The Devil’s General

work by Zuckmayer

Also known as: “Des Teufels General”

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June 25, 2026

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Des Teufels General (The Devil's General) is a drama by German playwright Carl Zuckmayer, written in 1946. The play explores the moral complexities faced by individuals during wartime, specifically focusing on the internal conflict between loyalty to one's country and the demands of conscience. It dramatizes the plight of men torn between these two powerful forces.1

Zuckmayer, a playwright known for his critical engagement with the problems arising from two world wars, wrote The Devil's General after immigrating to the United States due to political pressure in Germany. This work marked a new phase in his dramatic career, tempering the life-affirming spirit of his earlier comedies with a more critical moral evaluation.1

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Carl Zuckmayer
…dramas, Des Teufels General (1946; The Devil’s General). With this play, which dramatizes the plight of men torn between loyalty to country and the demands of conscience, Zuckmayer’s dramatic career entered a new phase. The zestful, life-affirming spirit of his earlier works was thereafter tempered with critical moral evaluation. In…
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…dramas, Des Teufels General (1946; The Devil’s General). With this play, which dramatizes the plight of men torn between loyalty to country and the demands of conscience, Zuckmayer’s dramatic career entered a new phase. The zestful, life-affirming spirit of his earlier works was thereafter tempered with critical moral evaluation. In…
Read More