Description: Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius presents a study of a hidden legacy of World War I: the experience of German soldiers on the Eastern front and the long-term effects of this encounter. Using hitherto neglected sources from both occupiers and occupied, official documents, propaganda, memoirs, and novels, he reveals how German views of the East changed during total war, and how these views affected the return of German armies under the Nazis. This persuasive and compelling study fills a yawning gap in the literature of the Great War.
Review Quotes: "The book could be commended solely for bringing to light valuable source materials. Thorough and inspired research is complemented by clear and cogent prose. It is a pleasure to encounter a study of cultural history that is free of the jargon and impenetrable writing for which the field is fast becoming famous. Above all, rigorous and imaginative analysis of personal experience and culture reveals the unique and seldom seen face of war in the East. This book will be of interest to all students of the First World War, and one hopes that it will wpur further investigations into the neglected Eastern Front." The Journal of Military History