If the Germans had a unique genius for war, it was at the battlefield tactical level, although Peter Wilson, a military historian, questions even that
Save time by listening to our audio articles as you multitaskPeter Wilson, a military historian at Oxford, does not dispute how integral militarism has been to Germany’s past. But by providing centuries of context, he sets out to show that its history could have been different, and sometimes was.
Much of the book is taken up with conflicts within or involving that strange entity, the Holy Roman Empire, the collection of mostly German-speaking states dominated by Habsburg Austria that, as Voltaire also quipped, was neither holy, Roman, nor an empire. At least until the middle of the 18th century, this alone made the German way of war quite different from those of unitary states such as England or France.
The chief of the general staff, Helmuth von Moltke, was charged by Bismarck with achieving a quick, decisive victory before other powers could intervene. He did so, but more by luck than good judgment. The army had triumphed, in its view, because of its freedom from political supervision, an inference that led Prussia’s rulers to place their faith ever more blindly in the top brass.
Ireland Latest News, Ireland Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Peter Strickland Unpacks His Grotesque New Film Flux GourmetA bizarre cinematic trip through power struggles, erotica and painful indigestion, writer-director Peter Strickland talks about Flux Gourmet and why the film is “a metaphor for how much you expose yourself to the world when you make art”
Read more »
Leeds bar owner pays £3,600 for Playboy businessman's famous golden throneLeeds bar owner pays nearly £4,000 for Playboy nightclub owner Peter Stringfellow's golden throne
Read more »
Cockroach Labs CTO: I wasn't being challenged at GooglePeter Mattis on starting a multibillion-dollar company as serverless database hits GA
Read more »
Ceremony for Flag Fen Iron Age roundhouseThe replica is based on an Iron Age roundhouse unearthed near the important Bronze Age site.
Read more »