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QuoteReplyTopic: History of the German General Staff Posted: 13-Jan-2007 at 00:30
I just recently finished reading this book by Walter Goerlitz in translation and wanted to know if any else has read it. It goes through the background of the prussian military system in the middle of the 17th century to the infancy of the Prussian general staff after the prussian defeat at the hands of Napoleon, through its transformation into the German general staff and finally its demise along with the Nazi state at the end of the Second World War. All of the major players are discussed from Gneisenau, Scharnhorst and von Clausewitz through the elder Moltke as well as all of the occupants of the post of Chief of staff. It has great value especially for understanding the mindset of the WWII generals. Though once you get up to the end of the monarchy and WWI it is not happy reading. I would advise this book to anyone interested in german military planning and strategy.
"War is a cowardly escape from the problems of peace."--Thomas Mann
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