As jesse kauffman puts it in his thoughtful elusive alliance the german occupation of poland in world war i cambridge ma harvard university press 2015 whatever concessions the germans made they were unlikely to dispel the suspicion mistrust and generalized hostility to the germans that existed in occupied poland on the other hand what was perceived in poland as half hearted duplicity was seen in germany as the very essence of reckless polonophilia. 1 prometheus bound the german conquest and occupation of poland pp 23 63 in august 1914 the restraints keeping the polish question in check became one of the first world wars earliest casualties. Elusive alliance delves into germanys three year occupation of poland and explains why its ambitious attempt at nation building failed dubbed the imperial government general of warsaw germanys occupation regime was headed by veteran prussian commander hans hartwig von beseler. Jesse kauffman elusive alliance the german occupation of poland in world war i 287 pp cambridge harvard university press 2015 isbn 9780674286016 reviewed by mark t kettler after seizing russian poland in 1915 and establishing the government general of warsaw planners in berlin faced a daunting challenge germanys success. Elusive alliance the german occupation of poland in world war i by jesse kauffman cambridge ma harvard univ press 2015 pp 287 isbn 978 0 674 28601 6 review by michael s neiberg us army war college neiberg102gmailcom distinguished historian bernard bailyn has recently written a masterful study of the differences be