German Soldiers in the Great War by Bernd Ulrich

Author:Bernd Ulrich
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Bisac Code 1: HIS027090
ISBN: eBook ISBN: 9781844687640
Publisher: Pen and Sword
Published: 2011-02-23T05:00:00+00:00

‘The Yoke of War’24

From the beginning of the war, letters from the field (Feldpostbriefe) were used as a medium to air grievances. These letters were addressed to relatives, but also to the War Ministries, to members of parliament, newspaper editors, priests and functionaries in trade unions and political parties, in short, to institutions of public life in which the soldiers trusted and which they expected to work as their advocates. During the early months of the war, many complaints focused on the extent of drill and on other duties that were perceived as harassment. A rather typical example is the following letter, which was written on 8 April 1915 by an NCO in the 20th Bavarian Infantry Regiment on behalf of all NCOs in his company. It was sent to the Catholic priest and Reichstag deputy for the Centre Party, Benedikt Hebel:

I do not complain about the yoke of war, for our God has endorsed it to humiliate the nations. But our company commander’s strictness and severity is a heavy burden on us. Recently he told us himself that our nicest days were over now. In the evening of 1 April, we took a forward position for five days. In the area of our company the enemy lines are 40 to 70 metres away. Therefore, the highest safety measures are necessary during the night and half of the company has to be awake. Hence all troops have to be on guard every two hours. During the day, a third of the company has to be on guard and the rest of the troops have to build up entrenchments. That is very exhausting. But one would happily do all this because it has to be done and the enemy is very close. But now there are the days of rest, five of them. Thus we arrived in the quarters on 6 April at 11 pm, all dirty, while it was raining. After we had all had our dinner and had eaten, it was around midnight when we could lie down. The next day we had to line up at 8.30 for instructions. At 11.45 am there was a roll call in heavy marching order and woe betide anyone who was still a bit dirty. At 1 pm taking a bath, 3 pm rifle inspection, 3.45 to 5 pm lessons and at 6 pm again roll call with coats. Today (i.e. 8 April) there was company exercising from 9 to 12 am, then lunch, then we had to clean our clothes and equipment, then we had to report for different kinds of duty again until 7.30 pm. And so it goes on and on every day without an hour of rest and relaxation for the men. On one occasion a man came to the roll call wearing a coat that was a little bit dirty. The punishment was two days arrest. That is his reward for fighting for the fatherland right from the beginning. If it goes on like that a great

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