German Soldier Newspapers of the First World War

The literature on trench journalism is well established for Britain and France during the First World War, but this book is the first systematic study in English of German soldier newspapers as a representation of daily life and beliefs on the front. Printed by and for soldiers at or near the front line these newspapers were read by millions of 'ordinary soldiers'. They reveal an elaborately defined understanding of comradeship and duty. The war of aggression, the prolonged occupation on both fronts and the hostility of the local populations were justified through a powerful image of manly comradeship. The belief among many Germans was that they were good gentlemen, fighting a just war and bringing civilization to backward populations. This comparative study includes French, British, Australian and Canadian newspapers and sheds new light on the views of combatants on both sides of the line.

Introduction; 1. Authorship, censorship, readership; 2. National culture, national cohesion; 3. Comradeship; 4. German comrades, Slavic women; 5. Occupation and justification; 6. Conclusion; Appendix. German soldier newspapers; Bibliography; Index.

Robert L. Nelson is Associate Professor in the Department of History at the University of Windsor. He is editor of Germans, Poland, and Colonial Expansion to the East: 1850 through the Present (2009).