On 6 November 1914, the German military ordered the arrest of between four and five thousand British men of military age then living in Germany and their internment at the Ruhleben racecourse near Berlin. This book looks at German internment policies within an international context, using Ruhleben camp as an example to illustrate broader themes.
This title is an account of the struggle between the Austrian and Italian armies along the Isonzo River during WWI. The battles of Isonzo were ferocious and caused over 1.75 million casualties. Schindler contends that the Habsburg Empire lost the war for military and economic reasons.
The Western Front dominates our memories of the First World War. Yet, a million and half men died in North East Italy in a war that need never have happened, when Italy declared war on the Habsburg Empire in May 1915. This is a tragic military history of a war that gave birth to fascism.
Investigates the causes and dynamics of conflict in the 'borderlands' of Eastern Europe (the Baltic republics, western Byelorussia and Ukraine, and Moldova), looking at these 'borderlands' as a whole and highlighting the common factors feeding conflict across the region, from the late 19th century to the break-up of the Soviet Union.
The US invasion of Iraq in 2003 was done mainly, if one is to believe US policy at the time, to liberate the people of Iraq from an oppressive dictator. However, the many protests in London, New York, and other cities imply that the policy of making the world safe for democracyA" was not shared by millions of people in many western countries.
Explores such theatres as the Balkans, Africa and the Ottoman Empire. This book assesses Britain's participation in the first World War in the light of what became a struggle for the defense of liberalism. It shows how the war shaped the short twentieth century that followed it.
A serious attempt to illustrate the humanity of the soldier on the Western Front, this title reflects World War I as they saw it: from first shot to last. These tales, told to fellow men in the trenches, behind the lines, at base hospitals and at the estaminets and billets during rest periods, have been recorded here.
By August 1916, the German Air Service was fighting a losing struggle. In response, an entirely new type of fighting formation came into being -the Jagdstaffel, of which the Jasta 2 was the most famous. This title examines the tactics, personalities and achievements of this ace squadron which finished the war with an immense 336 victories.
A study on one of the seminal events in military history dispelling many of the myths surrounding Cambrai 1917. It points out that the importance of Cambrai was that it was the first use of armour as an operational shock tactic and with this emergence of the pre-eminence of armour, the conduct of war was irrevocably changed.
On 8 August 1918, the Allied forces launched the surprise attack that heralded the end of the First World War. With skill and daring, 21 divisions of men breached the German lines, supported by 500 tanks and 1, 000 aircraft. This book considers the successes and failures of both sides in this conflict.
The soldiers 'football match' and the unofficial ceasefire of Christmas 1914 has become a legend of the Great War, but fraternization between enemy troops was actually widespread. This work explores the brief moments of humanity on all fronts during the long years of conflict.
The First World War was unique in being fought largely in trenches. Men ate, slept, fought, sang, prayed, and died there. This book brings together a collection of postcards which portray this strange subterranean world and provides a fascinating insight into the everyday lives of the men who fought one of the most gruesome wars in history.
The third battle of Ypres, was one of the most appalling campaigns in the First World War. A million Tommies, Canadians and Anzacs assembled at the Ypres Salient in the summer of 1917, mostly raw young troops keen to do their bit for King and Country. This book tells their tale of mounting disillusion amid mud, terror and desperate privation.
For most British people, the First World War was the Western Front, the trench line stretching from the Swiss Frontier to the North Sea. This account covers things from how the front was created and the experiences of the British Army in France, to the battle of Verdun and the last hundred days of the war.
Imperial Russia's massive, if finally fatal contribution to the Allied war effort of 1914-17 involved huge numbers of men and some of the greatest battles of the war. This volume provides illustrated detail on the range of uniforms worn by the troops who played central roles in these events.
Examines the circumstances that led to war and the naval arms race between Britain and Germany. This work also explores the major battles as well as the effects of unrestricted submarine warfare, the use of mines and torpedoes and the sinking of the Lusitania, and profiles key figures such as Fisher, Beatty, Tirpitz and Graf von Spee.
In 1915, the Turkish government systematically organized the wholesale slaughter of a complete race, the Armenians. Under the cover of World War-I, through the secret organization of unofficial gangs of Kurds, released prisoners, German officers and Turks who had lost their lands in the war against Balkans, over 1 million Armenians were murdered.
The story of the Paris Peace Conference of 1919, when for six extraordinary months the city was at the centre of world government as the peacemakers wound up bankrupt empires and created new countries. This book brings to life the personalities, ideals and prejudices of the settlement brokers.
The Great War not only destroyed the lives of over 20 million soldiers and civilians, it ushered in a century of huge political and social upheaval, led directly to the WW-II and altered for ever the mechanisms of governments. This book reveals a fresh pattern in the happenings of that fateful July and August, which leads in unexpected directions.
The aim of the battle of Verdun, in which 700, 000 men fell, along a front of fifteen miles, was less to defeat the enemy than bleed him to death. Presenting a study of the battle, this title shows Verdun as a key to understanding the First World War to the minds of those who waged it and the world that gave them the opportunity.
The battle for Ypres in 1914 represented the last opportunity for open, mobile warfare on the Western Front for the next four years. It was an end of innocence, marking the transition between war as it had been and war as it would become. This book aims to reappraise the conduct of the battle, its significance and its legacy.
The unmissable Sunday Times bestseller now in paperback. The first history of World War I to place centre-stage the British soldier who fought in the trenches, this superb and important book tells the story of an epic and terrible war through the letters, diaries and memories of those who fought it.
Whilst the war raged across Flanders fields, an equally horrifying and sometimes more dangerous battle took place underground. This title tells the story of the tunnellers' war, which remains one of the most misunderstood, misrepresented and mystifying conflicts of the Great War.
Discusses the concept of the Battlekreuzer. This book details individual ship histories with particular emphasis upon the German Groerkreuzers' battle experience and deployment in conflict, and it includes a variety of official records and uses personal first-hand accounts.
An account of World War I, this edition examines the experience of nations drawn into the conflict from the perspectives of both the Home Front and the Trenches. It explodes the myths and assumptions surrounding the course of the First World War and replaces them with an account of this 'seminal catastrophe of the Twentieth Century'.
A memoir of astonishing power, savagery and ashen lyricism that illuminates the horrors as well as the fascination of total First World War, presenting the conflict through the eyes of an ordinary German soldier. It provides an account of the terrors of the Western Front and of the sickening allure that made men keep fighting on for 4 long years.
The battle of Amiens was the turning point of World War I, confirming to all that the strategic initiative had decisively returned to the Allies. The battle heralded the arrival of new strategic, tactical and operational methods of attack for the Allies.
Talks about notions of what it is - or perhaps was - to be "English". Such notions are highly relevant as Britain's involvement in the so-called war against terrorism promotes questions about what it means to be "British" in a multi-cultural, multi-faith society.
There is no bitter snarl nor self-pity in this novel about the air war of 1914-1918, based largely on the author's experiences. Combat, loneliness, fatigue, fear, comradeship, women, excitement - all are built into a vigorous and authentic structure by one of the pilots of the then Royal Flying Corps.
During World War One the French Army was in a state of disarray, plagued by indiscipline, mutinies and desertion. The ordinary French citizens that were called upon to defend their motherland - the Poilu - were disrespected and demoralized. This title charts the history of the Poilu.
Looking at the events in their historical context, this book casts light on one of the world''s famous maritime disasters. Using accounts of the tragedy, it answers the unanswered and controversial questions surrounding the Lusitania such as why didn''t Cunard listen to warnings that the ship would be a target of the Germans? And more.
Designed in a rush at the end of 1917 just in time to take part in the German standard fighter competition held in January/February 1918, the D VII walked away with first prize. This work outlines the exploits of the German aces that fought in the aerial battles in the final years of the Great War.
The Fokker D was the best German fighting scout of World War 1, flown by leading German aces such as Udet and Goring. This work provides detailed text outlining the exploits of the many German aces that fought in the numerous battles during the final stages of the Great War.
Presents an account of the composition, structure and organisation of the First World War German Army. This book examines various aspects of the army. Topics covered include: High Command and War Leadership; Composition of Army Groups, Armies; and Organisation of the Field Army.
As cousins, George V, Kaiser Wilhelm II and the last Tsar Nicholas II should have been friends - but they happened also to rule Europe's three most powerful states. This potent combination together with their own destructive personalities led to their own dramatic fallouts and falls from grace, and also to the outbreak of the First World War.
The First World War has been described as the "primordial catastrophe of the 20th century." Arguably, Italian Fascism, German National Socialism and Soviet Leninism and Stalinism would not have emerged without the cultural and political shock of World War I. The question why this catastrophe happened therefore preoccupies historians to this day.
Starting with the context and origins of the war, this work questions common assumptions about the nature of the First World War and how it has been consistently and, wrongly, perceived as an exercise in futility. It also covers the course of the conflict and its consequences for states, societies, and individuals.
Nicknamed 'Biff' by the pilots, the Bristol F2 Fighter enjoyed extraordinary over the Western Front in the final 18 months of the war. This book charts the development of the plane from its unpromising beginnings, to the revised model operating with a new kind of tactics.
* The first full-length study of a major World War One battle * 2008 the ninetieth anniversary of the Great War * An extremely readable campaign history in the style of Aurum's successful The Winter War (9781854109323) and The Greatest Battle (9781845132910)
Explores the myths of the infamous Somme battle and explains the underlying causes of the conflict. This book provides an overview of the events along the entire frontline, examining the actions of two British Corps, VIII at Serre and XIII at Montauban, to determine why the Somme epitomised the proverbial double-edged sword.
Presents key sections from Hew Strachan's "To Arms". The first half of this book approaches the issues from the perspectives of those who grappled with conflicting priorities and vital national interests. The second considers the responses of their peoples and the so-called 'ideas of 1914'.
An account of the 1916 Battle of Verdun, the bloodiest battle between the French and German forces during World War I. It explores the origins of the battle, the German and the French armies, their plans, and the battle and its aftermath, and takes a look at the battlefield today.
The first of a three-part study of the organization, uniforms, insignia and equipment of the German Army of World War I. It covers the troops who fought at Mons, Arras and 1st Ypres in 1914; at Neuve Chappelle, 2nd Ypres, Artois and the Argonne, 1915; and in East Prussia and Poland, 1914-15.
This volume examines the troops that fought during the climax of the war on all fronts - the last great battles of attrition in the West and the collapse of Russia in the East. Uniform changes during this period reflected the introduction of new tactics and weapons and new types of troops, such as tanks and assault battalions.
In an age before TV and radio the impact and importance of cartoon art was immense, especially when the only sources of information were silent cinema newsreels, posters, newspapers and books - all largely black and white. This book examines cartoons from both sides of the conflict, both in colour and black-and-white.
Following the early battles of 1914 along the Marne and in the Ypres salient. World War I rapidly transformed from a war of movement into one of attrition, with the opposing sides entrenching themselves in a line of fortified positions from the Flanders coastline to the Swiss border.
This work aims to explain World War I in a manner the lay person can understand, and more advanced readers will still find intriguing. The origins of the war, both diplomatic and social, are discussed and the reader is then taken through the major battles on the Eastern and Western Fronts.
A study of the Western Front in 1915, this book is a stinging indictment of incompetent generalship. The author explores the truth of the observation that British troops were "lions led by donkeys" and shows how appalling losses almost completely destroyed the old professional army.
A study by historians of the First World War considers various aspects of command at various levels on the Western Front. This book describes, if the British Army really had been led by donkeys, then how was the war won and how did the Army reach such a peak of military excellence in 1918?
Tells the personal experiences of British soldiers in combat during raids on German trenches, patrols and of 'going over-the-top'. Uncovering information from forgotten and obscure books, privately held diaries, and the voices of the soldiers themselves, this book includes some of the most horrific descriptions of the battle of the Somme.
Shows how Christmas was celebrated by British, Dominion and Empire troops in the front line on the Western Front, in the Middle East, the Dardanelles, Italy, Salonika and Africa, and the British intervention in Russia from 1918 to 1920. This book features illustrative material that is drawn from the personal recollections and interviews.
During WWI, Richthofen's Jagdstaffel 11 was flying superior Albatros and Halberstadt planes. Into the fray came 40 Squadron RFC with its problematic FE8s. The bravery and courage of men like Lionel Blaxland, Mick Mannock and their fellow pilots ensured the Germans did not have it all their own way. This book covers those hectic days.
A vivid account of the generals' planning and the troops' suffering in the largest, longest and bloodiest battle of World War I. It challenges the narrow horizons of military history and should challenge the reader's view of France, and the very nature of warfare.
The Fokker Eindeckers were the world's first true fighter aircraft. This volume charts the history of the Early German Aces in World War I, from development of the Fokker Eindeker and its early successes in late 1915 and early 1916, to the decline of the Fokker's superiority and the resurgence of Allied fighter aviation.
Undoubtedly the most famous of any nation's aviation units in World War I, Germany's first true fighter wing would always be associated with its first commander, the charismatic and revered Manfred von Richthofen. This book charts the World War I experiences of JG I.
A survivor, the author was captured by the Germans in June 1916 and became a prisoner of war until his repatriation in January 1919. In the Second World War, he was active in the French Resistance, was arrested and detained, and ultimately went into hiding. In this book, he offers a pacifist, internationalist perspective on war.
This is a day-by-day chronicle of the Somerset Light Infantry Battalion from August to December 1914, using the official War Diaries together with extracts from personal diaries and correspondence. It covers fighting, movements, trench life and the relaxation of a typical group of regular soldiers who came to be known as 'The Old Contemptibles'.
Flown by most leading British and Commonwealth aces, as well as by US aces, the Camel is considered to be the most famous aircraft of World War I. This work covers its combat use on the Western Front, in Palestine, on the Italian front, in the Home Defence role in the UK and in Russia.
In this work, the author presents the precise spots where the battle at Gallipoli took place with a range of contemporary photographs. It provides a link between past and present; from one century to the next; that the deeds of those whose bones lie buried in a foreign field shall not be forgotten.
Offers military analysis of the major battles, including: Ypres, Tannenburg, Gallipoli, Somme, Verdun, Passchendaele and Beersheba, with fascinating reviews of the tactics, key battles and instruments of war from Zeppelins, sea planes and destroyers to rifles, bayonets and pistols.
This text examines Italy's contribution to the Allied effort, and Lloyd George's plan for victory by an offensive on this front. Although his scheme was frustrated, the British troops were committed to holding the Italian line. This account covers the strategic considerations and the fighting.
A complete account of the Passchendaele campaign, establishing what actually occurred, what options were available, and who was responsible for the devastation. This edition includes corrections and a new preface indicating the results of research completed since first publication.
An account of the 1915-18 campaigns in the Balkans, which involved the British, French, Russian, Italian, Serbian, Montenegrin, Greek, Rumanian, German, Austrian and Bulgarian troops. It describes and illustrates all these forces, with photographs, orders-of-battle and insignia charts.
In this study of World War I the author presents the military conflict, the battles on land, sea and in the air, together with interpretations of military events. He also shows how the war also acted as an engine for social change which shapes our world today.