Comrades in Arms

Military Masculinities in East German Culture

By: Tom Smith

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eBook | 21 February 2020 | Edition Number 1

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280 Pages

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Without question, the East German National People's Army was a profoundly masculine institution that emphasized traditional ideals of stoicism, sacrifice, and physical courage. Nonetheless, as this innovative study demonstrates, depictions of the military in the film and literature of the GDR were far more nuanced and ambivalent. Departing from past studies that have found in such portrayals an unchanging, idealized masculinity, Comrades in Arms shows how cultural works both before and after reunification place violence, physical vulnerability, and military theatricality, as well as conscripts' powerful emotions and desires, at the center of soldiers' lives and the military institution itself.

Industry Reviews

"Smith's study is a detailed and interesting analysis of East German masculinities and of the East German military through literature and film, focusing on soldiers' bodies, retro masculinity, same-sex desire, hierarchies, and more. Comrades in Arms investigates popular and obscure texts to provide an original and useful perspective on the NVA and masculinity in the GDR." ? Nick Hodgin, Cardiff University

"With impressively thorough research and a solid theoretical framework, this book presents significant new insights into the topic of East German masculinity with a focus on the military. Smith impressively engages cinematic and literary primary sources to expand on, revise, or challenge theoretical assertions. He makes a compelling argument for the importance of the sources for broader discussions of East German politics, society, masculinity, and gender." ? Gary Schmidt, Coastal Carolina University