Hitler's Stalingrad Decisions

Hitler's Stalingrad Decisions is an incisive examination of one of the most pivotal moments in World War II, focusing not on the military tactics of the Battle of Stalingrad but on Adolf Hitler’s decision-making during this extraordinary crisis. Framed within the concept of an "Intra-War Crisis" (IWC), the book explores the escalating perceptions of threat, time constraints, and shifts in military balance that defined German leadership's response to the unfolding catastrophe. Jukes uses a multidisciplinary approach, integrating historical analysis with political science methodologies to shed light on how centralized Nazi decision-making, heavily dominated by Hitler, shaped the outcome of this historic confrontation.

Relying on rich primary sources, including the multi-volume War Diary of the High Command of the Armed Forces, the book meticulously analyzes three distinct phases of the Stalingrad crisis: the pre-crisis period marked by strategic misjudgments, the peak crisis when the German forces became besieged, and the post-crisis phase characterized by efforts to salvage what remained of the German position. Jukes evaluates these periods through detailed accounts of Führer Directives, High Command conferences, and the interplay of escalating stress and cognitive performance under Hitler’s autocratic leadership. By comparing these events to other international crises, both wartime and peacetime, the book provides a nuanced understanding of decision-making under extreme pressure, offering valuable insights into the dynamics of leadership, strategy, and crisis behavior. This work is an essential resource for historians, political scientists, and readers intrigued by the interplay of military and political decision-making during moments of historical significance.

This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1985.