Alois Dwenger, writing from the front in May 1942, complained that
people forgot "the actions of simple soldiers.... I believe that
true heroism lies in bearing this dreadful everyday life." In
exploring the reality of the Landser, the average German soldier in
World War II, through letters, diaries, memoirs, and oral
histories, Stephen G. Fritz provides the definitive account of the
everyday war of the German front soldier. The personal documents of
these soldiers, most from the Russian front, where the majority of
German infantrymen saw service, paint a richly textured portrait of
the Landser that illustrates the complexity and paradox of his
daily life. Although clinging to a self-image as a decent fellow,
the German soldier nonetheless committed terrible crimes in the
name of National Socialism. Idealistic and motivated by a desire to
create a new society, he waged a cruel ideological war on behalf of
a racist conception of national community. Though he was fiercely
proud of his skill and resilience, his stubborn efforts ultimately
led only to more senseless destruction. With chapters on training,
images of combat, living conditions, combat stress, the personal
sensations of war, the bonds of comradeship, and ideology and
motivation, Fritz offers a sense of immediacy and intimacy,
revealing war through the eyes of these self-styled "little men."
In contrasting these German soldiers with their American
counterparts, he makes clear how much soldiers everywhere have in
common, but he also reveals differences in ideological intensity,
group cohesiveness, ingenuity, discipline, and quality of equipment
that will come as a surprise to many readers familiar with the
history of World War II.
General
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