Der Kampf im Westen Die Soldaten des Führers im Felde II. Band – Herausgegeben von Oberst des Generalstabes Hasso von Wedel Abteilungschef im Oberkommando der Wehrmacht und Reichsamtsleiter Henrich Hansen Reichspressestelle der NSDAP – The Battle in the West: The Leader’s Soldiers in the Field B. Published by Colonel of the General Staff Hasso von Wedel, Head of a Department in the High Command of the Wehrmacht, and Heinrich Hansen, Head of the Reich Press Office of the NSDAP, the Nazi Party. Published by RAUMBILD-VERLAG Otto Schönstein K.-G. MÜNCHEN 23. 1940. A set of stereoscopic photographs, viewing glasses, and a photo book documenting the activities of German Wehrmacht soldiers on the battlefield during the initial phase of World War II. A complete binder with all 100 photographs placed in pockets of the wooden cover at the front and back, viewing glasses made by Raumbild-verlag, and an instruction sheet for viewing, all complete.
The album heroically glorifies the conquests of the German army: “We know today that our victory in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg will determine the fate of Europe for hundreds of years…”. The author describes the various stages of the battles in the Netherlands and Belgium and the battle for France – “the first phase of the battle in the West.” The book contains numerous quotes, dated from war reports, that describe the progress of the armies on the ground and the speed with which the German forces succeeded in conquering the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and France, as well as the surrender of the occupied countries, with disdain for the “fleeing” enemy armies and the glorification of the German army as “the strongest in the world.” Throughout the book, official reports from the Wehrmacht’s High Command are presented, detailing the blowing up of bridges, the operations of the air artillery, and the progress of the conquests.
The binder also presents 100 stereoscopic photographs (numbered 1-100) placed in dedicated wooden pockets in the front and back covers, documenting battle scenes of the German Wehrmacht soldiers. These include: Nazi soldiers carrying crates with carrier pigeons, heavy anti-aircraft artillery units, armored vehicles on missions, cows in evacuated France mooing after days of not being milked, Germany’s advance in Belgium, military goods left behind by the fleeing British, and many more. The last pages contain a detailed list describing each of the 100 photographs. The report binder is accompanied by eight color photographs of German Wehrmacht soldiers in war scenes.
At the beginning of the book, it is claimed that the countries fighting against Germany were misled by the Jews into underestimating its strength. “When the German people were forced to take up arms in September 1939, our enemies firmly believed that the combined Polish, French, and English armies were not only a threat to the German army but they were firmly convinced that they were capable of completely destroying the German army. If one asks today how these megalomaniacs could have come to such a conclusion, despite having had the opportunity to recognize the strength and morale of the German Wehrmacht over several years, one must understand that only false propaganda by Jews and immigrants… could give people such a distorted picture…” (from the introduction).
Binder: 80 pages + 8 photograph plates + 100 stereoscopic photographs, instruction booklet, viewing glasses. Wooden cover with cloth overlay. Slight wear on the cover. All intact and in good – very good condition.
