Krigsoperationer og forsvarsoperationer

Den 17. september 1944 hørte generaloberst Kurt Student, grundlæggeren af Nazitysklands faldskærmstropper, det voksende brøl af flymotorer. Han gik ud på sin altan med udsigt over det flade landskab i det sydlige Holland for at se de allieredes Dakotaer og svævefly nærme sig. Og han kiggede misundeligt op på den massive demonstration af faldskærmstroppernes overmagt. Operation Market Garden skulle have afsluttet krigen ved at indtage broerne over Rhinens nedre løb. Det var en dristig plan, der slog fejl. Tabstallene var store, især for hollænderne, som satte alt på spil for at hjælpe. De tyske gengældelsesaktioner var ubarmhjertige og fortsatte, indtil krigen var ovre. Antony Beevor fortæller her den sande historie om kampene ved Arnhem. Det er en uforglemmelig og gribende beretning, der handler om meget mere end et enkelt dramatisk slag - den undersøger også, hvad krig egentlig handler om.

Antony Beevor beskriver den menneskelige og militære tragedie mere levende, præcist og veldokumenteret end det nogensinde er set før. Dette er ikke blot historieskrivning - det er virkelighed, og man er med helt ude ved fronten. Slaget om Stalingrad under 2. verdenskrig beskrives fra tyskernes første angreb i sensommeren 1942 til tilintetgørelsen af den 6. Tyske Armé og den tyske overgivelse i februar 1943. Beevor gør også rede for optakten: de tyske krigsforberedelser og lynkrigsoffensiven med Sovjetunionen sommeren 1941.

Genudgivelse i hardback. 1864. SLAGTEBÆNK DYBBØL er en medrivende og velkomponeret fortælling om en skelsættende begivenhed i dansk historie. Vi får selvfølgelig den politiske optakt til krigen og til slaget den 18. april, men det hele er set og fortalt fra de involveredes perspektiv. Her optræder både den menige soldat, den excentriske general, de ansvarlige politikere og de sørgende pårørende. Og jo tættere vi kommer på selve slaget, desto mere snævres perspektivet ind, til man som læser til sidst ligger nede i skyttegraven ved siden af de dødsdømte soldater. Slagtebænk Dybbøl er medrivende historieskrivning med vægten lagt på den gode historie. Bogens fortælling suppleres af originale sorthvide fotos fra fronten. 1864. SLAGTEBÆNK DYBBØL efterfølges af 1864. DOMMEDAG ALS. Instruktøren og manuskriptforfatteren Ole Bornedals tv-serie og biograffilm 1864 bliver vist fra efteråret 2014 og er inspireret af SLAGTEBÆNK DYBBØL og DOMMEDAG ALS.

Den 16. december 1944 satte Hitler sin sidste offensiv ind i Ardennernes sneklædte skove og kløfter på grænsen mellem Belgien og Tyskland. Han troede, at de tyske tropper kunne nå hele vejen til Antwerpen og dermed skyde en kile ind mellem de allierede. Hitlers egne generaler tvivlede på planens chance for succes. De yngre officerer derimod var parat til at kæmpe, drevet af desperation efter at redde deres hjem og familier fra den hævntørstige Røde Hær, der nærmede sig fra øst. Ardenneroffensiven fra december 1944 til januar 1945 blev med mere end en million involverede soldater anden verdenskrigs største vesteuropæiske slag. Den barske vinter og kampenes vildskab mindede i uhyggelig grad om kampene på østfronten. Efter massakrer begået af Waffen-SS-soldater billigede selv de amerikanske generaler, at deres soldater skød tyskere, der overgav sig. Offensiven i Ardennerne blev det slag, som endegyldigt knækkede den tyske værnemagt.

Lars Møllers bog er en velunderbygget analyse af soldaters lyst - eller nærmere ?ulyst? - til at slå ihjel. Men bogens titel til trods handler den om meget mere end det, hvilket gør den så meget mere interessant. ?Vi slår ihjel og lever med det? bygger på en større spørgeskemaanalyse, som Møller har foretaget blandt danske soldater, der har været udsendt i international tjeneste. Hvad der er mindst lige så interessant ved bogen, er imidlertid den indgående gennemgang af, hvad der sker ved et menneskets kognitive funktioner under ekstrem stress. F.eks. i en kamphandling. Møllers egne erfaringer og teorier suppleres hele tiden med tankevækkende udsagn fra flere hundrede soldater. Møller trækker også her på analyser fra andre lande. Vil man have et reelt indblik i, hvad vores soldater oplevede i Afghanistan, Irak og på Balkan, er bogen stærkt anbefalelsesværdig.

Med krigen i Ukraine som tragisk bagtæppe har Thomas Ubbesen rejst fra Ishavet ved Kirkenes i Nordnorge til Odessa i Ukraine for at tale med Ruslands nærmeste naboer. Mennesker, som i dag lever med politisoldater, pigtråd, overvågningskameraer og gensidig mistænksomhed i skyggen af det splinternye jerntæppe.Hvordan er det at have Putins hær stationeret praktisk talt i sin egen baghave? Hvad mener de om russerne? Hvordan ser de på krigen? Er de bange?I skyggen af det nye jerntæppe er en dramatisk og medrivende rejseberetning og en lang række intense møder med hverdagsmennesker, som er dybt mærket af historien, geografien og naboskabet til det, der i dag har udviklet sig til noget nær en fremmed og truende planet: Putins Rusland.Europa er igen delt i to, for Ruslands leder har meldt sit land ud af vores kontinent og har konstrueret en uoverstigelig barriere mellem dem og os, mellem europæere og russere. Bogen viser, at dette grænseland syder af had og vrangforestillinger.

Korrupte og narkotikapåvirkede politifolk. Hyppige Taleban-­angreb. Nedskydning af skolebørn. Vejsidebomber. Sager om seksuelle overgreb på drenge. Henrettelser på åben gade. Men også venskaber og mødet med en spændende og fremmedartet kultur.I KRIG MED POLITIET er kriminalassistent og krimiforfatter Arne Woythals øjenvidneberetning fra dagligdagen i Helmand-provinsen i Afghanistan. Her fungerede han i 2012 som mentor for kriminalpolitichefen i byen Gereshk.Arne Woythal var en del af POMLT-enheden under Den Britiske Kampgruppe i den internationale ISAF-styrke. POMLT-enheden i Helmand betragtes som den farligste mission, dansk politi nogensinde har deltaget i.

A highly illustrated history of the Wars of the Roses based on the medieval art of Graham Turner.The period of civil strife in the second half of the 15th century known as the Wars of the Roses is one of the most dramatic in English history. It is rich with political events, outstanding protagonists, battles and campaigns, and culminates in the defeat of Richard III, brutally killed at the battle of Bosworth in 1485, and the rise to the throne of the House of Tudor.Since first being inspired by a visit to Bosworth battlefield over 25 years ago, renowned historical illustrator Graham Turner has built a worldwide reputation for his renderings of this colourful and intense era. This new study contains a unique and comprehensive collection of his paintings and drawings, which provide meticulously researched details of arms, armour and settings, while at the same time bringing to life the human stories behind the turbulent events. Fully illustrated with artwork and prints prized by historians and collectors for their dramatic and atmospheric compositions, The Wars of the Roses is an unmissable visual tour which showcases the technical, contextual and human facets of one of England's most dramatic historical periods.

Ukrainekrigen har medført en dyb splittelse af venstrefløjen. Krigen i Gaza har skabt yderligere splid, der til dels går på tværs af splittelsen fra Ukrainekrigen.Pludseligt slutter fremtrædende venstrefløjsfolk deres fred med NATO, erfarne antimilitarister vil se tanks ved fronten, og unge aktivister demonstrerer for militære sejre. Er der opstået en venstreorienteret krigsbegejstring?I denne tilsyneladende omvendte verden udforsker Peter Wahl motiver, argumentationsmønstre og holdninger.Med udgangspunkt i den tyske debat, argumenterer han for fornuftbaserede, real-politiske analyser, som erstatning for følelsesbaseret moral og dobbeltmoral.Oversat til dansk giver denne lille bog indsigt i debatten om krig og fred, der endnu i Danmark har svære vilkår.

Listen to the Land: A Tale of Two Flowers, is a book about to flowers, who are in animosity, and other than guided by natural elements into a space of healing, mutual respect, and reconciliation.

Der Neuanfang war mühsam. Zunächst einmal beherrschte eine kleine Gruppe prominenter Pazifisten aus der Weimarer Republik das deutsche Bewerberfeld für den Friedensnobelpreis nach 1945. Erst im Laufe der 1950er Jahre traten Kandidaten auf, deren Wirken sich mit dem politischen Neuanfang verband. Jedoch kehrten nicht alle exilierten Kandidaten auch nach Deutschland zurück. Durch die jüngsten militärischen Ereignisse in Europa hat dieser Band im Verlaufe seiner Entstehung unerwartet an Aktualität gewonnen. So sehr sich auf der einen Seite die Friedensideen und -konzepte sowie die praktische Friedensarbeit der Kandidaten voneinander unterschieden, so sehr einte die Generation, die zwei Weltkriege erlebt hatte, auf der anderen Seite der feste Wille, einen dritten, wohlmöglich atomaren Weltkrieg zu verhindern.Vom selben Autor sind bereits die Bände Die deutschen Friedensnobelpreiskandidaten im Kaiserreich 1901¿1918 (2017), Die deutschen Friedensnobelpreiskandidaten in der Weimarer Republik 1919¿1933 (2020) und Die deutschen Friedensnobelpreiskandidaten in der Zeit des Nationalsozialismus 1934¿1945 (2021) erschienen.

Brothers-in-arms - SAS bonds can never be broken 'Jones knew the score with "deniable" operations that were sanctioned secretly at the highest levels. If they turned to custard and the cover was blown, the powers-that-be would simply deny everything and disown all involved, from the military down to the spooks and, at the bottom of the food chain, Hired guns like him.' What happens to the elite, close-knit soldiers of Australia's Special Air Service (SAS) Regiment after they leave the Who Dares Wins world of special forces? For some, there are highly paid jobs in the world's war zones and trouble spots protecting global corporations from terrorism, sabotage and violence. Others become powerful government advisers, many join foreign armies to train their special forces and expand the global botherhood. Most risky of all is the shadowy world of deniable 'black ops'. Guarding a deadly secret military cargo - a new missle system brokered through a spook under the guise of a Middle Eastern arms dealer - is all in a day's work. these are the risky yet vital jobs that governments will never admit. From Iraq and Afghanistan to Africa and Asia, award-winning defence writer Ian McPhedran uncovers a virtually unknown network and tells how Australia's top soldiers are forever linked in a seemingly borderless world.

Stefan R. Rasser was born in March 1945 near Chemnitz (Saxony) and grew up in Hannover - at that time part of the British Zone of post-war Germany. After successful completion of his commercial education he decided to gain international experience in direct sales and relocated to Great Britain and later on to Switzerland. From 1972 on he worked for a reputable subsidiary of Tyco Corporation close to Munich. In 2010 he retired and moved with his wife to her hometown Biberach/Riss - unsuspectingly how far he would be drawn into the history of this small Swabian town. Fascinated by the audacious escape of British officers from a local POW camp in September 1941 through a self-dug tunnel, in 2011 Stefan R. Rasser began researching the circumstances of this stunning endeavour focusing on the participating officers' lives during World War 2. After years of meticulous investigation, he discovered parts of the tunnel, including its exit. The exciting story of this discovery, intertwined with some biographies of the protagonists, was published in German in 2020 with the title "Wir sind durch!".

'Like Crécy itself, this book is a triumph and the tale it tells gives an old story new life.' BERNARD CORNWELL, bestselling author of The Last Kingdom series The battle of Crécy in 1346 is one of the most famous and widely studied military engagements in history. The repercussions of this battle were felt for hundreds of years, and the exploits of those fighting reached the status of legend. Yet cutting-edge research has shown that nearly everything that has been written about this dramatic event may be wrong.In this new study, Michael Livingston reveals how modern scholars have used archived manuscripts, satellite technologies and traditional fieldwork to help unlock what was arguably the battle's greatest secret: the location of the now quiet fields where so many thousands died. Crécy: Battle of Five Kings is a story of past and present. It is a new history of one of the most important battles of the Middle Ages: a compelling narrative account that nonetheless adheres to the highest scholarly standards in its detail. It is also an account that incorporates the most cutting-edge revelations and the personal story of how those discoveries were made.

Der mörderische Krieg Putins gegen die Ukraine trifft Europa unvorbereitet in einer Zeit sicher geglaubten Friedens. Im Vorwort wird beschrieben, was den Autor zu diesem Buch motiviert hat. Es gibt auch Einblicke in ein Land und dessen Geschichte, das Vielen oftmals hinsichtlich seiner Größe und seiner Bedeutung noch weitgehend unbekannt ist. Die Psychologie und die Beweggründe des russischen Präsidenten, die ihn zu diesem Krieg veranlasst hat werden ausführlich dargestellt. Die einzelnen Betrachtungen sind zeitlich datiert und beinhalten Stellungnahmen zum Kriegsverlauf und immer wieder grundsätzliche Überlegungen zu Reaktionen von Seiten des Westens, der Rolle des deutschen Bundeskanzlers und zu der Art der russischen Kriegsführung. Es werden Überlegungen zu einer möglichen Beendigung des Krieges angestellt. Im Mittelpunkt steht immer wieder die Bedeutung der Freiheit.

Despite peacebuilding efforts between Ukraine and Poland, the author shows that the conflict between the two nations, with its violent zenith in the 20th century, remains unresolved. Looking at Andrei Sheptyts'kyi, Ukrainian Greek Catholic metropolitan between 1901 and 1944, as well as the insights from conducting qualitative research with contemporary representatives of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, the author argues that Sheptyts'kyi must be considered a peacebuilder, and that, following his example, representatives of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church are uniquely situated to be peacebuilders in the Polish-Ukrainian conflict. Lastly, the author suggests several avenues for future peacebuilding.

The Battle of Itter Castle was undoubtedly one of the strangest events of the Second World War, being one of only two occasions during the war in which Americans and Germans fought side by side.The castle was seized by the Nazis on 7 February 1943, on the direct orders of Heinrich Himmler, and in just ten weeks was changed into a five-star prison for a number of high-ranking French dignitaries, both civilian and military.In the final days of the war, in May 1945, with the castle's German guards having deserted their posts and an attack by SS units imminent, those inside the castle realised they needed help. Having sent out two men to try to make contact with American forces, it was then a case of sit and wait, not knowing if they had been successful in their task or had been captured and killed by the SS.Help eventually arrived in the shape of United States Army Captain John C. "Jack" Lee, his tank and a handful of men, along with German Wehrmacht officer Major Josef "Sepp" Gangl, and some of his men. Although happy that their 'prayers' had been answered and help had arrived, the French dignitaries could not hide their disappointment at such a small force of rescuers.The subsequent battle started early on the morning of Saturday, 5 May, and continued until mid-afternoon when a larger American force arrived and defeated the remaining SS forces. The victory came at a price for Major Gangl, who was the only one of the defenders to lose his life in the fighting.

An engrossing history of the desperate battles for the Rzhev Salient, a forgotten story brought to life by the harrowing memoirs of German and Russian soldiers.The fighting between the German and Russian armies in the Rzhev Salient during World War II was so grisly, so murderous, and saw such vast losses that the troops called the campaign 'The Meat Grinder'. Though millions of men would fight and die there, the Rzhev Salient does not have the name recognition of Leningrad or Moscow. It has been largely ignored by Western historians - until now. In this book, Prit Buttar, a leading expert on the Eastern Front during World War II, reveals the depth and depravity of the bitter fighting for Rzhev. He details how the region held the promise of a renewed drive on the Soviet capital for the German Army - a chance to turn the tide of war. Using both German and Russian first-hand accounts, Buttar examines the major offensives launched by the Red Army against the salient, all of which were defeated with losses exceeding two million killed, wounded or missing, until eventually, the Germans were forced to evacuate the salient in March 1943.Drawing on the latest research, Meat Grinder provides a new study of these horrific battles but also examines how the Red Army did ultimately learn from its colossal failures and how its analysis of these failures at the time helped pave the way for the eventual Soviet victory against Army Group Centre in the summer of 1944, leaving the road to Berlin clear.

The best-selling author of Black Flags, Blue Waters tells the story of a wild encounter between an American sealing vessel, a shipwrecked British brig and a British warship in the Falkland Islands during the War of 1812. Fraught with misunderstandings and mistrust, the incident left three British sailors and two Americans-including the captain of the sealer, Charles H. Barnard-abandoned in the Falklands for eighteen months. A tale of intriguing complexity, with surprising twists and turns throughout-involving greed, lying, bullying, a hostile takeover, stellar leadership, ingenuity, severe privation, endurance, banishment, the great value of a dog, the birth of a baby, a perilous thousand-mile open-ocean journey in a seventeen-foot boat, an improbable rescue mission and legal battles over a dubious and disgraceful wartime prize-Left for Dead shows individuals in wartime under great duress acting both nobly and atrociously and offers a unique perspective on an important moment in American history.

In this fully illustrated introduction, acclaimed historian Carl Benn examines the War of 1812 and its significance in US history. The war of 1812-1815 was a bloody confrontation that tore through the American frontier, the British colonies of Upper and Lower Canada, and parts of the Atlantic coast and the Gulf of Mexico. The conflict saw British, American, and First Nations forces clash, and in the process, shape the future of North American history. Carl Benn explains what led to America's decision to take up arms against Great Britain and assesses the three terrible years of fighting that followed on land and sea, where battles such as Lake Erie and Lake Champlain launched American naval traditions.This new edition has been updated throughout to draw on the research and advances in scholarship in the two decades since original publication in 2002. Benn examines how this has not only impacted basic assumptions of force size and battle dates in some cases, but has also drawn attention to subjects that had previously been overlooked. Fully illustrated in colour with specially commissioned maps and 50 new images, this book provides an accessible overview of the War of 1812.

Palæstina-konflikten handler om to folks krav på det samme land. Jøderne er vendt tilbage til deres historiske hjemland efter et langvarigt eksil og har i deres optik derfor ret til landet. Det er imidlertid sket på bekostning af landets oprindelige palæstinensiske indbyggere. De har således betalt den ultimative pris for jødernes hjemkomst. Derfor har retten til tilbagevenden været en stor del af palæstinensisk identitet. Skiftende israelske regeringer har siden 1950'erne hævdet, at palæstinenserne flygtede af egen fri vilje eller blev opfordret til det af palæstinensiske og arabiske ledere, mens palæstinensiske historikere og de 'nye israelske historikere' har fundet beviser for israelske planer og ønsker om at fordrive palæstinenserne for at kunne realisere zionismen og oprette en jødisk stat i Palæstina.Konflikten mellem israelere og palæstinensere handler om narrativer og identitet og om erindring og glemsel. Hvor palæstinenserne gør alt for at bevare båndene til Palæstina og deres hjemland, har israelerne siden 1948 anstrengt sig for at slette beviserne på palæstinensernes tilknytning til landet. Hvor der tidligere lå palæstinensiske landsbyer, er de nu erstattet af israelske landbrugssamfund, nationalparker og skove med hebræiske navne. De palæstinensiske samfund er på nær nogle få blevet ødelagt, og jødiske indbyggere og immigranter er flyttet ind i kibbutzer og moshaver ved siden af den tidligere palæstinensiske landsby.Det skete også for de nye jødiske immigranter i den palæstinensiske landsby Tantura. De oprettede i begyndelsen af 1950'erne kibbutzen Nachsholim. I maj 1948 blev Tantura erobret af israelske styrker. Ifølge den israelske historiker Teddy Katz og den israelske filminstruktør Alon Schwarz blev mindst 200 palæstinensere henrettet efter kamphandlingerne og begravet i massegrave i landsbyen. Grundige undersøgelser i maj 2023 af forskere fra London Universitet har vist, at der ikke kun var tale om én massegrav, men om fire massegrave. Det gør potentielt massakren til en af de største i Israels historie.Fortielsen af massakren og fordrivelsen af de overlevende palæstinensere afspejler den uløselige konflikt mellem israelske jøder og palæstinensere, der ikke kun er voldelig og kompromisløs i nutiden, men også var det i 1948, da Israel blev grundlagt.

From the critically acclaimed author of Dünkirchen 1940, this is a groundbreaking history of the epic three-day battle for Hill 107 that changed the course of the war in the Mediterranean. In this remarkable history, we discover each of the individuals whose actions determined the outcome of the battle for Hill 107, the key event that decided the campaign to capture the vitally strategic island of Crete in May 1941. All the events are narrated through the filter of these eyewitnesses. The Allied perspective is from the summit of Hill 107. We experience the fear and the adrenalin of a lowly platoon commander, Lieutenant Ed McAra, perilously positioned at the top of the hill, alongside the combat stress and command fatigue of the battalion commander, Lieutenant Colonel Leslie Andew. In contrast, the German view is looking up from below as they cling to the slopes while simultaneous dazzled by the morning glare and decimated by defensive fire. We join the regimental doctor, Dr Heinrich Neumann, as he assumes command of one battalion and leads a daring nighttime charge towards the summit. The Hill details what was felt, heard or seen throughout the battle for both attacker and defender. Drawing upon original combat reports, diary entries, letters and interviews, the battle is brought vividly to life. The narrative reads like a Shakespearean tragedy, the soldiers revealing their stories in and around the shadows of Hill 107.

An engrossing history of the pivotal year 1217 when invading French forces were defeated and the future of England secured. In 1215 King John had agreed to the terms of Magna Carta, but he then reneged on his word, plunging the kingdom into war. The rebellious barons offered the throne to the French prince Louis and set off the chain of events that almost changed the course of English history. Louis first arrived in May 1216, was proclaimed king in the heart of London, and by the autumn had around half of England under his control. However, the choice of a French prince had enormous repercussions: now not merely an internal rebellion, but a war in which the defenders were battling to prevent a foreign takeover. John's death in October 1216 left the throne in the hands of his nine-year-old son, Henry, and his regent, William Marshal, which changed the face of the war again, for now the king trying to fight off an invader was not a hated tyrant but an innocent child.1217 charts the nascent sense of national identity that began to swell. Three key battles would determine England's destiny. The fortress of Dover was besieged, the city of Lincoln was attacked, and a great invasion force set sail and, unusually for the time, was intercepted at sea. Catherine Hanley expertly navigates medieval siege warfare, royal politics, and fighting at sea to bring this remarkable period of English history to life.

Packed with personal accounts of the action, this is a vivid narrative history of the often-overlooked USAAF campaign in North Africa and Sicily in World War II. In 1942, the Western Allies needed to take the offensive against the Axis to relieve pressure on the Soviet Union. With planning for a cross-Channel invasion beset by logistical and operational difficulties, in May 1942 President Roosevelt ordered his military leaders to prepare to support the British in the Mediterranean. This led to the first USAAF units arriving in the Middle East in July, firstly as reinforcements for the British and later as part of the Operation Torch landings in French Morocco and Algeria in November. In little over ten months from the summer of 1942, the USAAF in North Africa grew from nothing to a senior partner, providing aircraft and crews the other Allies were unable to match. The Axis forces that had controlled almost the entire southern shore of the Mediterranean had been swept from the African continent - thanks in no small part to the efforts of the USAAF.Using first-hand accounts from pilots and other aircrew, Tom Cleaver describes how the USAAF units that landed in Morocco were forced to learn their own lessons in combat with veteran Luftwaffe units, and how the experience gained in the skies over North Africa and Sicily was invaluable in developing the air forces that would dominate the skies over Europe in the latter years of the war.