For King and Kaiser!: The Making of the Prussian Army Officer, 1860-1914

by Steven E. Clemente

Overview

Steven Clemente describes how conservative traditions and artistocratic values were preserved in the selection and training of German army officers prior to World War I despite changing times and the influx of many middle-class recruits into the army. He demonstrates how right thinking and service to the King and the Kaiser were the basis for Prussian officer education in the period from 1860 to 1914.

The history provides considerable detail about German secondary school education, the selection of officers, the curriculum, and life in the cadet and war schools, the life of a subaltern, and the education of the Prussian War Academy. The book concludes with an analysis of the attitudes and loyalties of the officers that entered World War I. Students of European history and military affairs will find this study one that raises a number of provocative questions about German performance in World War I and in subsequent years.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780313280047
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	06/16/1992
Series:	Contributions in Military Studies , #12
Pages:	304
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.81(d)
Lexile:	1360L (what's this?)

About the Author

STEVEN E. CLEMENTE is a freelance historian specializing in modern German and European political and military history.

Table of Contents

Preface
Introduction
Tradition
German Secondary Education and Officer Selection
Civilian to Ensign: Screening, Selection, and Training
A Facade of Education: The Structure and Curriculum of the Cadet Corps
Paradigms of Character: Life in the Cadet Schools
Acceptance into the Fold: War School and Life as a Subaltern
The Crown of Prussian Officer Education: The War Academy
New Faces—Old Fealty: Conclusion
Appendixes
Select Bibliography
Index