Books on the Freikorps

[DonC]

Hello, All -

Does anyone know if there are any books in English on the Freikorps era? Any help appreciated!

Don

[--dj--Joe]

Sir, I believe the Gent. at the following site still has his available.

--dj--Joe

http://members.aol.com/verkuilen/militar1.htm

It is listed at this link.

http://members.aol.com/verkuilen/bg_vets.htm

Edited September 20, 2006 by --dj--Joe

[Ed_Haynes]

Have not been able to find much of anything professional that is seriously researched work. A lot of fluff, much apologetic work out there. As we have seen before, the amateur opinions differ widely and wildly.

I would avoid websites carefully, as they have scant relationship to seriously researched historical work.

Maybe, as a starting place (in English):

Nigel H. Jones, Hitler's Heralds The Story of the Freikorps, 1918-1923 (1987)

Michael G?rtner, "What role did the Freikorps play in the Weimar Republic?" -- http://www.grin.com/en/preview/13985.html

J Biedzynski, "The Creation of the Modern German Army: General Walther Reinhardt and the Weimar Republic, 1914-1930," Journal of Military History, 2005

[DonC]

Thank you both for your help! Anyone else have any reccomendations?

Don

[Guest Rick Research]

Well, that would depend on WHAT you want to know.

For insignia and awards, my friend VerKuilen is THE Man. (Please do NOT buy the pirated stolen and completely UNauthorized editions sold by a certain Arizona hole in the ground dwelling copyright thief).

For general background on types of units, composition, and so on, I know of nothing since my college mentor Harold Gordon (died in the 1970s). I still use his Reichsheer book for types and strengths of specific units.

[Avitas]

I recently picked up the book "The Birth of the Nazis: How the Freikorps Blazed a Trail for Hitler" by Nigel Jones, from Constable & Robinson books in London for under $10 on the clearance shelf at the local "Chapters" here in Canada. This is a pretty good general account of the Freikorps from just before the end of the war all the way through. It is probably available at Chapters internet site "indigo.ca."

Cheers,

Pat

Edited September 21, 2006 by Avitas

[Robin Lumsden]

There's a pretty good Osprey book on the Freikorps......general, but good all the same. And it's in English!

here it is...

http://www.ospreypublishing.com/title_detail.php/title=S1842

Edited September 21, 2006 by Robin Lumsden

[DonC]

Thanks very much, gentlemen - time to do some online searches. SOunds like Jones is the man for Freikorps history! I have not researched the FK much, considering that so many future German officers served in them. It will help me to understand the mindset a little more, I hope.

Don

ps - Fortune smiles - Both Jones volumes and the Osprey volume are in the local university library! Thanks for all your help!

dc

Edited September 21, 2006 by DonC

[Ulsterman]

There is also a very nice Schiffer book out there on the Freikorps. It is expensive but worth it.

Also, there are some very obscure works out there-but the one on the Bavarian Einwohner is very good albeit limited in scope.

There are a number of articles worth looking at as well.

[DonC]

Just wanted to check in and say that I read Jones' volume on the Freikorps and it was quite good. I was disappointed to learnt hat his book is published under a different title as a second edition - I took both back from my library onlyt o find they were the same text!

There wasn't much on the Silesian campaign - Jones concentrates on the Freikorps in Berlin, Munich and the Ruhr. Still, an easy and itneresting read.

Don

[Marcin L]

Maybe "The German Reichswehr" by J?rgen Kraus, Adolf Schlicht.

http://www.militaria.at/Verlag%20Militaria...nreichswehr.htm

Regards.

[WRANGEL]

Hi,

It is almost impossible to speak about Freikorps books without mentioning the name of Ernst von Salomon. If you want to have the best overview of the Freikorps you must absolutely read "Die Geächteten" (his souvenirs as a young Freikorps' member) and "Das Buch vom deutschen Freikorpskämpfer" (a photography album of the history of the Freikorps). They are still available in German militarybookshops. Sorry to give you the original german titles of the books, but I have no idea of the titles of the english translation. Both titles have been translated in French as : "Les Réprouvés" and "L'Epopée des Corps Francs".

Not only Ernst von Salomon was a witness and a proeminent actor of the Freikorps struggles but his litererary style is also f...ing brilliant, he ranks among Germany's best XXth century writers.

Yours sincerely

Bill

[Chris Boonzaier]

A very good, cheap and cheerful, overview is the book

"Vanguard of Nazism: The Free Corps movement in Postwar Germany 1918-1923"

by Robert G. L. Waite

I cannot recoment it too highly

[Chris Boonzaier]

Here you go....

http://www.amazon.com/Vanguard-Nazism-Movement-Postwar-1918-1923/dp/0393001814

[Gilles]

If after reading books on the history of the movement you want a very precise look at the badges of the Freikorps and Einwohnerwehr units, then have a look at the new comprehensive catalogue by Ingo Haarcke.

Here you go...

http://www.amazon.de/s/ref=nb_sb_noss/275-5736124-1991553?__mk_de_DE=%C5M%C5Z%D5%D1&url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=haarcke+freikorps

(However in German)