Peter C. Appelbaum Libros

Approximately thirty Jewish chaplains served in the German army during the First World War. Documents produced by Jewish chaplains include texts of sermons they delivered, diaries, articles written for Jewish journals, official reports sent to Army Headquarters, memoires written shortly after the war, and photographs. Dr Appelbaum has translated and richly annotated a selection of these documents into English for the first time. HIs book provides a balanced view of the situation of Jews in the German army on the Western, Eastern and Balkan Fronts and also a glimpse into the vanished world of Eastern European Judaism.

Focusing on Jewish involvement in the Habsburg Army during World War I, this book highlights the contributions of approximately 300,000-350,000 Jewish soldiers in the Austro-Hungarian forces. It draws on personal diaries and newspaper articles, many of which are presented in English for the first time, to provide a rich narrative of their experiences. Through these firsthand accounts, the book sheds light on the complex identity and roles of Jewish soldiers within the Habsburg military context from 1788 to 1918.

"During World War I, 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 in action. About 35,000 were decorated, 23,000 promoted, and more than 2,000 became officers. Using excerpted diaries and memoirs of soldiers from all branches of the army, this book describes their war experiences on the Western, Eastern, Balkan, and Ottoman Fronts. It also looks at the impressions of other nationalities and their varied feelings about anti-Semitism in the army. Historiographical details, as well as religious and other details, are provided, and, in the process, a look inside the vanished world of Eastern European Jewry is given by the soldiers who served there. The book also contains an extensive analysis of the Judenzahlung (Jewish census) of October 1916 - a pivotal event in the post-war development of German anti-Semitism. Loyal Sons closes with a few examples of the fate of these veterans, whose Fatherland 'thanked them' for their loyal service less than two decades later with all the horrors of the Holocaust."--Provided by publisher