For a century, Manfred von Richthofen has been the most universally admired hero of the Great War. Sixty-three million soldiers were mobilized for the war—why does this one individual stand out, even beyond hundreds of others highly recognized for their courage and gallantry? Naturally, with 80 aerial victories, he was the leading ace of the war, making him, almost automatically, the most prominent of that breed apart, those men able to soar above the desolate trenches, the "Knights of the Air.” In the pantheon of heroes this aligns him with other "achievers par excellence" like baseball's Joe DiMaggio or basketball's Michael Jordan.
On top of this, however, Richthofen's story contains countless other elements reinforcing his image as the most intrepid and charismatic of the war's combatants. With great diligence, the German government made sure his accomplishments were universally known and honored him with the order Pour le Mérite. But Richthofen himself, whether consciously or not, was, in many ways, his own best advocate. Painting his triplane red, of course, was a promotional work of genius. Not only did it suggest a standing challenge to all comers, it led to one of history's all-time unforgettable nicknames, the "Red Baron." Richthofen also wrote his own best-selling book—part autobiography and part propaganda piece—published in English as well as German before war's end, The Red Battle Flyer (Der Rote Kampfflieger).
1. My teachers did not think overmuch of me. On the other hand, I was very fond of sport. Particularly I liked gymnastics, football, and other outdoor amusements. I could do all kinds of tricks on the horizontal bar. For this, I received various prizes from the Commander [of the Academy].
2. I am a restless spirit. Consequently, my activity in front of Verdun can only be described as boresome. . . I had had enough of it. I sent a letter to my Commanding General . . . My dear Excellency! I have not gone to war in order to collect cheese and eggs, but for another purpose.' At first, the people above wanted to snarl at me. But then they fulfilled my wish. Thus I joined the Flying Service at the end of May 1915. My greatest wish was fulfilled.
3. I almost fell upon [Boelcke's] neck when he inquired whether I cared to go with him to the Somme. Three days later I sat in the railway train and traveled through the whole of Germany straight away to the [Western Front]. At last, my greatest wish was fulfilled. From now onwards began the finest time of my life. At that time I did not dare to hope that I should be as successful as I have been.
4. I decided to have my packing case [aircraft] painted all over in staring red. The result was that everyone got to know my red bird. My opponents also seemed to have heard of the colour transformation. . . [Now, my red machine] is not unknown even among the troops in the trenches and is called by them `le diable rouge'.
5. The great thing in air fighting is that the decisive factor does not lie in trick flying but solely in the personal ability and energy of the aviator. . . In my opinion the aggressive spirit is everything and that spirit is very strong in us Germans. Hence we shall always retain the domination of the air.
6. The idea of fighting again on the Western Front attracted me. There is nothing finer for a young cavalry officer than the chase of the air. . . “Now came my most beautiful time. Life in the Flying Corps is very much like life in the cavalry. Every day, morning and afternoon, I had to fly and to reconnoiter, and I have brought back valuable information many a time.
7. The celebrated triplanes and Spads were perfectly new machines. However, the quality of the box matters little. Success depends upon the man who sits in it.
8. Generally speaking, we of the Flying Corps do not think of records at all. We merely think of our duty. […] Still, it is some fun to have downed half a hundred aeroplanes. […] I hope that I may live to celebrate a second lot of fifty.
9. Now the battle that is taking place on all fronts has become really serious; nothing remains of the "fresh, jolly war" as they used to call our activities at the outset. Now we must face up to a most desperate situation so that the enemy will not break into our land. Thus I have an uneasy feeling that the public has been exposed to another Richthofen, not the real me. Whenever I read the [1917] book I smile at its brashness. I no longer have that brash feeling. Not that I am afraid, though death may be right on my neck and I often think about it. Higher authority has suggested that I should quit flying before it catches up with me. But I should despise myself if, now that I am famous and heavily decorated, I consented to live on as a pensioner of my honor, preserving my precious life for the nation while every poor fellow in the trenches, who is doing his duty no less than I am doing mine, has to stick it out. (1933 edition).
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