The Kaiser's army : the politics of military technology in Germany during the Machine Age, 1870-1918 / Eric Dorn Brose.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Brose, Eric Dorn, 1948-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Germany. Heer--History--19th century.

Germany.

Germany. Heer--History--20th century.

Germany. Heer.

Military art and science--Technological innovations.

Military art and science.

History.

Physical Description:

318 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm

Place of Publication:

Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, 2001.

Summary:

By the end of the Franco-Prussian War in 1871, the victorious German Army was one of the world's most feared and respected military forces. Despite its formidable reputation throughout the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the army was vanquished by the Allied powers during World War I. How did this renowned army come to suffer such a surprising defeat? What political, social, and military forces left the German army vulnerable in 1914? Challenging previous scholarship on the topic, author Eric Dorn Brose offers here a provocative new interpretation of this fascinating period in German history. He argues that conservatism became deeply embedded in the army's philosophy and prevented the army from modernizing in time for World War I.

During the 1870s, Brose demonstrates, feuding factions disagreed about the tactical and technological lessons of the Wars of Unification. Those emphasizing the superiority of man and morale over machine and firepower prevailed. Between 1880 and 1914, however, more prudent factions counterattacked. The advent of magazine rifles, smokeless gunpowder, high explosives, heavy artillery, machine guns, rapid-firing cannons, giant mortars, airships, and airplanes intensified factional feuds over the role of technology in the German army. Throughout this tumultuous period, advocates and opponents of these devices debated the tactical, operational, and organizational changes made necessary by their adoption. Complicating the introduction of reforms was Kaiser William II, a leader whose vision was at once progressive and reactionary.

In vivid detail, Brose describes the slow and arduous process of overcoming entrenched traditions. In August 1914, as the army strove for western victory, its shortcomings became obvious. The campaign planned by military leaders had a reasonable chance of success despite the risky provocation of Belgium and England. It failed, however, due largely to the residual effects of decades of pride and stubborn adherence to the old ways.

Combining military, social, and political history, The Kaiser's Army provides a fascinating look at the modern German army and its evolution. It is a book for anyone interested in German history, military history, and World War I.

Contents:

1. Old Soldiers 7

2. Queen of the Battlefield 26

3. Between Persistence and Change 43

4. The Plans of Schlieffen 69

5. Past and Present Collide 85

6. No Frederick the Great 112

7. Toward the Great War 138

8. Rolling the Iron Dice 183

9. Denouement 226.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [293]-303) and index.

ISBN:

0195143353

OCLC:

44775443