The Great War Dawning
Germany and its Army at the start of World War 1
by Frank Buchholz, Joe Robinson and Janet Robinson
published by Verlag Militaria, 2014
ISBN 978 3 902526 65 6
cover price - not stated
Hardback, 532pp. Illustrated with colour and B&W plates, two large fold-out maps.
This book can be obtained direct from the publishers at http://www.militaria...660&Language=en" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
What a terrific book this is. A wonderful, weighty, reference work that will become indispensable for anyone interested in the orders of battle, organisation, methods, doctrine and background to the formidable armies of the Kaiser's Reich in 1914.
Many readers will be familiar with the work of Jack Sheldon, a British historian and former army officer who has written several outstanding books looking at the Great War from the German side. Jack is a member of this Forum, too. He wrote an introduction to "Great War Dawning" which quite rightly highlighted the fact that British historians, authors and students have all to often examined the war without looking too closely at the enemy. This is perhaps not too surprising in that German source materials can be difficult to find and in most cases the regimental histories and memoirs only appear in the native language (and usually printed in difficult script). It has just been too hard for most. But things are changing, and "Great War Dawning" is a key example. It draws upon incredibly deep and detailed research and analysis and presents, in English, a fact-filled treasure trove of information.
The book covers the historical background to the German Reich and how its resultant constitution and laws had important roles in shaping the armies. The military background of each of the states and provinces that eventually made up the modern Germany is explored in detail. It then goes on to examine the social and political background to the Reich and the part the army played. We have sections on national service, training and the activities of the army in peacetime; and the organisation of the active and reserve army, across all arms.
Perhaps for most military historians it will be the sections on doctrine, training, war plans, mobilisation and how this all unfolded in the early weeks of the war which will be of most interest. It explains much and presents to us a thorough view of those cataclysmic battles of 1914; it also shows how issues of leadership and logistics were or were not identified and put Germany on a path of organisational and doctrinal development that played a central role in German prosecution of the war up to 1918. Personally I learned so much from this book that I did not know before, or was able to clarify what I had only dimly understood.
As a readable work and as a reference, I can not rate "Great War Dawning" more highly.
Ron