The Hossbach Memorandum (Text)

[Hans Kloss]

This is why I did asked if anyone is familiar with the book itself since like you said review is not very convincing.

[nny]

Ludwig Becks comments on the Hossbach notes might also be of interest:

Ludwig Beck Handwritten Comments on the Hossbach Notes, 12 November 1937

Thomas Childers in "A History of Hitlers Empire, 2nd edition" mentions Beck and to a lesser extent the Hossbach memorandum. Beck was a major part in a growing military conspiracy against Hitler and the concept of 'aggressive war'. Beck and other German Generals in 1938 were against going to war over the Sudetenland for a number of reasons, 1 they thought the German military was not ready for war, 2 the Sudetenland is a mountainous terrain ideal for the defender (Czechs) and bad for the attacker (Germans) and the Czechs had a very good well trained army. 3 the thought was that if Germany attacked the Sudetenland Russia and France would come to her aid and the Germans would simply be annhialated. He discusses this in the context of the Munich conference, in which the allies 'abandoned' Czechoslovacia (Russia wasn't invited, nor were the Czechs), he states that if the allies had stood fast, a military coup may have ousted the Nazis then and there, in 38. After this I believe the Germans involved in the plot were as surprised or even more surprised (because of their grasp of the military situation of the Germans if the attack should occur) than everyone else. It was shortly after Munich that Beck resigned his post.

He also comments on the Hossbach memorandum, albeit briefly (paraphrasing) - "It was clear that Hitler wanted the military to plan for some sort of military action in the east, and that this action would probably bring them into conflict with France".