Cohesion and Disintegration in the Wehrmacht in World War II

Shils, Edward; Janowitz, Morris

doi:10.1086/265951

Cited by 743 publications

(236 citation statements)

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“…Indeed, interviews of German prisoners of war that have taken place shortly after they had been captured revealed that despite the proved overwhelming superiority of their enemies the soldiers of the Wehrmacht stayed singularly steadfast throughout the war; their morale remained very high, and their belief in Hitler and in a secret plan that would eventually turn the tide again had not diminished even when they had witnessed the annihilation of all the German units around them. A stubborn rejection of any possible surrender had been the leading concept characterizing officers as well as plain soldiers across the whole German army [71][72][73][74].…”

Section: Findings From the Case Study Of The Third Reichmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Importance of National Ethos in Military Victories

Lewin

2016

Social Sciences

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When nations are violently threatened, the choices that they make in order to cope with the challenge of war reflect different alternative possible reactions. They may choose to fiercely fight their battles; they may prefer to surrender, and sometimes the options lay in-between. One puzzle is, therefore, what makes nations fight, and more importantly-what causes them eventually to win or to lose the war. In search for an answer, this study inquires through secondary sources three historical case studies from World War II: Britain, France and Germany, and reviews how each of these major European powers acted throughout the war. After each historical description, the study examines the part that national ethos played in the manner in which each state handled war in moments of crisis. The national ethos of a people is the creed formed from the shared values and traditions through which the nation views its past, present and future; it is the integrating element that defines a nation's identity and bonds it into a coherent social group. The study reveals how national ethos is intertwined with another phenomenon of social psychology that turns it into a crucial factor in the management of international campaigns: war enthusiasm. Since national ethos is so crucial for the results of the war that a country might lead in order to survive or prosper, it is imperative for decision makers to bear in mind that it is also subject to a process of shaping and reshaping, as the Soviets have proved in relation to their Russian national ethos during World War II. A word of caution, however, is noteworthy: a wide historical perspective shows that even though the right kind of national ethos is essential for winning a war it is far from being enough. Hence national ethos proves, at the end of the day, to be a necessary condition for military victory but certainly not a sufficient one.

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Section: Findings From the Case Study Of The Third Reichmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Importance of National Ethos in Military Victories

Lewin

2016

Social Sciences

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“…(i.e., M4 to M5). Given that cohesion is thought to sustain individuals and groups under times of stress (e.g., Griffith & Viatkus, 1999;Shils & Janowitz, 1948), the hardships imposed by deployment to a combat zone are likely to have solidified horizontal cohesion (i.e., peer bonding) during this phase of the 172d SBCT's operational lifecycle, in much the same way as combat hardships in other contexts have been linked to enhanced cohesion (e.g., Ambrose, 2001). …”

Section: Question 1: How Does Cohesion Change From Pre-to Middeployment?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Pre- to Middeployment Assessment of Unit Focused Stability Impact on Cohesion

Smith¹,

Hagman²

2006

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“…Over the years, a few researchers have attacked the problem and some findings are available (Shils and Janowitz, 1948;Milner, 1957;Janowitz, 1959;Bowers, 1962;Olmstead, Christensen, and Lackey, 1973;Olmstead, Elder, and Forsyth, 1978;Olmstead and Elder, 1980). However, for the most part, reports which directly describe the effects of battlefield strains upon organizational functioning are memoirs (Halsey and Bryan, 1947;Kenney, 1949;Bradley, 1951;Truscott, 1954;Ridgway, 1956;Slim, 1961), brief analyses (Clarke, 1963;Lynn, 1963), or accounts of training experiences (Bolger, 1986).…”

Section: Effects Of Battlefield Pressuresmentioning

confidence: 99%

Battle staff integration.

Olmstead¹

1992

PsycEXTRA Dataset

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4 16 017 IDA Log No. HO 91 -37013DEFINITIONS IDA publishes the following documents to reporl thL ,-ults of its work. ReportsReports are the most ?uthoritative and most carefully considered products IDA publishes. They normally embody results of major projects which (a) have a direct bearing on decisions affecting major programs, (b) address issues of significant concern to the Executive Branch. the Congress and/or the public, or (c) address issues that have significant economic implications. IDA Reports are reviewed by outside panels of experts to ensure their ht!h quality and relevance to the problems studied, and they are released by the President of IDA. Group ReportsGroup Reports recora the findings and results of IDA established working groups and panels composed of senior individuals addressing major issues which otherwise would be the subject of an IDA Report. IDA Group Reports are reviewed by the senior individuals responsible for the project and Wtlenr as selected by IDA to ensure their high quality and relevance [o the problems studied, and are released by the President of IDA. PapersPapers, also authoritative and carefully considered products of IDA, address studies that are narrower in scope than those covered in Reports. MA Papers are reviewed to ensure that they meet the high ý'andards expected of refereed papers ,n professional journeas or formai Agency reports. Approved for public release; distribulion urdimited. ABSTRACT (Maximum 200 words)This paper sets forth a research-based conceptual framework for understanding and addressing battle staff functioning and its relation to the effectiveness of combat organizations. It also develops a concept for maintaining battle staff structure and function under the heavy stress of combat. Together, the melding of structure and function and the notion of functional competence constitute the area of Battle Staff Integration. This paper offers practitioners (military leaders, trainers, and performance analysts) guidance for developing and directing effective battle staffs. The dynamic structure and functioning of military organizations are discussed and the roles of battle staffs are analyzed. An historical and analytical review of organizational theories and concepts is included, and the concept of team work and the characterislics of effective teams are discussed. A conceptual framework is presented for teamwork in problem-solving and decision-making activities within hierarchical organizations. SUBJECT TERMS PREFACEThis paper had its origin in 1963 in a program of research concerned with highlevel leadership conducted for the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and of which I was project director. During the course of the research, it became apparent that little was known systematically about the dynamics of large military organizations--about what goes on within a combat unit in terms of the dynamic determinants of its effectiveness on the battlefield. The result was a series of intermittent projects over the last 20 years, conducted whenever i...

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Cohesion and Disintegration in the Wehrmacht in World War II

Cited by 743 publications

References 0 publications

The Importance of National Ethos in Military Victories

The Importance of National Ethos in Military Victories

Pre- to Middeployment Assessment of Unit Focused Stability Impact on Cohesion

Battle staff integration.

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