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This is Volume IV of History of the Art of War, trans. by Walter J
Renfroe, Jr., Univ. of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, 1990, 487 pgs., index, notes,
paperback
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Reviewer's comment:
Dr. Delbruck contrasts the strategies of 'attrition' and 'annihilation'. He
describes Napoleon's expansion of the method of 'maneuver' both tactically and
strategically in contrast to the 'position warfare' that was more common in the
18th century.
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Preface:
the author explains why he decided to end his historical analysis with the era
of Napoleon despite the title of 'modern warfare'. He had thought to include
the later 19th century at least with the Franco-Prussian war, and the strategy
of Moltke, but the advent of WWI precluded including recent events due to lack
of scholarly, original material. He points out that he has attempted to fulfill
this need by publishing individual articles and a new book series (War and
Politics, 1914-1918) and a collection about Moltke (Recollections, Articles,
and Speeches) and other essays. He in particular mentions Schlieffen and the
objective of double envelopment described in Cannae. He recommends Max
Jahns's 'invaluable' work, History of the Military Sciences, that
fulfills this need.
He writes that this has enabled him to focus on the subject theme of his 4
volumes, 'the relationship between the organization of the nation tactics, and
strategy"... "Recognition of the mutual intersection between tactics,
strategy, national organization, and politics throws light on the relationship
of these subjects to universal history, and this has clarified many points
which were previously obscured or misunderstood.
He recounts the strong objections to his approach and efforts he has faced from
both the general history side and the professional military side
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BOOK I The Dawn of Modern Warfare:
I. The Establishment of a European Infantry
II. Firearms
III, Tactics of the Spear units.
IV Internal Organization of the Mercenary Armies
V. Individual Battles
VI. Machiavelli
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BOOK II The Period of the Wars of Religion
I. The Transformation of Knights into Cavalry
II. Increase in Numbers of Marksmen - Refinement of Infantry Tactics
III . Maurice of Orange
IV. Gustavus Adolphus
V. Cromwell
VI Individual Battles
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BOOK III The Period of Standing Armies, General Remarks
I. France
II Brandenburg-Prussia
III. Drills, Changes in Tactics in the Eighteenth Century
IV. Strategy
V. Strategic Sketches and Individual Battles
VI. Frederick as a Strategist
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BOOK IV The Period of National Armies
I. Revolution and Invasion
II. The Revolutionary Armies - Generals of the Republic and Napoleon's Marshals
III. Napoleonic Strategy
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References
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Jermy Black, European Warfare 1660 - 1815
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Sir Charles Oman, The History of the Art of War in the Sixteenth
Century
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