Rohlo

Hard to say. The national symbol and trim look a little sketchy, plus the shape of the hat looks too big for a legimate overseas cap.

It wasa factor, but maybe not nearly as major a one as some interpretations of the cause of the war play it up to be.

The blackpowder-era "line of battle" was still very much in play early in the war, albeit in open order. By the end of the war, troops were manuevering more independently in squads rather than by company/regiment. The naval blockade was taking its toll by 1917, so it strained the Germans' resources.