The Conduct of War

by Colmar von der Goltz, G.F. Leverson (Translator), Walter H. James (Editor)

Overview

Field Marshal von der Goltz was an officer in the Prussian and Ottoman armies. He was also a professor at the Prussian military college. The Conduct of War was an extremely influential work which was more widely read than the work of Clausewitz by English language readers at the turn of the century. This is an extremely important work which was of influential to a great number of military thinkers including T.E. Lawrence. The book is a complete study of offensive and defensive operations from the tactical to strategic level. This version has been carefully crafted for electronic book readers. It includes a linked table of contents and additional hyperlinks for ease of navigation.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940013704794
Publisher:	Praetorian Press, LLC
Publication date:	01/19/2012
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	285
File size:	296 KB

About the Author

Goltz was born in East Prussia to an impoverished noble family. He entered the Prussian infantry in 1861. In 1864 entered the Berlin Military Academy, but was temporarily withdrawn in 1866 to serve in the Austro-Prussian War. In 1867, he joined the general staff, and at the beginning of the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71 was attached to the staff of Prince Frederick Charles, commanding general of the Prussian Second Army. He took part in the battles of Vionville and Gravelotte and in the siege of Metz. Later he served under the Red Prince in the campaign of the Loire, including the battles of Orleans and Le Mans.

Goltz was appointed professor at the military school at Potsdam in 1871, promoted to captain, and placed in the historical section of the general staff. While serving there, he wrote Die Operationen der II. Armee bis zur Capitulation von Metz (The Operations of the Second Army until the surrender of Metz) and Die Sieben Tage von Le Mans (The Seven Days of Le Mans). In 1874 he joined the general staff of the 6th Division, and while so employed wrote Die Operationen der II. Armee an der Loire (The Operations of the Second Army on the Loire) and Léon Gambetta und seine Armeen (Léon Gambetta and his armies).

Goltz' writing angered some senior officers by implying that it was unrealistic to expect a quick victory over France in any future war. This led to Goltz's being sent back to regimental duty for a time, but it was not long before he returned to the military history section. In 1878 Goltz was appointed lecturer in military history at the military academy at Berlin, where he remained for five years and attained the rank of major. He published, in 1883, Roßbach und Jena, Das Volk in Waffen (The Nation in Arms), both of which quickly became military classics, and during his residence in Berlin contributed many articles to the military journals.