The German side of things

I have attended quite a few Western Front Association webinars since joining a few years ago. Actually, Dr Kirsty Bennett introduced me, suggesting I watch one and I’ve been hooked ever since. Sometimes they’re not very good but, generally, they are excellent and they are always informative.

The thing is, they are always from the Allied point of view. Obviously, it makes sense. Not only did the Allies win but, I assume, the majority of the WFA members are descended from Allied stock. For this reason, I was really looking forward to tonight’s talk by Jesse Alexander.

He took his title from the Wilfred Owen poem because, he explained, it didn’t mention any side but made it about all soldiers.

Anthem for Doomed Youth by Wilfred Owen
What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?
      — Only the monstrous anger of the guns.
      Only the stuttering rifles’ rapid rattle
Can patter out their hasty orisons.
No mockeries now for them; no prayers nor bells; 
      Nor any voice of mourning save the choirs,—
The shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells;
      And bugles calling for them from sad shires. 

Even so, tonight’s talk was about a German defeat; how they lost Vimy Ridge after holding it for four years. It was a defining moment for the Canadian forces as they stormed the ridge and beat the Germans back from the 9th to the 12th of April, 1917.

Along with some excellent photographs, Jesse took us on a rambling journey, highlighting the problems that the Germans Army was facing in 1917 as well as pointing out how German women had started driving the trams back in Berlin.

And we shouldn’t forget the Steckrübenwinter (Turnip Winter) of 1916-17 during which the general population of Germany survived on just turnips. Interestingly, wounded soldiers returning from the war were suddenly confronted with turnips while their fighting comrades had much better food. As Jesse said later in answer to a question from the audience, the soldiers ate much better fare than the people at home. I guess the thinking was that if you’re going to die tomorrow, you want your last meal to be more than a turnip.

Anyway, aside from troubles back home, the Germans were having a hard time in their trenches as they faced a horrendous barrage attack ahead of the Canadian charge. Jesse had found and translated some eyewitness accounts that more than adequately described the ordeal.

One German soldier described how he pretended to be dead, lying next to a fellow soldier who was actually dead but, when a Canadians soldier arrived in his trench and stabbed the dead soldier with a bayonet, decided to stand up, raise his hands and surrender. The Canadian ignored him and continued on his way. The German soldier had no idea what had happened but he lived to tell the tale.

According to Jesse, another reason why the Germans lost Vimy Ridge was the inferiority of their artillery. Mind you, this thing looks pretty lethal to me, and it says a lot if the Allied artillery was bigger and better.

All round, an excellent talk.