The author and the subject are both Ribbentrop. A family name that will forever be tied to the subject Joachim Von Ribbentrop Joachim was Hitler’s Foreign Minister tried of war crimes and put to death in the wake of World War II. Whether he was truly guilty of war crimes is a muted point now.
This book written by Rudolf Ribbentrop expertly captures the thoughts, actions and words of Joachim Von Ribbentrop while he was serving as Germany’s Foreign Minister under Hitler. At great length and with a convincing approach Rudolf explains the details of his father’s many attempts to present the Foreign Minister’s office as a competent office burdened with the ever-present twisted personality of Hitler. Joachim Von Ribbentrop was a diplomat put into a very tight situation that called for him to defend the German Foreign policy during the first years of Hitler’s reign through the end of the war. A recurring theme was Von Ribbentrop’s persistent pursuit of gaining acceptance by the British Foreign Office so as to align Germany and Great Britain! This was Hitler’s aim as well and may have impacted his decision making on key initiatives such as Operation Sealion (The land force invasion of Britain), Dunkirk (the evacuation of troops) and the Bombing of the British Mainland. Yes. Hitler may have had a soft spot for the English people!
The book provides very detailed behind the scenes information on Germany’s, and ultimately Hitler’s fatal decisions at the Eastern front, specifically, the regrettable war with Russia after signing a non-aggression pact with them, the desperate counterattacks at Kursk, the failures at Stalingrad.
It is no revelation that Hitler was a maniac who became unhinged towards the end of the war. It is news to most of us that there were good men that were desperately clinging to the fact that Germany would some day have to return to the fold of normal relations with the world and try to regain their dignity and respect. There was and is a very high price to pay for those on the receiving end of Germany’s Nazi programs. Forever Germany will carry this stain on their record and will continue to be the focus of hatred and a darkened world perception!
This book is available on Amazon.com (US), Amazon.co.uk (UK) and Pen and Sword Publishing
