In 1914, Germany entered the First World War with the General Headquarters (GrHQ) as its central instrument of leadership. Alongside Emperor William II, the GrHQ comprised the most important decision-makers in the German Empire. This study does not just ask what the GrHQ was and how leadership was organized within it, but also what influences everyday life had on leadership decisions in short: how the GrHQ functioned.

Gerhard P. Groß, Lieutenant Colonel i.G., Research Associate at the Militärgeschichtliches Forschungsamt, Potsdam.