The Forgotten Front: The Eastern Theater of World War I, 1914 - 1915

Description

Although much has been written about the Western Front in World War I, little attention has been given to developments in the east, especially during the crucial period of 1914--1915. Not only did these events have a significant impact on the fighting and outcome of the battles in the west, but all the major combatants in the east ultimately suffered collapses of their political systems with enormous consequences for the future events. Available for the first time in English, this seminal study features contributions from established and rising scholars from eight countries who argue German, central, and eastern European perspectives. Together, they illuminate diverse aspects of the Great War's Eastern Theater, including military strategy and combat, issues of national identity formation, perceptions of the enemy, and links to World War II. They also explore the experiences of POWs and the representation of the Eastern Front in museums, memorials, and the modern media. The scholarship on the First World War is dominated by the trauma of the modern, technologized war in the west, causing the significant political events and battles on the Eastern Front to shift to the background. The Forgotten Front illuminates overlooked but vital aspects of the conflict, and will be an essential resource for students and scholars seeking to better understand the war and its legacy. Front cover Copyright Contents Foreword Translator's Note Introduction 1 The Eastern Front 2 Introductory Remarks 3 In the Shadow of the West 4 Russia versus Germany 5 Of Bastards and Brothers in Arms 6 Introductory Remarks 7 The Creation of an Identity for the Modern Polish Nation in the First World War, 1914-1915 8 The Germans 9 The Slavic Peoples 10 All Quiet on the Eastern Front COLOR MAPS 11 August 1914 12 The Reality of War and the War Experience of Russian Soldiers on the Russian Western Front, 1914-1915 13 The War in the East of 1914-1915 and the Experience of the German Military 14 From Ober Ost to Ostland? 15 Introductory Remarks 16 War Exhibitions 17 Suppressed Remembrances 18 The Unknown Soldier 19 The First World War on the Internet 20 Prologue to the "War of Annihilation"? Contributors Index