Suggested Reading
The following titles are suggested as possible sources for the the further
study of the uniforms, insignia and organization of the Imperial German
Army and Navy during the period 1815-1918. This list is not exhaustive
and many of the the titles are both out of print and in the German language.
A few excellent online sources for
the purchase of books are appended at the bottom of this page.
The Army of the German Empire 1870-1888 by Albert Seaton. Published by Osprey, 1973. Competent but brief text by Colonel Seaton. It is from the uniform point of view next to useless. Indifferent plates with no accurate depiction of insignia.
Atlas des Deutschen Reichsheeres und der Kaiserlichen Marine by Carl Henckel published by Militär-Kunst-Verlag "Mars", Dresden 1900. Basically a collection of huge coloured prints illustrating the uniforms and insignia of every regiment of the Imperial German Army plus three plates detailing the uniforms of the Kaiserliche Marine and the Kaiserliche Schutztruppen in schematic form. Very rare in both original and reprinted form.
Casques à Pointe et coiffures prestiieuses de l'armee allemande 1842-1918 by Jean-Louis Larcade. Published by Jacques Grancher, Paris 1985. Very nice two volume history of German military headgear in French. Volume 1: Foot troops, volume 2: mounted troops Well illustrated with colour and black and white photographs by regiments.
Cuirassiers and Heavy Cavalry by D.S.V. Fosten. Published by Almark, London, 1973. Very useful well illustrated publication in English detailing the uniforms of the heavy cavalry from 1900-1914.
Das Deutsche Heer, Friedensuniformen bei Ausbruch des Weltkrieges by Herbert Knötel, Paul Pietsch and Baron Collas published by W. Spemann, Stuttgart 1982. Three volumes originally published before the Second World War and republished in the 1980s. The first volume is text and the second and third consist entirely of excellent coloured plates detailing all the peace time uniforms of the Imperial German Army, Sea Battalions and Kaiserliche-Schutztruppen. Without doubt the primary source available on this subject and copies are not too difficult to find.
Deutschlands Armee in feldgrauer Kriegs-und Friedens-Uniform by Paul Casberg and Freiherr von dem Osten-Sacken. Published originally in 1916. A later reprint has been published recently. Includes 32 coloured plates detailing the field and parade uniforms introduced in 1915.
Deutschlands Heere bis 1918 by Günther Voigt. Published by Biblio Verlag, Osnabrück 1980. 12 Volumes detailing the organisational history of the regular formations of all the German states. Included are details of name changes, regimental chiefs, commanders, standards, garrisons, engagements, losses, awards, uniforms, and a bibliography for each unit. Unfortunately the series is the bound version of a poorly typewritten manuscript with handwritten corrections. It is not especially pleasing on the eye! Never-the-less it is the bible regarding the organizational development of the German armies of this period. Some of the volumes are out of print at the time of writing. Biblio Verlag are in the process of reprinting the unavailable volumes.
Deutsche Infanterie: Das Ehrenmal der Vordersten Front. By General Ernst von Eisenart-Rothe, Erich von Tschischwitz and Walter Beckmann. Published by Verlag berhard Sporn, Zeulenroda 1933. Beautiful and huge! Magnificently illustrated history of the German Infantry from the earliest times until the Great War. Included are reproductions of Carl Röchling battle scenes, sketches of German soldiers by Döbrich-Steglitz and others. Portrait photographs of most of the senior German commanders of the Great War and other photographs.
Das Deutsche Reichsheer in seiner neuesten Bekleidung und Ausrüstung by Georg Krickel and Gustav Lange. Originally published in 1888 with a supplement in 1892. Available as a facsimile reprint of the original. Details the uniforms of all the contingents of the German Army of the period. Well illustrated with hundreds of line drawings. The latest reprint, however does not include the 45 coloured plates of the original edition.
Deutschlands Schirm und Wehr im Alten und im Neuen Heer by Dr. Martin Lezius. Published by Militär Verlag, Berlin. This huge tome details the history and organizational development of the Prussian Army and other States from the 1600 hundreds until the 1930s. Excellent detail on organizational development and some very nice plates by Knötel. Added as a supplement is the engagement calendar and unit lists found in the "Ruhmeshalle" listed below.
Ehrenrangliste der Kaiserlich Deutschen Marine published by the Marine-Offizier-Verband, Berlin 1930. A rare naval list published after the war listing every officer, official and aspirant officer of the navy and his career details throughout the Great War. Particularly useful is the listing of individuals by their varied ranks and appointments allowing one to deduce which rank titles were in use at any given period. Although not impossible to get hold of, it can be an expensive title when found.
Die feldgraue Uniformerung des deutschen Heeres 1907-1918 by Jürgen Kraus. Published by Biblio Verlag, 1999. Two volumes. Excellent history of the service uniforms of the Imperial German Army. Does for the wartime aspect of uniform that Pietsch, Knötel and Collas does for the peacetime uniform. Superb coloured schematic plates in volume 1 and photographs in volume 2. First class.
Formationsgeschichte und Stellenbesetzung der deutshen Streitkräfte 1815-1990: Stellenbesetzung der Deutschen Heere 1815-1913 by Günther Wegmann. Published by Biblio Verlag, Osnabrück 1990. Four volumes dealing with all the regular formations of the Prussian and other German states and then the Reichswehr and Wehrmacht. Exhaustive lists of commanders and their tenures, name changes of individual headquarters and units. Also included in volume one are all the wartime and reserve higher formations. Volume four is a index of garrisons and individuals in the preceding three volumes.
Formations-und Uniformierungsgeschichte des preußischen Heeres 1808 bis 1914 by Paul Pietsch. Published by Verlag Helmut Gerhard Schulz, Hamburg 1963. Two volumes. The first dealing with the infantry and pioneers, the secons with the cavalry, artillery, staff etc. Excellent publication detailing with both the development of uniforms and insignia plus the organizational history of the Prussian Army.
Führer durch Heer und Flotte 1914 by B Friedag republished by Biblio Verlag, Osnabrück 1993. This is an extremely useful title. Although typeset in a fairly small German script it is an absolute mass of information on all aspects of the strength, organization, uniforms, insignia and weaponry of the Imperial German Army and Navy as at 1914. The information for the most part is tabular and therefore fairly easy to understand even for the non German reader. Any enthusiast with a basic knowledge of German military terms will find this title indispensable. It is still available from Biblio Verlag.
The German Army 1914-1918 by D.S.V. Fosten and R.J. Marrion.Published by Osprey 1978. Usual Osprey format with 8 pages of coloured prints. A volume of this size can not hope to do any justice to the subject. Useful as a primer but it is not without some factual errors.
Germany's Army and Navy of the 19th Century by Gustav Sigel. Published by Bracken Books, London 1989. Reprint of the 1900 edition. Contemporary German account of the organization of the German Army just prior to the turn of the century. Illustrated with 41 coloured plates. Some details on engagements of the Franco-Prussian War.
German Army Handbook, April 1918. Published by Arms & Armour Press 1977. Introduced by David Nash, this is a reprint of a British General Staff intelligence document. Details the organization and uniforms of the wartime German Army as seen by British intelligence. Treat details with caution.
German Artillery 1914-1918 by David Nash. Published by Almark, London 1970. Small booklet detailing the order of battle and equipment of the field and foot artillery. Little of use on uniforms.
German Infantry 1914-1918 by David Nash. Published by Almark, London, 1971. Useful little primer on the organization at the outbreak of war. Little detail on the subsequent expansion of the infantry. Some detail on peacetime and wartime uniforms.
German Military Terms 1918. Published by the Imperial War Museum, England and Battery Press Inc., Tennessee, 1995. Reprint of a British General Staff publication originally published in July 1918. Useful for those military terms not usually found in standard dictionaries.
German Weapons, Uniforms, Insignia 1841-1918 by Major James E. Hicks. Grandly titled but sadly lacking in any substantial detail apart from war-time reproductions of artillery pieces and hand weapons. The illustrations of uniforms are in the main black and white reproductions of Paul Casberg and Moritz Ruhl prints with no supporting textual information.
Historische Rang- und Stammliste des deutschen Heeres by Ernst von Wedel and Claus von Bredow. Published by Biblio Verlag, Osnabrück, 1972. Reprint of the 1905 edition detailing the organizational development of all the armies of the German states. Huge Tome - 1444 pages!
Histories of Two Hundred and Fifty-One Divisions of the German Army which participated in the War (1914-1918). Published by the Naval & Military Press Ltd, Chippenham 1989. Reprint of the original published in 1920 by the US War Department. Details the composition and engagements of the German Divisions in the World War as seen by allied intelligence. As with all contemporary intelligence publications it should not be taken as being 100% accurate. Although useful, it lacks a master index of units, making the finding of individual regiments and battalions difficult.
Hussars and Mounted Rifles by D.H. Hagger. Published by Almark, London 1974. Second in the Almark series on the German cavalry. Well illustrated history of the uniforms of 1900-1914.
Jäger & Schützen: Dress and distinctions 1910-1914 by H. Kinna and D.A. Moss. Published by Argus Books Ltd, Watford 1977. Small (58 pages) booklet detailing the rifle troops of the imperial German Army.
Lancers and Dragoons by R.J. Marrion. Published by Almark, London, 1975. Final volume of the Almark series on the pre-war German cavalry.
Militaria: A Study of German Helmets & Uniforms 1729-1918 by Jan K. Kube.Published by Schiffer Military History, West Chester, PA.1990. Translation of the German "Militaria-Ein Bilderbuch für Sammler und Freunde alter Helme und Uniformen". Useful overview of the subject with some well rendered colour photography. Some of the translations however need to be treated with care.
Organisation, Bekleidung, Ausrüstung und Bewaffnung der Königlich Bayerischen Armee von 1808 bis 1908 by Karl Müller. Originally published in Munich in 1908 and now republished by LTR-Verlag, Buchholz-Sprötze 1996.Two volumes. The first massive volume (over a 1000 pages) detailing the the uniform and organization of the army, the second a volume of colured plates and black and white illustrations.
The Pickelhaube by J.A. Bowman. Two volumes published by Imperial Publications. Volume 1: Infantry and Volume 2: Wartime, Ersatz, Reserve and Artillery. Excellent history of the Pickelhaube. Extremely detailed and well illustrated. Sadly subsequent volumes have not appeared since volume two was published in 1992.
Ruhmeshalle Unserer Alten Armee. Published by Militär Verlag, Berlin. Published before the Second World War, this large volume details all the German units and their engagements from the Wars of Liberation onwards. Included are all German Divisions in the World War and their engagements, both regular and reserve and a master index of all units, again regular and reserve and their divisional assignments.
Die Uniformen der Königlich Sächsischen Armee 1867-1918 by Wolfgang Friedrich. Published by Sächsische Militärgeschichte e.V., Dresden. 72 page booklet well illustrated with coloured prints of uniforms, insignia and standards of the Saxon contingent of the Imperial Army.
Uniforms and Organisation of the Imperial German Army 1900-1918 by F.J. Stephens and Graham J. Maddocks. 80 page booklet with some nice coloured plates. However, rather superficial detail.
Unsere Marineuniform by J. Zienert published by Verlag Helmut Gerhard Schulz, Hamburg 1970. Although long out of print, this rather substantial volume covers the history of German naval uniform from 1816 to 1969. Of particular note is the large section on Imperial uniforms and insignia. Included with the work are black and white facsimiles of the three plates by Henckel. I have seen copies available from German second-hand bookshops on the web.
Additionally the various seniority lists as published by Verlag Mittler Und Sohn every year are extremely useful as they not only list the appointments of all the individual officers but also the units in existence at the date of publication. On a book search just type "Rangliste".
Uniform plates published by Moritz Ruhl, both original and reproductions
are excellent source material. The originals, though can be somewhat pricey.
Preussischer Bücherkabinett, Berlin, Germany: http://www.buecherkabinett.com
Biblio Zeller Verlag, Osnabrück, Germany http://www.militaria-biblio.de
Helmut Weitze, Hamburg, Germany http://www.weitze.com
Helion & Company, Solihull, England http://www.helion.co.uk
Military History Bookshop http://www.militaryhistorybooks.com
Articles of War, New Mexico, USA http://www.articlesofwar.com
World War II Books http://www.sonic.net/~bstone/blitzbooks/
Useful Book Search Engines
Bibliofind http://www.bibliofind.com
Advanced Book Exchange http://whipper.abebooks.com/