The Night of the Generals (1962; Harper & Row U.S. edition 1963) by Hans Hellmut Kirst is a unique blend of World War II historical fiction, murder mystery, and psychological thriller. The novel follows a years-long investigation into a series of brutal murders committed by a high-ranking German officer during the Nazi era. 

The story begins in German-occupied Warsaw in 1942 when a prostitute is murdered in a particularly savage manner. Evidence suggests that the killer is not an ordinary soldier but one of only three Wehrmacht generals who were present in the city at the time. Major Grau, a military intelligence officer, becomes convinced that the murderer is among these three men and begins a secret investigation. 

The three suspects are:

• General Tanz, a brilliant but ruthless armored commander with a disturbed personality.


• General Kahlenberg, a traditional Prussian officer.


• General Seydlitz-Gabler, an ambitious officer whose loyalties become increasingly uncertain as the war progresses. 

As the war continues, another prostitute is murdered in Paris in 1944 under remarkably similar circumstances. Again, all three generals happen to be nearby. Grau's investigation is interrupted by the turmoil surrounding the failed assassination attempt against Hitler on July 20, 1944—the "Night of the Generals" of the title. The novel then follows the suspects and investigators through the collapse of Nazi Germany and into the Cold War. Years later, another murder occurs in East Germany, reviving the case. Surviving witnesses, former officers, and police officials from both sides of divided Germany become involved in a final effort to identify and expose the killer.

• Author: Hans Hellmut Kirst


• Format: Hardcover


• Language: English


• Publication Year: 1963


• Subject: History, Historical Novel, WWII


• Publisher: Harper and Row


• Pages: 319