Documents from German, Soviet and British archives help illuminate the diplomatic atmosphere of the times and the challenge Hitler confronted when weighing foreign policy decisions. Evidence shows that these were often spontaneous reaction to fluctuating political constellations rather than planned long in advance. During the war, oppressive German measures in occupied countries invited criticism from within Germany as the National Socialist dogma, particularly the race theory, began losing influence in official circles and the military.
An in-depth analysis of Hitler's wartime campaigns, especially Stalingrad and Normandy, reveals that the German resistance not only plotted to topple the regime, but systematically sabotaged combat operations causing the German army catastrophic defeats. The motive, historical records demonstrate, was not so idealistic as popularly believed.