The Kaiser's Reluctant Conscript
“Superb . . . a useful account of the First World War for anyone interested in the perspective of a member of Imperial Germany’s Alsatian minority.”—The Western Front Association
 
As a conscript from Alsace, Dominik Richert realized from the outset of the First World War that his family would be at or near the front line. While he saw no alternative to performing his duty, he was a reluctant soldier who was willing to stand up to authority and to avoid risks—in order to survive. This thoughtful memoir of the conflict gives a lively picture of major events from the rare perspective of an ordinary German soldier.
 
In 1914 Richert was involved in fighting on the French border and was then moved to northern France where he was in combat with Indian troops. In 1915 he was sent to the East and took part in the Battle for Mount Zwinin in the Carpathians and the subsequent invasion of the western parts of the Ukraine and of eastern Poland. In 1917 he took part in the capture of Riga before returning to the Western Front in 1918, where he saw German tanks in action at the battle of Villers-Brettoneux.
 
No longer believing in the war, he subsequently crossed no-man’s land and surrendered to the French, becoming a “deserteur Alsacienne.” The book ends with his return home early in 1919.
 
This “remarkable book . . . an absolute must-have” gives a fascinating insight into the War as experienced by the Germans, and into the development of Richert’s ambivalent attitude to it (The Great War Magazine).
1114150252
The Kaiser's Reluctant Conscript
“Superb . . . a useful account of the First World War for anyone interested in the perspective of a member of Imperial Germany’s Alsatian minority.”—The Western Front Association
 
As a conscript from Alsace, Dominik Richert realized from the outset of the First World War that his family would be at or near the front line. While he saw no alternative to performing his duty, he was a reluctant soldier who was willing to stand up to authority and to avoid risks—in order to survive. This thoughtful memoir of the conflict gives a lively picture of major events from the rare perspective of an ordinary German soldier.
 
In 1914 Richert was involved in fighting on the French border and was then moved to northern France where he was in combat with Indian troops. In 1915 he was sent to the East and took part in the Battle for Mount Zwinin in the Carpathians and the subsequent invasion of the western parts of the Ukraine and of eastern Poland. In 1917 he took part in the capture of Riga before returning to the Western Front in 1918, where he saw German tanks in action at the battle of Villers-Brettoneux.
 
No longer believing in the war, he subsequently crossed no-man’s land and surrendered to the French, becoming a “deserteur Alsacienne.” The book ends with his return home early in 1919.
 
This “remarkable book . . . an absolute must-have” gives a fascinating insight into the War as experienced by the Germans, and into the development of Richert’s ambivalent attitude to it (The Great War Magazine).
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The Kaiser's Reluctant Conscript

The Kaiser's Reluctant Conscript

The Kaiser's Reluctant Conscript

The Kaiser's Reluctant Conscript

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Overview

“Superb . . . a useful account of the First World War for anyone interested in the perspective of a member of Imperial Germany’s Alsatian minority.”—The Western Front Association
 
As a conscript from Alsace, Dominik Richert realized from the outset of the First World War that his family would be at or near the front line. While he saw no alternative to performing his duty, he was a reluctant soldier who was willing to stand up to authority and to avoid risks—in order to survive. This thoughtful memoir of the conflict gives a lively picture of major events from the rare perspective of an ordinary German soldier.
 
In 1914 Richert was involved in fighting on the French border and was then moved to northern France where he was in combat with Indian troops. In 1915 he was sent to the East and took part in the Battle for Mount Zwinin in the Carpathians and the subsequent invasion of the western parts of the Ukraine and of eastern Poland. In 1917 he took part in the capture of Riga before returning to the Western Front in 1918, where he saw German tanks in action at the battle of Villers-Brettoneux.
 
No longer believing in the war, he subsequently crossed no-man’s land and surrendered to the French, becoming a “deserteur Alsacienne.” The book ends with his return home early in 1919.
 
This “remarkable book . . . an absolute must-have” gives a fascinating insight into the War as experienced by the Germans, and into the development of Richert’s ambivalent attitude to it (The Great War Magazine).

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781783469871
Publisher: Pen & Sword Books Limited
Publication date: 01/31/2020
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
Pages: 288
Sales rank: 525,686
File size: 6 MB

About the Author

Dominik Richert was born in Alsace close to the Swiss Border. He was called up to the German Army in 1913 and fought throughout the War. He died in 1977.

Table of Contents

Introduction viii

Note on the Text x

Acknowledgements xi

Map xii

Note on Map xiv

Diary of a Conscript 1

At the age of Twenty 1

The Battle near Mülhausen 3

19th of August 1914 - Battle at Saarburg (Lorraine) 7

20th of August 1914 10

21st of August 1914 - Battle near Lörchingen 11

22nd to the 24th of August 1914 12

25th of August 1914 - The Crossing of the Meurthe 13

26th of August 1914 - The Fight in the Woods near Thiaville 14

27th of August 1914 18

The Attack on Ménil and Anglemont 19

The Journey to Northern France 29

22nd of October 1914 - The Attack on the Village of Violaines 32

End of 1914 into 1915 40

22nd of November 1914 - Terrible Night Battle with Indian Troops 40

Fighting and Exertion in the Carpathians 56

9th of April 1915 - The Conquest of Zwinin Mountain 59

Start of the Major Offensive in May 1915 63

26th of May 1915 69

27th of May 1915 72

Crossing and Fighting on the Dniester 76

The Second Crossing of the Dniester - mid-June 1915 80

The Further Development of the Offensive 82

1st to the 2nd of July 1915 - Fighting on the Zlota Lipa 87

The March into Russian Poland 96

Fighting in Russian Poland at the end of July 1915 98

The Attack at Grubeschow on the 30th July 1915 100

Fighting at Chelm (Russian Poland) at the beginning of August 1915 102

Fighting at Wlodawa at the start of August 1915 104

In the Field Hospital at Grubeschow in Russian Poland 108

In the Military Hospital in Lemberg 110

Journey to Germany 110

In the Convalescent Home in Fraustadt - end of September and October 1915 113

In the Reserve Battalion of Infantry Regiment 41 at Speyersdorf and Memel 114

End of 1915 into 1916 119

With the Reserve Machine Gun Company of the 1st Army Corps in Pillau 119

The Journey to the North Russian Front - mid-January 1916 122

With the Machine Gun Company of Infantry Regiment 44 122

My First Leave - end of October 1916 132

End of 1916 into 1917 136

Back at the Front 136

With the Reserve Infantry Regiment 260 at the Russian Northeast Front - 2nd of January to the 14th of April 1917 140

A Surprise Attack on the Russian Position - January 1917 144

Thirty-eight Degrees of Frost - January 1917 145

Back in Position - end of January 1917 146

In Position with the 332nd Regiment 150

Hunger 151

Troop Displacement to the Riga Front 160

The Riga Offensive - Crossing the Düna at Üxküll on the 2nd of September 1917 161

My Second Leave 167

Armistice with Russia 173

End of 1917 into 1918 175

Life in Riga 175

The Offensive against the Bolsheviks - Occupation of the Baltic Provinces of Livonia and Estonia 184

The Journey from Russia to France 195

24th of April 1918, Day of Battle - The Attack at Villers-Bretonneux 201

25th of April 1918 208

8th of May 1918 - The Divisional Sports Day 217

Back to the Front 220

In Machine Gun Nest Owl 221

A Rest at Long Last 228

Start of June 1918 - At Rest Again t 231

Start of July 1918 - The Spanish Flu and the Journey to Metz 237

In Quarters in Bévillers 240

Preparation for Defection 246

The Night of the 23rd to the 24th of July 1918 - Defection to the French 248

Saved! Further and Further from the Front 254

24th of July to the 3rd of August 1918 - Life in Flavigny 258

Life in Fort Burglemont 260

In the Alsace POW Camp at St Rambert sur Loire 263

On the Poizat Farm near St Heand (Loire) 265

Appendix: Place Names 271

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