly due to finance limitations, but I certainly will.

Cheers,

Sid.

[Vic2014]

A book on Romanian armor from 1919-1947, with a heavy emphasis on WW2:

Trupele Blindate din Armata Romana 1919-1947
authors: Cornel I. Scafes, Horia VL. Serbanescu, Ioan I. Scafes
Print House: Oscar Print, Bucuresti, 2005, ISNB 973-668-084-3
format: 24x17 cm, soft back, 90 pages, 8 color plates, 49 b-w photos.

It is bilingual (Romanian and English) but the English text on history, operations, inventory is shorter than the Ro version.
Explanations for modelers (types, variants, camo and insignia) are similarly detailed in both languages.

[Karelia]

Does anyone know any good books about the Finnish Winter War and Continuation War in English?

Its been some years, and by years I mean at least a couple decades, since I've read it, but for the first part of your question, you might check out A Frozen Hell: The Russo-Finnish Winter War of 1939-40, by. William Trotter.

Three sources I have in my e-library:

Finland's War of Choice: The Troubled German-Finnish Coalition in WWII (Henrik O. Lunde)
This was published in 2011. I have not read the entire book yet, but it's a detailed narrative in English and the same author also published a great read called Hitler's Pre-Emptive War: The Battle for Norway, 1940.

Department of the Army Pamphlet (PAM 20-271): Germany Northern Theater of Operations, 1940-1945
This was published in 1959 based on sources available at the time, so I would expect some inaccuracies based on information discovered and declassified in the years since. However, there is a decent section on operations in Finland.

Hitler's Arctic War: The German Campaigns in Norway, Finland, and the USSR 1940-1945 (Chris Mann & Christer Jörgensen)
This is an enjoyable read with a lot of great photos and maps. May be overly broad but worth checking out.

Can't recommend Lundes book. For some reason he seems to have a chip on his shoulder for Finland.

[Messe62]

A COUPLE OF REALLY GOOD BOOKS....

Haynes, Rebecca; Rady, Martyn (2011). In the Shadow of Hitler: Personalities of the Right in Central and Eastern Europe

Sabrina P., The Independent State of Croatia 1941–45, New York: Routledge

Croatia Under Ante Pavelic: America, the Ustase and Croatian Genocide by Rob Mcormack....really good book...VERY PRICEY...LIKE 80 BUCKS.

[Messe62]

SOOMEONE ASKED ABOUT BULGARIA...

Bulgaria During the Second World War MARSHALL MILLER

Crown of Thorns: The Reign of King Boris III of Bulgaria, 1918-1943'

they are very good books.

[wahidovic]

Diaries" by Horthy - hear what turn Horthy himself puts on occasions. Must be perused with a grain of salt, similarly as with some other life account. He depicts himself as being hesitant to do battle with Russia, and as a Schindler-like figure who spared numerous Jews from unavoidable demise; both of these are just somewhat evident. He endeavors to "adapt" himself by alluding to the "port" and "starboard" sides of a vehicle, and stresses his proclivity for the Emporer Franz Joseph Hola VPN Private Internet Access NordVPN