Falkenhayn: Politisches Denken und Handeln im Kaiserreich

[Al Parsons]

"The German Commanders have suffered a mixed fate at the hands of their biographers. The most fortunate has been Erich von Falkenhayn, the subject of Holger Afflerbach's splendid scholarly biography...which stands in a class by itself".

Thus speaks Mr. Roger Chickering in his book Imperial Germany and the Great War, 1914-1918, which arrived in my mail box today.

Question: why don't more of the "best" books written in German get translated into English?

Now I think I know the answer - high costs, little - if any - profits - but.....it sure is a shame.

This is more a moan of anguish then anything folks. Sorry about that.

Comments?

On another commander that we all have some interest in - Ludendorff - Chickering writes that the "absence of a scholarly biography of Ludendorff is lamentable, for this titan of the war was as interesting a figure as he was important". Seems like an obvious huge hole to fill for some ambitious young -or old - biographer.

OK, enough grumbling.

[Halder]

"The German Commanders have suffered a mixed fate at the hands of their biographers. The most fortunate has been Erich von Falkenhayn, the subject of Holger Afflerbach's splendid scholarly biography...which stands in a class by itself".

Thus speaks Mr. Roger Chickering in his book Imperial Germany and the Great War, 1914-1918, which arrived in my mail box today.

Question: why don't more of the "best" books written in German get translated into English?

Now I think I know the answer - high costs, little - if any - profits - but.....it sure is a shame.

This is more a moan of anguish then anything folks. Sorry about that.

Comments?

On another commander that we all have some interest in - Ludendorff - Chickering writes that the "absence of a scholarly biography of Ludendorff is lamentable, for this titan of the war was as interesting a figure as he was important". Seems like an obvious huge hole to fill for some ambitious young -or old - biographer.

OK, enough grumbling.

No grumble, grumble Al. The lack of good WW1 biographies of German leaders (in English or German) is a big bugbear among German historians. I cannot see Afflerbach's masterful volume ever being translated, except by a specialist press such as OUP at extortionate cost simply because it's huge and the market is limited (cf the cost of the German 'Official Histories' of WW2; 40-50 Euros in German, upwards of £150 in English...). On the plus side, there's Robert Foley's outstanding

http://www.amazon.co.uk/German-Strategy-Pa...8993&sr=8-1

There is a recent biography of Hindenburg:

http://www.amazon.de/Hindenburg-Herrschaft...9201&sr=8-2

From memory (I had a cursory flick through last time I was at BA-MA) it focuses as much if not more on him as a politician rather than his 1914-1918 role (hence the title), but I may be wrong (and frequently am... )

Ludendorff has been very poorly served by biographers - there's nothing remotely in Afflerbach's league as far as I'm aware. The best I've seen is Wolfgang Foerster's excellent Der Feldherr Ludendorff im Unglück, a pithy study of Ludendorff's mental collapse in 1918. About the best of the general biographies is Erich Ludendorff in seiner Zeit by Uhle-Wettler.

If it's any consolation, we're fairly poorly served for WW2 German generals' biographies too... but there are a million and one books about Rommel...

[Paul Hederer]

Al,

Holger Afflerbach's book is a masterly academic work. There was some talk of having it translated into English a few years back. The reason why books don't get translated is unfortunately money and the perception of publishers on the market. I can think of a dozen German books that would be of great value to the English-speaking Great war community if translated.

In Falkenhayn's case this is particularly true. It amazes me that a man who ran the German military effort from 1914 till 1916 has no biography in English. Some of this I think is due to the fact that Falkenhayn was virtually stricken from the annals of the German army by the Germans themselves after the war. Ludendorff and company, being ascendant, and with the help of the Reicharchivs staff, made sure Falkenhayn was painted in the worse possible light. I find it interesting that in the various Ehrenbuecher of the German services from the war his picture is conspiculously missing in the preface section, while that of even the younger Moltke can be found.

As to Ludendorff, I believe there wil be a new academic biography coming out on him in the next few years in English. I'm not sure the author in question is set on the project, so I won't mention names at this stage.

Paul

[Al Parsons]

Thanks fellas. It amazes me too that more has not been done in this regard - especially considering the fact that you can't turn around without another biography of Haig coming out! No offense to Haig - I think he deserves the attention that he gets - but it is absolutely remarkable that the last good biography of Hindenburg, for example, was Wheeler-Bennett's in, what, 1936. Good heavens. I guess I'd better learn German!

[Halder]

Thanks fellas. It amazes me too that more has not been done in this regard - especially considering the fact that you can't turn around without another biography of Haig coming out! No offense to Haig - I think he deserves the attention that he gets - but it is absolutely remarkable that the last good biography of Hindenburg, for example, was Wheeler-Bennett's in, what, 1936. Good heavens. I guess I'd better learn German!

... and learn to read Fraktur as well, for many of the volumes on the generals were produced in the inter-war period when Gothic German was en vogue (until Hitler decided it was 'Jewish' in 1941 and banned its usage...).

One general well served by biographers is Hans von Seeckt; there's a two volume history by Rabenau (on the Reichsarchiv staff and executed in the aftermath of the July 20th putsch although he wasn't involved, the regime simply didn't like him...), Aus seinem Leben, which given the constraints under which it was written, is very good. A generation later Hans Meier-Welcker, a former staff officer and veteran of the invasion of France and Russia 1941-1942, wrote what is probably the definitive biography of Seeckt, simply called Seeckt.

I still cannot understand why when Germany was Britain's principal foe between 1914 and 1918 that there is still only a smattering of literature looking at the other side of the hill, whereas books on every minutiae of the British war effort continue to be published. Anyone studying WW2, on the other, hand is blessed with a wealth of literature (although it remains still the tip of the iceberg...)

[Al Parsons]

I still cannot understand why when Germany was Britain's principal foe between 1914 and 1918 that there is still only a smattering of literature looking at the other side of the hill, whereas books on every minutiae of the British war effort continue to be published. Anyone studying WW2, on the other, hand is blessed with a wealth of literature (although it remains still the tip of the iceberg...)

It is a mystery. Clearly - or perhaps not so clearly - the "market" for works on WW1 just isn't present in Germany?

In Canada, interest in the two world wars seems about evenly balanced, I think.

In the U.S., I would reckon that interest in The Great War ranks a distant last behind WW2, the Civil War, the Korean War and even Viet Nam. Perhaps because the U.S. entered the war so late, it never seems to have impinged on Americans' consciousness like these other conflicts. Therefore, perhaps not much of a "market".

But this doesn't explain Germany.

Is there much evidence at all of a burgeoning interest in The Great War in Germany? Do doctoral students there seem to be taking more interest or are they still largely standoffish? It seems that the field is wide open. Oh to be twenty again.

[Halder]

It is a mystery. Clearly - or perhaps not so clearly - the "market" for works on WW1 just isn't present in Germany?

In Canada, interest in the two world wars seems about evenly balanced, I think.

In the U.S., I would reckon that interest in The Great War ranks a distant last behind WW2, the Civil War, the Korean War and even Viet Nam. Perhaps because the U.S. entered the war so late, it never seems to have impinged on Americans' consciousness like these other conflicts. Therefore, perhaps not much of a "market".

But this doesn't explain Germany.

Is there much evidence at all of a burgeoning interest in The Great War in Germany? Do doctoral students there seem to be taking more interest or are they still largely standoffish? It seems that the field is wide open. Oh to be twenty again.

Hi Al,

The only study of WW1 or WW2 in Germany seems to be done at the academic level - or by foreigners. Walk into a German bookshop. Ask for the military history section and they'll look at you blankly. It's buried in the general history section, and you'll be lucky if there are more than a couple of shelves devoted to both world wars, the Kaiserzeit and Third Reich (the world wars are invariably lumped in with German history 1871-1918 and 1933-1945). You can pick up some of the ten-a-penny histories, like yet another Guido Knopp effort, but there's nothing which remotely compares to British or American bookshops. Not being German, I can't answer 'why'? I'm guessing it's because Germans don't always want reminding of the war years - understandably - whereas for Britons in particular it's still seen as our finest hour.

That's not to say the market isn't there in Germany. Rochus Misch's memoirs (he was the radio operator in Hitler's bunker) did very well sales-wise, for example. And in recent years there's been a rash of WW2 memoirs (of varying quality), but for the most part you'll only find them in online stores, rather than a standard bookshop. I remember going into Hugendubel in Berlin expecting the German equivalent of Foyle's. And it is, to some degree, but the history section left me sorely disappointed.

So yes, there are books out there, but at the WW1 level it seems to be almost exclusively academic research as far as I can tell.

[Paul Hederer]

In general military history is "not done" at the academic level in Germany. I've related to a few people my experience at BA-MA Freiburg, dicussing doctoral topics with fellow researchers (all Germans). They were all working on WWII related topics, and all were either about death-camps, slave labor, or some such in the East. When I mentioned I was writing about Verdun I got a group of "tut-tut's" from the group and one young man asked me, "Yes, but what is your thesis?" In a tone that conveyed that he thought it was a very odd subject indeed.

We got what we wanted (the Allies) with Germany. We literally deprogrammed the society of its military heritage. A German friend told me once that displaying anything but a passing interest in military history was the same as commiting social suicide in Germany--I think this is true.

An interesting phenomenon I've noticed on German television. If a "normal" documentary is on you can't avoid a slew of Dr.'s and professors as commentators. If the program is military in subject almost always the commentators are foreigners, or "Historikers."

I've also noticed that most of the German writers who have turned out good books on the war and related subjects at the academic level are now living and working outside of Germany...

Paul

[Halder]

Excellent post as ever Paul! Until you pointed it out, I hadn't realised it, but a quick check of my own shelves confirms what you were saying about WW2 historiography: almost all the serious WW2 research and output from the publishing houses, notably Oldenbourg and Schöningh, are war crimes studies, or studies in the complicity of the Wehrmacht in crimes and occupational policy. The other emphasis seems to be on 'the war on the little man' - Feldpostbriefe and Tagebücher, which IMHO is no bad thing. But studies of battles and operations, or narrative history, seemingly zilch.

I have a few German TV documentaries and they're almost all of the vae victis variety (oh isn't war terrible and how we suffered and aren't we all victims). There's nothing along the more Lawrence Rees lines that we have here in Blighty (although the Die Wehrmacht - ein Bilanz did look into war crimes at least).

Last time I was at BA-MA I was the only person researching campaigns from what I could tell... apart from one chap who was studying the Schlieffen Plan, but he was French.

[Al Parsons]

A German friend told me once that displaying anything but a passing interest in military history was the same as commiting social suicide in Germany--I think this is true.

Paul

This is amazing. I had no idea. OK, well that explains that to a degree. No doubt about it.

It still blows my mind that this mindset still applies to events of ninety or more years ago, however. I mean, I accept that this is so - it just astonishes me. You would think that curiousity alone would drive young doctoral students to search for a greater understanding of their own country at that time. But social ostracization (sp?) can be a powerful counter influence as well.

But, then, I was born in 1948 in Canada; not 1936 in Germany. I understand why it might make a difference. Fascinating stuff.

Paul, a quick question: just out of curiousity, is Holger Afflerbach a university professor in Germany? It must literally require courage to undertake a scholarly biography of someone like Falkenhayn.

[Paul Hederer]

Hello Al,

I've spoken to quite a few Germans about this subject. The primary answer is that they were taught that anything remotely associated with their military past is negative. This is very complex subject, and of course what I am relating to you is anecdotal--what I've heard from speaking to Germans and seen living here.

There are undoubtedly Germans who are interested in their military heritage, but not to the same degree, or in the same way we are in the UK or US. It's a different mindset and culture, but one we have to respect in light of the country's past.

I think a good indicator is that in many used bookstores you won't find the military books on the open shelves. I learned this after being dissapointed time and time again by the lack of military related books. Many times they are in a special section in the back. The usual procedure is to ask. "May I look through your military history books, please?" This is not true at all stores, but many. Usually at this point the owner will start showing you WWII related items (all Americans want to buy stuff related to the Third Reich, they think) and you then have to explain that that's "Not your thing."

Holger Afflerbach is currently a professor at a UK University. Your question leads me to believe that I've painted too dark a picture. I wouldn't say it take's any extraordinary courage to write about the war, perhaps better said, it just isn't encouraged. I think the attitude is more more, "There would be better ways to apply your efforts." Operational military history is a bit different than a biography of Falkenhayn. As Richard wrote, the book does not focus on the war so much as the man--which makes fascinating reading.

I would always encourage you to speak to Germans about this subject. I know we have at least one or two on the forum here.

Paul