
Before the Downfall
Hitler's Years in the Wolf's Lair
Felix Bohr(Author)
Polity Press
1st Edition
Will be published approx. on 13. November 2026
Book
Hardback
254 pages
978-1-5095-7391-2 (ISBN)
Description
The Wolf's Lair: hidden deep in the forest of what is now northeastern Poland, this complex of concrete bunkers and barracks, once covered in moss and draped with camouflage netting, was one of the central sites of the Second World War. After launching his invasion of the Soviet Union, Adolf Hitler spent the vast majority of his time in this compound. It was here that the systematic murder of European Jewry was decided upon. It was also the site of Claus von Stauffenberg's failed assassination attempt on 20 July 1944, which the dictator survived with just minor injuries. And it is where Hitler, barricading himself away from the world, sank into depression and malaise after Germany's defeat at Stalingrad. But while many people may be familiar with the name, few people have a clear idea of the compound itself, and of the pivotal events that unfolded there over almost three and a half years.
Drawing on eye-witness accounts and newly available documents, Felix Bohr reconstructs the Wolf's Lair in vivid detail and shows what everyday life was like in this secretive and secluded compound. Some two thousand people lived in the complex, to which a cafe, sauna, brewery and cinema were added over the years. What can we learn about Hitler's personality from the first-hand accounts of secretaries, officers, cooks and servants? And how did the increasingly chaotic environment and the paranoid atmosphere in this isolated complex influence the decisions that were made there? Bohr's detailed descriptions provide a precise analysis of the upper echelons of the Nazi regime which, between strolls through the forest and regular teatimes, plotted Germany's gruesome crimes against humanity.
Drawing on eye-witness accounts and newly available documents, Felix Bohr reconstructs the Wolf's Lair in vivid detail and shows what everyday life was like in this secretive and secluded compound. Some two thousand people lived in the complex, to which a cafe, sauna, brewery and cinema were added over the years. What can we learn about Hitler's personality from the first-hand accounts of secretaries, officers, cooks and servants? And how did the increasingly chaotic environment and the paranoid atmosphere in this isolated complex influence the decisions that were made there? Bohr's detailed descriptions provide a precise analysis of the upper echelons of the Nazi regime which, between strolls through the forest and regular teatimes, plotted Germany's gruesome crimes against humanity.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Oxford
United Kingdom
ISBN-13
978-1-5095-7391-2 (9781509573912)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Felix Bohr is a historian and journalist.
Content
Prologue
Colossi
Daily life
1 Main command centre
Town forest
Construction
Arrival
2 Hitler
Christmas
Charisma
Leadership
3 Entourage
Birthday
Historian
Vinnitsa
Paladins
Rift
4 Daily Routine
Isolation
Mornings
Midday
Evenings
Teatime
5 Holocaust
Rumour mill
Himmler
Diplomats
6 Assassination attempt
Detonation
Retribution
7 Chaos
Obsession with detail
Confusion
8 Abyss
Sick notes
Disinhibition
Departure
Epilogue
Demining
Dynamics
Demystification
Acknowledgements
List of Illustrations
References
Notes
Index
Colossi
Daily life
1 Main command centre
Town forest
Construction
Arrival
2 Hitler
Christmas
Charisma
Leadership
3 Entourage
Birthday
Historian
Vinnitsa
Paladins
Rift
4 Daily Routine
Isolation
Mornings
Midday
Evenings
Teatime
5 Holocaust
Rumour mill
Himmler
Diplomats
6 Assassination attempt
Detonation
Retribution
7 Chaos
Obsession with detail
Confusion
8 Abyss
Sick notes
Disinhibition
Departure
Epilogue
Demining
Dynamics
Demystification
Acknowledgements
List of Illustrations
References
Notes
Index