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World War I and its aftermath witnessed a global revolution. This was reflected in the revolutionary war aims of most of the belligerents, the technological revolution that made the war so deadly, the revolutionary sentiment that grew among ordinary combatants, and the revolutionary pressures that led to the collapse of the Romanov, Habsburg, and Ottoman empires. In this revised edition of World War One, Lawrence Sondhaus synthesizes the latest scholarship on the war and incorporates insights from the vast body of work published during the war's centenary. He charts the political, economic, social and cultural history of the war at home and on the frontlines as well as the war's origins, ending and transformative effects on societal norms and attitudes, gender and labor relations, and international trade and finance. The accessible narrative is supported by chronologies, personal accounts, guides to key controversies and debates, and numerous maps and photographs.
"Navies in Modern World History traces the role of navies in world history from the early nineteenth century, through both World Wars, to the onset of the twenty-first century. Lawrence Sondhaus examines the navies of Britain, France, Germany, the United States, Japan, Brazil, Chile and the Soviet Union, demonstrating the variety of ways in which these countries have made decisive use of naval power, and the challenges these navies faced when assembling equipment and stores, training sailors, and undertaking various missions, and shows in what ways the results helped change the course of modern world history." "This book also deals with aircraft carrier design and naval aviation in the secon...
This book looks at the transition of wooden sailing fleets to the modern steel navy. It details the technological breakthroughs that brought about this change - steampower, armour, artillery and torpedoes, and looks at their affect on naval strategy and tactics. Part of the ever-growing and prestigious Warfare and History series, this book is a must for enthusiasts of military history.
A much-needed survey and synopsis of literature on strategic culture and ways of war. It clearly shows how national strategies and approaches to warfare are, to a significant extent, culturally determined. The concept of national ‘ways of war’ dates from the 1930s, when Basil H. Liddell Hart theorized that there was a ‘British Way in Warfare’. The concept of "strategic culture" dates from the 1970s, when Jack Snyder introduced it to explain why leaders of the Soviet Union did not behave according to rational choice theory. These ideas have gained wide acceptance among historians of international politics and warfare, and remain controversial for political scientists seeking general or universal theoretical understanding of such subjects. Because political scientists have focused on strategic culture and historians on ways of war, this work will greatly benefit both audiences and provide each with valuable exposure to the ideas of the other.
New naval history of the First World War which reveals the contribution of the war at sea to Allied victory.
Navies in Modern World History traces the role of navies in history from the early nineteenth century, through both World Wars, to the dawn of the twenty-first century and beyond. In a series of case studies Lawrence Sondhaus examines the national fleets of Britain, France, Germany, the United States, Japan, Brazil, Chile and the Soviet Union, and demonstrates the variety of ways in which each country has made decisive use of naval power. In each case the author argues that the navy in question helped change the course of modern world history; he also systematically analyses the challenges navies faced in assembling matériel, training personnel and performing their mission. This book discus...
Did you ever wonder how and why Franz Conrad von Hötzendorf (1852-1925) earned his reputation for brilliance, while failing so miserably during the First World War? In examining Conrad’s life and career, including his years as a military writer, teacher of tactics, and a peacetime troop commander before 1906, this first modern biography offers a fascinating and impressive explanation of his thoughts and actions. Franz Conrad von Hötzendorf (1852-1925) served as Austro-Hungarian chief of the general staff between 1906 and 1917, and was a leading figure in the origins and conduct of the First World War. In no other country did a single general serve as the leading prewar tactician, prewar and wartime strategist, and wartime army commander. Because Conrad filled all of these roles in Austria-Hungary, he had no equal among the military men leading the old order of Europe to destruction in 1914-1918.
The Austro-Hungarian navy warrants recognition because it functioned far better than most organs of the multinational Habsburg state. Ultimately, in the pre-World War I age of navalism, the fleet provided a unique common cause for a wide variety of nationalities and political parties. Dramatic funding increases fueled the expansion of the fleet, and lucrative naval contracts, judiciously distributed, reinforced and further broadened the navy's base of support. Though often criticized by its German ally, the Austro-Hungarian navy succeeded in defending the Adriatic throughout World War I, in the process requiring the constant attention of a significant share of enemy sea power; as late as the...
The growing military, political and socio-economic costs for all belligerents as the Great War entered its fourth year were increasingly evident, liberal democracies and authoritarian states alike having to remobilise public opinion for yet greater sacrifices. While the Western Front was facing these challenges, 1917 was also marked by the collapse of Tsarist Russia and by food riots resuting both from the Entente's blockade of Central Europe and the revival of unrestricted submarine warfare by the Central Powers. Ottoman Turkey was feeling the strain of war as well, as British forces advanced in both Palestine and Mesopotamia. For states as yet uncommitted to war, such as the United States and China, 1917 was a year of decision. This volume amply illustrates the significance of this crucial year in the global conflict. Contributors are Lawrence Sondhaus, Eric Grove, Keith Grieves, Matthew Hughes, Kaushik Roy, Vanda Wilcox, Laura Rowe, and Nick Hewitt.