Describes Jewish participation in the Habsburg Army from 1788 to 1918, concentrating on their role in World War I. The book uses personal diaries and newspaper articles (most available in English for the first time) to describe their experiences. The comparative experiences of Jews in the German, Russian and Italian Armies is also summarized.

Habsburg Sons describes Jewish participation in the Habsburg Army, 1788-1918, concentrating on World War I. Approximately 300,000-350,000 Jews fought in the Austro-Hungarian Armies on all fronts; of these, 30,000-40,000 died of wounds or illness, and at least 17% were taken prisoner in camps all over Russia and Central Asia. Many soldiers were Orthodox Ostjuden, and over 130 Feldrabbiner (chaplains) served among them. Antisemitism was present but generally not overt. The book uses personal diaries and newspaper articles (most available in English for the first time) to describe their stories, and compares the experiences of Jews in German, Russian, and Italian armies.