Demobilization of the German Army (January 14, 1919)

After the armistice was signed, the transitional government was responsible for organizing the demobilization of the German army. In total, some eight million soldiers returned home from the various theaters of war. This photograph from January 1919 shows returning soldiers, marching into Berlin, of the 15th Regiment (37th Infantry Division), which had first fought on the Eastern Front and from 1917 on the Western Front. In the foreground is a poster with the names of the battles in which the regiment had fought during the war. The soldiers' helmuts and weapons are decorated with flowers to signify peace. Several women and children have joined the parade of marching soldiers.

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