During the Third Reich, almost every German wore a uniform, whether military or civil. Nearly 250 of the most important ones appear here, modeled by their most typical wearers. The paintings -- based on contemporary photographs for accuracy-depict all the primary styles ptive sections explain each uniform's place in the hierarchy, the battle roles of the wearer, and a fascinating range of detail.
Examining the largest prisoner-of-war handling operation in U.S. history, this book offers a meticulous account of the myriad history, this book offers a meticulous account of the myriad problems—as well as the impressive successes—that came with problems—as well as the impressive successes—that came with housing 371,000 German POWs on American soil during World War II. Antonio Thompson draws on extensive archival research to probe the various ways in which the U.S. government strove to comply with the Geneva Convention’s mandate that enemy prisoners be moved from the war zone and given food, shelter, and clothing equal to that provided for American soldiers. While the prisoners became a ready source of manpower for the labor- starved American home front and received small wages in return, their stay in the United States generated more than a few difficulties, which included not only daunting logistics but also violence within the camps. Such violence was often blamed on Nazi influence and control; however, as Thompson points out, only a few of the prisoners were actually Nazis. Because the Germans had cobbled together military forces that included convicts, their own POWs, volunteers from neutral nations, and conscripts from occupied countries, the bonds that held these soldiers together amid the pressures of combat dissolved once they were placed behind barbed wire. When these “men in German uniform,” who were not always Germans, donned POW garb, their former social, racial, religious, and ethnic tensions quickly reemerged. To counter such troubles, American authorities organized various activities—including sports, arts, education, and religion—within the POW camps; some prisoners even participated in an illegal denazification program created by the U.S. government. Despite the problems, Thompson argues, the POW-housing program proved largely successful, as Americans maintained their reputation for fairness and humane treatment during a time of widespread turmoil.
This new book takes a close look at a variety of authentic World War II era German uniforms including examples from the Army, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Allgemeine-SS, Hitler Youth and Political Leaders. The pieces are shown in large full frame front and rear shots, and in painstaking detail to show tailors tags, buttons, insignia detail etc. and allow the reader to see what the genuine article looks like. Various accoutrements worn with the uniforms are also included to aid the collector.
In the years after World War I, the defeated and much-reduced German Army developed new clothing and personal equipment that drew upon the lessons learned in the trenches. In place of the wide variety of uniforms and insignia that had been worn by the Imperial German Army, a standardized approach was followed, culminating in the uniform items introduced in the 1930s as the Nazi Party came to shape every aspect of German national life. The outbreak of war in 1939 prompted further adaptations and simplifications of uniforms and insignia, while the increasing use of camouflaged items and the accelerated pace of weapons development led to the appearance of new clothing and personal equipment. Medals and awards increased in number as the war went on, with grades being added for existing awards and new decorations introduced to reflect battlefield feats. Specialists such as mountain troops, tank crews and combat engineers were issued distinctive uniform items and kit, while the ever-expanding variety of fronts on which the German Army fought – from the North African desert to the Russian steppe – prompted the rapid development of clothing and equipment for different climates and conditions. In addition, severe shortages of raw materials and the demands of clothing and equipping an army that numbered in the millions forced the simplification of many items and the increasing use of substitute materials in their manufacture. In this fully illustrated book noted authority Dr Stephen Bull examines the German Army's wide range of uniforms, personal equipment, weapons, medals and awards, and offers a comprehensive guide to the transformation that the German Army soldier underwent in the period from September 1939 to May 1945.
This book is the most complete study in English on East German (DDR) military and police service, parade and combat uniforms. With over 1,000 images - hundreds in full color - the uniforms, headgear, and insignia of all military service branches as well as police and border forces are covered in superb detail. Also presented are official regulations, dress codes, women's uniforms, accessories, and a wide selection of period images covering the entire DDR period from 1949-1990.
This unique illustrated book charts the development in military uniform in relation to a shifting world, in an incredible visual directory with expert analysis and commentary.
This is an expert guide to the uniforms of Britain, America, Germany, USSR and Japan, together with other Axis and Allied forces. It is an incredible directory of the military personnel of the period, with 600 images, including photographs and illustrations of uniforms, kit, weaponry and equipment. It analyses the context of the conflict, and the ideology and politics that motivated the various national forces, as well as the experience of the soldiers who fought on the front lines. World War II was a huge conflict, fought on different fronts, covering diverse terrain and involving the fighting men of dozens of nations. At the outbreak of war in 1945 military uniforms had changed little from those worn by the soldiers of World War I, but as the conflict progressed changes were made to adapt to fighting and living conditions. This book covers in detail what the soldiers who fought in the war wore, from British infantrymen in Normandy to Japanese troops in Burma, and from Finnish ski divisions to female Chinese partisans. Lavishly illustrated, with intricate insignia detail, this book offers a definitive visual study of a pivotal period of history.
A photographic celebration of German typographer Otto "Otl" Aicher Photographs by Timm Rautert (born 1941) taken between 1972 and 1991 celebrate the renowned German graphic designer and typographer Otto "Otl" Aicher, who developed the popular Rotis font family. Accompanying texts by design historians examine the role of Rotis within the cultural history of West Germany.
