|
|
Books > Social sciences > Warfare & defence > General
Artillery proved to be the greatest killer on the Western front
in World War I, and the use and misuse of artillery was certainly a
determining factor in the war DEGREESD's outcome. While many books
explore the artillery forces and employment of the European powers,
this is the first study to examine artillery employment in the
American Expeditionary Force. Grotelueschen follows one AEF
division through its entire World War I experience, from
preliminary training to each of its battles in France. This
approach allows for great investigative depth and an opportunity to
explore the implementation of doctrinal changes throughout the
war.
While accounts of the AEF written in the immediate aftermath of
the war praised it as a great fighting machine, most scholars have
concluded that the AEF was a flawed combat force. This study
demonstrates that despite significant flaws and weaknesses,
especially in artillery doctrine and employment, at least some AEF
divisions did attain effective fighting ability. American divisions
were most successful when carrying out limited, set-piece attacks,
efforts that ran counter to approved US Army and AEF doctrine at
the time. Historians will find this unique approach to the study of
division level strengths and weaknesses to be useful in making more
accurate and complete comparisons among the great armies of the
Western Front.
This account of the 1965 Dominican intervention is a case study in
U.S. crisis management. Herbert Schoonmaker analyzes the role and
management of U.S. military forces in the Dominican crisis. Like
other Cold War interventions, the Dominican intervention
demonstrated the use of rapidly reacting, joint military forces to
achieve limited political objectives. It also represents a good
vehicle for analyzing U.S. civilian-military relationships during
this kind of military operation. At the same time the civil strife
continued in Santo Domingo, U.S. military forces engaged in a
variety of duties, both combat and peacekeeping, and did so while
the Organization of American States, the United Nations, and U.S.
government teams attempted to negotiate a peaceful settlement. Such
a complex environment, Schoonmaker argues, necessitated tight
civilian control of the engaged armed forces and required restraint
in carrying out their combat duties. In addition to the
political-military factors, Schoonmaker also focuses on the joint
army-navy-air aspects of the operation. He concentrates on the
uniqueness of the intervention which makes the lessons learned from
it applicable in some circumstances, but not in others. A study of
the Dominican intervention is important because of its implications
for defense needs and structure in a time of tight military
budgets. The author also outlines the problems associated with
quick-reacting forces and indicates the necessity for efficient
intelligence, communications, logistics, and command and control.
This book is must reading for military theoreticians and
strategists, historians, and political scientists.
In a groundbreaking contribution to the international relations
literature, Kromer examines the historical experience of NATO with
new weapons technologies and analyzes their effect on alliance
stability. Concentrating specifically on new, innovative, radically
different technologies--rather than on modifications or upgrades to
existing weapons systems--Kromer uses a focused comparison
methodology to develop his arguments. His study takes the form of
detailed case studies and comparative analysis of two particular
new weapons technologies: tactical nuclear weapons and precision
guided munitions. For each, Kromer explores the political effects
and implications of the new technology, an area of study that has
received little attention until now.
Between the Revolution and the Mexican war, the American republic
grew from being a collection of weakly unified states to being a
formidable world power. This bibliographic volume covers the first
sixty years of United States military history, from 1783 to 1846, a
time that has been largely neglected in historical scholarship. The
entire range of military affairs, from international diplomacy and
ideological considerations to influential presidents, secretaries,
and military and naval personalities, is treated in detail
throughout this comprehensive bibliography. By addressing Shay's
Rebellion, the Indian Wars of the Old Northwest, the Tripolitan
War, and other political and diplomatic events, the volume helps to
put into context the military trends and activities of an important
historical period. Each of the book's chapters has its own distinct
format, but all are linked through an extensive network of cross
references. The first chapter provides a general overview of the
entire period, detailed chronologically, with separate listings for
wars and events and appropriate subheadings for politics and
diplomacy, prisoners, and contemporary accounts. Chapters two and
three cover the United States Army and Navy, respectively, and
group their listings around subjects such as history, policy,
administration, personnel, and deployment. The fourth chapter uses
a subject and subtopic format in covering the militia, Canada, and
Indians, and the final chapter provides an alphabetical listing of
biographies. Extensive author and subject indexes are included.
|
You may like...
Israel Alone
Bernard-Henri Levy
Paperback
R417
R385
Discovery Miles 3 850
|