Convinced that both God and the Kaiser were on their side, the officers and men of the Imperial German Army went to war in 1914, supremely confident that they were destined for a swift and crushing victory in the West. The much-vaunted 'Schlieffen Plan' on which the anticipated German victory was based provided for an equally decisive victory on the Eastern Front. But it was not to be. From the winter of 1914 until the early months of 1918, the war on the Western Front was characterised by trench warfare. But the popular perception of the war takes little or no account of the reality of life 'across the wire' in the German front line. A re-examination of the strategy and tactics of the German Army throughout the war, from the commanding generals to the ordinary soldiers at the Front, this book also assesses the implications of the Allied naval blockade on the German home front, the increasing problems of food and fuel shortages and the spectres of nationwide disease, hunger and then widespread starvation in Germany. Ian Passingham gives a unique and fully illustrated insight into the daily life of the German troops facing the British and French between 1914 and 1918 and fills a significant gap in the historiography of the First World War.
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About the Author
IAN PASSINGHAM was educated at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and Keele University, serving in the British Army for 18 years before leaving as a major to pursue a career as a professional historian and defence analyst. The author of Pillars of Fire (Sutton, 1998), he leads battlefield tours to the Western Front for the celebrated 'Holt's Tours'. Ian lives in Shepperton, Middlesex.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Illustrated Western Front history from the German perspective,
By
This review is from: All the Kaiser's Men: The Life and Death of the German Army on the Western Front 1914-1918 (Paperback)
This book provides a refreshing perspective of the history of the Western Front. The author, Ian Passingham, describes the efforts and travails of the Imperial German Army from the assault on Liege to the November armistice in 1918. He describes an organization that in 1914 was far superior to its enemies in personnel, tactics, and equipment. However, its top military leadership, vested progressively in Moltke, Falkenhayn, and finally Ludendorff, fatally undermined its chances of ultimate success against the Western Allies. The problem seems to have been a recurrent streak of indecisiveness at the most critical moments. And millions of their own men and their enemies would pay the price in death and blood.
Thankfully, the book is lavishly illustrated with maps and photos, many of which come from previously unpublished sources. The chapters are organized chronologically and are focused on the major battle campaigns, i.e. Belgian invasion, First Marne, First Ypres, Second Ypres, Verdun, the Somme, Third Ypres, Cambrai, the Kaiserschlacht battles, and the Hundred Days. Passingham also briefly covers the slow but dreadful effects of the Allied naval blockade and their extreme effectiveness at producing malnutrition on an industrialized Germany vitally dependent on imported foodstuffs and fertilizers. However, Ludendorff and Hindenburg still managed to support great pot bellies throughout the war! The book relates the German military's concerns regarding the huge attritional losses from the epic Verdun, Somme, and Passchendaele battles with direct quotes from respected army group leaders, such as Crown Prince Rupprecht and Von Below. So with this evidence Passingham makes the dual claim that the British Army was not so far behind the Germans tactically as often thought and that the Somme and Passchendaele battles were not a total loss. While it is impossible to make sweeping truthful generalizations, I believe the Germans were markedly superior in offensive tactics (with the exception of newly recruited units at First Ypres). However, in defense both the Allies and Germans repeatedly made the mistake of packing the front line trenches (with consequent heavy casualties from shelling) till the last two years of the war. And so far as I am concerned, any major offensive that fails to achieve a strategic victory is a failure, which would encompass all the Western Front battles except the Hundred Days. There are three paths to victory. 1) Eliminate the enemy's will to fight. 2) Eliminate his resources to fight. 3) Or physically eliminate the enemy. It was the Allies who won the war because Ludendorff (and the German people long before) lost the will to fight. Ludendorff lost his will since his own wasteful offensives to nowhere had failed and since the new relentless Hundred Days' offensive, backed with massive American manpower and Allied logistical support, psychologically unhinged him. The book does a good job of recounting Western Front history, but tends to rely on statistics provided by the official British war histories which almost always way overblow the numbers of German casualties. (After all without access to enemy unit personnel rosters, how could they really know?) Still, it is a book that I quite enjoyed and recommend.
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent book that plugs a gap,
By
This review is from: All the Kaiser's Men: The Life and Death of the German Army on the Western Front 1914-1918 (Paperback)
Other reviewers have done a very good job of summarising the book, so I will not attempt it here. I will just add some of my own comments.
This book is invaluable in plugging a gap in the story of the First World War that was being told over the past decades. In recent years, a movement has arisen that attempted to address (or revise, depending on your perspective) the many myths concerning the First World War. Much of the works from this movement had concentrated on the British contribution to the war. While this is much needed, in attempting to revise the misconceptions of the British contribution and military achievements in WW1, the authors had concentrated on the British perspective and experiences. Often, other countries such as France, Germany, Russia and the United States had been neglected. Here is where this book make an important contribution. While in parts, the author could not resist correcting misconceptions about British military effectiveness, he at least attempted to show what it was like for the German soldiers on the Western Front. As he made clear, it was every bit as horrific as that for the British and French - perhaps more so. Worse, quite contrary to the popular misconception of the abilities of German commanders, the German soldiers often served under commanders that were wasteful of their lives to achieve little strategic gain. Under these conditions, the author rightly paid tribute to the endurance and fighting skills of the average German soldier, who much more than his British counterparts, had to endure hell to 'do his bit'. In showing the German perspective, the author had plug an important gap in recent WW1 studies. This is highly recommended for junior staff officers as a general account of the German war effort in WW1.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent book on the common German Soldier on the Western Front,
By MICHAEL A. MARRA "Col Mike Marra, USAF" (US Army War College, Carlisle, PA.) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)
This review is from: All the Kaiser's Men: The Life and Death of the German Army on the Western Front 1914-1918 (Paperback)
This is one of the better guides to the "average" German Soldier on the Western Front of WW I. This book has clear, concise writing and excellent photographs, many of which are very uncommon. This is a super reference book for the serious historian or someone with only a passing interest. Great gift book for the WW I armchair historian who "has everything" already! Soft cover edition is large and easy to read with no photos deleted from hard back version. Highly recommended!
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