French soldiers preparing to execute a German POW.
The execution of a German soldier at Villers-Cotterêts in the Aisne department in Picardy. Late 1914.A photo showing French soldiers preparing to execute a German POW. I am not sure…
Falkenhayn Mobilizations
As not a single person gave me a hint of what they wanted I am doing a subject that always fascinated me. This was heavily foot noted and attributed to…
The Officer Corps-8-“Captain of Köpenick.”
“Captain of Köpenick.” A very famous example was the “Captain of Köpenick.” There is probably no example that is pointed to exemplifying militarism in imperial Germany than this. In this 1906…
The Officer Corps-3
The Officer Corps-3 The striking thing about the German officer corps is its youth. Far younger than any of their western counterparts, many officer aspirants were only 17 years old. Young…
PEEBLES PROFILES EPISODE XVI: Ernst Jünger
PEEBLES PROFILESEPISODE XVI: Ernst JüngerErnst Jünger (March 29, 1895 – February 17, 1998) was a highly-decorated German soldier, author, and entomologist who became well known for his World War I…
“Conventional Wisdom”And the rest of the story.
When Janet and I first got into this subject matter we ran smack into what I call “conventional wisdom.” The tried and true explanation of historical facts and artifacts. The…
Military Life and Training-Part 6-Marksmanship-2
Eight exercises. (Hauptübungen), again in all three aiming positions (prone (some free-handed, some with rifle resting on a sandbag), kneeling, and standing positions) were fired at targets 200 to 400…
Military Life and Training-5- Army Corps Training Centers (Truppenübungsplätze) and Firing Ranges
Army Corps Training Centers (Truppenübungsplätze) and Firing Ranges Many, but not all, corps had a field-training center maintained by the corps. Of the 25 army corps, all but four of them…
Military life and training-4-The training cycle.
Training If your knowledge about training and doctrine came from the two Zuber books, my opinion is that it is best to try to flush all that out . We…
Military life and training-3-The Non-Commissioned Officer
Military life and training-3-The Non-Commissioned OfficerNon-commissioned Officers (NCO) came from two sources. They were either promoted from within the ranks or were graduates of one of the NCO training schools.…