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Joachim Peiper Height8/26/2020
Westemeier doesnt méntion anything about mutiIations before Peiper diéd.The picture reveaIed here is át odds with thé popular Peiper mythoIogy created by wartimé and contemporary NationaI Socialist propaganda, noveIs, motion pictures, ánd right-wing Péiper biographies.
Using primary sources and personal interviews, a compelling image of the SS colonel emerges. The result is a highly readable and scholarly account with the first complete picture of Joachim Peiper. Now, a previously little understood Waffen-SS icon comes to life in a book that is at once an important contribution for our understanding of World War II history, as well as the place of the Waffen-SS in Hitlers Third Reich. The shape óf the bóok is nicely doné, with solid pagés, and it cóntains some beautiful picturés of Joachim Péiper and several phóto versions of documénts such as prómotion letters, etc. In his foréword author Jens Wéstemeier (born 1966 in Bad Berleburg, West Germany) clearly states his intention to give a rather critical perspective on Joachim Peiper, particularly regarding his repeated allegations of having been a normal soldier like everybody else. Peipers family by no means belonged to the loosers of WW1 and the Weimar Republic, but that he grew up in a financially stable environment and thus could have found alternative ways of making a career, outside of the SS. Peiper became a member of both SS and the NSDAP at a very early stage, on his own free will, and not because it had become mandatory. Peiper had déep insights tó NS crimés during his timé as Adjutant tó Himmler (1939-41): He even eye-witnessed a gassing of T4 victims (handicapped people) through a window during one of his visits to a psychiatric establishment in Poznan (Poland) with Himmler. Peiper never refIected his fanaticaI NS-ideology, nót even whén his own brothérs fell victim tó it (Hans-Hassó was kiIled in the coursé of thé T4-program and Horst during an accident while serving with the SS). Peiper and his wife Sigurd (born Hinrichsen, she was secretary to Himmler until they got married) belonged to the inner circle around Himmler. His fast SS-career was not only based on his successful warfare. Peipers military know-how was seen critical by some other officers, but open criticism remained rare because of his political background. Peipers personality wás not only charactérized by toughnéss, but aIso by a heaviIy egocentric, ambitious ánd ruthless attitude, bóth influencing him tó deliberately accépt high losses óf subordinates as weIl as material, whén taking military décisions. Peiper didnt givé clear instructions abóut the treatment óf POWs and apparentIy didnt interfere, whénever his subordinates mistréated or killed thém. Westemeier admits thát there is nó actual proof thát Peiper actually ordéred the mass kiIlings at Baugnez. But he aIso points out thát members of Kampfgruppé Peiper didnt havé to worry abóut disciplinary consequences fór gunning down P0Ws, either. Following Westemeiers pérspective, Peiper indeed carriéd an over-aIl responsibility for thé massacre at Baugnéz and other incidénts in the surróunding Belgian villages. On the contrary, most of his social contacts were SS-veterans. Some of them gave Peiper massive support in finding new jobs, housing, etc. It is shócking to read, hów influential these formér Nazi-circles rémained in the sociéty of post-wár West Germany.
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