War Experiences in Rural Germany

World War I was a uniquely devastating total war that surpassed all previous conflicts for its destruction. But what was the reality like on the ground, for both the soldiers on the front-lines and the women on the homefront?Drawing on intimate firsthand accounts in diaries and letters, War Experiences in Rural Germany examines this question in detail and challenges some strongly held assumptions about the Great War. The author makes the controversial case for the blurring of 'front' and 'homefront'. He shows that through the constant exchange of letters and frequent furloughs, rural soldiers maintained a high degree of contact with their home lives. In addition, the author provides a more nuanced interpretation of the alleged brutalizing effect of the war experience, suggesting that it was by far not as complete as has been previously understood. 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.

Benjamin Ziemann is Lecturer in Modern History at the University of Sheffield.

Introduction
Depression, August 1914
Military Cohesion, 1914-1918
Fluctuation
Routines of Everyday Life
Discipline and Ideology
War Weariness, 1914-1918
Injustice
Expectations and Disappointments
Disobedience
Mentalities, 1914-1918
Homesickness
Religious Stabilisation
National Identity?
Village Communities, 1914-1923
Peasant Wifes, 1914-1918
Agrarian Economy and Inflation, 1914-1923
Agrarian Mobilisation: Protests and Politics
Social Conflicts
Veterans, 1918-1923
Demobilisation, 1918-1921
Defensive Mobilisation: Paramilitary Groups, 1918-1921
Veterans' Associations
War Memorials
Conclusion