Greater Germany
Grossdeutschland (literally Greater Germany) is a term that has been used in two separate contexts over history.
Grossdeutschland and Kleindeutschland
Grossdeutschland was firstly a 19th century political idea postulating the (never realized) idea of a unified Germany, led by Habsburg Austria and with Vienna as its capital, as opposed to the Prussian-led alternative, known as Kleindeutschland (Small Germany).
Following that idea the Deutsches Reich (German Empire) was renamed to Grossdeutsches Reich when Austria became part of the Third Reich after the Anschluss (lit: annexation) in 1938.
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Grossdeutschland, the Wehrmacht division
Grossdeutschland was also the name of German Wehrmacht's élite armored division during World War II. In spite of occasional claims to the contrary, it was never part of the Waffen-SS, and its involvement in war crimes against the population of occupied countries has never been substantiated.
Besides being one of the German Army's best equipped divisions, it was notable for the fact that unlike many Wehrmacht divisions, it was composed of soldiers from all over the Third Reich, or Greater Germany (hence the name), as opposed to recruiting from a specific area.
The division became also known post-War through the book The Forgotten Soldier, by the Alsatian veteran Guy Sajer (a pseudonym), who served as a volunteer (first published 1967 in France as Le Soldat Oublié).
While the historical accuracy of Sajer's autobiographical work has been questioned, it offers nevertheless a compelling and moving account of the horrors of war on the Eastern Front.
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