Hitler’s Henchmen by Helmut Ortner

Hitler’s Henchmen by Helmut Ortner* – Nazi Executioners and How They Escaped Justice After WWII was shocking to read. Not because of what the Nazis did, that was to be expected, but what happened in Germany ever since. He is highly critical of the German attitude and I fully agree with his stance. The book is short, around 100 pages, and this makes it a must read for anyone who doesn’t have a lot of time to read longer books on this subject. It offers an insight into Germany’s mentality that affects all of us today too, their insistence on working with Russia after it attacked multiple neighbours and teaching Ukrainians what fascism means, while in their parliament over 10% are far-right and about 5% are far-left. This mentality is a result, in part, of what happened after WWII, and this is why this book is so important to read right now.

Ortner talks in each chapter about a specific case. For example he talks about Arnold Strippel, an SS-Totenkopfverbände who was tried a couple of times, but mainly lived a peaceful life. He was responsible for murdering people who were experimented upon – medical experiments, tuberculosis. What his neighbours said is so incredibly telling and chilling. I never imagined that after the war a Nazi judge would continue to be a Nazi judge. The issues with compensation for victims and pensions for Nazis or their families were another incredible affair.

The writing is clear and concise. While the authors views are obvious, he is as unbiased as it’s possible with a subject like this one. I learned a lot from it and took many notes for future reference. This is why I highly recommend the book. Nazi Germany was defeated and we (at least I) tend to read about what happened during the war, while being less concerned with what happened afterwards. The full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine highlighted the importance of analysing what and how countries dealt with their radical past.

Hitler’s Henchmen by Helmut Ortner

Details about the picture: –
My rating: 5/5 Stars
Would I recommend it: YES!!
Published by: Frontline books
Year it was published: 2022
Format: Hardcover
Genre(s): History
Pages: 136

About the author: Born in 1950, HELMUT ORTNER has written over thirty books, mostly political non-fiction books and biographies. His previous works include biographies on Georg Elser, The Lone Assassin: The Incredible True Story of the Man Who Tried to Kill Hitler, and Roland Freisler, Hitler’s Executioner: Judge, Jury and Mass Murderer for the Nazis. Many of his books met with a great response from readers and critics alike and, between them, have been translated into fourteen languages. Helmut works and lives in Frankfurt and Darmstadt. He is a member of Amnesty International and the Bruno Giordano Foundation. For more information, please see: www.helmutortner.de
Website & Social Media Links: Pen and Sword

*I was sent a copy of Hitler’s Henchmen by Helmut Ortner for the purpose of this review. All opinions are my own.