Germany Turns Eastwards: A Study of Ostforschung in the Third Reich

Germany Turns Eastwards examines the development of Ostforschung - German scholarly research focused on Eastern Europe - during the Nazi period. The book traces how academic disciplines like history, geography, and ethnography became tools of Nazi expansionist policies. Burleigh documents the transformation of German academic institutions and individual scholars as they aligned their work with Nazi ideology. The research chronicles the role these academics played in providing intellectual frameworks to justify German territorial claims and racial theories. German scholarship on the East shifted from legitimate academic inquiry to serving as propaganda and policy guidance for the Third Reich's eastern campaigns. The book follows key figures and institutions through this evolution, showing how they adapted to and promoted Nazi objectives. This work raises fundamental questions about the relationship between scholarship and political power, and the moral responsibilities of intellectuals. The examination of how academic research can be corrupted by ideology remains relevant to modern discussions of scholarly ethics.

Readers note this academic work provides detailed documentation of how German scholars and institutions supported Nazi expansionist policies through research and propaganda about Eastern Europe. Multiple reviews praise Burleigh's thorough archival research and clear connections between academic work and Nazi goals. Liked: - Clear writing style accessible to non-specialists - Extensive primary source documentation - Focused examination of a specific aspect of Nazi-era academia Disliked: - Dense academic prose in some sections - Assumes background knowledge of German history - Limited scope focuses mainly on institutional aspects Ratings: Goodreads: 4.0/5 (12 ratings) Amazon: Not enough reviews for rating A reviewer on H-Net noted the book "demonstrates how academic research became a tool for territorial expansion." Multiple academic journal reviews cite it as a key reference on the relationship between German universities and Nazi policies. Note: Limited reviews available online as this is an academic press book from 1988.

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🔹 Ostforschung ("Eastern Research") was a field of study that combined history, geography, and ethnography to justify German territorial expansion into Eastern Europe, with many scholars actively supporting Nazi policies. 🔹 Author Michael Burleigh was awarded the prestigious Wolfson History Prize for this book in 1988, marking it as one of the first major English-language studies of this aspect of Nazi academic collaboration. 🔹 The book reveals how German academics created elaborate theories about medieval German settlements in Eastern Europe to provide historical legitimacy for Hitler's lebensraum policies. 🔹 Many of the scholars involved in Ostforschung continued their academic careers after WWII in West Germany, often maintaining influential positions despite their Nazi past. 🔹 The research institutes studied in the book worked closely with the SS and provided "scientific" justification for the displacement and murder of Polish and Jewish populations during the Nazi occupation.