Dennis Showalter

‘Every age has its own kind of war.’ – Clausewitz, On War Raids, invasions and sieges; trench battles, naval encounters and aerial dogfights; civil wars, guerrilla wars, trade wars and nuclear wars; wars of succession, religion and independence – wars have been fought in all kinds of ways and for all kinds of reasons. From the ancient world to the invasion of Ukraine, from the Hundred Years’ War to the Six Day War, from the Wars of the Roses to the Opium Wars, across over 1000 pages The Encyclopedia of Warfare presents the reader with more than 5000 entries – arranged chronologically – on wars, campaigns, empires, rebellions and counter-insurgencies. From battles fought with spears to the latest drone technology, The Encyclopedia of Warfare features an immense range of conflict. Each war narrative, where appropriate, includes descriptions of its campaigns, battles and sieges. All this is easily accessed via an extensive index. Featuring over 610 full colour maps created specifically for this volume and 100 photographs in two plate sections, The Encyclopedia of Warfare is written in a style accessible to both the student and the general enthusiast, and reflects the latest thinking among military historians. The Encyclopedia of Warfare is an authoritative compendium of almost five millennia of conflict.

‘Every age has its own kind of war.’ – Clausewitz, On War Raids, invasions and sieges; trench battles, naval encounters and aerial dogfights; civil wars, guerrilla wars, trade wars and nuclear wars; wars of succession, religion and independence – wars have been fought in all kinds of ways and for all kinds of reasons. From the ancient world to the invasion of Ukraine, from the Hundred Years’ War to the Six Day War, from the Wars of the Roses to the Opium Wars, across over 1000 pages The Encyclopedia of Warfare presents the reader with more than 5000 entries – arranged chronologically – on wars, campaigns, empires, rebellions and counter-insurgencies. From battles fought with spears to the latest drone technology, The Encyclopedia of Warfare features an immense range of conflict. Each war narrative, where appropriate, includes descriptions of its campaigns, battles and sieges. All this is easily accessed via an extensive index. Featuring over 600 full colour maps created specifically for this volume, The Encyclopedia of Warfare is written in a style accessible to both the student and the general enthusiast, and reflects the latest thinking among military historians. The Encyclopedia of Warfare is an authoritative compendium of almost five millennia of conflict.

After the first few months of World War I, the Western Front consisted of a relatively static line of trench systems which stretched from the coast of the North Sea southwards to the Swiss border. To try to break through the opposing lines of trenches and barbed wire entanglements, both sides employed huge artillery bombardments followed by attacks by tens of thousands of soldiers. Battles could last for months and led to casualties measured in hundreds of thousands for attacker and defender alike. After most of these attacks, only a short section of the front would have moved and only by a kilometer or two. After Gallipoli, Australians were moved to fight in France on the western Front, in battles including the Battle of the Somme. On the first day of the 1916 Battle of the Somme, 60,000 Allies were casualties, including 20,000 deaths. The principal adversaries on the Western Front, who fielded armies of millions of men, were Germany to the East against a western alliance to the West consisting of France and the United Kingdom with sizable contingents from the British Empire, especially the Dominions. The United States entered the war in 1917 and by the summer of 1918 had an army of around half a million men which rose to a million by the time the Armistice was signed on November 11, 1918. For most of World War I, Allied Forces, predominantly those of France and the British Empire, were stalled at trenches on the Western Front. With the last few men who served in World War I now dying out, and the 90th anniversary of the Armistice coming in November 2008, there is no better time to reevaluate this controversial war and shed fresh light on the conflict. With the aid of numerous black and white and color photographs, many previously unpublished, the World War I series recreates the battles and campaigns that raged across the surface of the globe, on land, at sea and in the air. The text is complemented by full-color maps that guide the reader through specific actions and campaigns.

Frederick the Great is one of history's most controversial leaders. Famed for his military successes and domestic reforms, his campaigns were a watershed in the history of Europe, securing Prussia's place as a continental power and inaugurating a new pattern of total war that was to endure until 1916\. However, much myth surrounds this enigmatic man, his personality and his role as politician, warrior and king. Showalter's cleverly written book provides a multi-dimensional depiction of Frederick the Great and an objective, detailed reappraisal of his military, political and social achievements. Early chapters set the scene with an excellent summary of 18th century Europe - The Age of Reason; an analysis of the character, composition and operating procedures of the Prussian army; and explore Frederick's personality as a young man. Later chapters examine his stunning victories at Rossbach and Leuthen, his defeats at Prague and Kolin, and Prussia's emergence as a key European power. Impeccably researched and written with style and pace, this book offers important insights into the turbulent history of 18th century Europe and a first-class analysis of one history's most famous rulers.

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.

Drawing on more than a half-century of research and teaching, Dennis Showalter presents a fresh perspective on the German Army during World War I. Showalter surveys an army at the heart of a national identity, driven by – yet also defeated by – warfare in the modern age, which struggled to capitalize on its victories and ultimately forgot the lessons of its defeat. Exploring the internal dynamics of the German Army and detailing how the soldiers coped with the many new forms of warfare, Showalter shows how the army's institutions responded to, and how Germany itself was changed by war. Detailing the major campaigns on the Western and Eastern fronts and the forgotten war fought in the Middle East and Africa, this comprehensive volume examines the army's operational strategy, the complexities of campaigns of movement versus static trench warfare, and the effects of changes in warfare.

In the 1970s news broke that former Nazis had escaped prosecution and were living the good life in the United States. Outrage swept the nation, and the public outcry put extreme pressure on the U. S. government to investigate these claims and to deport offenders. The subsequent creation of the Office of Special Investigations marked the official beginning of Nazi-hunting in the United States, but it was far from the end. Thirty years later, in November 2010, the New York Times obtained a copy of a confidential 2006 report by the Justice Department titled “The Office of Special Investigations: Striving for Accountability in the Aftermath of the Holocaust.” The six-hundred-page report held shocking secrets regarding the government’s botched attempts to hunt down and prosecute Nazis in the United States and its willingness to harbor and even employ these criminals after World War II. Drawing from this report as well as other sources, Spies, Lies, and Citizenship exposes scandalous new information about infamous Nazi perpetrators, including Andrija Artukovic, Klaus Barbie, and Arthur Rudolph, who were sheltered and protected in the United States and beyond, and the ongoing attempts to bring the remaining Nazis, such as Josef Mengele, to justice.

The Wars of German Unification is the definitive account of the three of the most decisive conflicts in the history of modern Europe. In this new edition, Dennis Showalter offers a thoroughly updated look at the wars and their context that will be invaluable for those interested in the military, social and political history of the period. Showalter explores how the Schleswig-Holstein conflict of 1864; the ‘Six Weeks War' of 1866; and the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71 fundamentally altered the balance of power in 19th-century Europe. They marked the establishment of Prussian hegemony in central Europe, the creation of the Bismarckian Reich in 1871, the reduction of Habsburg influence and the collapse of Napoleon III's Second Empire. The Wars of German Unification offers a balanced and incisive account of the wars, their origins and their consequences, and firmly embeds these conflicts in their political, ideological and military contexts. This volume traces the transition from the ‘cabinet wars' of the 19th century and shows how the conflicts that made up the wars of German unification provided the foundation for the birth of modern warfare.

The Wars of German Unification is the definitive account of the three of the most decisive conflicts in the history of modern Europe. In this new edition, Dennis Showalter offers a thoroughly updated look at the wars and their context that will be invaluable for those interested in the military, social and political history of the period. Showalter explores how the Schleswig-Holstein conflict of 1864; the ‘Six Weeks War' of 1866; and the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71 fundamentally altered the balance of power in 19th-century Europe. They marked the establishment of Prussian hegemony in central Europe, the creation of the Bismarckian Reich in 1871, the reduction of Habsburg influence and the collapse of Napoleon III's Second Empire. The Wars of German Unification offers a balanced and incisive account of the wars, their origins and their consequences, and firmly embeds these conflicts in their political, ideological and military contexts. This volume traces the transition from the ‘cabinet wars' of the 19th century and shows how the conflicts that made up the wars of German unification provided the foundation for the birth of modern warfare.

This user-friendly reference systematically covers the entire intellectual history of strategy and war, in all cultures and all times. Each culture has had its Machiavelli, its Sun Tzu; its own Mohammed-like or Napoleonic figure. This encyclopedia ranges across the world to provide entries on every significant military and strategic thinker in human history as well as a number of military cultures, covering Chinese, Western, Indian, Islamic, and other cultures. Each entry supplies a brief biography, a synopsis of the writer's theories, their success or failure, and their impact on other thinkers and military practitioners. The unique coverage allows readers to cross cultural barriers and gain access to sources in languages as diverse as Arabic and German, and to note key similarities and contrasts. The relative importance and contribution of each individual to intellectual progress is noted, as is the greater significance of specific schools of thought and debates.

From Dennis Showalter, recipient of the Samuel Eliot Morison Prize and the Pritzker Literature Award for Lifetime Achievement, a fascinating account of Nazi Germany's armored forces during World War II Determined to secure a quick, decisive victory in his quest of conquer Europe, Adolf Hitler adopted an attack plan that combined tools with technique—the formidable Panzer divisions. Self-contained armored units able to operate independently, the Panzers became the German army's fighting core as well as its moral focus, establishing an entirely new military doctrine. In Hitler's Panzers, Showalter presents a comprehensive study of Germany's armored forces. By delving deeply into a detailed history of the theory, strategy, myths, and realities of Germany's technologically innovative approach to warfare, Showalter provides a look at the military lessons of the past, and a speculation on how the Panzer ethos may be implemented in the future of international conflict.

General George S. Patton. His tongue was as sharp as the cavalry saber he once wielded, and his fury as explosive as the shells he’d ordered launched from his tank divisions. Despite his profane, posturing manner, and the sheer enthusiasm for conflict that made both his peers and the public uncomfortable, Patton’s very presence commanded respect. Had his superiors given him free rein, the U. S. Army could have claimed victory in Berlin as early as November of 1944. General Erwin Rommel. His battlefield manner was authoritative, his courage proven in the trenches of World War I when he was awarded the Blue Max. He was a front line soldier who led by example from the turrets of his Panzers. Appointed to command Adolf Hitler’s personal security detail, Rommel had nothing for contempt for the atrocities perpetrated by the Reich. His role in the Führer’s assassination attempt led to his downfall. Except for a brief confrontation in North Africa, these two legendary titans never met in combat. Patton and Rommel is the first single-volume study to deal with the parallel lives of two generals who earned not only the loyalty and admiration of their own men, but the respect of their enemies, and the enmity of the leaders they swore to obey. From the origins of their military prowess, forged on the battlefields of World War I, to their rise through the ranks, to their inevitable clashes with political authority, military historian Dennis Showalter presents a riveting portrait of two men whose battle strategies changed the face of warfare and continue to be studied in military academies around the globe.

A major historical document, this book contains interviews with more than 150 Germans who witnessed, participated in, or resisted the rise of Adolph Hitler. The testimony comes from well-known figures like Manfred Rommel and Helmut Kohl former soldiers and ordinary civilians and victims of the criminal policies of the Nazi regime. Haunting and extraordinary tales of horror, courage, grim determination, and moral confusion fill these pages. Voices from the Third Reich takes the material of epic history and presents it in the form of the individual human experiences of men, women, and children subjected to the pressures of total war in a fascist state.