The Stigma of Surrender

German Prisoners, British Captors, and Manhood in the Great War and Beyond

Nonfiction, History, Military, World War I, Germany, British
Cover of the book The Stigma of Surrender by Brian K. Feltman, The University of North Carolina Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Brian K. Feltman ISBN: 9781469619941
Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press Publication: March 15, 2015
Imprint: The University of North Carolina Press Language: English
Author: Brian K. Feltman
ISBN: 9781469619941
Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press
Publication: March 15, 2015
Imprint: The University of North Carolina Press
Language: English

Approximately 9 million soldiers fell into enemy hands from 1914 to 1918, but historians have only recently begun to recognize the prisoner of war's significance to the history of the Great War. Examining the experiences of the approximately 130,000 German prisoners held in the United Kingdom during World War I, historian Brian K. Feltman brings wartime captivity back into focus.

Many German men of the Great War defined themselves and their manhood through their defense of the homeland. They often looked down on captured soldiers as potential deserters or cowards--and when they themselves fell into enemy hands, they were forced to cope with the stigma of surrender. This book examines the legacies of surrender and shows that the desire to repair their image as honorable men led many former prisoners toward an alliance with Hitler and Nazism after 1933. By drawing attention to the shame of captivity, this book does more than merely deepen our understanding of German soldiers' time in British hands. It illustrates the ways that popular notions of manhood affected soldiers' experience of captivity, and it sheds new light on perceptions of what it means to be a man at war.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Approximately 9 million soldiers fell into enemy hands from 1914 to 1918, but historians have only recently begun to recognize the prisoner of war's significance to the history of the Great War. Examining the experiences of the approximately 130,000 German prisoners held in the United Kingdom during World War I, historian Brian K. Feltman brings wartime captivity back into focus.

Many German men of the Great War defined themselves and their manhood through their defense of the homeland. They often looked down on captured soldiers as potential deserters or cowards--and when they themselves fell into enemy hands, they were forced to cope with the stigma of surrender. This book examines the legacies of surrender and shows that the desire to repair their image as honorable men led many former prisoners toward an alliance with Hitler and Nazism after 1933. By drawing attention to the shame of captivity, this book does more than merely deepen our understanding of German soldiers' time in British hands. It illustrates the ways that popular notions of manhood affected soldiers' experience of captivity, and it sheds new light on perceptions of what it means to be a man at war.

More books from The University of North Carolina Press

Cover of the book Highland Heritage by Brian K. Feltman
Cover of the book Rhetorical Occasions by Brian K. Feltman
Cover of the book The Establishment Clause by Brian K. Feltman
Cover of the book The Majority Finds Its Past by Brian K. Feltman
Cover of the book Holy Smoke by Brian K. Feltman
Cover of the book The Children's Civil War by Brian K. Feltman
Cover of the book Tar Heel Editor by Brian K. Feltman
Cover of the book Neighbors and Strangers by Brian K. Feltman
Cover of the book Every Nation Has Its Dish by Brian K. Feltman
Cover of the book Cutting Into the Meatpacking Line by Brian K. Feltman
Cover of the book The Masterless by Brian K. Feltman
Cover of the book The Call of Bilal by Brian K. Feltman
Cover of the book Builders of Empire by Brian K. Feltman
Cover of the book Caught in the Middle East by Brian K. Feltman
Cover of the book The Enemy's House Divided by Brian K. Feltman
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy