Crash of Ruin : American Combat Soldiers in Europe During World War II

by Schrijvers, Peter

• ISBN13: 9780814798072
• ISBN10: 0814798071
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-04-01
• Publisher: New York University Press

Summary

This terrifying, remarkable work examines the attitudes, perceptions, and behavior of U.S. fighting men in the Pacific theater during World War II. Imaginatively drawing on letters, diaries, memoirs, military reports, and contemporary psychological assessments, Schrijvers reveals the social, historical, and emotional roots of the peculiarly frenzied and merciless war...this temperate study of murderous fury is among the most unsettling books I've read in years.--The Atlantic MonthlyOne of the most remarkable books I have ever come across. A significant and fascinating contribution to the field. The Crash of Ruin should appeal to a large audience of readers interested in World War II history.--Edward M. Coffman, Author of The War to End All Wars: The American Military Experience in World War IThe Crash of Ruin offers the reader both intellectual and emotional rewards.... Its narrative power makes it a wonderful read.--Susan M. Hartmann, The Ohio State UniversityA brilliant contribution to intercultural studies. It imaginatively combines the ænew' military history with an older American Studies research and writing technique. Not only will the book attract a wide range of readers, it should also stimulate scholars to adopt this approach to many other topics in cultural studies.--William R. Childs, Author of Trucking and the Public InterestIn the ruined Europe of World War II, American soldiers on the front lines had no eye for breathtaking vistas or romantic settings. The brutality of battle profoundly darkened their perceptions of the Old World. As the only means of international travel for the masses, the military exposed millions of Americans to a Europe in swift, catastrophic decline.Drawing on soldiers' diaries, letters, poems, and songs, Peter Schrijvers offers a compelling account of the experiences of U.S. combat ground forces: their struggles with the European terrain and seasons, their confrontations with soldiers, and their often startling encounters with civilians. Schrijvers relays how the GIs became so desensitized and dehumanized that the sight of dead animals often evoked more compassion than the sight of enemy dead. The Crash of Ruin concludes with a dramatic and moving account of the final Allied offensive into German-held territory and the soldiers' bearing witness to the ultimate symbol of Europe's descent into ruin--the death camps of the Holocaust.The harrowing experiences of the GIs convinced them that Europe's collapse was not only the result of the war, but also the Old World's deep-seated political cynicism, economic stagnation, and cultural decadence. The soldiers came to believe that the plague of war formed an inseparable part of the Old World's decline and fall.

Table of Contents

Dedication	v
Abbreviations	ix
List of Endnote Abbreviations	x
Preface	xi
Acknowledgements	xiii
Part I Nature
Nature	3	(26)
Earth	4	(2)
Vegetation	6	(3)
Light and Darkness	9	(3)
The Seasons	12	(17)
Summer	12	(2)
Autumn	14	(4)
Winter	18	(4)
Spring	22	(7)
Part II The Soldiers
The Soldiers - Introduction	29	(2)
The Allies	31	(19)
The British	32	(9)
The French	41	(9)
The Enemies	50	(53)
The Italians	50	(6)
The Germans	56	(47)
The Ghost from the Past	57	(5)
The Valiant Foe	62	(10)
The Fiendish Foe	72	(12)
The Burned-Out Foe	84	(19)
Part III The Civilians
The Civilians - Introduction	103	(6)
The Labyrinth of Nations	109	(40)
Great Britain	109	(6)
French North Africa	115	(5)
Sicily and Italy	120	(4)
France	124	(7)
The Low Countries	131	(6)
Belgium	131	(4)
The Netherlands	135	(2)
Germany	137	(9)
Austria	146	(1)
Czechoslovakia	147	(2)
The Limits of Communication	149	(42)
The Language Barrier	149	(7)
The Quest for Food	156	(8)
The Need for Tobacco and Alcohol	164	(7)
The Aid to the Sick	171	(3)
The Attraction to Children	174	(3)
The Longing for Women	177	(14)
The Totality of War	191	(27)
The Civilian Intrusion	191	(4)
The Encroachment of Battle	195	(11)
The Natural Environment	195	(3)
The Civilian World	198	(8)
The Perversion of Tourism	206	(12)
The Old World	218	(33)
The Weight of Age	218	(3)
The Constraints of Space	221	(1)
The Shackles of Tyranny	222	(5)
Stagnation ...	227	(6)
... And Decline	233	(18)
Part IV The Apocalypse
The Apocalypse	251	(14)
The Strange	251	(1)
The Genocide	252	(5)
The Horsemen of the Apocalypse	257	(8)
The American Victors	258	(2)
The Soviet Victors	260	(5)
Epilogue	265	(3)
Notes	268	(40)
Bibliography	308	(14)
Index	322