History Of The German General Staff: 1657-1945
Condition: SECONDHAND
This is a secondhand book. The jacket image is a photograph of the exact copy we have in stock. This image shows the condition of this book. Further condition remarks are below.
Condition remarks:
Book: Fair
Jacket: No dust jacket
Pages: Good
Markings: No markings
Condition remarks: Condition as shown in image
A landmark work of military history, History of the German General Staff: 1657–1945 chronicles nearly three centuries of one of the most formidable military institutions ever assembled, tracing its origins under the Great Elector of Brandenburg through its catastrophic dissolution at the end of World War II. Walter Goerlitz presents a sweeping institutional biography, detailing the evolution of Prussian and German strategic doctrine, the rise of legendary commanders, and the internal tensions that shaped — and ultimately doomed — the Wehrmacht's high command. Written with scholarly rigor yet accessible narrative drive, the work argues that the General Staff was not merely a bureaucratic organ but the intellectual engine behind Germany's repeated bids for European dominance. Goerlitz unflinchingly examines the moral compromises made by its officers, particularly their entanglement with the Nazi regime, offering a nuanced portrait of professional soldiers caught between duty, ambition, and catastrophe. This authoritative account remains an essential reference for anyone seeking to understand the machinery of modern warfare and the institutional culture that made Germany's military both brilliantly effective and ultimately self-destructive.
Author: Walter Goerlitz
Format: Paperback
Published: 1966, Frederick A. Praeger, Publishers
Genre: Military history
Condition remarks:
Book: Fair
Jacket: No dust jacket
Pages: Good
Markings: No markings
Condition remarks: Condition as shown in image
A landmark work of military history, History of the German General Staff: 1657–1945 chronicles nearly three centuries of one of the most formidable military institutions ever assembled, tracing its origins under the Great Elector of Brandenburg through its catastrophic dissolution at the end of World War II. Walter Goerlitz presents a sweeping institutional biography, detailing the evolution of Prussian and German strategic doctrine, the rise of legendary commanders, and the internal tensions that shaped — and ultimately doomed — the Wehrmacht's high command. Written with scholarly rigor yet accessible narrative drive, the work argues that the General Staff was not merely a bureaucratic organ but the intellectual engine behind Germany's repeated bids for European dominance. Goerlitz unflinchingly examines the moral compromises made by its officers, particularly their entanglement with the Nazi regime, offering a nuanced portrait of professional soldiers caught between duty, ambition, and catastrophe. This authoritative account remains an essential reference for anyone seeking to understand the machinery of modern warfare and the institutional culture that made Germany's military both brilliantly effective and ultimately self-destructive.