So many books to read so little time... I will add it to my ILLL his other book, ordered to die was very readable.
The problem in the German army between 1871 and 1914 was two fold.
1st part a very large does of victory disease which manifested itself in all sorts of strange ways. From a rebirth of the cult of Cold Steel for cavalry, a fascination with close order tactics and general rewriting of history to match imagination and not reality. Between 1880 and 1905 or so I get the strong impression the French army could have crushed the German army in a straight up fight.
2nd part Wilhelm II, we all know the man was a boob but the book makes clear the damage he did to not just the effectiveness of the army but the dynasty itself. The army in the 1880's till 1905 really needed someone to give the army some focus and a clear not mission but set of instructions as to how to carry out the mission. Only the Kaiser could do that and he was a yo-yo.
Michael
The problem in the German army between 1871 and 1914 was two fold.
1st part a very large does of victory disease which manifested itself in all sorts of strange ways. From a rebirth of the cult of Cold Steel for cavalry, a fascination with close order tactics and general rewriting of history to match imagination and not reality. Between 1880 and 1905 or so I get the strong impression the French army could have crushed the German army in a straight up fight.
2nd part Wilhelm II, we all know the man was a boob but the book makes clear the damage he did to not just the effectiveness of the army but the dynasty itself. The army in the 1880's till 1905 really needed someone to give the army some focus and a clear not mission but set of instructions as to how to carry out the mission. Only the Kaiser could do that and he was a yo-yo.
Michael
Just my $0.02 worth
