WWII Un-researched Topics

El Inho

I wrapping up after 4 years of college. Dissertation on David Irving is complete, and I'm deciding to stay in college for another 4 years and do a PhD.

I'm just looking for a brain storm with regard to possible unresearched topics surrounding Germany in WWII.

Or WWII more broadly. Hoping to break ground eventually.

This is just an attempt to brainstorm! Any ideas appreciated.

Was considering continuing on with the Holocaust denial approach, but what do you all think would be interesting?

Manach

As WWII is such a grim topic - perhaps humour and entertainment. How the civilian and military coped with the stresses of WWII via humour - this might be of special relevance on the Soviet side as the opening of their archives is fairly recent.

El Inho

Manach wrote: »

As WWII is such a grim topic - perhaps humour and entertainment. How the civilian and military coped with the stresses of WWII via humour - this might be of special relevance on the Soviet side as the opening of their archives is fairly recent.

very good point! its something ill consider. i always like the alternate side to wwii

Reekwind

After several decades of research I'm not sure that there's an area that's still completely uncharted. You could perhaps go into micro-history and do a case study of X or Y under the conditions of A or B

In terms of larger subjects, it's true that the Soviet side remains relatively unexplored but only relatively. The archives have, to varying degrees, been open for some two decades now, after all. There could still well be space on the operational side but more of the 'softer' topics have been fairly intensely pored over in the past years. Popular opinion/culture in Stalinist Russia, to take the joke example, is probably already on its fourth generation of research (going from Conquest-Getty/Fitzpatrick-Kotkin-Rossman/Murphy)

El Inho

I'm considering researching pornography in Germany...maybe even before WWII. Just the effects etc...

I'm terrible for having an obsession with Germany. Even the thoughts of Russia just loses me.

El Inho

I'm considering researching pornography in Germany...maybe even before WWII. Just the effects etc...

I'm terrible for having an obsession with Germany. Even the thoughts of Russia just loses me.

Delancey

As someone already said I really doubt there is an aspect to Germany in WW2 that has not been researched before , one area to consider is the German war economy and its strenghts and weaknesses.
For example how were the Germans so quicly able to recover from the massive bombing of their main ball-bearing plants at Schweinfurt ?
Why did war production peak in 1944 despite the allied bombing offensive ?
Why did Germany fail to mobilise its women as war workers to the same extent as the US or Britain and instead rely increasingly on imported slave labour ?

Lots and lots to look at there.

Reekwind

A lot of the economic ground has similarly been covered though. Certainly the big matters of controversy (impact of Allied bombing, Speer's influence, etc, etc) have been thoroughly debated. Still, there is probably more room there than on the operational, political or social aspects of the war. You could possibly take a revisionist position on some question or present a micro-history on the economics of Nazi occupation in some obscure backwater...

El Inho

Reekwind wrote: »

A lot of the economic ground has similarly been covered though. Certainly the big matters of controversy (impact of Allied bombing, Speer's influence, etc, etc) have been thoroughly debated. Still, there is probably more room there than on the operational, political or social aspects of the war. You could possibly take a revisionist position on some question or present a micro-history on the economics of Nazi occupation in some obscure backwater...

I've already shown an interest in Dresden. One of the main points of my dissertation was comparing bomb tonnages to debunk the figures Irving put forward as fact.

However revisiting the effects of such air raids is something that interests me for sure.

jonniebgood1

eldwaro wrote: »

I wrapping up after 4 years of college. Dissertation on David Irving is complete, and I'm deciding to stay in college for another 4 years and do a PhD.

I'm just looking for a brain storm with regard to possible unresearched topics surrounding Germany in WWII.

Or WWII more broadly. Hoping to break ground eventually.

This is just an attempt to brainstorm! Any ideas appreciated.

Was considering continuing on with the Holocaust denial approach, but what do you all think would be interesting?

eldwaro wrote: »

I've already shown an interest in Dresden. One of the main points of my dissertation was comparing bomb tonnages to debunk the figures Irving put forward as fact.

However revisiting the effects of such air raids is something that interests me for sure.

Hello eldwaro. I have followed the thread from your OP. Generally homework type threads (i.e. looking for ideas) are not allowed as per the forum charter. The reason for leaving it open is to allow a conversation begin about some of the less familiar aspects of WWII.
With this in mind, could you expand on what your research uncovered regarding Irving's work. As you know he is a controversial figure but some people still try to put him forward as legitimate so I would be interested in what your opinion is on him given you have looked into this in detail.
Thanks.

El Inho

jonniebgood1 wrote: »

Hello eldwaro. I have followed the thread from your OP. Generally homework type threads (i.e. looking for ideas) are not allowed as per the forum charter. The reason for leaving it open is to allow a conversation begin about some of the less familiar aspects of WWII.
With this in mind, could you expand on what your research uncovered regarding Irving's work. As you know he is a controversial figure but some people still try to put him forward as legitimate so I would be interested in what your opinion is on him given you have looked into this in detail.
Thanks.

I was thinking I may have been hugging the lines of the law alright.

Well the general aim of the dissertation was to remain subjective while addressing his work. The title was David Irving: Deliberate or Delusional? And basically worked around to stating in the early days of his 'hardcore holocaust denial' ie after the Zündel trial, he truly believed what he was saying. But in more recent times, particularly after the Lipstadt/Penguin trial left him bankrupt, he continued his work in america where he would be free from restriction. One of the most interesting and ridiculous points i uncovered was his setting up of a website which was to become dubbed the 'Naz-eBay'. He said himself in several interviews that he knew America was where the money was. I concluded that he currently writes and presents just to make money. His history is so niche market it left me thinking if i want to make money, just get into holocaust denial. Obviously I havent done that :P

But yeah, once the work is graded I would be happy to upload it here and let anyone interested have a read. It was only a final year dissertation of 15000, and if i havent gone into enough detail here i apologise...its just still been a little to recent that I was stressing about it

in support of his delusional side i hit upon him printing his own cover of stern in the 80s. and in debunking some of his is ideas on auschwitz some of the documents included the 'vergassungskellar' document and eyewitness accounts of the Nazi destruction of evidence.

Personally, I have interviewed Irving. The man really does know his stuff. but he is just so selective in his accuracy. Like one document can disprove the Holocaust, yet he needs 100 documents to prove it. But another main point was Holocaust denial being illegal is just plain wrong. History itself should be strong enough to stand up in defiance against Irving. The part of my dissertation which may get some attention was my labelling of Lipstadt as a hypocrite for stating Irving must be allowed to speak and be engaged with, then she refused to engage with him.

Also I 'bigged up' Robert Gerwarth who was on the late late with Irving. YouTube video well worth a watch to summerise the story.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c82WPNFBNnM

TL/DR Version :

Irving started out being genuine.
Then he maintained his beliefs because he was in demand and needed the money.

jonniebgood1

eldwaro wrote: »

TL/DR Version :

Irving started out being genuine.
Then he maintained his beliefs because he was in demand and needed the money.

It is always the small, almost throwaway comments that he gives that belie what he may be trying to get across. He said before the Lipstadt trial that he was putting his reputation on the line, and he lost the libel case.

Just out of interest how do you see pornography in pre war Germany effecting WWII.

El Inho

jonniebgood1 wrote: »

It is always the small, almost throwaway comments that he gives that belie what he may be trying to get across. He said before the Lipstadt trial that he was putting his reputation on the line, and he lost the libel case.

Just out of interest how do you see pornography in pre war Germany effecting WWII.

well it was an underground crime industry, so im sure it will have some effect.

when i was typing that thought I think my mind was wandering away from WWII to turn of the century up to the 20s and 30s, more than anything else.