Blood Red Snow: The Memoirs of a German Soldier on the Eastern Front

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He prays to God to ‘prevent my anger developing into such an intense hatred that I will ever become like Schwarz’. Wow, what a brutal war, fighting on that Eastern front in sub zero temperatures must have been horrific for any man, must read for any History/WW2/ War reading enthusiasts. After a visit to Berlin, I felt like I understood the Western front of WWII much more than I understood the Eastern front. Later, the horror and confusion of fighting in the streets of Stalingrad are brought to life by his descriptions of the others in his unit, their differing manners and techniques for dealing with the squalor and death.

As a narrative, it is visceral, frank and is better written than many similar Wehrmacht veteran accounts. From October 1942 until August 1944, he served in the 1 st Battalion, 21 st Panzergrenadier Regiment, 24 Panzer Division, seeing action at Stalingrad, the Nikopol Bridgehead and in Romania. It may be that Korschorrek, as a frontline soldier fighting for his life in the phase of German retreats, did not or only marginally get in contact with crimes of his own side.

We give people around the world the opportunity to contribute to the circular economy, earn money and protect the planet, by trading their unwanted books and media. The final part, "A Fairy Tale, Ending", focuses on Ransome's private life, shifting into first person narration. Although the writing was strong and it contained a lot of interest, it pales substantially when compared to Sajer's 'the Forgotten Soldier' opus.

When one reads such a book one has the feeling that Germans came there as liberators instead of conquerors. It is a very different view on war and all its horror, with down to earth front-line explanations, only slightly tempered from the vulgar. It is this remarkable document, a unique day-to-day account of the common German soldier’s experience, that makes up the memoir that is Blood Red Snow. If you have concerns about the language in this record, or you have information to improve it, please share your feedback.As keeping a diary was strictly forbidden, he sewed the pages into the lining of his thick winter coat and deposited them with his mother on infrequent trips home on leave. Gunter Koschorrek wrote his illicit diary on any scraps of paper he could lay his hands on, storing them with his mother on infrequent trips home on leave. What's more, even the description of the drama is not really gripping when compared to other German accounts. This memoir will always rate highly amongst those for the Russian Front and the author has done historians a great service by noting his exploits on those slips of papers that went missing for 40 years. As the Tsarist White Army makes advances against the Bolshevik Red Army, he becomes worried for Evgenia's safety.

Gunter Koschorrek's claims go counter to what I've learned in Antony Beevor's "Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege: 1942-1943" and Beevor's "Berlin: The Downfall: 1945" as well as Dan Carlin's Ghosts of the Osfront podcast. Rather, according to the author, most believed they were fighting a patriotic war for the benefit of their homeland.The author was a keen recruit at initial training and his excitement at the first encounter with the enemy in the Russian Steppe is obvious. A lot of the book is about small things: food, new shoes, cigarettes, letters to home, and complaining about officers.

By using LibraryThing you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Most purchases from business sellers are protected by the Consumer Contract Regulations 2013 which give you the right to cancel the purchase within 14 days after the day you receive the item. Whilst Sajer's book does not even attempt to cover the political side or the atrocities both the Axis and Russians committed, this one goes to great pains to point out how evil the Russians were, and rarely portrays any Wehrmacht soldier in a negative light, bar the very rare bad apple.He is quickly disabused of the glory of battle as we get a long exposure to the retreat back to Germany over the next two years.