A sad series of books was the “Gunner Asch” series by Hans Helmut Kirst about a German soldier caught up in German militarism.
“The Revolt of Gunner Asch” shows him in prewar German Army getting promoted to “Unterofficier” or Corporal.
“Forward Gunner Asch” shows him in East Front, and on the Home Front as a Sergeant.
“The Return of Gunner Asch” shows him as a Lieutenant, leading his men home, despite the best efforts of his commanders to kill them all.
“Whatever Happened to Gunner Asch?” shows how he protects his family from the militarism of the next generation.
In Forward Gunner Asch, one cynical soldier asks, not for men who are willing to die for their country, but for a country that someone would be happy in which to live.
The 08/15 (null-aicht funfstein) movies are based in part on these books. The 08/15 refers to the model number of the German version of the Maxim machinegun, deadly to its enemies, but stoppage prone, heavy and unforgiving to its casualty prone operators.
A slight correction: 0/8/15= null acht eins fünf or fünfzehn the umlaut ü can also be written as ue