The image of the soldier in German culture, 1871-1933

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This study examines the influence of tradition in conservative German visual culture, focusing on the representation of battlefield identities from the 25th anniversary of the Franco-Prussian War in 1895 to the end of the Weimar Republic in 1933. Through 40 carefully selected images from various cultural contexts, the author analyzes the complex responses in German visual culture to diverse military experiences, including regional conflicts, total war, and internal security operations. The work highlights how conservative artists, illustrators, photographers, and sculptors portrayed the inequalities of battlefield encounters and the quest for moral advantage. They created representations that embodied the ideal characteristics of the German male at war, even in defeat. This construction of an imagined martial masculinity, rooted in aggressive moral superiority, laid the groundwork for envisioning Germany's resurgence as a military power in Central Europe post-1918. This volume is essential for historians interested in cultural history, modern Germany, or the First World War.