Tactics and Procurement in the Habsburg Military, 1866-1918
Offensive Spending
Authors: Dredger, John
Free Preview- Examines the primary causes of Habsburg defeat both in 1866 and in 1914-1918
- Provides fresh insight into the Austro-Hungarian military strategy, particularly in the build up to World War I
- Fills a gap in the gap in the historiography of Austro-Hungarian military history
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- About this book
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This book reveals the primary causes of Habsburg defeat both in the Austro-Prussian War and the First World War. The choice of offensive strategy and tactics against an enemy possessing superior weaponry in the Austro-Prussian War, and opponents with superior numbers and weapons in the Great War, resulted in catastrophe. The inferiority of the Habsburg forces in both conflicts stemmed from imprudent spending decisions during peacetime, rather than conservatism or parliamentary stinginess. The desire to restore the sunken prestige of Austria-Hungary and prove Habsburg’s great power status drove the military to waste money on an expensive fleet, and choose offensive tactics to win great victories. This study shows the civil-military interaction in regard to funding and procurement decisions as well as the deep intellectual debates within the army, which refute the idea that the Habsburg military remained opposed to technology or progress
- About the authors
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John A. Dredger is Vice-Principal at Assumption Academy in Walton, USA. Having studied at Kansas State University, he has taught History for twenty-five years.
- Reviews
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“Big, populous and industrialized, modern Austria-Hungary was a military cellar dweller, defeated by Prussia and Italy in 1866 and by Russia and Serbia in World War I, despite massive German support. In this careful study, John A. Dredger searches for the reasons for this military futility and finds them in a culture that prized courtiers over professionals, deference over innovation, flash over substance and cheap fixes over sensible reforms.” (Geoffrey Wawro, University of North Texas, USA)
- Table of contents (8 chapters)
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Introduction
Pages 1-12
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The Problems of 1866: Tactics, Weapons, and Money
Pages 13-47
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1866–1876: First Steps Toward Progress
Pages 49-98
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Adapting in Bosnia-Hercegovina
Pages 99-131
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From Progress to Reversion
Pages 133-174
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Table of contents (8 chapters)
- Download Sample pages 2 PDF (338.1 KB)
- Download Table of contents PDF (93.8 KB)
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Bibliographic Information
- Bibliographic Information
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- Book Title
- Tactics and Procurement in the Habsburg Military, 1866-1918
- Book Subtitle
- Offensive Spending
- Authors
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- John Dredger
- Copyright
- 2017
- Publisher
- Palgrave Macmillan
- Copyright Holder
- The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s)
- eBook ISBN
- 978-3-319-57678-7
- DOI
- 10.1007/978-3-319-57678-7
- Hardcover ISBN
- 978-3-319-57677-0
- Softcover ISBN
- 978-3-319-86222-4
- Edition Number
- 1
- Number of Pages
- IX, 303
- Topics
