In this Book

summary
In 1955, after assignments at the U.S. Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) and on board a destroyer, Marvin Durning arrived at ONI’s office in Munich, Germany. During this year, he participated in the final stages of transforming Germany from a defeated enemy into a respected democracy, reestablishing its sovereignty, and shepherding its membership in NATO, which also involved rearming America’s erstwhile foe. At that time, Munich, like Berlin, was a nerve center for the Cold War. It was crowded with U.S. troops and German and Slav refugees. Radio Free Europe called it home. The city was, Durning writes, “a jungle of competing secret intelligence organizations: British, French, American, Russian, West and East German, Czech, Polish, and others.” Beneath the calm surface of everyday life in Munich roamed agents and double agents who witnessed defections, kidnappings, interrogations that ended in death, and assassinations by bomb explosions and by poison dart. World Turned Upside Down is Durning’s account of such activities. Durning served as the de facto executive officer of a small office of German intelligence specialists tasked with routine navy issues. But much more was underway. Known only to his commander, himself, and the yeoman who typed the reports, former admirals of the defunct German Kriegsmarine attended secret meetings at his commander's house in the suburbs of Munich, where they worked to plan and create a future West German Navy. In addition, Durning served as a liaison officer to the Gehlen Organization, the supersecret German intelligence and espionage organization, and he recounts their activities here.

Table of Contents

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  1. Title Page, Copyright, Dedication
  2. pp. i-v
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  1. Map
  2. p. vi
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  1. Contents
  2. pp. vii-viii
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  1. Foreward
  2. Robert K. Massie
  3. pp. ix-xi
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  1. Author's Note
  2. p. xii
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  1. Acknowledgments
  2. pp. 13-14
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  1. Prologue
  2. pp. 1-10
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  1. Part One: The Mystery Office in Munich
  1. 1. A Pre-Dawn Drive to Air Base Fürstenfeldbruck
  2. pp. 13-15
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  1. 2. To Germany and to Munich
  2. pp. 16-28
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  1. 3. Val Rychly, “The Skipper”
  2. pp. 29-33
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  1. 4. The People of Possart Platz 3
  2. pp. 34-40
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  1. 5. “Another Intelligence Organization”
  2. pp. 41-44
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  1. 6. A Highly Productive Intelligence Office
  2. pp. 45-52
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  1. 7. U.S. Navy Visitors
  2. pp. 53-56
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  1. Part 2: Life in Munich
  1. 8. German Friends Made: Max’s Party
  2. pp. 59-65
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  1. 9. Max Parnitzki
  2. pp. 66-74
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  1. 10. Helmuth Pich
  2. pp. 75-79
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  1. 11. Erika Müller
  2. pp. 80-85
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  1. 12. Freedom to Publish: East and West
  2. pp. 86-89
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  1. 13. Some Vignettes About Germany
  2. pp. 90-93
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  1. 14. Visits to Dachau
  2. pp. 94-96
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  1. Part 3: Germany Transformed: Enemy to Ally
  1. 15. The Gehlen Organization: Reinhard Gehlen and James Critchfield
  2. pp. 99-114
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  1. 16. The Admirals and the New German Navy
  2. pp. 115-123
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  1. 17. The Generals and the New Armed Forces: Sovereignty Restored and NATO
  2. pp. 124-130
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  1. 18. Adenauer Visits Moscow, September 9–13, 1955
  2. pp. 131-136
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  1. 19. The Return of German Prisoners of War
  2. pp. 137-140
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  1. Part 4: Enduring Friendships
  1. 20. Helmuth and Max: Later Years
  2. pp. 143-146
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  1. 21. Vladimir Rychly
  2. pp. 147-158
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  1. Epilogue
  2. pp. 159-162
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  1. Appendix A: Max Parnitzki's Brief Curriculim Vitae and Experience as a Prisoner of War
  2. pp. 163-168
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  1. Appendix B: Max Parnitzki's Iron Cross
  2. p. 169
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  1. Appendix C: U.S. Navy Letter of Recommendation for Max Parnitzki
  2. p. 170
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  1. Appendix D: Letter from Undersecretary of Navy to Val Rychly
  2. p. 171
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  1. Appendix E: Two Pages from Val L. Rychly's Travel Diary (1946)
  2. pp. 172-174
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  1. Glossary
  2. pp. 175-178
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  1. Selected Bibliography
  2. pp. 179-180
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  1. Index
  2. pp. 181-184
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  1. About the Author
  2. pp. 185-186
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