Scherzer, Veit Und jetzt?

The difficult new beginning of former professional soldiers after the war, using the example of retired Lieutenant Hans Dortenmann, retired Captain Eckardt Afheldt and retired General of the Armoured Forces Hans Cramer. After the war and imprisonment, the millions of conscripts and reservists were able to return to their trained professions and get started without delay, so to speak. Farmers, craftsmen, police officers and administrative officials and employees, for example, were the first to be released in the western occupation zones in 1945 because they were urgently needed for the reconstruction of the destroyed country. By 1947/48, the majority of prisoners of war were allowed to leave the camps. This included those who had not learnt a civilian trade, but had been trained in the trades of war, the professional soldiers. And they were left with nothing, at least professionally. Like all released prisoners of war, their first concern was their family. Once this had been found or, at worst, their fate had been clarified, the former fighter pilots and infantry officers and armoured generals etc. tried to gain a foothold in civilian life. Some of them managed to do this - also favoured by chance - without any problems in a short time, others had to fight for years to do so, were also wounded in the war, and quite a few dropped out of training or university, but nevertheless got jobs in the economy and succeeded. Of course, it was only natural for former professional soldiers to look for a job as a military advisor abroad, but this was rarely successful. And the French Foreign Legion was not an option for many, especially many officers. Of the former professional officers who were released from captivity between 1945 and 1946, many managed to build a new, stable and sustainable existence by 1953. This book tells the story of their experiences.