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Loyal Sons: Jewish Soldiers in the German Army in the Great War

Peter Appelbaum will speak about his book, Loyal Sons, which describes, for the first time in English, the experiences of Jews in the German army during the First World War.

The stage is set by a description of Jews in the armies of Prussia and the other German states between 1813
(when they were first allowed to serve) through the three Bismarckian wars. During the Great War, approximately 100,000 Jews served in the German army, of whom around 80,000 fought on the Front and 12,500 were killed,
died, or went missing. About 35,000 were decorated, 23,000 promoted, and more than 2,000 became officers.

With a historical introduction by Jay Winter and personal reminiscences by Inge Auerbacher and Peter Waldmann, the book traces the effect of the outbreak of war on the Jews of Germany. Excerpted diaries and memoirs of soldiers from all ranks of the army soldiers, non-commissioned officers and officers describe their war experiences on the Western, Eastern, Balkan and Ottoman Fronts, impressions of other nationalities, and their varied feelings about anti-Semitism in the army. The experiences of those Jews who played a significant part in the nascent Luftwaffe are also provided. Rich annotation provides historiographical as well as religious and other details, and in the process a look inside the vanished world of Eastern European Jewry is provided by soldiers serving there.