Suchergebnisse

In Military Power: Land Warfare in Theory and Practice the contributors consider the multifarious aspects of the Anglo-American approach to war. The essays range from study of volunteer soldiering in the Mexican War of 1846-48, analyses of operations in the two World Wars, to a reconsideration of the nature of future warfare. All the contributors are concerned to base their work on a thorough consideration of the overall historical context. They explore the relationship between theory and practice in military operations. A primary interest is reviewing the problems of transition from the small-scale duties of an imperial or frontier constabulary to coping with the demand of continental warfare. This recurring problem is a central feature of the Anglo-American military tradition. Throughout a major theme is the importance of peacetime in the mental preparation and training for war.

Sir Michael Howard has made an enormous contribution to writing about war since 1950. This essay offers a considered assessment of his work and devotes due attention to the context in which he wrote and the influences that shaped his outlook. Three essential themes have permeated his work: the German problem (and thus the British problem that complicated its resolution), the Soviet problem, and the relationship between war and society. The essay charts his efforts to impart a framework to the study of war and the degree to which it has been shaped by societal, but especially organizational and moral forces. The essay offers a slice of British historiography and intellectual life in the postwar years.