With the Central Powers holding the initiative throughout 1915 was the year that largely determined the way the remainder of the war would be fought. Constantly on the offensive in the vast open spaces of the Eastern Front the German Army stood on the strategic defensive in the West. There with minimal ground-holding forces & thanks to skilful deployment of limited reserves of men & guns it repulsed with bloody losses every attempt by the Western Allies to drive it from occupied France & Belgium. Shortages of weapons equipment & ammunition forced both sides to tool up for what was clearly becoming a long war of attrition. Although the Western Front had stabilized by the end of 1914 this did not mean that tactical thinking & developments also stood still. Every Allied attempt to break the deadlock elicited a response from the German defenders who brought the tactics of positional warfare to a high state of refinement. Trench systems increased in depth & complexity. The machine gun proved its lethality & the result for the Western Allies was one costly setback after another with French losses reaching a staggering 1 000 000 fatalities by the end of the year. This superbly researched book provides the clearest & most comprehensive German perspective yet on this period of the War. It covers such well-known actions as Neuve Chapelle Ypres where gas was used on a large scale for the first time Aubers Ridge & Loos as well as the appalling clashes in Champagne & the Argonne Forest. The latest in the Authors acclaimed series The German Army on the Western Front 1915 will be welcomed as essential reading by all with a close interest in the First World War. ...

The book starts with on the capture of Vimy Ridge & the nearly spur of Notre Dame de Lorette in October 1914. The major battles of spring & autumn 1915 is described as is the twelve month period from late autumn 1915 when British forces occupied the lines on the western Ridge. The period from late autumn 1916 onwards when the Canadian Corps was preparing for the April 1917 assault on the ridge is given detailed treatment with special emphasis (based on original Germanintelligence & interrogation files) on how the defenders built up a detailed picture of Allied plans & how they intended to counter them. The battle (9
- 14 April 1917) is described in detail & the conclusion summarises the aftermath of the battle & its consequences for the way the German army prepared for the Third Battle of Ypres. The book employs a similar format to The German Army on the Somme 1914
- 1916 & The German Army at Passchendaele; the greater part of the text is based on the words of the German participants themselves. Commentary & evidence from senior commanders is introduced as necessary; the aim once more being to produce a work of popular history which nevertheless provides an important contribution to the overall historiography of the Great War.

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This book explores the origins development combat use & lasting influence of Nazi Germany's automatic rifles focusing on the Gew 41 (W) Gew 43/ Kar 43 FG 42 & MP 43/ St G 44. The Blitzkrieg campaigns of 1939-40 convinced many observers that most infantry combat took place at closer ranges than the 750-1 000m. From 1941 Germany's arms designers took note & produced a new series of infantry firearms. This study not only provides a detailed technical description of each weapon but also explores how the firearms performed on the battlefields of World War II. The combat takes us from the FG 42 in the hands of Fallschirmjager at Monte Cassino through to St G 44s being used by Waffen-SS soldiers on both the Eastern & Western Fronts. Postwar service is also studied such as the Gew 43's adoption by the Czech Army & the St G 44's use by the Viet Cong in the Vietnam War. Setting each firearm in its tactical & historical context & employing striking photographs & full-colour artwork firearms expert Chris Mc Nab sets out the absorbing story of this distinctive & influential series of weapons. ...

A moving inter-war family saga The German Boy" from Patricia Wastvedt the Orange Prize Longlisted author of " The River". In 1947 Elisabeth Manders German nephew comes to stay: Stefan Landau her dead sisters teenage son whom she hates & loves before shes even set eyes on him. Orphaned by the war & traumatised by the last vicious battles of the Hitler Youth Stefan brings with him to England only a few meagre possessions. Among them a portrait of a girl with long copper hair by a young painter called Michael Ross
- & with it the memory both painful & precious of her life & that time between the wars. Spanning decades & generations " The German Boy" tells the moving story of two families entangled by love & friendship divided by prejudice & war & of a brief encounter between a woman & a man that touched each of their lives forever. " An absorbing literary saga.. .a sophisticated & subtly woven story". (" Daily Mail"). " Hypnotic atmospheric & exquisitely written. A novel I wont forget". (Lucinda Riley author of " Hothouse Flower"). "A love story at its centre which will make your heart ache". (Julia Green author of " Blue Moon"). "A heart-rending story of epic proportions thrilling & utterly captivating. I am haunted by it still"). (Suzannah Dunn author of " The Confession of Katherine"). Howard Born in 1954 Patricia Wastvedt grew up in Blackheath south London & spent her summers in Kent. She has a degree in Creative Arts & an MA in Creative Writing & her first novel " The River" written in her late forties was long-listed for the Orange Prize. She teaches at Bath Spa University & is also a manuscript editor. She lives & writes in a cottage in Somerset."
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The last place a German soldier wanted to be in 1944 was the Russian front. That summer Stalin hurled more than 6 million men 9 000 tanks 16 000 aircraft & 12 800 guns & rocket launchers against German forces. Despite this gigantic effort & the resulting decimation of German forces events on the Eastern Front are largely neglected by historians who focus instead on German defeats in Normandy & the Ardennes. This account details the massive battles on the Eastern Front from the summer of 1944 until the fall of Budapest in early 1945 a period when Hitler lost the majority of his conquered eastern territories & many of his best remaining divisions. ...

The euro crisis is tearing Europe apart. But the heart of the matter is that as the crisis unfolds the basic rules of European democracy are being subverted or turned into their opposite bypassing parliaments governments & EU institutions. Multilateralism is turning into unilateralism equality into hegemony sovereignty into the dependency & recognition into disrespect for the dignity of other nations. Even France which long dominated European integration must submit to Berlin's strictures now that it must fear for its international credit rating. How did this happen? The anticipation of the European catastrophe has already fundamentally changed the European landscape of power. It is giving birth to a political monster: a German Europe. Germany did not seek this leadership position
- rather it is a perfect illustration of the law of unintended consequences. The invention & implementation of the euro was the price demanded by France in order to pin Germany down to a European Monetary Union in the context of German unification. It was a quid pro quo for binding a united Germany into a more integrated Europe in which France would continue to play the leading role. But the precise opposite has happened. Economically the euro turned out to be very good for Germany & with the euro crisis Chancellor Angela Merkel became the informal Queen of Europe. The new grammar of power reflects the difference between creditor & debtor countries; it is not a military but an economic logic. Its ideological foundation is ' German euro nationalism'
- that is an extended European version of the Deutschmark nationalism that underpinned German identity after the Second World War. In this way the German model of stability is being surreptitiously elevated into the guiding idea for Europe. The Europe we have now will not be able to survive in the risk-laden storms of the globalized world. The EU has to be more than a grim marriage sustained by the fear of the chaos that would be caused by its breakdown. It has to be built on something more positive: a vision of rebuilding Europe bottom-up creating a Europe of the citizen. There is no better way to reinvigorate Europe than through the coming together of ordinary Europeans acting on their own behalf.

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This title deals with everyday situations in which children may find themselves while abroad. German grammar is clearly explained & puzzles provide plenty of practice. This title is part of a series providing a thorough grounding in useful basic language skills. ...

A guide for the complete beginner & anyone wanting to improve their German. It

Includes:: Internet links offering

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If you need to start speaking German Fast but you don't have a lot of time to study the language German For Dummies Audio Set is the quick-learning solution for you. These three sixty-minute CDs feature fast focused instruction that gets you quickly up to speed on essential vocabulary & language structure. This practical portable audio set is designed to help you learn to speak German in a hurry & with no fuss whether you're at home or on the road. From basic greetings & expressions to grammar & conversations you'll grasp the essentials & start communicating right away! Plus you can follow along with the handy 96-page portable guide. It's filled with words & phrases you'll hear on the CD & also

Includes:: a mini dictionary. You can practice at your own pace & skip around to focus on immediate needs. Discover how to:* Get started with basic words & phrases* Handle greetings & introductions* Form sentences & practice parts of speech* Ask questions & understand the answers* Build your own vocabulary* Talk about numbers time & the calendar* Handle real-world situations* Ask for directions* Get help at a hotel the bank a store Heading for Germany Austria Switzerland or any other German speaking country? German For Dummies Audio Set is packed with all of the must-have expressions & phrases you need to conduct business or have a great vacation!

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The fun & easy way to learn the fascinating language of German with integrated audio clips! German For Dummies Enhanced Edition uses the renowned Berlitz approach to get you up & running with the language-and having fun too! Designed for the total beginner this guide introduces you to basic grammar & then speedily has you making conversation. Integrated audio clips let you listen & learn as you hear pronunciations & real-life conversations. Fun & games sections ease your way into German fluency phonetic spellings following expressions & vocabulary improve your pronunciation & helpful boxes & sidebars cover cultural quirks & factoids. Master the nuts & bolts of German grammar Learn phrases that make you sound German-and know what never to say in German Whether youre just looking for a greeting besides Guten tag" or you want to become a foreign exchange student this enhanced edition of German For Dummies gives you what you need to learn the language-as much as you like as fast as you like!" ...