Joachim Peiper by Jens Westemeier A Review

[Dutto1]

Hi all,

I decided to purchase a copy of Joachim Peiper by Jens Westemeier after reading some of the interesting threads on this forum regarding the subject of Peiper s war crimes.I had purchased Patrick Agte s book many years ago which i enjoyed but realised that he had skipped the bits that would tarnish Peipers image-ie he only scratched the surface regarding Peipers relationship with Himmler.

The good news is that i enjoyed Westemeiers book it is a very good read with lots of useful footnotes at the end of each chapter to back his research.The book focuses on aspects of Peipers career that some won t like,the relavations about his time with Himmler were very interesting ,the witnessing of gassings,the rivalry within the LSSAH and the apparent lack of thought for POWS.The book is the complete oppoisite of Agte s book,its main aim is to demolish the myths about Peiper the man, commmander, and war criminal .

While i enjoyed the book there were aspects of the book i did not like,there was a tone in certain parts of the book Westemeier cannot hide his contempt for Peiper and the SS, Westemeier also wrote a bio of Peiper in 1996 in a more favorable light this i think robs the book of some of its objectivity.I am still not to sure about some of the facts regarding the Malmedy trial, the main points being the reliability of some of the wittnesses.

1.Hans Hillig testified that Peiper ordered him to shoot a prisoner.Hans Hillig receives 10 yrs in prison for admitting murder,it sound as if Hillig has accepted a plea bargain to testify against Peiper in return for not receiving the death sentence.

2.I feel that Westemeier does not clear up properly the circumstances in which confessions were obtained ie the widespread use of violence ,mock excecutions and torture was it as widespread as the ex SS Men say .

The book is not the final word on Jochen Peiper .Westemeiers book is for the prosecution and Patrick Agte book is for the defence if you read both it will give you a fuller picture of Jochen Peiper.I am looking forward to Danny S Parkers book coming out in 2011 hopefully this will be the book that hits the nail on the head regarding Jochen Peiper.

Dutto1

[krichter33]

None of the books on Peiper are objective. Agte's book is too much of a whitewash, while Westemeier's book is the complete opposite, both books fail miserably in obtaining any kind of objectivity. Hopefully Parker's book will be a proper, unbiased, and professional biography.

[bigun6605]

Excuse me folks...

Jens Westemeier has produced a tremendous account of Joachim Peiper. He has convinced me of Peiper's culpability and responsiblity for his (and his) units actions. As a former serving US Army officer I know only too well that a military commander is responsible for EVERYTHING HIS TROOPS DO OR FAIL TO DO. For example, the Japanese general who ordered the Batan Death March, had his headquarters only 500 meters from the march formation. In the War Crimes trial this was judged significantly close to observe his troops behavior. How far was Peiper from the massacre site? Close enough I think.

Also two additional sources from Col Westemeier book are typical. When the American forces demanded an explanation from the German government about Malmady, a rather tepid response came back from the 1st LLSAH. Second when Dr Klink (p 198) was attempting to write a biography of Peiper, he gave up. The facts were overwhealming that no sympathic account could be written of this officer.

My two cents worth

Al Cagle

[Dutto1]

Excuse me folks...

Jens Westemeier has produced a tremendous account of Joachim Peiper. He has convinced me of Peiper's culpability and responsiblity for his (and his) units actions. As a former serving US Army officer I know only too well that a military commander is responsible for EVERYTHING HIS TROOPS DO OR FAIL TO DO. For example, the Japanese general who ordered the Batan Death March, had his headquarters only 500 meters from the march formation. In the War Crimes trial this was judged significantly close to observe his troops behavior. How far was Peiper from the massacre site? Close enough I think.

Also two additional sources from Col Westemeier book are typical. When the American forces demanded an explanation from the German government about Malmady, a rather tepid response came back from the 1st LLSAH. Second when Dr Klink (p 198) was attempting to write a biography of Peiper, he gave up. The facts were overwhealming that no sympathic account could be written of this officer.

My two cents worth

Al Cagle

Hi Al,

I do not say anywhere in my small review that Westemeier,has not produced a good book.The research he undertook was OUTSTANDING ,but as i said the book had a tone to it,wether this was his publisher Schiffers fault i don t know.
Joachim Peiper as you say was responsible for the actions of his men at Malmedy and other places in the West and the East that is a fact.My main gripe with Malmedy is that i don t think the scentencing was fair regarding the Death penalty.
In the Allied forces the maximum punishment for killing POWs was life in prison i think that this should have been the case in the Malmedy trial,however men found guilty of murdering civillians should have faced the Death penalty.

Regarding bios of Peiper i think Danny Parkers upcoming book on Peiper will be the one book that gives a complete picture of Peiper his military career and his crimes etc,Agte and Westemeiers books both display opposite sides of the story.For me Westemeiers book was very good.

Regards Ron

[krichter33]

Speaking of Danny Parker's upcoming book, has anyone heard from him when it should be released???

[Dutto1]

Hi
The book will hopefully be out towards the end of next year.

Regards

Ron

[murx]

A Peiper-thesis (163 pages, USD 25.95) can be downloaded here:
http://www.stormingmedia.us/00/0078/A00 ... rms=peiper

Beginning of the End: The Leadership of SS Obersturmbannfuehrer Jochen Peiper
Authors: Han Bouwmeester;
ARMY COMMAND AND GENERAL STAFF COLL FORT LEAVENWORTH KS


SS Obersturmbannfuehrer Jochen Peiper was one of Germany's most colorful military leaders of World War II with an audacious reputation. The name Peiper will always be linked to the Malmedy Massacre, the death of Belgian civilians and more than seventy American soldiers, but there is still a myth around Peiper. Why was a twenty-nine year old Waffen-SS officer chosen to lead the German spearhead unit during the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944? Peiper was a special leader within the one of the most elite Waffen-SS divisions, the Leibstandarte-SS Adolf Hitler. Peiper was charismatic and extreme loyal to his unit. His men trusted him as a leader, even under the most extreme conditions. In Germany he was a well-known war hero. It was a logical decision that Peiper became the commander of the spearhead unit, but there were other factors leading to this decision: tactical considerations, a we-know-what-to- expect-principle, and Peiper was lucky that he was still alive and serving in the Waffen-SS.

[krichter33]

On Amazon.de, they seem to have listed a new 952 page book about Peiper by Westemeier. Does anyone know anything about this upcoming book? http://www.amazon.de/Himmlers-Krieger-J ... 339&sr=1-1

[Boby]

Is the published version of Westemeier Doctoral Dissertation at the Universität Potsdam:

"Jens Westemeier mit der Arbeit: "Himmlers Krieger - Joachim Peiper, Waffen-SS und Kriegsverbrechen" (15.06.2009)"

http://www.uni-potsdam.de/portal/nov09/ ... tionen.htm

[Harry64]

Hope he do not again miss the objectivity as in his second book about J. Peiper.

But I have my doubts, we will see if it is the next campaign against Peiper and the Waffen-SS.

I would not say, that many notes in his second book are incorrect, many passages are okay, but the conclusions he takes from the official documents displays his personal opinion and attitude.

He should be by the facts and proper sources, and leave their interpretation to the readers.

Harry

[Dieter Zinke]

See
http://www.schoeningh.de/katalog/titel/ ... 241-1.html

Dieter Z.

BTW: Otl. d.Res. Dr. phil. Jens Westemeier, actually visiting the West Point military history summer seminar, is writing the foreword for volume 6 of "Die Generale der Waffen-SS und der Polizei" by Andreas Schulz and myself, which will be published in autumn 2012.

[Harro]

But I have my doubts, we will see if it is the next campaign against Peiper and the Waffen-SS.

Unfortunately, simply stating the facts would also be considered "a campaign against Peiper and the Waffen-SS" by many because the simple truth about Peiper and the Waffen-SS is not the chivalrous Soldaten wie andere auch fantasy his admirers want it to be. Since Westemeiers new approach on the subject is a doctoral dissertation I think it is save to assume that it is much more balanced compared to the two previous publications.

[krichter33]

I really hope, as a doctoral dissertation, that it is more balanced than his previous works.

[rossmcpharter]

Does Westemeiers biography cover Peipers command of the panzer regiment in any detail?

[Rob - wssob2]

I really hope, as a doctoral dissertation, that it is more balanced than his previous works.

I think Westemeier's book is quite balanced. It's Peiper who was a war criminal and committed Nazi.

Not a message Peiper fans like to hear.

It tends to unbalance them.