The Volga Rises in Europe
By Curzio Malaparte
The Volga Rises in Europe is a curious book. It is a series
of journalistic dispatches, written as Malaparte traveled with the German
army in the opening days of Barbarossa (and later with the Finns at the siege
of Leningrad). Malaparte was rarely, if ever at the "sharp end" and
so his observations are of battlefields just after the front has moved on.
As a journalist, his observations about people, both civilians and
military personnel, are far more interesting than his descriptions of battle.
The book is divided into two sections: the first deals with the opening
weeks of Barbarossa, and the second covers the siege of Leningrad (Malaparte
was removed from the front by the Germans and sent home under house arrest
for several months; afterwards, he could only cover the war from Finland).
Thus, the book is not something that would be of any use in terms of strict
military history. But for a unique and perceptive look at the sociological
impact of war, this is a gem. As the front moves deeper into Russia,
war obviously touches everyone in the area, and Malaparte's descriptions
and discussions with civilians are fascinating. His writing is even
more interesting due to the fact that he had traveled extensively in Russia
prior to the war, and so is familiar with the changes that the war brought.
He also makes many comparisons to how soldiers behaved in the Russian,
Finnish, and German armies. While some of his social commentary and
thoughts about political systems are overblown, Malaparte's book is really
one of the few available that even covers the subject and so it is still
informative.
Although, as stated above, his descriptions of major military operations
are rare, there are a couple instances where he had a good view of events.
One particularly striking instance is the Finnish ski patrols, gliding
out across the frozen harbor to do battle with the sailors of the Soviet
Baltic Fleet, whose ships were stuck in the ice.
In a nutshell: a good look at the social impact of war, but definitely
not military history.
Email me with comments at michael.licari@uni.edu
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