On the social origins of German admirals and Luftwaffe generals in the Cold War. A socio-empirical documentation on German-German military history

On the basis of social-empirical primary data - obtained from military personnel files - social statistical findings for the heads of the air forces and navies of both German states are made available for research in this documentation using charts, diagrams and tables. Depending on the interest in knowledge and the question, the available data can be used as reference values for a comprehensive interpretation. In order to place them in their military-historical context, the historiographical concept of the "primacy of social background" is outlined, the underlying sources and the method are presented, the potential for knowledge of the data is indicated and, finally, further perspectives for military historiography are shown. The documentation is linked to the demand that the German military in the 19th and 20th centuries should no longer be viewed exclusively from a social-deterministic perspective, but instead should be understood as a profession.