<p>Translating to “Greater Germany Division,” this was one of the most decorated and accomplished military units within the Germany Wehrmacht (army) during World War II. It was originally formed as an honor guard, during the time when the post-World War I Treaty of Versailles imposed strict limits on Germany’s military capacity. It was activated into an infantry regiment in 1939, at the start of World War II in Europe, participating in the rapid collapse of France in the spring of 1940 and then the brutal campaign to subjugate Yugoslavia in 1941. It served a main role at the outset of Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union, and after the failed German effort to capture Moscow, it was transformed from an infantry regiment into a motorized infantry division. It would go on to participate in practically every major engagement on the Eastern Front, including the Battle of Kharkov in 1942 and Kursk in 1943, still the largest tank engagement in world history. After the war, the unit was accused of many war crimes, including massacres of colonial soldiers, and it was disbanded immediately upon Germany’s surrender in 1945.</p>

Gross Deutschland Division

Partisans

Schutzstaffel (SS)

Volkssturm

Ethnic Cleansing

Life & Time

Coming-of-Age Journeys

History: World

European History

Relationships

Friendship

Nonfiction

Inspiring Biographies

Book Events

Memorial Day Reads

Military Reads

Mortality & Death

Society

World War II

Guy Sajer

Adult

Autobiography / Memoir

Guide

Study Guide

Book Brief

Explore The Forgotten Soldier reviews, reading age recommendations, and essential genre and thematic details before you start reading.

About The Forgotten Soldier

title

content

Overview

Get ready to explore The Forgotten Soldier and its meaning. Our full analysis and study guide provides an even deeper dive with character analysis and quotes explained to help you discover the complexity and beauty of this book.

The Forgotten Soldier Summary and Study Guide

Background

The Forgotten Soldier Background

chapter

chapterType

section

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 1: “Russia: Autumn, 1942”

Prologue-Part 1

The Forgotten Soldier Prologue-Part 1 Summary & Analysis

Part 2: “‘The Gross Deutschland’: Spring, 1943-Summer, 1943”

Part 2 The Forgotten Soldier Part 2 Summary & Analysis

Part 3: “The Retreat: Autumn, 1943”

Part 3 The Forgotten Soldier Part 3 Summary & Analysis

Part 4: “To the West: Winter, 1943-Summer, 1944”

Part 4 The Forgotten Soldier Part 4 Summary & Analysis

Part 5: “The End, Autumn, 1944-Spring, 1945”

Part 5-Epilogue

The Forgotten Soldier Part 5-Epilogue Summary & Analysis

keyFigure

Key Figures

The Forgotten Soldier Key Figures

theme

Themes

The Forgotten Soldier Themes

Index of Terms

The Forgotten Soldier Index of Terms

quote

citation

character

Important Quotes

The Forgotten Soldier Important Quotes with Page Numbers

primaryCharacter

Essay Topics

The Forgotten Soldier Essay Topics

The Forgotten Soldier

Index of Terms

Featured Collections