“Blood and Iron: From Bismarck to Hitler, the Von Moltke Family’s Impact on German History”, by Otto Friedrich

 

434 pages, HarperCollins Publishers, ISBN-13: 978-0060168667

Say, I betcha you thought that a book with “blood and iron” in the title was about Otto von Bismarck, dincha? Well, don’t feel bad ‘cause I thought the same thing when I picked up Otto Friedrich’s Blood and Iron and had to read the subtitle From Bismarck to Hitler, the Von Moltke Family’s Impact on German History to figure out its true subject. The book traces three generations of Von Moltkes: from the famed Generalfeldmarschall Helmuth Karl Bernhard, Graf von Moltke, whose mighty Prussian and allied armies whipped the French and united Germany; to Helmuth Johannes Ludwig, Graf von Moltke, who failed to win the First World War in its opening weeks; to Helmuth James, Graf von Moltke, who was arrested and executed as a resister to Adolf Hitler. The book is well-written and contains a strong narrative for all three subjects, with the second von Moltke receiving the fewest pages (as he is the least interesting?).

Helmuth Carl Bernhard von Moltke – Moltke der Ältere – is presented in all of his military glory as the founder of the modern German military and the reformer of the General Staff system, and Friedrich traces his rise in the Prussian officer corps then illustrates his brilliance as he participated in and directed the three wars of German unification in the 19^th Century. Meanwhile, Helmuth Johannes Ludwig von Moltke – Moltke der Jüngere – is described as “The Nervous Nephew” for his indecision at the outbreak of World War One; his reluctance to take up the mantle held by his uncle as Chief of the General Staff is considered by the author, as is the disaster that occurred on the Marne in 1914 after the Kaiser insisted that he do so (while one feels profound admiration for the first von Moltke, it is hard to feel nothing but pity for his nephew). Lastly, Helmuth James von Moltke deserves a place alongside Stauffenberg, Scholl and all of the other brave resisters to Hitler’s tyranny. The evolution of Moltke’s opposition to the Nazi regime is chronicled, as is his eventual discovery and arrest. Friedrich offers with sympathy and awe a man driven by conscience and Christian duty to resist Nazism and help plan for a future without Hitler.

In short, there would be no Germany today as we know it without the von Moltke Family: their personal history is the history of the rise and fall of this nation, and Friedrich’s style is so fluid and engaging that the dead come to life, the scenes from all across Europe emerge. If you want to understand modern German history, this is a good place to start.