The First Soldier: Hitler as Military Leader – Review

When we think of Adolf Hitler, we think of him as the monster responsible for the Holocaust and the dictator that almost destroyed Germany. But how often do we think of Hitler as a military leader?

A leader of a nation does not necessarily have to give direct leadership to the military. In fact, in recent years we would see that as a real cause for concern. Even in the Second World War, Churchill was more hands on than Roosevelt. But what about Hitler?

Stephen G. Fritz, in his book The First Soldier: Hitler as Military Leader, looks at the role that Hitler had as a leader, his challenges, his successes, and his mistakes.

The commonly told tale is that Hitler was useless as a military leader and that Germany really struggled when Hitler began to micromanage. Even the Allies believed that it was better for Hitler to not be assassinated because they did not want the German military guided by a more competent hand.

Fritz provides an alternate narrative. Before going too far, I need to emphasize that this book is not an apologetic for Hitler. As soon as people say “Hitler was not as bad as people say” we rightfully get nervous. But we can be anti-Hitler without having to believe he was incompetent at everything he tried.

Fritz’s book gives us a very helpful overview of Hitler’s relationship with the German military. From the first meeting with generals, where the aristocracy looks down on this Austrian corporal and on as Hitler consolidates his power and rearms Germany.

One of the things I appreciate about this book is the clarification of the fragile state Germany was in even in the few years leading up to the war. Germany did not have the economic or military power to conquer Europe. And yet it got frighteningly close.

The defeat of France boosted Hitler’s reputation in the sight of the generals and they began to believe this former corporal could indeed lead Germany to greatness. Hitler had great success, partially through political savvy and partially through luck. How far could he take this?

Much of the book covers the German invasion of the Soviet Union. I often thought that Hitler should have just not attacked the USSR. However, Germany was dangerously reliant on Soviet resources and the Soviet military was only growing. It came down to whether Germany or the USSR would choose the time for war.

There were many mistakes made during Operation Barbarossa but not all of them were Hitler’s fault. There were times that Hitler’s instinct was right but he gave in to the generals. Fritz puts much of the blame on General Halder, who had some strong ideas that were often not in Germany’s best interests.

I found this book fascinating. It provides an overview of the Second World War from the German military command. We are constantly reminded of Germany’s lack of resources and the timeline they were facing. We get a sense of what Hitler was thinking and what is overall hope was.

This was a valuable book that provides a fresh perspective on Hitler’s ability as a military leader. Fritz concludes that Hitler had some natural ability and some practical experience that helped him in his design making. At times he saw things clearer than the generals. He also made many mistakes, losing sight of reality and expecting miracles when the situation was impossible.

I recommend The First Soldier: Hitler as Military Leader as a readable and well-research book on the German military command.

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