The Soldier at the Western Front – The Use of Dum-Dum-Projectiles
Source 4: Frankfurter Zeitung September 1914
The German daily news defended the conduct of war of the German army against the numerous of accusations of war atrocities in Belgium. The “Frankfurter Zeitung” even claimed in September 1914 that the German conduct of war was “human” while on the contrary the enemies used weapons banned by international law – among other things – Dum Dum Bullets.
“It is clear, as for our army command so for our whole nation, that the fight can be only be conducted between soldiers and that the defenseless and week have to be pardoned and that the wounded and the sick have to be taken care of indiscriminately. It is our well-grounded belief that this law is accepted throughout our whole army and that our side is fighting with discipline, conscientiousness and mildness, in a degree that might have not been seen before in the history of the world. Nowhere we have destroyed peaceful villages and cities like the Russian murderers or tortured and shot the inhabitants for no reason. Whenever it was necessary to destroy private property or execute Franktireurs, who have been miserably misguided by their government, our leaders took these steps with the deepest regrets, when innocent people had to suffer to protect our wounded, doctors, and nurses from treacherous murder.We never used Dum Dum Bullets, of which we found whole depots at Longwy and Maubeuge carefully packaged and with the original official seal ready for distribution among the troops, and of which we found by the thousands on the battlefields among French and English, a undeniable fact, which shame was unveiled by our Kaiser himself. We could go on but we neglect to do so. Of course here the protest of the Christian conscience is required, but it can’t be raised by us, as if it might turn yet against our army and our people. It is the duty of the nations which have loaded this shame on themselves. May the Christians not fail in it.” Deutschlands humane Kriegsführung (trans.: Germany’s human conduct of war), excerpt, in: Evening paper of the Frankfurter Zeitung, 24.09.1914, p. 3
