Wolfram Wette (born 11 November 1940) is a German military historian and
peace research
Peace and conflict studies is a social science field that identifies and analyzes violent and nonviolent behaviours as well as the structural mechanisms attending conflicts (including social conflicts), with a view towards understanding those pr ...
er. He is an author or editor of over 40 books on the history of
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
, including the seminal ''
Germany and the Second World War
''Germany and the Second World War'' (german: Das Deutsche Reich und der Zweite Weltkrieg) is a 12,000-page, 13-volume work published by the Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt (DVA), that has taken academics from the military history centre of the German ...
'' series from the German
Military History Research Office (MGFA).
Wette's published book, ''
The Wehrmacht: History, Myth, Reality'' has been translated into five languages and deals with the issue of
Wehrmacht criminality during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
and the
legend of its "clean hands". In 2015, Wette was a recipient of the
Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (german: Verdienstorden der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, or , BVO) is the only federal decoration of Germany. It is awarded for special achievements in political, economic, cultural, intellect ...
, the only federal honour awarded to German citizens for exceptional achievements.
Education and career
From 1971 to 1995 Wette worked at the
Military History Research Office (MGFA). Afterwards, he was a professor of history at the
University of Freiburg
The University of Freiburg (colloquially german: Uni Freiburg), officially the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg (german: Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg), is a public university, public research university located in Freiburg im Breisg ...
. Wette was a co-founder of the Historical Peace Research Working Group (''Arbeitskreis Historische Friedens- und Konfliktforschung e.V.''). He was a member of the
municipal council
A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counci ...
of
Freiburg
Freiburg im Breisgau (; abbreviated as Freiburg i. Br. or Freiburg i. B.; Low Alemannic: ''Friburg im Brisgau''), commonly referred to as Freiburg, is an independent city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. With a population of about 230,000 (as o ...
from 1980 to 1989 as a member of the
Social Democratic Party of Germany
The Social Democratic Party of Germany (german: Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands, ; SPD, ) is a centre-left social democratic political party in Germany. It is one of the major parties of contemporary Germany.
Saskia Esken has been the ...
, and was also the chairman of the SPD
parliamentary group
A parliamentary group, parliamentary party, or parliamentary caucus is a group consisting of some members of the same political party or electoral fusion of parties in a legislative assembly such as a parliament or a city council.
Parliamentar ...
and the SPD city association chairman.
Historian of Nazi Germany
Wette is an author or editor of forty books on the history of Nazi Germany, including the
Wehrmacht
The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previous ...
(armed forces), its leadership and its
relationship with Nazism. Wette's works explored topics that at the time of their publication were considered taboo or not widely discussed in Germany, such as desertion, treason and aid to victims of the Nazi regime from military personnel. Despite thousands of executions for "undermining of military morale", Wette's research has shown that only three Wehrmacht servicemen were executed for helping Jews. Wette explored the topic in his book ''Feldwebel Anton Schmid: Ein Held der Humanität
eldwebel Anton Schmid: A Hero of Humanity'. The book told the story of
Anton Schmid, who aided Jews confined to the
Vilna Ghetto
The Vilna Ghetto was a World War II Jewish ghetto established and operated by Nazi Germany in the city of Vilnius in the modern country of Lithuania, at the time part of the Nazi-administered Reichskommissariat Ostland.
During the approximatel ...
. He was sentenced to death by his military superiors and executed in 1942. Because of the controversial nature of Wette's work, he has received
death threats
A death threat is a threat, often made anonymously, by one person or a group of people to kill another person or group of people. These threats are often designed to intimidate victims in order to manipulate their behaviour, in which case a deat ...
.
''The Wehrmacht: History, Myth, Reality''
Wette's 2002 book ''Die Wehrmacht. Feindbilder, Vernichtungskrieg, Legenden
he Wehrmacht: Images of the Enemy, War of Extermination, Legends' was published in 2006 in English as ''The Wehrmacht: History, Myth, Reality'' by
Harvard University Press
Harvard University Press (HUP) is a publishing house established on January 13, 1913, as a division of Harvard University, and focused on academic publishing. It is a member of the Association of American University Presses. After the retirem ...
. Building on
Omer Bartov
Omer Bartov (Hebrew: עֹמֶר בַּרְטוֹב; pronounced .html" ;"title="•oˈmer ˈbartov/nowiki>">•oˈmer ˈbartov/nowiki>; born 1954) is the John P. Birkelund Distinguished Professor of European History and Professor of History and Profe ...
's 1985 study ''The Eastern Front, 1941–1945: German Troops and the Barbarisation of Warfare'', the book deconstructs the myth of the
clean Wehrmacht
The myth of the clean ''Wehrmacht'' is the negationist notion that the regular German armed forces (the ''Wehrmacht'') were not involved in the Holocaust or other war crimes during World War II. The myth, heavily promoted by German authors ...
. According to ''
The Atlantic
''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher. It features articles in the fields of politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science.
It was founded in 1857 in Boston, ...
'', it shows that "the Wehrmacht—and not, as postwar accounts by German generals would have it, merely the
SS—freely and even eagerly joined in murder and genocide, which were central, rather than incidental, features of its effort".
The book complements the earlier studies that focused on the average ''Landser'' (soldier) and also discusses the complicity of the highest levels of the Wehrmacht. Reviewing the work, the historian
Geoffrey P. Megargee notes that "until Wette's work, there was no concise, general survey on the Wehrmacht's crimes, at least for an English-speaking audience. Thus, his work fills a significant gap in the literature". The review goes on to criticize the book for omitting key areas, according to Megargee, for assessing the Wehrmacht's criminality, including the
murder of more than 3 million Soviet prisoners of war, the ''
Bandenbekämpfung
In German military history, ''Bandenbekämpfung'' (German; ), also Nazi security warfare (during World War II), refers to the concept and military doctrine of countering resistance or insurrection in the rear area during wartime through e ...
'' (bandit-fighting) doctrine of carrying out counter-insurgency warfare with maximum brutality, and criminal orders, such as the
Commissar Order
The Commissar Order (german: Kommissarbefehl) was an order issued by the German High Command (Oberkommando der Wehrmacht, OKW) on 6 June 1941 before Operation Barbarossa. Its official name was Guidelines for the Treatment of Political Commissars ...
.
Awards
* 2015:
Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (german: Verdienstorden der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, or , BVO) is the only federal decoration of Germany. It is awarded for special achievements in political, economic, cultural, intellect ...
Selected works
In English
* With
Wilhelm Deist
__NOTOC__
Wilhelm Deist (1931–2003) was a German historian and author who specialised in the European history of 19th and 20th with an emphasis on the history of World War I. Deist was senior historian at the Military History Research Office ( ...
,
Manfred Messerschmidt
Manfred Messerschmidt (1 October 1926 – 19 December 2022) was a German historian who specialised in the history of Nazi Germany and World War II. He was the longtime research director at the Military History Research Office (MGFA) who concei ...
,
Hans-Erich Volkmann: ''
Germany and the Second World War
''Germany and the Second World War'' (german: Das Deutsche Reich und der Zweite Weltkrieg) is a 12,000-page, 13-volume work published by the Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt (DVA), that has taken academics from the military history centre of the German ...
, Volume I: The Build-up of German Aggression''.
Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print books ...
,
* ''
The Wehrmacht: History, Myth, Reality'', Cambridge, MA:
Harvard University Press
Harvard University Press (HUP) is a publishing house established on January 13, 1913, as a division of Harvard University, and focused on academic publishing. It is a member of the Association of American University Presses. After the retirem ...
. 2007,
In German
* ''Kriegstheorien deutscher Sozialisten. Marx, Engels, Lassalle, Bernstein, Kautsky, Luxemburg. Ein Beitrag zur Friedensforschung''. Kohlhammer, Stuttgart u. a. 1971, .
* With
Wilhelm Deist
__NOTOC__
Wilhelm Deist (1931–2003) was a German historian and author who specialised in the European history of 19th and 20th with an emphasis on the history of World War I. Deist was senior historian at the Military History Research Office ( ...
,
Manfred Messerschmidt
Manfred Messerschmidt (1 October 1926 – 19 December 2022) was a German historian who specialised in the history of Nazi Germany and World War II. He was the longtime research director at the Military History Research Office (MGFA) who concei ...
,
Hans-Erich Volkmann: ''Ursachen und Voraussetzungen der deutschen Kriegspolitik'' (= ''
Das Deutsche Reich und der Zweite Weltkrieg.'' Bd. 1). Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt, Stuttgart 1979; aktualisierte Taschenbuchausgabe: ''Ursachen und Voraussetzungen des Zweiten Weltkrieges.'' Fischer Taschenbuch, Frankfurt am Main 1989,
* With
Gerd R. Ueberschär
Gerd R. Ueberschär (born 18 August 1943) is a German military historian who specialises in the history of Nazi Germany and World War II. He is one of the leading contributors to the series ''Germany and the Second World War'' and, together with ...
: ''Bomben und Legenden. Die schrittweise Aufklärung des Luftangriffs auf Freiburg am 10. Mai 1940. Ein dokumentarischer Bericht.'' Rombach, Freiburg im Breisgau 1981, .
* ''Gustav Noske. Eine politische Biographie.'' Droste, Düsseldorf 1987, .
* ''Militarismus und Pazifismus. Auseinandersetzung mit den deutschen Kriegen.'' Donat, Bremen 1991, .
* ''Die Wehrmacht. Feindbilder, Vernichtungskrieg, Legenden.'' S. Fischer, Frankfurt am Main 2002, (translated in English, French, Spanish, Polish)
* ''Militarismus in Deutschland. Geschichte einer kriegerischen Kultur.'' Fischer-Taschenbuch-Verlag, Frankfurt a.M. 2011, .
* ''Gustav Noske und die Revolution in Kiel 1918'' (= ''Sonderveröffentlichungen der Gesellschaft für Kieler Stadtgeschichte'' Bd. 64.) Boyens, Heide 2010, .
* ''Karl Jäger. Mörder der litauischen Juden.'' Fischer Taschenbuch, Frankfurt am Main 2011, .
* ''Feldwebel Anton Schmid: Ein Held der Humanität.'' S. Fischer, Frankfurt am Main 2013, .
* ''Ehre, wem Ehre gebührt! Täter, Widerständler und Retter (1939–1945)'' (= Schriftenreihe Geschichte & Frieden. Bd. 24). Donat, Bremen 2014, .
References
Citations
Sources
*
*
*
*
External links
''The Wehrmacht: History, Myth, Reality'' official page at the
Harvard University Press
Harvard University Press (HUP) is a publishing house established on January 13, 1913, as a division of Harvard University, and focused on academic publishing. It is a member of the Association of American University Presses. After the retirem ...
web site.
"Will Germany Finally Rehabilitate Nazi-Era 'Traitors'?" review of ''The Last Taboo'' (2009) by Wolfram Wette and
Detlef Vogel, ''
Stern Online'' (in English)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wette, Wolfram
20th-century German historians
1940 births
German military historians
Historians of World War II
German male non-fiction writers
Military History Research Office (Germany) personnel
Living people
Recipients of the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany