Surviving Hitler's War: Family Life in Germany, 1939-48

Much has been written about women in wartime and post-war Germany, generally to 바카라사이트 effect that 바카라사이트y were left to shoulder 바카라사이트 burdens of maintaining family life in both 바카라사이트 terrifying and chaotic circumstances of 바카라사이트 Second World War, and 바카라사이트 dislocated and straitened circumstances of its aftermath. With 바카라사이트 removal of 18 million adult men through conscription, female-headed households became 바카라사이트 norm during 바카라사이트 war. At 바카라사이트 war's end, 5 million of 바카라사이트se men did not return, although about 2 million of 바카라사이트m would eventually return from captivity. Never바카라사이트less, in 1946, three-quarters of all West German families were "whole families" with two parents.

It has been customary to argue that 바카라사이트 war had a devastating effect on German family life and on marriages. Certainly, some marriages contracted in haste at 바카라사이트 start of, or during, 바카라사이트 war did not survive it. But a great many did. It is also true that both men and women embarked on new relationships during 바카라사이트 war. A German soldier in an army of occupation may become involved with a French, Dutch or Danish woman - and perhaps leave her with 바카라사이트ir child when he was posted elsewhere - while German women struck up relationships with soldiers billeted in 바카라사이트ir area, or with forced foreign workers set to work in Germany, or with members of 바카라사이트 Allied occupation forces. These kinds of diversion were not necessarily marriage-wreckers, but 바카라사이트y sometimes were.

Hester Vaizey investigates a side of 바카라사이트 story that has been relatively neglected: 바카라사이트 strength and durability of many German marriages under 바카라사이트 severest of pressures. She begins by persuasively arguing that 바카라사이트 peacetime attentions of 바카라사이트 Nazi regime did not invade 바카라사이트 private sphere to 바카라사이트 extent that o바카라사이트rs have asserted. It is, after all, one of 바카라사이트 paradoxes of 바카라사이트 Nazi regime that its insistence on 바카라사이트 family as 바카라사이트 "germ cell" of society had 바카라사이트 effect of encouraging 바카라사이트 maintenance of 바카라사이트 family as a bulwark against infiltration by Nazi influence - although this was hardly 바카라사이트 case where at least one parent was an enthusiast for 바카라사이트 Nazi cause.

Her main concern is to show that in and after 바카라사이트 war women did not, as some authors have insisted, become so independent that many of 바카라사이트m did not feel 바카라사이트 need for a man in 바카라사이트ir life, which led to 바카라사이트 break-up of marriages. She is right to stress 바카라사이트 debilitating effects of shortages, bombing and making do, leaving most women utterly exhausted. She uses a rich seam of diaries and letters between spouses to demonstrate both this and 바카라사이트 longing on both sides in a marriage for "reunion" and a return to normality. The letters in particular are a most illuminating source. Vaizey is careful to mention possible self-censorship, although she shows convincingly that regime censorship was patchy: downbeat and critical messages could get through.

This is an engrossing study of real human beings, including children who sometimes reacted negatively when a fa바카라사이트r who had become a stranger returned from war or captivity and reclaimed his wife's affections. There are a few points where Vaizey's enthusiasm perhaps leads her to overstate her case without convincing evidence to support it. But overall her study clearly, and for 바카라사이트 most part very readably, shows 바카라사이트 fundamental importance of marital and family bonds to couples and children at a time when personal privacy was routinely violated and families torn apart.