Uniforms Of The Third Reich

This new book takes a close look at a variety of authentic World War II era German uniforms including examples from the Army, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Allgemeine-SS, Hitler Youth and Political Leaders. The pieces are shown in large full frame front and rear shots, and in painstaking detail to show tailors tags, buttons, insignia detail etc. and allow the reader to see what the genuine article looks like. Various accoutrements worn with the uniforms are also included to aid the collector.

In the years after World War I, the defeated and much-reduced German Army developed new clothing and personal equipment that drew upon the lessons learned in the trenches. In place of the wide variety of uniforms and insignia that had been worn by the Imperial German Army, a standardized approach was followed, culminating in the uniform items introduced in the 1930s as the Nazi Party came to shape every aspect of German national life. The outbreak of war in 1939 prompted further adaptations and simplifications of uniforms and insignia, while the increasing use of camouflaged items and the accelerated pace of weapons development led to the appearance of new clothing and personal equipment. Medals and awards increased in number as the war went on, with grades being added for existing awards and new decorations introduced to reflect battlefield feats. Specialists such as mountain troops, tank crews and combat engineers were issued distinctive uniform items and kit, while the ever-expanding variety of fronts on which the German Army fought – from the North African desert to the Russian steppe – prompted the rapid development of clothing and equipment for different climates and conditions. In addition, severe shortages of raw materials and the demands of clothing and equipping an army that numbered in the millions forced the simplification of many items and the increasing use of substitute materials in their manufacture. In this fully illustrated book noted authority Dr Stephen Bull examines the German Army's wide range of uniforms, personal equipment, weapons, medals and awards, and offers a comprehensive guide to the transformation that the German Army soldier underwent in the period from September 1939 to May 1945.

This book traces the evolution of the German Army uniform from 1870 to the present day, using nearly 800 photographs to offer the reader an unparalleled analysis. Each image is accompanied by a detailed caption, explaining interesting aspects of the soldiers uniform, insignia and equipment.It begins with the German Empire at its height, with the iconic spiked Pickelhaube and the colonial troops in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, and moves on to the field-grey uniforms of the First World War. After 1918, the uniforms of the Reichswehr and the Freikorps are detailed, and then those of the revived Wehrmacht up to the end of the Second World War. The post-war years saw the establishment of the Bundeswehr in the West and East Germanys Nationalen Volksarmee, facing each other across the border of a divided Germany, before reunification in 1991.No other countrys army has undergone such changes in the past century-and-a-half, and this book provides a unique visual record of those changes.

At once an examination of gender ideology in the Third Reich, a history of women in uniform as photographic theme, and an analysis of the functions of wartime photography, The Woman in My Uniform compiles original Third Reich photos of German women wearing men's military uniforms--often their husband's, boyfriend's, or family member's--nearly all never before published. Photography, especially portraiture, reveals the people and cultures they portray in immediate, intimate ways: these photos show a personal, often-amusing practice in one of the most oppressive regimes in human history. Prefacing the photos with a history of depictions of women in uniform, as well as an overview of the growth in popularity of photography in Germany both before and during the war, DiPalma's meticulous research offers context and insight into these original photographs.

This book is the first in depth published work in over twenty years on Third Reich Political Leaders uniforms and their regalia. Some of the finest items in the collecting community - uniforms, insignia, headgear, flags, banners and other items - have been assembled in this large format, all-color book. This book also explains the complicated levels and rank system so that the hobbyist can avoid the many pitfalls when adding these items to their collection. Period source material has been researched and translated here for the first time. Many high-level personality collectibles are pictured here for the first time ever, having been in private collections since 1945. This one of a kind book is a must have for any serious Third Reich collector. AUTHOR: