Military History
Author: Timothy Snyder
| Reviewed by Rev. Dr. Wylie W. Johnson, US Army War College class of 2010 |
Covering the rules of Hitler and Stalin between 1933 and 1945, Bloodlands: Europe between Hitler and Stalin, explores three periods of genocide in which “two great ideological powers that worked out their Darwinian fantasies at the expense of peoples they identified by religion, ethnicity, ideology, and location.” In addition to military casualties, 14 million noncombatants died. The reviewer notes, “Bloodlands is an important book for US military leaders of all ranks for two reasons. First, it is a stark warning to professional warriors about the evils perpetrated by military forces unbridled by ethical and religious morality. Second, given the ongoing Ukrainian conflict, one must recognize that the historical roots of today’s conflict are intensely personal to the people of Ukraine.”
Keywords: Final Solution, Stalin, Soviets, Ukraine, civil war