The German Failure in Belgium, August 1914 -  Showalter  Dennis, Joseph P. Robinson, Janet A. Robinson

The German Failure in Belgium, August 1914

How Faulty Reconnaissance Exposed the Weakness of the Schlieffen Plan
Buch | Softcover
225 Seiten
2019
McFarland & Co Inc (Verlag)
978-1-4766-7462-9 (ISBN)
36,15 inkl. MwSt
Examines the structural failures that frustrated the Germans in the war’s crucial initial campaign, the invasion of Belgium. Too much routine in planning, command and execution led to groupthink, inflexibility and to an overconfident belief that nothing could go too terribly wrong.
Author Dr. Dennis Showalter is the winner of the 2018 Pritzker Military Lifetime Achievement Award!
If wars were wagered on like pro sports or horse races, the Germany military in August 1914 would have been a clear front-runner, with a century-long record of impressive victories and a general staff the envy of its rivals. Germany’s overall failure in the first year of World War I was surprising and remains a frequent subject of analysis, mostly focused on deficiencies in strategy and policy.

But there were institutional weaknesses as well. This book examines the structural failures that frustrated the Germans in the war’s crucial initial campaign, the invasion of Belgium. Too much routine in planning, command and execution led to groupthink, inflexibility and to an overconfident belief that nothing could go too terribly wrong. As a result, decisive operation became dicey, with consequences that Germany’s military could not overcome in four long years.

Dennis Showalter is professor emeritus of history at Colorado College. He is past president of the Society for Military History, founding joint editor of War in History, and a widely-published scholar of military affairs. He lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Colonel (Ret.) Joseph P. Robinson was a Division G3 (operations and plans) in a combat zone, has written several thousand operational orders, and taught at the U.S. Army War College. He lives in Pensacola, Florida. Colonel (Ret.) Janet Robinson has co-authored and edited several books about Imperial Germany and World War I. She lives in Pensacola, Florida.

Table of Contents


Acknowledgments

Preface

Introduction

1. Concept

2. Structural Issues

Cavalry Heritage

Jaeger

Reconnaissance

Heereskavallerie vs. Divisionskavallerie

Integration of Aviation

Communications Failures

3. Operational Issues

Enemy Situation

Ultimate German Objective

Single Point of Failure: Staff Plans

“Technical Problems”

Number of Cavalry Divisions

4. Preparation for War

July 29

July 30

July 31

August 1

August 2

August 3

5. Handstreich

August 4

August 5

August 6

August 7

6. Reducing Liège

August 8

August 9

August 10

August 11

7. Prior to the Final Advance

August 12

August 13

August 14

August 15

8. Advance

August 16

August 17

August 18

August 19

9. Bad Deployment Strikes Back

August 20

August 21

August 22

August 23

Conclusion

Appendix: Peacetime Organization of the GGS as of May 1, 1914

Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations

Chapter Notes

Bibliography

Index

Erscheinungsdatum
Zusatzinfo 23 photos, 12 maps
Verlagsort Jefferson, NC
Sprache englisch
Maße 152 x 229 mm
Gewicht 310 g
Themenwelt Sachbuch/Ratgeber Geschichte / Politik Allgemeines / Lexika
Geisteswissenschaften Geschichte Allgemeines / Lexika
Geschichte Allgemeine Geschichte Neuzeit (bis 1918)
Geisteswissenschaften Geschichte Regional- / Ländergeschichte
Geschichte Teilgebiete der Geschichte Militärgeschichte
Sozialwissenschaften Politik / Verwaltung
ISBN-10 1-4766-7462-0 / 1476674620
ISBN-13 978-1-4766-7462-9 / 9781476674629
Zustand Neuware
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