Storming the Eagle's Nest

This book by Jim Ring covers Hitler's War in the Alps, although it actually covers all the combatants. I picked this up in a second-hand bookshop, intrigued by the title more than anything else. It was published in 2014 and is available relatively cheaply at present.

There is some introductory padding about WW2. Still, after that, the author takes us through all the conflicts in the Alps during the war, occasionally stretching the geographical boundaries a bit. The early chapters on Mussolini's invasion of France and the German plan to invade Switzerland were the most interesting. 

Mussolini certainly got his 'few thousand dead' as the price of a seat at the armistice table. His armies battered away at the Little Maginot Line the French had constructed on their Alpine border with Italy. The Italian Alpini did their best under challenging conditions, but there was insufficient artillery and accurate air support to make much progress.

The Swiss had published a German plan to invade back in 1933, but more needed to be done to modernise the Swiss Army and their defence plan. On 12 August 1940, Captain von Menges revised his plan and submitted it to Halder. He allocated 11 divisions for the attack, adjusting the Axis of the attack following a reconnaissance along the border. Operation Sea Lion and Operation Barbarossa put the plan on the back burner.

The Swiss appointed General Guisan to reorganise their defences. He controversially decided to screen the border and fall back to the Alpine Redoubt. This meant abandoning the major cities, but the idea was more of a deterrence as the Axis would be blocked from the main communication routes. The army was equipped to fight WW1, although the terrain and the size of the military would have made it a challenging prospect for the invaders.

Other chapters deal with the Holocaust in the Alpine regions and the various resistance forces. These included a small Austrian group and others in Bavaria. After 1943, the Italian partisans established republics in the Italian Alps, and the French created bases, most famously on the Vercours plateau. None of these initiatives lasted long when the Wehrmacht arrived in force. The Yugoslav operations are briefly covered, but I think this is stretching the boundaries a bit.

Hitler's favourite residence at Berchtesgaden (Eagle's Nest) is covered in detail, and the final chapters cover the defences and the mythical redoubt. The Americans largely bought the myth and diverted forces from Berlin to deal with it. 

This is an interesting look at a geographical region that features little in WW2 historiography. However, it is a bit manufactured, as there isn't much of a theme to bind the various sections together other than the challenges of fighting in rugged terrain.

This book might inspire a wargaming rabbit hole or two for me. I am very interested in the Italian attack on France and probably already have the figures for it. However, more reading is required to fully understand the campaign. The German invasion of Switzerland is the sort of what-if that attracts me. I thought wargame figures might be challenging, as the Swiss had a unique helmet design. However, there are some 3D sculpts that look excellent. French postal charges were astronomical, but I have found a UK supplier, so a modest dabble will begin.