War Experiences in Rural Germany: 1914-1923 (Legacy of the Great War) [Paperback]

Benjamin Ziemann (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1845202457 | ISBN-13: 978-1845202453 | Publication Date: January 15, 2007 | Edition: English Ed

This pathbreaking book paints a vivid picture of the dynamics of total war on rural communities, from the calling up of troops to the reintegration of veterans into society. Drawing on intimate firsthand accounts in diaries and letters, it challenges some strongly held assumptions about the Great War. The author shows that through the exchange of letters and frequent furloughs, rural soldiers maintained a high degree of contact to their home lives and suggests that the war's effects were perhaps not as completely devastating as previously suggested.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The most thorough, nuanced, and gripping analysis of life in the German army during this war."--Roger Chickering, Georgetown University
"With this publication you get two books for the price of one. (...) This book is not only a richly documented 'military history from below', but a convincing, finely argued history of mentalities of a region in a crucial period."--Alan Kramer, Trinity College, Dublin

About the Author

Benjamin Ziemann is at the Department of History, University of Sheffield.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Berg Publishers; English Ed edition (January 15, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1845202457
• ISBN-13: 978-1845202453
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,352,264 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent picture of the effects on Rural Germany During the Great War., May 7, 2009

By 

Jeditanker "Jeditanker" (Lafayette, IN) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: War Experiences in Rural Germany: 1914-1923 (Legacy of the Great War) (Paperback)

This book details the general experience of how the population in rural Bavarian dealt with the declaration of war by Germany. The book goes into detail about the attitudes of the population when the soldiers returned home after the conflict and how many were incorparated into post-war Germany. The issues surrounding how the population reacted when news of the dead reached the home front is also examined.

Overall this is an excellent book dealing with the attitudes and effects of the Great War on rural southern Germany.