German Soldier on the Western Front 1914-18
Robert Kirchubel & Ramiro Bujeiro
WWI came to be known as the 'War to End All Wars', though alas this
didn't turn out to be true. Germany declared war on 4 August 1914,
and its von Schlieffen Plan called for a swift and decisive strike
through Belgium and northern France to encircle Paris. Of course,
things didn't turn out this way and German forces weren't able to
breach the Marne River. Faced by stiff French and British
resistance, the initial attack was halted and the tide turned. The
conflict bogged down into static warfare and France was soon
crisscrossed by trenches as troops dug in for protection. Trench
warfare wasn't a new phenomenon, but in WWI trench and defense
systems almost became a military art form. Hazards in this war
included snipers, machine-gun and artillery fire, disease, 'trench
foot' and even poison gas.
This new book in Concord's Warrior series examines the German
soldier as he fought in the Great War. The content spans the whole
duration of conflict, from 1914-18. German soldiers are shown in a
series of black and white photographs printed on high-quality
paper. A whole range of uniform types and variations, plus personal
equipment, are on display. A wide variety of weapon such as the Kar
98 rifle and MG08 are illustrated in these period photos too. Of
course, the type of terrain that the soldiers fought in is also
much in evidence, and gives an indication of the terrible
conditions that personnel had to endure amidst the trenches and
wire entanglements. Each photo is accompanied by a well-detailed
caption that highlights pertinent points.
This volume opens with a detailed description of WWI, with an
emphasis on the trench warfare that characterized most of the
Western Front fighting. The central four pages also depict color
plates by artist Ramiro Bujeiro. These show German soldiers in
typical uniforms and personal gear from 1914, 1916, 1917 and 1918,
thus offering a good selection for perusal. WWI is not well covered
in photographic books, so this volume will fill a useful gap in
many libraries and book collections. With its photographic content
combined with insightful text and captions, this book has become a
valuable volume.
Format 21 x 28 cm, Paperback, 52 Seiten, 135 s/w-Fotos, 4
Farbtafeln, englischer Text, Best.-Nr. Con6529