On the German Art of War: Truppenfhrung (Art of War)

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"An excellent translation of a groundbreaking doctrinal document.... The first to include the 1933 and 1934 components of the German manual.... The Editors Introduction can stand alone as an excellent secondary reference to the value and purpose of Truppenfhrung."Maj Michael A. Boden Armor "There are a handful of books every student of the military art should read. On the German Art of War: Truppenfhrung is one of them.... The editors have provided a valuable addition to the list of vital military readings."Dr. James Jay Carafano Field Artillery "Truppenfhrung represents the culmination of lessons learned from the German armys operational experience in World War I....On the German Art of War is a must read for anyone with either a professional or casual interest in German military history especially those who wish to understand how the German army enjoyed such success at the operational and tactical levels of warfare in World War II."Lt. Col Robert B. Bane Air & Space Power Journal "Excellent....The editors and their publisher have done the military history community a great service in issuing such a fine edition of this very important manual. It should become a standard reference for those interested in German performance during World War II as well as American doctrinal debates before that war and after the Vietnam War."Stephen A. Bourque Army History "Theres everything in here form how many trains can be loaded or unloaded at a railroad station to how to cope with a threat to ones flank. Very useful for anyone interested in the German Army and in tactics and operations."The NYMAS Newsletter "This volume is indispensable. Condell and Zabecki have done military historians a great service. Their translation is crisp and their notes informative. Students military professionalsanyone in fact interested in the development of modern warfarewill benefit from reading it."Robert Citino Truppenfhrung the twentieth-century equivalent of Sun Tzus Art of War served as the basic manual for the German army from 1934 to the end of World War II. This astonishing document provided the doctrinal framework for blitzkrieg and as a consequence for the victories of Hitlers armies. Rather than giving German military leaders a "cookbook" on how to win battles Truppenfhrung offered instead a set of intellectual tools to be applied to complex and continually changing battle conditions. The keys to understanding the psychology philosophy and social values of the German army that fought World War II are to be found here. This first complete English-language translation is annotated to help the contemporary reader understand its military and social context. CONTENTS: IntroductionD. Zabecki. TRUPPENFUEHRUNG PART I : 1933. Introduction. Order of Battle: Task Organization. Command. Reconnaissance. Security. Marches. Attack. Pursuit. The Defensive. Disengagement: Withdrawal. Delaying Action. Combat Under Special Conditions. Quartering. Cavalry. TRUPPENFUEHRUNG PART II: 1934. Armored Combat Vehicles. Air Defense Units. Communications. Chemical Warfare. Smoke. Obstacles. Armored Trains. Transport. Logistical Support in the Operational Area of Operations. APPENDIXES. German Infantry Division 1937-1938. Notational German Panzer Division 1935-1937. German Divisional Staff 1937-1938. Contents of U.S. Army FM 100-5. Field Service Regulations: Operations (1940). German Analysis of U.S. Field Service Regulations.