Collision of empires : Britain in three world wars, 1793-1945 / A. D. Harvey.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Harvey, A. D. (Arnold D.), author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Anglo-French War, 1793-1802.

Napoleonic Wars, 1800-1815.

World War, 1914-1918.

World War, 1939-1945.

Imperialism--History.

Imperialism.

Great Britain--History, Military.

Great Britain.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (801 pages)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

London, England ; Rio Grande, Ohio : The Hambledon Press, 1992.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

The only previous war to match the world wars of the twentieth century in scale and impact was the French War of 1793-1815. This book is the first book to compare these conflicts, which together shaped the history of the modern world. A.D. Harvey relates the causes, conduct and outcome of these wars to the fundamental nature of the societies which fought them. Political decisions, economic power and social attitudes interfaced with the demands of military technology to determine the outcome of each case. Britain is the centre of focus, but is seen against a background of the other combatants. Harvey's ability to make large-scale generalisations is backed up by a wealth of fascinating and carefully documented detail, making this outstanding and exceptionally well-written book a pleasure to read. The author has tackled a huge subject and has not been afraid to face up to either its complexities or its implications. By asking new questions and using a range of unfamiliar sources this book provides an unusually profound analysis not only of these wars but also of the nature of modern society and of our understanding of the past.

Contents:

Cover

Contents

PART ONE: THE GREAT WAR WITH FRANCE 1793-1815

Outline: 1793-1815

1 Britain at War with France

I: Causes or Occasions

II: The Occasion of War

III: The Ideology of the War

IV: The Objectives of the War in the 1790s

V: The War against Napoleon

VI: Unofficial War Aims

2 The Industrial Revolution at War

I: Assessing Britain's Wartime Economy

II: Population and Wealth: Some International Comparisons

III: The Evidence of Tax Statistics

IV: Industrialization and Boom

V: Mobilizing National Resources

VI: The Contribution of Technology

VII: The Contribution of Industrial Production

VIII: International Comparisons: External Trade

IX: A Key Resource: Money

X: The Paper System

3 Britain at War with Europe

I: The European Response to British Policy

II: The Case for Action against Britain

III: The Armed Neutrality of 1800

IV: Copenhagen, 1807

V: The Continental System

VI: From Isolation to Triumph

4 Wellington's War

I: The Elusive Strategic Pattern

II: The Problem of Strategic Control

III: Command of the Sea

IV: The British Army: A Profession of Amateurs

V: Military-Naval Cooperation

VI: The Continental Commitment

VII: The Duke of Wellington

VIII: Wellington's System: Logistics and Repression

IX: Wellington's Logistics and the Logic of Success

5 Venetian Oligarchy or Vacuum

I: The British Political System during the French Wars

II: Government and Party in the 1800s

III: The Structure of Public Opinion

IV: George III as National Symbol

V: Alternative Symbols

VI: The War and the Established Order

VII: The War and National Consensus

PART TWO: THE FIRST WORLD WAR 1914-1918

Outline: 1914-1918

6 Britain's Entry into the First World War: A Study in Motives

I: Problems of Agenda.

II: Views from the Other Side

III: Voices of the People

IV: The Standard Excuses: Belgium and the Entente

V: Parallel Cases: Turkey

VI: Parallel Cases: Italy

VII: Parallel Cases: Greece

VIII: Parallel Cases: Portugal

IX: Last Parallel Case: The United States

X: The British Case

XI: Psychological Crisis and the Decision for War

7 The War against Militarism and Imperialism

I: The War against Prussianism

II: The New Eastern Question

III: The Cause of the Small Nationalities

IV: Democracy versus Autocracy

8 Towards the Economics of Total War

I: The Scale of the War

II: The Failure of Forward Planning

III: The Evolution of the British War Economy

IV: Britain and the Allies

V: Foreign Parallels: Russia and Austria-Hungary

VI: The German War Economy

9 The War of the Generals

I: Some Images of the Great War

II: New Ideas and the Old Guard

III: Careers Open to Talent

IV: Left-Overs from Queen Victoria's Little Wars: Kitchener and Hamilton

V: Sir John French

VI: The New Professionalism

VII: Sir Douglas Haig

VIII: The New Warfare of the Industrial Era

IX: Learning the Lessons of War

X: The Military Mind Confronts Reality

10 Armageddon in the Machine Age

I: Improved Ways of Killing

II: The Machine Gun

III: Gas

IV: The Tank

V: The Image and Achievements of Air Power

VI: The Birth of Bombing

VII: Aeroplanes and the War of the Trenches

VIII: The Battle for Air Supremacy

IX: The Air Lobby

X: The Mind and the Machine

11 The War of the Transitional Dictatorships

I: The Instability of the Old Order

II: Opposition to War Governments

Ill: The Case of Austria-Hungary

IV: Civil and Military Rule in Germany and Austria-Hungary

V: Civil and Military Rule in the West

VI: Civil and Military Relations in Britain.

VII: National Leadership

VIII: Lloyd George and the Generals

IX: The Source of Political Authority

PART THREE: THE SECOND WORLD WAR 1939-1945

Outline: 1939-1945

12 Right against Right

I: Cross-Currents

II: The Question of Fascism and Anti-Fascism

III: Isolated Ideologues

IV: Right against Right in Britain

V: The Myth of the Master Race - Anglo-Saxon Version

VI: The American Angle

13 The War of the Super-economies

I: Learning from the Past

II: The Blitzkrieg Economy in Germany

III: Planning the German War Economy

IV: The Pillage of Europe

V: The Japanese War Economy

VI: The British War Economy

VII: Elements of Unbalance

VIII: The U.S.A. as Arsenal of Democracy

IX: Lend-Lease

14 The War of Technology

I: The Question of Technological Superiority and Military Advantage

II: German Science at War

III: German Science and Nazi Organization

IV: Technology and the Japanese War Effort

V: Design and Engineering in Britain

VI: The British Boffin at War

15 The Strategy of Long Views and Wide Margins

I: Axis Underestimates

II: Strategy as Fantasy: The Italian Case

III: The Strategy of Wishful Thinking: Britain and the Mediterranean

IV: Sclerosis of the System

16 The Correct Use of Air Power

I: Images of War in the Air Age

II: The Air Weapon in Ground Warfare

III: The Battle of Britain and the Air Ministry

IV: The Blitz

V: The Empire Strikes Back

VI: The New War of Attrition

VII: The Cost to Germany

VIII: The Legacy of Sir Douglas Haig

17 The War of the Plebiscitary Dictatorships

I: Social Cohesion in the Third Reich: Supervision

II: Social Cohesion in the Third Reich: Seduction

III: Wartime Leadership

IV: Winston Churchill: His Finest Hour

V: Churchill as War Leader

VI: Civil and Military in Britain.

VII: Civil and Military in Germany and Japan

Envoi.

Notes:

Includes index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9781441150493

1441150498

OCLC:

952932389