The German Generals

This book is part of the series that began with the two volumes published on the German cavalry and infantry. Covering the generals, the war ministries and the general staffs, it brings us another step closer to completing the picture of the colourful uniforms of the Imperial German Army in the period between 1871 and 1914.
Descriptions of the uniforms are illustrated with colour photographs of items worn by well-known historical figures such as Kaiser Wilhelm II, Generalfeldmarschalls von Moltke and von Mackensen, Wurttemberg’s General der Kavallerie Graf von Zeppelin and members of the royal houses of Bavaria, Saxony and Wurttemberg, the Grand Duchy of Baden and the princely house of Waldeck and Pyrmont. Most of these have never been published before. This book presents a unique collection of helmets, ¬uniforms, epaulettes, shoulder pieces and edged weapons, which are mainly stored in the depots of important German museums and Huis Doorn in the Netherlands. Contemporary illustrations – mainly photographs – show the uniforms as they were worn by their famous owners, along with other well-known as well as unknown generals and officers. These complement and help to illustrate the text and the items of uniform and equipment shown in the colour photographs.
The book is structured in such a way that it deals first with the generals and then the war ministries of the kingdoms of Prussia, Bavaria, Saxony and Wurttemberg followed by their general staffs. Due to the size of the Prussian Army, its generals make up the body of the first part of the book, followed by the Prussian generals in the contingents of the Grand Duchies of Hesse and Mecklenburg-Schwerin, all illustrated by original pieces. Next, the generals of Wurttemberg, Saxony and Bavaria along with the Duchy of Brunswick are covered and this part closes with a chapter on the Oberst in the position of a General.
The second and third parts of the book deal with the various German war ministries and general staffs, in each case providing an outline of their historical development followed by descriptions of their uniforms and equipment.