This book examines the relationship between jihad and genocide; past and present. Richard L. Rubenstein takes a close look at the violent interpretations of jihad and how they have played out in the past hundred years; from the Armenian genocide through current threats to Israel. Rubenstein's unflinching study of the potential for fundamentalist jihad to initiate targeted violence raises pressing questions in a time when questions of religious co-existence; particularly in the Middle East; are discussed urgently each day.
#766779 in Books Rowman n Littlefield Publishers 2007-10-16Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.17 x .43 x 6.11l; .70 #File Name: 0742544826208 pages
Review
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. Useful Synthesis of Battles and AtrocitiesBy Peter RammingThis fairly short book offers a helpful overview of the evolution of military operations and genocide in the first six months of Operation Barbarossa; Germany's June 22; 1941 invasion of the Soviet Union. As the author states in the preface; "War of Annihilation" does not involve much original research; but rather seeks to offer a unified synthesis of German actions in the east in 1941 in terms of both military operations at the front and atrocities against POWs; civilians; and special targeted groups (Jews; Communists; the disabled) in the conquered areas. This integrated approach is needed; and Megargee largely succeeds.This book is not an exhaustive treatment of either battles or atrocities; but; rather; surveys both the military aspects and genocidal actions that unfolded in the east. There are myriad books on either the military developments or the genocidal policies in the Nazi war in the east. This book melds both aspects in a single; manageable treatment; and is to be welcomed.A virtue of this approach is that Megargee offers a concise and cogent account of German military operations in the first six months of Operation Barbarossa. It is a helpful primer (or refresher) on the military situation on the vast Eastern Front in June-December 1941. There are excellent maps; the author has a lucid and engaging style; and Megargee handles the material with easy familiarity; offering a clear and efficient overview of strategic military developments in the German-Soviet war. The book is worth reading for this superb summary of the German-Russian war alone.Megargee follows each military section with a consideration of the atrocities that followed in the wake of the Nazi advance. The author wisely avoids a deluge of statistical detail; and picks illustrative instances of German atrocities in the theaters and time periods under consideration; such as those in the Baltic states; Minsk; and Kiev (Babi-Yar). Nevertheless; the reader quickly is bombarded by more and more precise figures of the German victims; illustrating both the massive scope and systematic nature of the German killings. Two statistics will serve to illuminate the immensity of German depredations in the east: from June 22; 1941 through January 1942; 6;000 Soviet POWs perished EVERYDAY (from starvation; disease; and exposure); not including those shot by the Germans (pg. 142). By the end of 1942; German units "had shot roughly 1.5 million people--mostly Jews; but also suspected Communists; partisans; prisoners of war; and people with mental and physical disabilities" (pg. 145).For military; ideological; racial; and economic reasons; the German invasion of the Soviet Union was planned as a unified campaign of maximum violence and ruthlessness. German planners knew they did not have enough food to support both the Soviet population and the German army (and German home front); and consequently "quietly accepted that up to thirty million Soviet citizens would starve to death--not because they had done anything wrong or represented any threat; but simply because the Germans believed that their needs trumped other people's" (pg. 34).0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Tragedy and a Glimmer of Hope on the Russian FrontBy James E. EgolfGeoffrey P. Meagagree's book title WAR OF ANNIHILATION is a successful attempt of explaining the issues the stupidity of political "thinking" and ideology which helped explain the horrible tragic loss of life on the Russian Front during WW II. Bad intelligence; or no actual intelligence; helped explain fierce Soviet resistance from 1941-1945. One may wonder "What in the hell were Hitler co. thinking" when the Germans launched Operation Barbarossa on June 21; 1941.Animosity re Germany's Jewish population was maligned after WW I when the Germans lost WW I. The "rumor mill" claimed that German Jews were malingerers during WW I. Yet; the statistics showed that those of the Jewish faith had a higher percentage in the German army from 1914-1918. In fact; during the 1920s; German and Soviet diplomatic relations were good. The Germans and Soviets basically had barter trade which benefited both parties.Yet; once the Hitler regime got power; the myth that the Germans faced Jewish Bolshevism which was viewed as a threat to Germany and Western Civilization. Because of the unreasonable terms of the Versailles Treaty (1919) caused bitter resentment in Germany; and the propaganda of the Hitler regime fed on the myth that German Jews; Communists and Socialists somehow betrayed the Germans causing the German loss during WW I.Again; as the undersigned mentioned; the Germans had no understanding what a German invasion would face invading the USSR. Hitler and some of his advisers erroneously thought that an invasion of the USSR would be easier since the Soviets faced a potential Japanese threat to invade Manchuria and Siberia. The Germans should have known better. A Soviet spy named Sorge (1905-1944) knew that the Japanese were planning to move south and east and NOT west which was a "godsend" to the Soviets who could release forces and arms to the Russian Front.Megrargee made the German case for their war of annihilation. He knew that some of the German leaders knew the problems of supply given the vast expanse of European Russia To compensate for the this problem German commanders were ordered to exploit the Soviets for food and supplies. For the Germans to Live off the land;" they had to persecute and loot Soviet citizens under their control. The Germans followed this policy with considerable brutality once the expectations of a quick German victory faded. Hitler co. figured they had to follow their extermination policy to feed German forces who did not achieve the expected quick victory. Hitler blunted admitted to extermination of "Bolshevik Jewish Slavs." Hitler's once adviser;von Brauchitch ; was blunt in his remarks that the German war vs. the USSR was a race war against "sub human Slavs."Given the fact that Germans did not get their quick victory; German commanders were given carte blanche to murder people under their control. Initially the German excuse that severe actions on the Russian Front was that the Germans faced savage partisan war. Yet; this excuse was partially blunted by the fact that German reprisals claimed the lives of small children.Megargee; further made a good case re German brutality created incited fanatical resistance. Some of the people who lived under German control hated Stalin; but German cruelty undermined any support the Germans could have used. Those who lived under German control may have figured that the difference between Stalin and Hitler was "Better the devil one knows than the one does not know." Hitler and his advisers should have known that after the German defeat at Moscow (1941-1942); the war was in effect over for the Germans Hitler should have consolidate his gains; but his race hallucinations continued a losing cause. Subsequent German fanaticism and desire for revenge led to more mass German killings-and more Soviet incitement to resist the invader.Megargee's book titled WAR OF ANNIHILATION is a case study that "violence begets violence" German race propaganda arrogance helped the Soviets and eventually harmed the Germans. German arrogance reached the point that their intelligence vastly underestimated Soviet strength re Soviet divisions and military technology. The development of the Soviet T-34 which outclassed the best of German tanks was ignored by German intelligence. Megargee's continued reference of German race hallucinations and hubris were clearly diagnosed in this book. The only defect of the book is the omission of Stalin's purges brutality. However; the book is a good clue to German false arrogance and Soviet resistance to threats to of mass death and extermination.James E. EgolfJune 7; 20160 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Well written bookBy Hookem HornsWell written book. Wish there was a version that went from 1942-1945
