Exposing the Third Reich: Colonel Truman Smith in Hitler's Germany

by Henry G. Gole, Edward M. Coffman (Foreword by)

Overview

As World War II recedes from living memory, there remain untold stories of important behind-the-scenes operatives who provided vital support to the leaders celebrated in historical accounts. Colonel Truman Smith is one of the most compelling figures from this period, but there has never been a biography of this important and controversial man. In Exposing the Third Reich, Henry G. Gole tells this soldier's story for the first time.

An American aristocrat from a prominent New England family, Smith was first assigned to Germany in 1919 during the Allied occupation and soon became known as a regional expert. During his second assignment in the country as a military attaché in 1935, he arranged for his good friend Charles Lindbergh to inspect the Luftwaffe. The Germans were delighted to have the famous aviator view their planes, enabling Smith to gather key intelligence about their air capability. His savvy cultivation of relationships rendered him invaluable throughout his service, particularly as an aide to General George C. Marshall; however, the colonel's friendliness with Germany also aroused suspicion that he was a Nazi sympathizer.

Gole demonstrates that, far from condoning Hitler, Smith was among the first to raise the alarm: he predicted many of the Nazis' moves years in advance and feared that the international community would not act quickly enough. Featuring many firsthand observations of the critical changes in Germany between the world wars, this biography presents an indispensable look both at a fascinating figure and at the nuances of the interwar years.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780813141763
Publisher:	University Press of Kentucky
Publication date:	08/20/2013
Series:	American Warriors Series
Pages:	432
Product dimensions:	6.40(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.40(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Henry G. Gole has taught at West Point, the U.S. Army War College, the University of Maryland, and Dickinson College. In addition, he served as a rifleman in Korea and completed two tours as a Special Forces officer during the Vietnam War. He is the author of four books, including General William E. DePuy: Preparing the Army for Modern War.

Table of Contents

Foreword Edward M. Coffman ix

Preface and Acknowledgments xi

1 Patrician Heritage 1

2 Over There 17

3 Deutschland and Yearning 32

4 Civil Affairs and Romance on the Rhine 43

5 Berlin, Munich, and Hitler in Weimar Germany 58

6 Years of Preparation 77

7 Marshall's Men 87

8 Army War College and Command 103

9 Hitler Takes Power 122

10 Hitler's Germany 130

11 Kay, Germany, and Ambassador Dodd 143

12 Hitler Arms, Smith Reports 165

13 Smith's Trojan Horse 182

14 The Lindbergh-Smith Friendship 202

15 Hitler Is Ready 216

16 Welcome Home 231

17 Smith as "Strategicus" 248

18 Wartime Washington 268

19 The Road to German Rearmament 286

20 Politics, Travel, and Writing 302

21 Retrospective and a Graceful Exit 313

Appendixes

A Losses in Smith's 4th Infantry, October 1918 329

B Smith to His Sister on the Death of His Daughter, 1923 330

C Marshall on Smith's Berlin Reporting and Dignity 331

D The German-British Bombing Pause, Christmas 1940 332

E Marshall on Smith's Assessment of the Balkans, 1943 334

R Smith on the Situation in Europe, May 1944 337

G Marshall Saves a German General 339

H Smith on the German Army, 1963 341

I Smith's Letter to Brigitta von Schell, 1967 348

J Smith to Marshall on Smith's Retirement 351

K Obituary, Katharine Ailing Hollister Smith 353

A Note on Sources 355

Notes 359

Selected Bibliography 381

Index 395

Editorial Reviews

Exposing the Third Reich is a story of how influential a single officer was in his service from WWI culminating in the development of NATO in the early 1970s.... Colonel Truman Smith deserves this book. Colonel Henry Gole has provided us with a publication all professional officers should include in their libraries.

Parameters: The US Army War College Quarterly

"Exposing the Third Reich" is a fascinating book about a virtually unknown officer who played a major role in the development of U.S military planning before and during World War II.

Bowling Green Daily News

Colonel Gole's appraisal of Truman Smith presents us with the story of one of the many unsung heroes of World War II, against the backdrop of the turbulent history of Germany in the middle years of the 20th century. As World War II recedes rapidly from living memory, there are many such stories remaining to be told of the behind-the-scenes 'heavy lifters' of the period. Truman Smith's story is one of the most important and compelling.

Major General David T. Zabecki, AUS (Ret.) - David T. Zabecki

Gole is well qualified to write a biography of Truman Smith. In addition to the invaluable memoirs of Truman and Kay Smith, he had access to their correspondence and conducted extensive research of relevant books and articles. His experience as a soldier has helped him understand Smith's military career.

from the foreword Edward M. Coffman

Henry Gole, a veteran of Korea and Vietnam, tells for the first time the interesting story of Smith, his wife Kay, and their lives in and with Germany during [the Third Reich]. This is an account of Smith's professional careers as well as a very personal story of a deep and affectionate family relationship. [....] Exposing the Third Reich is a highly stimulating read. Gole's biography constitutes a real contribution to the historiography of U.S.-German relations and American military thinking about Germany's strengthening positing in the 1930s.

Journal of Military History

Gole demonstrates that, far from condoning Hitler, [Colonel Truman] Smith was among the first to raise the alarm: he predicted many of the Nazis' moves years in advance and feared that the international community would not act quickly enough. Featuring many firsthand observations of the critical changes in Germany between the world wars, this biography presents an indispensable look both at a fascinating figure and at the nuances of the interwar years.

McCormick Messenger - Bob Edmonds

"Colonel Gole's appraisal of Truman Smith presents us with the story of one of the many unsung heroes of World War II, against the backdrop of the turbulent history of Germany in the middle years of the 20th century. As World War II recedes rapidly from living memory, there are many such stories remaining to be told of the behind-the-scenes 'heavy lifters' of the period. Truman Smith's story is one of the most important and compelling." — David T. Zabecki, Major General David T. Zabecki, AUS (Ret.)

"Gole is well qualified to write a biography of Truman Smith. In addition to the invaluable memoirs of Truman and Kay Smith, he had access to their correspondence and conducted extensive research of relevant books and articles. His experience as a soldier has helped him understand Smith's military career." — Edward M. Coffman, from the foreword

"Gole demonstrates that, far from condoning Hitler, [Colonel Truman] Smith was among the first to raise the alarm: he predicted many of the Nazis' moves years in advance and feared that the international community would not act quickly enough. Featuring many firsthand observations of the critical changes in Germany between the world wars, this biography presents an indispensable look both at a fascinating figure and at the nuances of the interwar years." — Bob Edmonds, McCormick Messenger

"Exposing the Third Reich" is a fascinating book about a virtually unknown officer who played a major role in the development of U.S military planning before and during World War II." — Bowling Green Daily News

"Henry Gole, a veteran of Korea and Vietnam, tells for the first time the interesting story of Smith, his wife Kay, and their lives in and with Germany during [the Third Reich]. This is an account of Smith's professional careers as well as a very personal story of a deep and affectionate family relationship.

[....] Exposing the Third Reich is a highly stimulating read. Gole's biography constitutes a real contribution to the historiography of U.S.-German relations and American military thinking about Germany's strengthening positing in the 1930s." — Journal of Military History

" Exposing the Third Reich is a story of how influential a single officer was in his service from WWI culminating in the development of NATO in the early 1970s.... Colonel Truman Smith deserves this book. Colonel Henry Gole has provided us with a publication all professional officers should include in their libraries." — Parameters: The US Army War College Quarterly

From the Publisher