The War Intensifies, December 1941–June 1944

This chapter analyses Catholics’ responses to Germany’s worsening geopolitical position during the crucial period of the war between the beginning of 1942 and spring 1944. Much historiography has traditionally depicted this as a period of rising defeatism in German society, and as a time when many individuals began to distance themselves from the Nazi regime. This chapter contributes to recent critiques of this interpretation, noting how diverse Catholics’ views regarding the war remained in this period. Many continued to hope for and believe in German victory, and increasingly viewed the war through the prism of the Nazi regime’s anti-Semitic ideology. Drawing on a wide range of sources, ranging from the intelligence reports of Gestapo informers to private letters and diaries, this chapter explores Catholic mentalities during this period in greater depth than previously attempted.