Warfare in Europe 1815?914

The history of nineteenth-century European warfare is framed by the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815 and the outbreak of the First World War in 1914. The Crimean War and the struggles for Italian and German unification divide this century in two. In the first half, armies struggled to emerge from the shadow of Napoleon amidst an era of financial retrenchment, political unrest and accelerating technological change. The mid-century wars left an equally problematic legacy, including aspects that pointed towards 'total war'. The 26 essays in this volume examine these changes from a variety of innovative and fresh perspectives.

Contents: Introduction. Part I War in the International System: The 19th-century international system: change in the structure, Paul W. Schreoder; Global violence and nationalizing wars in Eurasia and America: the geopolitics of war in the mid-19th century, Michael Geyer and Charles Bright. Part II In Napoleon's Shadow: Organisation, Strategy and Tactics to 1870: Patterns of change and continuity in 19th-century warfare, Robert M. Epstein; The Bourbon army 1815-30, Richard Holroyd; The retaming of Bellona: Prussia and the institutionalization of the Napoleonic legacy 1815-76, Dennis E. Showalter; Prussian cavalry 1806-71: the search for roles, Dennis Edwin Showalter; The strategic challenge to the French engineers: 1815-51, P.G. Griffith. Part III The Mid-Century Wars and their Legacy: The Bavarian army and French civilians in the war of 1870-71: a cultural interpretation, Mark R. Stoneman; Facing 'people's war': Moltke the Elder and Germany's military options after 1871, Stig Förster; From deterrence to doomsday machine: the German way of war 1890-1914, Dennis E. Showalter; French tactical doctrine 1870-1914, Joseph C. Arnold; A situation of inferiority. French military reorganisation after the defeat of 1870, Alan Mitchell; The effects of the Cardwell reforms in army organisation, 1874-1904, Brian Bond; The vision of soldiers: Britain, France, Germany and the United States observe the Russo-Turkish War, Maureen P. O'Connor. Part IV Armies and Societies: Sons and lovers: popular images of the conscript 1798-1870, David M. Hopkin; The Habsburg army and the nationality problem in the 19th century, Gunther E. Rothenberg; Recruiting the Victorian army 1870-92, Brian Bond; Justice for the troops: a comparative study of Nicholas I's Russia and France under Louis Philippe, John Keep; The lower ranks in the peacetime regimental economy of the Russian army, 1796-1855, Elise Kimerling Wirtschafter; Peasants in uniform: the Tsarist army as a peasant soc

Peter H. Wilson