Forgotten legions: German Army infantry policy, 1918-1941

Forgotten Legions presents a comprehensive history of the German Army infantry policy from the end of World War I to early 1942 and the many influences that shaped its development. Samuel J. Lewis explores in detail all of the tactical innovations and the concomitant organizational and armament changes that were instituted by the German Army General Staff. Through an examination of General Staff's policy achievements and failures, Lewis shows how at first the infantry functioned brilliantly in World War II, and how it later ceased to function as its leaders lost a series of running political battles with the single-party totalitarian dictatorship. He includes informative summaries of German campaigns to provide continuity and a framework against which development of the German infantry can be compared, and also analyzes selected combat engagement as examples of typical experiences of the various campaigns.