The Other Trench. Este artículo no está disponible.The Other Trench

A German officer's gripping, day-by-day WWI diary — a Raw & Unedited Primary Source - Hidden for over a century - Now revealed to the world for the very first time.

• As featured by the BBC (TV, Radio & Online) and The Great War Channel

In 1914, Lt. Alexander Pfeifer left behind his career, family, and future to serve as a company commander in one of the most elite and utilised units of the Imperial German Army — the 11th Kurhessian Jäger Battalion. Over the next four years, he fought in some of World War I’s fiercest battles across France, the Carpathians (Eastern Front), and the Italian Alps. But what makes his story different is that he wrote about everything and took his camera with him:

“This diary is not just a recollection of experiences written down after the war… These are literally the experiences I wrote down each day - A genuine reflection of the fight against enemy and nature.” — Lt. Pfeifer

Now published for the first time after being hidden for over 100 years, The Other Trench presents Pfeifer’s full wartime diary — raw, honest, and untouched — alongside more than 300 original photographs and 8 maps. Co-authored by his English great-great-grandson, this book intertwines first-hand testimony with modern research and family discovery, offering a powerful new perspective on the war.

PRINT-ON-DEMAND BOOK

Inside the Book:

• Lt. Pfeifer's translated wartime diary from 1914 to 1918, unedited and fully authentic
• Pfeifer's journey from platoon leader to a respected stormtrooper company commander
• Over 200 rare WWI photos taken by Pfeifer himself
• Eyewitness accounts from the Western, Eastern, and Italian fronts
• Detailed battle coverage: Loos, Neuve Chapelle, Festubert, Caporetto, and many more
• Modern-day connections: stories behind items and the letters from the fallen returned to descendants.
• Narrations, research, and stories that shed light on the Germans and also the opposing sides of the war.

Battles and Offensives Included:

- Mobilisation
- First Battle of The Aisne
- The Battle of the Loretto Heights
- The Race to The Sea
- The Battle of La Bassée
- The 1914–1915 Winter Operations
- The Battle of Neuve Chapelle
- The Battle of Aubers Ridge (briefly)
- The Battle of Festubert
- Positional Warfare in French Flanders
- The Battle of Loos
- The Hohenzollern Redoubt Tunnel Warfare from the 2nd-18th of March 1916

Transfer of the battalion to the Carpathian front:
- The battles in the Ludowa region and battle at the Skupowa
- Storming of the Kreta and Stepanski
- The September battles in the Carpathians
- Positional warfare in the Carpathian Forest (the Smotrez and Stajki Heights)
- The Liberation of Bukovina
- The Battles in the Czeremosz Valley at Mihowa, Moldauisch Banilla and Augustendorf
- Positional warfare in Eastern Bukovina

The Battle of Caporetto:
- Positional warfare along the Isonzo
- Breakthrough into the Julian Alps – storming of the Jeza and the 'La Lima' Height
- The Battle of Udine
- The pursuit battles from Udine to the Piave River

- 1918 - Behind the frontlines within the Somme, Champagne and Lorraine
- The Final Retreat to Germany

Alexander Pfeifer (1880 - 1966) originated from Weida, Germany, having derived from a wealthy family of textile manufacturers. He joined the German 12th Royal Saxon Jaeger Battalion at the age of 20 and reached the rank of sergeant after four years, later becoming a reserve. In 1914, he was called up for military service and became a highly decorated company commander within the 11th Kurhessian Jaeger Battalion, taking part in four years of war on the Western, Eastern, and Italian Fronts. He is the author and photographer of his very detailed wartime diary and photo collection, which are depicted in the book, 'The Other Trench'. After the war, Alexander became a family man. He also managed his family's textile business, and after his death, his wartime diary and recollections were passed on to his descendants and remain preserved to this day.

Philipp Cross is the co-author, translator, and editor of the book, 'The Other Trench'. He is the great-great-grandson of Alexander Pfeifer, the primary author and highly decorated German veteran of the Great War, whose war diaries this book is based on. Philipp was born in Germany to an English father and a German mother, and he grew up in Lancashire, England, where he lives to this day. Having always been interested in history, which stemmed from his family's unique origins and inheritances, he enjoys genealogy research, writing, coin collecting and metal detecting. As well as being a husband, he has a degree in Exercise & Nutrition and also has a background in music, bodybuilding, and health and fitness.