is the opening installment of a monumental 10-volume series (originally 13 volumes in German as Das Deutsche Reich und der Zweite Weltkrieg ) produced by the Militärgeschichtliches Forschungsamt (Research Institute for Military History) . This volume serves as the foundational analysis of the structural, economic, and political forces that paved the way for Nazi expansionism. Key Publication Details

: This volume covers 828 pages and examines the shift from the Weimar Republic to the Third Reich's total mobilization for war. Core Themes and Content

: A significant focus is placed on the lack of coordination between the Nazi administration and the armed services, as well as the limits of Hitler's personal involvement with big business and the army.

: The research demonstrates a stark contrast to 1914; despite propaganda efforts, most Germans in 1939 were actually opposed to entering another war. Historical Significance

: Wilhelm Deist, Manfred Messerschmidt, Hans-Erich Volkmann, and Wolfram Wette. Publisher : Oxford University Press (English translation).

The volume provides a "history from the German perspective," focusing on how the Nazi regime systematically prepared for global conflict.

Reviewers from Amazon and other academic platforms consider this series the definitive official history of the war, as it combines a massive synthesis of existing material with then-new research to address Germany’s responsibility for the conflict. (PDF) The Origins of World War Two - Academia.edu