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The Indian Corps In France [Illustrated Edition]
by Lt.-Col. John Walter Beresford Merewether Frederick Edwin Smith Earl of BirkenheadIncludes 24 portraits, maps and plans."The only history of the Indian Corps in France in the Great War, from 1914 to 1915 when the Corps transferred to the Middle East. A fascinating story.The Indian Corps, consisting of two infantry divisions (Meerut and Lahore), arrived in France in September/October 1914. It was commanded by Lieutenant-General Sir James Willcocks who was the most senior officer in the BEF after Field Marshal Sir John French and General Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien. The corps remained on the Western Front till the end of 1915, when it was transferred to the Middle East, a more suitable theatre of war for Indian Army troops. This history was published at the request and under the authority of the India Office, and apart from General Willcocks' own memoirs, With The Indians in France, it is the only record of the corps. It is not altogether a happy tale, as the book makes clear. While there was no questioning the bravery of the troops (five Indian/Gurkha VCs) there were problems of climate, reinforcements, officer casualties (the Indian battalion had only 13 British officers, who were first priority targets for the Germans), not to mention mishandling and lack of understanding on the part of the High Command. Total casualties among Indian Army units amounted to 21,413 (each division had, initially, three British battalions and divisional artillery was British). An unusual and fascinating story and history."-Print Ed.
War Years With Jeb Stuart
by Lieutenant Colonel W. W. Blackford C.S.A."Characterized by precision of statement and clarity of detail, W.W. Blackford's memoir of his service in the Civil War is one of the most valuable to come out of Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. It also provides a critically important perspective on one of the best-known Confederate cavalrymen, Major General J.E.B. Stuart.Blackford was thirty years old when the war began, and he served from June 1861, until January, 1864, as Stuart's adjutant, developing a close relationship with Lee's cavalry commander. He subsequently was a chief engineer and a member of the staff at the cavalry headquarters. Because Stuart was mortally wounded in 1864, he did not leave a personal account of his career. Blackford's memoir, therefore, is a vital supplement to Stuart's wartime correspondence and reports.In a vivid style, Blackford describes the life among the cavalrymen, including scenes of everyday camp life and portraits of fellow soldiers both famous and obscure. He presents firsthand accounts of, among others, the battles of First Bull Run, the Peninsular campaign, Second Bull Run, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, and Cold Harbor, and describes his feelings at witnessing the surrender at Appomattox."-Print ed.
Marshal Jean Lannes In The Battles Of Saalfeld, Pultusk, And Friedland, 1806 To 1807: The Application Of Combined Arms In The Opening Battle
by Major Robert E. EversonThe French Army corps during the Napoleonic era was a combined arms organization, designed as a self-sustaining combat unit which could operate independently from the rest of the army. One corps was designated as the advanced guard to the French army's main body and acted as the unit which would make first contact with the enemy's army. This corps developed the situation while other corps would attempt to maneuver to the rear of the enemy force and consequently fight a major battle under Napoleon's control.The advanced guard corps which made first contact, would fight an opening battle which could last many hours until reinforcements arrived. The corps under Marshal Lannes in 1806 to 1807 fought three opening battles. During each battle the corps conducted their security and reconnaissance while moving towards the enemy, seized their initial positions on the impending battlefield and fought as a combined arms organization for the duration of the opening battle.This study shows how each of the branches; artillery, infantry, and cavalry, interacted in the opening battle. This study also reveals how Marshal Lannes established a combined arms advanced guard element within his corps each time he moved the corps as the advanced guard for the French Army. Although this advanced guard element was not a doctrinal organization for the French Army, the elements mission was strikingly similar to the larger corps acting as an advanced guard, but on a reduced scale.
Sir Redvers H. Buller, V.C.: The Story Of His Life And Campaigns
by Lt.-Colonel Lewis William George ButlerGeneral Sir Redvers Buller V.C. was among the most popular generals of his age, born in 1839 he was commissioned into the 60th Rifles in and started a military career that would last 40 years.His postings were many and varied; China in 1860, before many years in Canada and a distinguished part in the Red River expedition under Sir Garnet Wolseley in 1870 and under the same commander in the Second Ashanti War 1873-74. His next active command would earn him a Victoria Cross during the Anglo-Zulu war of 1879 at the head of the mounted infantry of Sir Evelyn Wood's No. 4 Column. During the bloody defeat at Hlobane, Buller rallied the demoralized retreating rearguard, and rode back in the face of the hotly pusuing Zulu warriors to rescue men who had been unhorsed, not once, twice but three times! As if this was not enough the next day he fought at the victorious at the battle of Kambula, and later at the decisive battle of Ulundi. Buller left Africa a hero among his men and respected by his peers.His final command, during the Second Anglo-Boer War was much less successful; sent out to command and retrieve a situation already bungled, at the age of sixty, despite his protests. Facing a guerrilla war he instituted new tactics that would become standard practice to the modern day; use of cover, fire and movement, creeping barrages. However, these innovations were not enough to bridge the gap between his opponents and his hidebound troops, and he suffered a number of high profile defeats.
Advice And Support: The Early Years 1941-1960 [Illustrated Edition]
by Ronald H. SpectorIncludes over 75 maps, photos and plans.The present volume describes the activities of the U.S. Army in Vietnam during World War II, military advice and assistance to the French government during the immediate post-war years, and the advisory program that developed after the Geneva Agreements of 1954. Its scope ranges from high-level policy decisions to low-echelon advisory operations in the field, presented against a background of relevant military and political developments. The author enjoyed access to the official records of the period and examined personal papers, interviews, other documentary sources, and miscellaneous published materials. Useful not only as a study of military assistance but as a view of the Army as an agent of national policy, this volume is a fitting introduction to the overall study of the conflict in Vietnam.
Advice And Support: The Final Years 1965-1973 [Illustrated Edition]
by Jeffrey J. ClarkeIncludes over 75 maps, photos and plans.In Advice and Support: The Final Years the author describes the U.S. Army advisory effort to the South Vietnamese armed forces during the period when the U.S. commitment in Southeast Asia was at its peak. The account encompasses a broad spectrum of activities at several levels, from the physically demanding work of the battalion advisers on the ground to the more sophisticated undertakings of our senior military officers at the highest echelons of the American military assistance command in Saigon. Among critical subjects treated are our command relationships with the South Vietnamese army, our politico-military efforts to help reform both the South Vietnamese military and government, and our implementation of the Vietnamization policy inaugurated in 1969. The result tells us much about the U.S. Army's role as an agent of national policy in a critical but often neglected arena, and constitutes a major contribution to our understanding of not only the events that occurred in Vietnam but also the decisions and actions that produced them.
Dick Bong: Ace Of Aces
by General George C. KenneyMajor Richard "Dick" Ira Bong died at the tender age of 24 on the 6th August 1945 in a flight accident during testing of the P-80 Shooting Star Fighter. His fame was such that news of his death vied with the atomic bomb attack on Hiroshima in the US press, his legendary exploits at the helm of his P-38 Lightning had made him a household name. Bong had only recently received the Congressional Medal of Honor for his exploits of downing 40 enemy Japanese planes in the Southwestern Pacific. His tally of 40 victories made him the highest scoring American ace of all time, a record that is unlikely to ever be broken.In this biography his former commanding officer General George C. Kenney recounts his life; from his early life in Wisconsin, his sweetheart Marge, and his aerial exploits. Kenney enriches the narrative with personal anecdotes that illuminate the modest unassuming but determinedly heroic, Ace of Aces.Highly recommended.
The Saga Of Pappy Gunn
by General George C. KenneyFOUR-STAR GENERAL KENNEY pays a remarkable tribute to a remarkable man in this biography. Colonel Paul Irwin ("Pappy") Gunn met a tragic death in an airplane accident in the Philippines on October 11, 1957. Believing that our country owes a debt to a great character, a superb aviator, and a devoted American that has never been paid, General Kenney has written this story in the hope that it will help discharge a part of that debt.General Kenney's own words serve better than any others to describe this book:"This is the story of an extraordinary character. He was one of the great heroes of the Southwest Pacific in World War II, a mechanical genius, and one of the finest storytellers I have ever known. His deeds were real. His stories were often fantasies but they will be told and retold as long as any of his comrades-in-arms are still alive and then will be handed down to succeeding generations of airmen. Pappy Gunn is already a legendary figure."The saga of Pappy Gunn contains a wealth of stories, Spectacular things happened to this spectacular person....As the author points out, "He lived, died, and was even buried differently from other people." Faithfully, but with humor and warmth and understanding, General Kenney has constructed the life story, the saga, of his friend, Pappy Gunn.
The Battle For Leyte Gulf [Illustrated Edition]
by C. Vann WoodwardIncludes 6 charts and 20 photosPulitzer prize winning author C. Vann Woodward recounts the story of the largest naval battle of all time."The Battle for Leyte Gulf was the greatest naval battle of the Second World War and the largest engagement ever fought on the high seas. It was composed of four separate yet closely interrelated actions, each of which involved forces comparable in size with those engaged in any previous battle of the Pacific War. The four battles, two of them fought simultaneously, were joined in three different bodies of water separated by as much as 500 miles. Yet all four were fought between dawn of one day and dusk of the next, and all were waged in the repulse of a single, huge Japanese operation."They were guided by a master plan drawn up in Tokyo two months before our landing and known by the code name Sho Plan. It was a bold and complicated plan calling for reckless sacrifice and the use of cleverly conceived diversion. As an afterthought the suicidal Kamikaze campaign was inaugurated in connection with the plan. Altogether the operation was the most desperate attempted by any naval power during the war-and there were moments, several of them in fact, when it seemed to be approaching dangerously near to success."Unlike the majority of Pacific naval battles that preceded it, the Battle of Leyte Gulf was not limited to an exchange of air strikes between widely separated carrier forces, although it involved action of that kind. It also included surface and subsurface action between virtually all types of fighting craft from motor torpedo boats to battleships, at ranges varying from point-blank to fifteen miles, with weapons ranging from machine guns to great rifles of 18-inch bore, fired "in anger" by the Japanese for the first time in this battle."
Scouts Out! The Development Of Reconnaissance Units In Modern Armies [Illustrated Edition]
by John J. McgrathIllustrated with 60 maps, plans and diagramsReconnaissance and counter-reconnaissance are battlefield missions as old as military history itself and missions for which many armies have created specialized units to perform. In most cases, these units were trained, equipped, and used differently from the majority of an army's fighting units. Horse cavalry performed these missions for centuries, for it had speed and mobility far in excess of main battle units. Once the horse was replaced by mechanization, however, the mobility advantage once enjoyed by the horse cavalry disappeared. Since the early 20th century, the search for the proper mix of equipment, the proper organization, and the proper employment of reconnaissance units has bedeviled armies around the world. This survey uses a diverse variety of historical cases to illustrate the enduring issues that surround the equipping, organizing, and employment of reconnaissance units.It seems that these specialized units are either too heavily or too lightly equipped and too narrowly specialized or too conventionally organized. Pre-war reconnaissance doctrines tend to undergo significant change once fighting begins, leading to post-conflict analysis that reconnaissance units were "misused" in one way or another. McGrath ends his study with an intriguing conclusion about the role that specialized reconnaissance units should have in the future that may surprise many readers.
Wrestling The Initiative: Ridgway As Operational Commander In The Korean War, December 1950 To April 1951
by Major Joseph R. CeramiThis monograph examines the conduct of operations of the U.S.' Eighth Army under the command of General Matthew B. Ridgway in the Korean War. During the period of Ridgway's command, from late Dec. of 1950 through April of 1951, the Eighth Army stopped an offensive campaign being conducted by Chinese Communist Forces. After completing a successful withdrawal and defense, Ridgway's Army mounted a series of offensive operations to regain lost territory and re-establish a defensive line along the 38th Parallel, Thus, this case study examines the campaign of an operational commander who successfully wrested the initiative back from the enemy and illustrates the significance of the AirLand Battle tenet of "initiative" at the operational level of war....In sum, this monograph uses classical theory, current doctrine, and history in evaluating Ridgway's operational design, planning and execution during the Eighth Army's withdrawal, defensive and offensive operations. This case study examines the linkages between the tactical, operational and strategic levels of war. The physical, cybernetic and moral domains of war are employed as a framework for analysis. Several insights emerge from this case study including the significance of: gaining and retaining the initiative in the conduct of both defensive and offensive operations; seeking tactical and operational success, even in the absence of clear strategic aims; building an army's will to fight and win, and the overriding importance of the moral domain; conducting realistic and deliberate planning, and the difficulty of transitioning from the operational defense to the operational offense; and using strength against weakness. Finally, and perhaps most significantly, this study reveals the importance of the operational commander and the genius of Matthew B. Ridgway in the Korean War.
“Worthy Of His Sufferings”: How Strategic Leaders Learned From Failure
by Brian J. GilmanHistory provides numerous examples of leaders who failed at some point in their career, yet went on to become great leaders. Their example demonstrates that experiencing failure does not necessarily equate to failed leadership-leaders can and do recover from failure to become better leaders. But how does this occur? How does a leader turn the psychological trauma of failure into an important learning experience that leads to personal growth? What leadership characteristics and actions are most important in recovering from a leadership failure? This paper examines these questions along several major themes: first, the psychological trauma of failure and the pathways to post-traumatic growth following failure; second, a study of how contemporary leaders grew from failure; and third, historical case studies on two strategic leaders who grew from the experience of failure: Ulysses S. Grant and Dwight D Eisenhower. In conclusion, the paper compares the lessons from these historical case studies to those drawn from the first two themes to identify the key leadership characteristics and actions that enable leaders to recover from failure.
Cavalry In The Shenandoah Valley Campaign Of 1862: Effective, But Inefficient
by Major Michael Sullivan LynchThis study is an analysis of Confederate cavalry operations in the Valley Campaign-5 November 1861 through 10 June 1862. In a campaign dominated by the leadership of Major General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson and his "foot cavalry," what role did his mounted arm play in the campaign?This study begins with a brief review of the historical evolution of American cavalry, explaining the differences between American and European cavalry. The study also includes background information on key issues of the campaign's cavalry leadership, organization, logistics, and tactics. The majority of the thesis discussion concerns the campaign's cavalry operations, including an evaluation of the cavalry's performance.The conclusion of the thesis is that Jackson's cavalry arm significantly contributed to the Confederate success in the campaign. Cavalry contributions were strongest at the operational level of war. Despite their contributions, the cavalry was inefficient. Organizational turmoil, poor logistical support, high operations tempo, and limited training worked in concert to reduce efficiency. Although completed over one hundred years ago, the cavalry operations of Shenandoah Valley Campaign has some particular lessons-learned that still apply today. Among these are support for the soldier in the field, innovation and improvisation, combat leadership, leadership development, and training.
Tanks In The Great War, 1914-1918 [Illustrated Edition]
by Major-General J.F.C. Fuller DSOIncludes more than 30 maps, plans and diagramsThe world-renowned military expert Major-General J.F.C. Fuller DSO, noted for his many works on military strategy, tactics and history, turns his attention to the famed Royal Tank Corps of World War I. He was in a particularly good position to write such a work as he served from 1916 as part of the Tanks Corps and planned the famous tank attack at Cambrai in 1917, he also took a leading role in the planning of the 1918 autumn offensives that broke the back of German resistance and ended the War. He covers in comprehensively the development of the tank, mechanical characteristics of early British tanks, particularly the Mark I, as well as the early battles at the Somme and Ancre. He also describes the growth of the Tank Corps itself, tank tactics, tank engineering plus the tank battles in 1917-1918. There are also appreciations of German, French and American tank activities.
A Narrative Of Joshua Davis, An American Citizen, Who Was Pressed And Served On Board Six Ships Of The British Navy: An American Citizen Who Was Pressed And Served On Board Six Ships Of The British Navy
by Joshua DavisJoshua Davis was a native of Boston born in 1760, as his short memoir attests he was an experienced sailor and seasoned campaigner. In 1779 he boarded the 20 gun privateer, the Jason, on a mission to capture as many British ships as possible, he and his crewmates were successful in their search for targets along the eastern seaboard. However on a very calm day with no hope of escape, his ship was run down by the British frigate Surprise and captured. Pressed in British service, Davis did his best to make a nuisance of himself, often punished for his crimes, clapped in irons or confined. He was present at seven engagements on board British ships, and wounded once, before his eventual escape and return to America many years later.A fascinating story of early American maritime adventure.
Seventy-One Years Of A Guardsman’s Life [Illustrated Edition]
by General Sir George Wentworth Alexander Higginson GCB GCVO[Illustrated with over two hundred and sixty maps, photos and portraits, of the battles, individuals and places involved in the Crimean War]At a regimental gathering following Sir George Higginson's funeral one officer remarked to another that no-one could remember the regiment without Sir George present. It is hardly surprising as General Sir George Wentworth Alexander Higginson GCB, GCVO had lived for 101 years, the longest of any British General, and as the title of his autobiography indicates the majority of those years in the Grenadier Guards.General Higginson's life seemed to be in fact two lives; the first in active service with the British army, he would see action in many parts of the world. He would achieve great fame as a hero of the Crimean War and his reminiscences of which forms the greater part of this volume. The Author travelled out to the Crimea as adjutant of the 3rd Battalion; and fought at the battles at Alma, Balaklava and Inkerman at which he was greatly distinguished. His details of the siege and fall of Sebastopol are among the best that survive. He details in full the filthy unsanitary conditions, inept command, and cholera that the British soldiers had to endure, not to mention the shot and shell of tens of thousands of Russian soldiers.Following his military retirement in 1893 at the ripe age of 67 and then embarked on career as advisor to Queen Victoria, travelling dignitary as far afield as America and Russia and figurehead of the regime. A renowned and statesmanlike figure he died in 1927 mourned by all who knew him.A fascinating autobiography.
The Crimean Diary And Letters Of Lieut.-General Windham: With Observations Upon His Services During The Indian Mutiny [Illustrated Edition]
by Lieut.-General Sir Charles Ash Windham Sir William Howard Russell Major Hugh Pearse[Illustrated with over two hundred and sixty maps, photos and portraits, of the battles, individuals and places involved in the Crimean War]Lieut.-General Sir Charles Ash Windham had served his country in the Grenadier Guards for some 23 years before retiring on half pay in 1849. The outbreak of the Crimean War led him back to active duty, being appointed assistant quartermaster-general of the 4th division; he arrived in the Peninsula with his division on the 14th September 1854. Just six days later he and his men were on the field at the Battle of Alma, although only slightly engaged, and he was also present at the battle of Balaclava. He was greatly distinguished at the battle of Inkerman, and owing to the death or disablement of superiors, was in charge of the whole of the 4th division for a time.He devoted every moment of the winter of 1854 to the care of his staving, ragged men who were suffering from the dearth of supplies during the terrible privations on the Russian steppe. Windham became a national hero for his actions in leading the gallant, but abortive, assault on the feared "Redan" fortification at Sebastopol on the 8th September 1855. Promoted immediately for his distinguished conduct to Major-General, he ended the war as the chief of staff of the army under Sir William Codrington.He served prominently during the Indian Mutiny, and despite a fierce resistance to overwhelming numbers of rebels at Cawnpore he was driven back through the town. He was unfairly castigated by the press and never received a further active command; the erroneous blackening of his name is laid to rest by the correspondence which was printed in this volume for the first time, in short he was hiding the errors of a subordinate.
Reminiscences Of An Officer Of Zouaves
by Anon Général Jean Joseph Gustave Cler"'Of the soldiers of the world-the Zouaves are the first and bravest'"This is a rare and unusual account compiled principally from the writings of Cler, who became a General of the French Army and who fell in battle at Magenta. The book concerns his earlier career and the experiences, campaigns and battles of his beloved regiment of Zouaves during their campaigns against the hostile tribes of colonial French North Africa, and afterwards during the gruelling Crimean War. The Zouave style has been often emulated-particularly during the American Civil War-but these troops, the original Zouave regiments, held a long tradition as a corps d'elite within the Imperial French Army. They had a reputation for the finest standards of soldiering to uphold and this sense of élan was never absent from every single member of the regiment. Bravery and aggression was a prerequisite and the worst of punishments was to be left out of the attack. Equally, this was a unit that ensured they were the most comfortable in camp. This is a story of consummate soldiers at war and is a fascinating insight into the mid-nineteenth century wars of a continental European power."-Print ed.
With Kitchener To Khartum [Illustrated Edition]
by George Warrington SteevensIllustrated with 15 mapsGeorge Warrington Steevens was among the most prominent journalists of the Victorian era; writing articles for the National Observer, Pall Mall Gazette and the newly founded Daily Mail; by far his most famous book was 'With Kitchener to Khartum'. As close member of Kitchener's inner circle, he saw and wrote of the famous campaign in Sudan, variously known as the Madhist Revolt, or the Second Anglo-Sudan War of 1896-1899.As Steevens recounts in inimitable detail, Kitchener, having become Sirdar or commander of the Egyptian Army set out to recapture the Sudan and avenge his hero Gordon, who had been murdered by the Mahdi some years earlier. As Kitchener and his force descended the Nile, with Steevens in tow, they took great care to ensure their line of supply building a railway line as they went and supplied by river flotilla. The first main clash of forces was at the Battle of Atbara in April 1898 where the British and Egyptian forces furiously attacked and routed a Sudanese camp. Kitchener's greatest hour came at the battle of Khartoum, four months later, when confronted with a vastly larger force, he relied on the firepower of disciplined volleys and machine guns to break the rebel army beyond repair. Although the revolt lasted a little while longer into 1899, Kitchener could rightly claim to be the victor of the campaign and was ennobled Lord Kitchener of Khartoum.An excellent account of a pivotal Imperial campaign.
U.S.S. Seawolf: Submarine Raider Of The Pacific [Illustrated Edition]
by Gerold Frank J. M. Eckberg James David HoranIllustrated with 16 photos of the ship and crewWriters Gerold Frank and James Horan were struck by their travelling companion on a train between New York and New London, Conneticut in 1943; "He was big and brawny, his giant frame squeezed into a coach seat; he had the clear blue eyes, the hawklike gaze of a Viking; and he was the most beribboned figure we had ever seen in a navy uniform". This man was Chief Radio Operator Jim Eckberg, and as he told Frank and Horan the tale of his ship, the famous USS Seawolf, they were captivated and determined to write a book commemorating the heroic actions of the crew and so "U.S.S. Seawolf: Submarine Raider Of The Pacific" was born.With the expert aid of Eckberg, the authors set about to recreate the history and atmosphere aboard the sub. Her career started slowly; during her first two forays around Manila in 1942 she could not get a clean target and was depth charged for the first time. Her luck changed in February 1942, roaming in the Java Sea, she struck her first live target and so would begin a game of cat and mouse with the Imperial Japanese Navy for months to come. Aggressively handled, stealthy and quick to dive to avoid the inevitable depth charge reprisals, the Seawolf would leave a trail of destruction in here wake until January 1943 when she docked in San Francisco and took on a new crew. The Seawolf received 13 coveted battle stars during the war and sunk a confirmed 71,609 tons of Japanese shipping.An exciting, authentic and atmospheric account of the 'War Beneath the Waves' against Japan.
Allied Marines In The Korean War: Train Wreckers And Ghost Killers [Illustrated Edition]
by Dr Leo J. Daugherty III[Illustrated with more than 40 maps, photos and diagrams]Command Historian Dr Leo J. Daugherty III reveals the missions, actions and successes of the British and Korean Marines that fought alongside the US Marines in the UN Allied forces during the Korean War."Among the United Nations forces committed to the far-flung battlefield that was Korea, it was the Marine component that stood out in its sacrifice, military skills, and devotion to duty. In Korea, allied Marines, whether American, British, or Korean, demonstrated the versatility, aggressiveness, and readiness that has always been the hallmark on those bearing the title "Marine.""
A War of Their Own: Bombers Over the Southwest Pacific [Illustrated Edition]
by Captain Matt Rodman[Illustrated with more than 45 diagrams, photos and tables]Captain Rodman, an instructor weapon-systems officer at Dyess AFB, Texas, examines the distinctive nature of Fifth Air Force's role in the air war over the Southwest Pacific Area during World War II. Especially notable is Gen George Kenney's innovative use of light attack aircraft as well as both medium and heavy bombardment aircraft, characterized by theater-specific tactics, ordnance, and structural modifications. A War of Their Own also considers the free exchange of aircraft and missions in the Southwest Pacific a hallmark of that theater; in terms of the conflict between doctrine and tactics that underlay Fifth Air Force's relationship to the prewar Army Air Corps and the postwar Air Force. The author also notes the relevance of the Fifth's experiences to airpower.
With Royal Headquarters 1870-71 [Illustrated Edition]
by General Julius Adrian Friedrich Wilhelm von Verdy du VernoisIncludes the Franco-Prussian Map Pack with over 35 maps, plans and diagrams of the engagements of the warJulius von Verdy du Vernois was a noted Prussian General and strategist, he served with great distinction in the Austro-Prussian war of 1866 and participated in the climactic battle of Königgratz. He was appointed to the General Staff in 1867 as head of the intelligence section becoming a close assistant and confidant of the great Graf von Moltke. His chief fame rests on his service with the German Royal headquarters as one of high-ranking "demi-gods" of the General staff who enabled von Moltke to keep control of the massive German army as they destroyed the French armies so rapidly and successfully."THESE "Personal Recollections of the War of 1870-71," now first issued in book form, have already been partially published in articles which appeared in the "Deutsche Rundschau" in 1874 and 1895. Going again through my letters and the notes in my diary of that period, I have here and there added additional matter."But still they are nowise intended to form an exhaustive description of the war, or even a complete record of personal experiences. Their publication is due to the renewed interest in those great events which the twenty-five years' jubilee has awakened, and their object is a limited one, viz. to give an insight into the daily life of the Royal Headquarters Staff during those times. The opinions held and mental impressions formed at particular moments with regard to the great events of the war are recorded for the most part in the form in which they were noted down at the time, without regard to whether, in the light of better information, they subsequently proved correct or wide of the mark. For thus only can the "Recollections" give a faithful picture of the views obtaining at particular junctures."- von Verdy
Antietam And Gettysburg: Tactical Success In An Operational Void
by Lt.-Cmdr Stephen P. Black USNThe Battles of Antietam and Gettysburg are widely recognized as tactical victories for the Union's Army of the Potomac. Following both battles, however, the respective commanding generals. General McClellan and General Meade, were sharply criticized for having failed to vigorously pursue General Lee and his Army of Northern Virginia in order to deliver a decisive blow. Both Union commanders offered a list of extenuating circumstances, such as battle fatigue, large casualties and lack of supplies, which precluded a "premature" pursuit of General Lee.Upon examination, however, their inability to conceptualize a decisive pursuit of General Lee's army points to a direct failure at the operational level of War. Both Union generals were unable to link their tactical victories to any larger strategic objective. The reasons for this from the strategic confusion of a conflict evolving from limited War to total War, and from the void in operational training that left both McClellan and Meade ill prepared to perform successfully at this critical level of Warfare.Examining this operational void, it becomes apparent that a commander's construct of War must be complete, that is, fully cognizant of the strategic, operational and tactical levels of War, in order to achieve success beyond the limits of the tactical battlefield. Such an examination points to the criticality of the operational level of Warfare, highlights the importance of the commander's concept of operations and suggests that an operational commander must grow in the sense that his cognitive processes must be tuned into the dynamics of his environment, not only on a tactical level, but on the operational and strategic level.
The Freedmen’s Bureau, Politics, And Stability Operations During Reconstruction In The South
by Major William H. Burks USAFThe United States' Civil War ended in 1865. However, the post-conflict period immediately following, known as Reconstruction, lasted another twelve years. This era provides a great case study to examine the impacts of politics on military stability operations. This paper studies the Freedmen's Bureau during its existence from 1865 to 1872. Envisioned as the lead organization for integrating former slaves into American society, the Bureau's efforts in the post-Civil War South were undermined by a hostile political situation at the national and state level and a diminishing lack of popular support throughout the entire nation to embrace radical social changes. The Bureau's operational timeframe splits into three distinct periods: conflict with President Andrew Johnson from 1865 to early 1867, revamped efforts during Congressional Reconstruction from early 1867 to the end of 1868, and a reduced operational focus (primarily education) from 1869 to 1872. The Bureau faced manning challenges and fought racism as it worked to help former slaves become self-sufficient, educated, and true citizens of the nation in which they resided. Unfortunately, hostile political conditions meant much of the civil rights work accomplished by the Bureau was subdued after its demise until the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s.