Book description
" Alois Dwenger, writing from the front in May of 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. When the war was finally over, and his country lay in
ruins, the Landser faced a bitter truth: all his exertions and
sacrifices had been in the name of a deplorable regime that had
committed unprecedented crimes. 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." A fascinating look
at the day-to-day life of German soldiers, this is a book not about
war but about men. It will be vitally important for anyone interested
in World War II, German history, or the experiences of common soldiers
throughout the world.
"Drawn from letters, diaries and memoirs, this impressive
study presents a rounded, detailed picture of the daily life of the
Landser -- the ordinary German infantryman of WWII -- and takes an
unblinking look at the stark realities of combat." -- Publishers Weekly
