The opening of the former Soviet Union to the West over the past three years has made accessible, for the first time, much new material on the Red Army of the Great Patriotic War - the huge and varied forces which won some of the greatest battles of World War II against the German invasion. This book contains a range of rare, authentic uniforms modelled and photographed in Moscow: tank commanders and generals, assault infantry and women medics, pilots and NKVD security officers, artillerymen, camouflaged scouts, and many more. The photographs are backed-up by close-ups of insignia and personal equipment.

Through periods of glory, defeat and renaissance, the German Army uniform has evolved. Prussianistic and Germanic traditions have remained strong throughout the uniform's history, and can still be found in the insignia and equipment of the present-day soldier. In 1870 the uniforms worn by Imperial German soldiers varied between the different principalities. The spiked helmet (pickelhaube) was first adopted by Prussia in 1842, but it was later used throughout Germany. The pickelhaube was made out of leather, with metal reinforcement and a metal spike. It went through a number of modifications, such as the introduction of a round visor and the replacement of the rear spine. Within the colonies, there was even greater variation in uniform and equipment. In German East Africa, the soldiers wore white service uniforms with white tropical helmets and the national cockade of black, white and red. The East Asia Brigade wore a field gray jacket with four front pockets lined with leather, designed for carrying cartridges. Uniforms of the German Soldier has more than thirty color photographs and more than 300 black-and-white photographs, giving the reader an unparalleled analysis. Each photograph is accompanied with a detailed caption, explaining interesting aspects of the soldier's uniform, insignia and equipment.

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.

German Army Uniforms of World War II In Color Photographs Krawczyk. From private soldiers to generals, this picture-packed color collection profiles all major German combat branches including infantry, cavalry, artillery, mountain troops, tank and assault gun crews, etc., plus uniforms specific to western Europe, Russia, Italy and Africa. Close-up detail photos of insignia, interior details such as manufacturerÆs markings, typical items of field equipment and more. Hdbd., 8 1/2"x 12", 128 pgs., 230 color ill.

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.

A visual history of the German soldier, providing a unique insight into how they lived, ate, maintained themselves at the front, and how they behaved when out of line, through a collection of personal items and artifacts they left behind.