Germany and Coalition Warfare in the World Wars: A Comparative Study

In: War in history, Volume 8, Issue 2, p. 166-190

Abstract

While a great deal of attention has been paid to the conduct of coalition warfare by the Allies in both world wars, very little has been done regarding the German side of the equation. This article takes a long view of Germany and the conduct of coalition warfare in the world wars. It seeks to examine comparatively the German experience in both world wars in this regard, and to draw some general conclusions. The article examines four broad areas of coalition warfare: prewar planning and preparations, accommodation of goals and needs to those of one's allies, execution of plans and adaptation to wartime circumstance, and maintaining trust and balance in the relationship. In all of these areas the German experience in both world wars was remarkably similar. Some of this was due to ideological factors, but cultural, educational and military factors all played a part as well. In this case, unlike other levels of war, the Germans learned almost nothing from their experience in the First World War. In both cases, the failure to conduct coalition warfare from a sound basis led to catastrophic failure.