Unseen World War I Photos: German Trenches

boingboing ^ | Dean Putney

[nickcarraway]

The following photos were taken from 1914-1918 by my great-grandfather Lt. Walter Koessler during his time as a German officer in the first World War. They're part of a collection of over a thousand photos, stereographs and their negatives that my family has been saving for a century. This is an unusually large and complete collection, and I've taken on the task of preserving it and printing it so other people can experience this history too.

These photos have never been published before.

[RedMonqey]

Hitler earned his iron crosses in WWI where by all accounts he was a brave soldier. Or nuts and not worried about the danger. I vote for nuts.

If his post war writings are to believed, he was "nuts"

In one story he repeated, he claimed he heard an voice warn him to move from one spot in the trenches where a group of soldiers were huddled to another spot. An artillery barrage ensued and after it was over he saw his buddies were all killed by a shell burst while he was unscathed.

Definitely had a "messiah complex', thought "Providence" was on his side.

[RedMonqey]

It’s a wonder, how after the abattoirs of Battle of the Somme and similar battles, the tremendous losses the Bits and French took in “The Great War”, they ever alowed themselves to be dragged in another world war...

[RedMonqey]

WWII’s Iron Crosses were given out for sacrifices for the NAZI party and Hitler.

Very true. After each soldier took the "Blood Oath", meant every soldier was owned a unbearable personal obligation to Hitler, himself, not the nation or even the state(government.)

To Hitler...

[RedMonqey]

I always wondered how he only made it to corporeal after four years of combat.

The German officer corp under the Kaiser(and before) was made up of high born nobility and one had to well educated at the proper institutes to quilify for leadership position.

Why he didn't made non com, is in my opinion, young Hitler was a bit of of loner and a "cold fish", not leadership material

His personality and his drive to be a 'hero" made him an ideal candidate for messenger, which despite first impressions, was a very dangerous position in WW1 and Hitler did rightly earn his (second class) Iron Cross.

[RedMonqey]

He wanted to stop to help but the fire was coming ever closer and the officer turned the whip on

As harsh as it seems, the officer did the correct thing.

With the man's guts hanging out, the likely hood of him surviving in an pre=antibiotic world were practically nil..

Weight that against the odds of getting hit by incoming shells and you see why the officer whipped the horses onward.

There would have been at least two more bodies in the road(more if the wagon still had live artillery shells on board)

It's the horrible mathematics of war...

[kearnyirish2]

“the collapse of the Russian Empire led to a massive reinforcement of the west”

The Germans were never able to capitalize on the victory over Russia, because they feared the troops had become too radicalized through fraternization. At the time of the German surrender they still had 1 million troops in Russia.

[kearnyirish2]

You’re right that many Jews supported Hitler (and also Mussolini) early on because they viewed them as protection for private property rights against Communists (who threatened to take over both countries).

[luckymom]

I am Walter Koessler’s granddaughter, and he passed away in 1966 when I was seven years old. I have wonderful childhood memories of him. He was a very kind and gentle man. I know very little about this part of his life, though I am blessed to have some of the color pencil renderings he made during this time, of churches and farms where he happened to be. He went on to be a successful art director in Hollywood from the 30’s to the 50’s.