The Franco-Prussian War

The Franco-Prussian War
Author: Geoffrey Wawro
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 352
Release: 2003-08-25
Genre: History
ISBN: 9780521584364

Wawro describes the Franco-Prussian War, 1870-1, that violently changed the course of European history.

The Franco-Prussian War

The Franco-Prussian War
Author: Michael Howard
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 446
Release: 2005-12-09
Genre: History
ISBN: 1134972199

In 1870 Bismarck ordered the Prussian Army to invade France, inciting one of the most dramatic conflicts in European history. It transformed not only the states-system of the Continent but the whole climate of European moral and political thought. The overwhelming triumph of German military might, evoking general admiration and imitation, introduced an era of power politics, which was to reach its disastrous climax in 1914. First published in 1961 and now with a new introduction, The Franco-Prussian War is acknowledged as the definitive history of one of the most dramatic and decisive conflicts in the history of Europe.

The Austro-Prussian War

The Austro-Prussian War
Author: Geoffrey Wawro
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 334
Release: 1996
Genre: History
ISBN: 9780521629515

This is a history of the Austro-Prussian-Italian War of 1866, which paved the way for German and Italian unification. It is based upon extensive new research in the state and military archives of Austria, Germany, and Italy. Geoffrey Wawro describes Prussia's successful invasion of Habsburg Venetia, and the wretched collapse of the Austrian army in July 1866. Although the book gives a thorough accounting of both the Prussian and Italian war efforts, it is most notable for the light it sheds on the Austrians. Through painstaking archival research, Wawro reconstructs the Austrian campaign, blow-by-blow, hour-by-hour. Blending military and social history, he describes the terror and panic that overtook Austria's regiments of the line in each clash with the Prussians. He reveals the unconscionable blundering of the Austrian commandant and his chief deputies who fumbled away key strategic advantages and ultimately lost a war - crucial to the fortunes of the Habsburg Monarchy - that most European pundits had predicted they would win.

The Franco German War Of 1870-1871

The Franco German War Of 1870-1871
Author: Helmuth von Moltke
Publisher: CreateSpace
Total Pages: 206
Release: 2014-08-20
Genre:
ISBN: 9781500896423

Helmuth von Moltke's The Franco German War of 1870-1871 is a comprehensive history of one of the 19th century's most influential wars, and the one that helped lead to the establishment of the modern state of Germany. It is written by one of the most important participants in the war, because von Moltke was a field marshal for the Prussians and a Chief of the General Staff.

The Road to Königgrätz

The Road to Königgrätz
Author: Quintin Barry
Publisher: Helion
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2014-02
Genre: History
ISBN: 9781909384965

"Before the War of 1866 the name Helmuth von Moltke was scarcely known outside the Prussian army ... This book follows Moltke's part in the course of the campaign at the end of which his name had become a household word. It traces his rise to the position of Chief of the General Staff, against the background of the political situation of Prussia in the middle of the 19th Century, and the way in which he developed the functions of the General Staff."--Inside cover

Napoleon and the Struggle for Germany

Napoleon and the Struggle for Germany
Author: Michael V. Leggiere
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 903
Release: 2015-04-16
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1107080541

The first comprehensive history of the Fall Campaign that determined control of Central Europe following Napoleon's catastrophic defeat in Russia.

Sedan 1870

Sedan 1870
Author: Douglas Fermer
Publisher: Pen and Sword
Total Pages: 397
Release: 2008-09-19
Genre: History
ISBN: 1844685683

A historian analyzes the Franco-Prussian War’s Battle of Sedan, from its causes and effects, to the characters involved. The Franco-Prussian War was a turning point in the history of nineteenth-century Europe, and the Battle of Sedan was the pivotal event in that war. For the Germans, their overwhelming victory symbolized the birth of their nation, forged in steel and tempered in the blood of the common enemy. For the French, it was a defeat more complete and humiliating than Waterloo. Author Douglas Fermer’s fresh study of this traumatic moment in European history reconsiders how the mutual fear and insecurity of two rival nations tempted their governments to seek a solution to domestic tensions by waging war against each other. His compelling narrative shows how war came about, and how the dramatic campaign of summer 1870 culminated in a momentous clash of arms at Sedan. He gives fascinating insights into the personalities and aims of the politicians and generals involved but also spotlights the experiences of ordinary soldiers and civilians. Praise for Sedan 1870 “Fermer is an eminently readable author and his books well worth the investment. Sedan 1870, is an excellent study in hubris and hunger, doctrine and professionalism and the underlying motivation that drives troops, regardless of the quality of their leadership, to astonishing levels of self-sacrifice.” —Chris Buckham, The Military Reviewer

The Battle of Königgrätz

The Battle of Königgrätz
Author: Gordon A. Craig
Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press
Total Pages: 228
Release: 2003-03-07
Genre: History
ISBN: 9780812218442

Königgrätz, a city overlooking the river Elbe, was a western strongpoint of the Austrian Empire. On the morning of July 3, 1866, Prussia attacked the city against high odds and defeated the Austrian army in a single day, despite the Austrian advantage in heavy artillery and command of the high ground. The fall of Königgrätz transferred power over the German states from Austria to Prussia, marking the beginning of the German nation, a political consequence considered to be among the most important of any conflict in modern history. The battle for the city of Königgrätz—now called Hradec Králové, located in the Czech Republic—was the largest of its time, with nearly half a million troops involved. It was also the first battle where the outcome was directly determined by the availability of new technologies, including the railroad, telegraph, cast steel rifled cannon, and breech-loading rifle. It also marked a lesson in the fallacy of dependence on technology at the expense of sound strategy. In this full account, distinguished historian Gordon A. Craig discusses the state of political affairs surrounding the battle, the personalities involved, the weaponry, and the tactics in order to recreate the battlefield in all its complexity.

A Duel of Nations

A Duel of Nations
Author: David Wetzel
Publisher: University of Wisconsin Pres
Total Pages: 327
Release: 2012-09-04
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 0299291332

On July 19, 1870, Emperor Napoleon III of France declared war against the Prussia of King William I and Prime Minister Otto von Bismarck. This book depicts the world in which that war took place. In this study of the diplomatic history of the Franco-Prussian War, the author draws extensively on private and official records, journalistic accounts, cabinet minutes, and public statements by key players to produce a book that is unmatched in the range and clarity of its analysis, its characterizations, and its vivid language. -- Description from book cover.

A Duel of Giants

A Duel of Giants
Author: David Wetzel
Publisher: Univ of Wisconsin Press
Total Pages: 268
Release: 2003
Genre: History
ISBN: 9780299174941

Combining impeccable scholarship and literary elegance, David Wetzel depicts the drama of machinations and passions that exploded in a war that forever changed the face of European history.