The German Army and the Defence of the Reich
Military Doctrine and the Conduct of the Defensive Battle 1918–1939

An exploration of the development of military theory and doctrine in the German army between the wars.

Matthias Strohn (Author)

9780521191999, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 11 November 2010

292 pages, 13 b/w illus. 3 maps
22.9 x 15.5 x 2.3 cm, 0.6 kg

'Matthias Strohn's work is complex, detailed, and well situated. Moreover, the author deserves a great deal of credit for managing a huge cast of officers and politicians.' H-Soz-u-Kult

Historical research on the German army of the interwar period has concentrated on the development of the so-called 'Blitzkrieg'. However, Matthias Strohn shows that for most of the time the German army, restricted by the terms of the Versailles Treaty, was too weak to launch an offensive war or even effectively repel an invader. Accordingly, the army focused instead primarily on planning a defensive war against superior enemies, especially France and Poland. Making extensive use of German archival sources, Strohn explores the development of military thought and doctrine for the defence of Germany and shows how these ideas were tested in war games and staff rides. His findings comprehensively revise our understanding of the German army in this period, shedding new light on the ideas of leading figures in the German military and how events, such as the occupation of the Ruhr in 1923, influenced military planning.

Introduction and definitions
Part I. The Foundations of Defensive Warfare in the Inter-War Period: 1. Defence doctrine before the First World War
2. The lessons of the First World War
3. Military planning in the aftermath of the First World War
Part II. The Seeckt Era: Years of Ignorance: 4. Hans von Seeckt and the rebirth of the offensive
5. The manual Führung und Gefecht der verbundenen Waffen and the conduct of the defensive battle
Part III. Adapting to Reality 1923–33: 6. Military thought after the occupation of the Ruhr
7. Civil-military co-operation
8. The manual Truppenführung and the increased importance of defence
Part IV. Defensive Warfare in the Third Reich 1933–9: 9. Political ideology versus military reality: defensive warfare 1933–6
10. The rebirth of offensive warfare 1936–9
Conclusion: the defensive battle in the Second World War and beyond.

Subject Areas: Military history [HBW], 20th century history: c 1900 to c 2000 [HBLW], European history [HBJD]