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In autumn 1621, at a fortified camp near Khotyn (Chocim), in the Principality of Moldavia, allied Polish, Lithuanian and Cossack armies faced a large Ottoman army led by Sultan Osman II. It was the concluding act of a war that had started with the defeat of a Polish army at Cecora one year earlier. As such it was actually part of the longer conflict, waged over the Commonwealth's and the Ottoman's influence over Moldavia. Throughout the whole of September and the first half of October 1621, the allied army managed to defend their camps against Turks, with both sides taking heavy losses from the hardship of the siege operations and worsening weather conditions. The conflict ended with the Treaty of Khotyn (9 October 1621) which did not particularly favor either of the sides. All the same, stopping the Ottoman was seen as a huge success for the Commonwealth, while attitudes on the Ottoman sides were far from victorious. The aftershock of the war led to the rebellion of janissaries in 1622, resulting in the overthrow and murder of Sultan Osman II.The book focuses on the Khotyn campaign of 1621, describing the day-by-day actions of the combatant armies - assaults, sallies and raids - during the whole of the siege. Additional theaters of war, such as Cossack operations from the summer of 1621 and Tatars raids against the Polish interior, are described as well. The reader will also find here details of the organization and strength of the fighting armies, information about the battle dispositions of the troops at Khotyn and commanders leading the troops. Actions leading to the outbreak of the open conflict between the Commonwealth and the Ottoman Empire are explained in a separate chapter, providing a good historical background of the war. Another chapter covers the outcome of the war and the ways that influenced the internal and external situation of both the Commonwealth and the Ottoman Empire.As with his previous works, the author has utilized a large number of primary sources: from the diaries of soldiers taking part in the campaign, through chronicles, official letters and documents from the period to army musters. Among the documents used are not only those written by Poles and Lithuanians, but also documents from Cossacks, Germans and Ottomans. Modern works, especially from Polish and Ukrainian historians, have also been used, in order to provide the most up-to-date and in-depth research. As this topic has previously not had much coverage in English, this book will be a valuable addition to the library of anyone interested in the history of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, in Zaporozhian Cossacks and in the Ottoman Empire in the early seventeenth century.

Enriched with previously unpublished documents, this serves as an essential resource on the Great Northern War for historians, museum professionals, artists and military history enthusiasts.This book is a continuation of the special series devoted to the Swedish Army from the time of Charles XII. It examines in detail the uniforms and equipment of the Swedish cavalry during the Great North War. Based on iconographic and written sources, the development, changes, and differences in the uniforms and equipment of officers, non-commissioned officers, troopers and musicians, of both the Horse and the Dragoon regiments, as well as their horse furniture are covered.A separate chapter examines changes in the uniform of the Royal Drabant Corps. The book uses material from published studies and articles, as well as previously unpublished documents and other little-known illustrated material. The text is complemented by paintings, details of paintings, and engravings of Swedish cavalrymen created during the period of the Great Northern War. Many of the details from the paintings are shown here for the first time.The author has used numerous artifacts and portraits, as well as archive sources, on the theme of the Swedish army during the Great North War from the collections of Swedish museums as well as those of museums in both Russia and the Ukraine. As in the first volume dedicated to the Swedish infantry and artillerymen, the book presents photographs of various finds of items of Swedish equipment found on the battlefields of the Great North War.Additionally, the book presents many of the author's reconstructions of uniform items of the Swedish cavalry, in both color and black and white, especially created for this book. The presented information will prove invaluable to professional historians, museum staff, artists, participants in the various military-historical re-enactment societies, as well as to those enthusiasts who reconstruct the armies and battles of the Great North War on their wargaming tables.

Between 1639 and 1660, more than 1,000 places across England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales were fortified. These included towns and villages, castles and manor houses, as well as new places of strength. They ranged in complexity from the simple strengthening of existing medieval walls to the sophisticated re-fortification of major towns. Often overlooked in the context of European military engineering, and in terms of the so-called 'military revolution' of the period, the design and construction of the Civil War fortress progressed during the period, evolving from the basic ditch and rampart of the early years of the fighting to the massive stone-built citadels of the Protectorate. Over half of these so-called 'fortified places' witnessed some sort of military action, although it is wrong to conclude that the fortress warfare of the period was purely about sieges. The Town Well Fortified is a brand-new study which looks at the strategic and tactical importance of fortifications, and their influence on the respective war effort of all sides, particularly in terms of logistics, and the concept of 'protected corridors' which connected key locations and dominated campaigns. The book also places the fortress in its geographical context, and considers how the local topography influenced placement and design. Given the years of peace enjoyed by much of the Three Kingdoms prior to the Civil Wars, it is no surprise that fortress construction was heavily influenced by European practice, although the fortified landscape prior to 1639, including a heritage stretching back as far as Roman times (and beyond), was also important.The design and construction of the fortifications is also considered, both in terms of the theory, especially from the military manuals of the time, and then the practice, including several contemporary and eyewitness accounts. The book also examines actual numbers, locations, and types of fortresses, including an assessment of the type of fort known as a 'sconce'.Secondary sources have been re-examined, and brought together with ongoing research, including recent archaeological investigations (which, among other things, consider just how earthworks were built), in this ground breaking-study which offers a fresh interpretation of the subject of fortresses during the Civil Wars. The use of up-to-date research is reflected in the book's spotlight on the current and yet largely unpublished investigations at King's Lynn, London, and the Isle of Man. But the inclusion of findings from the Civil War Fortifications Register project ensures this book genuinely encompasses the whole of Britain and Ireland.This is the result of more than thirty years of research, including the author's thorough and ongoing study of London's fortifications, the King's Lynn under Siege archaeological project, and the results from the development of a register identifying every place fortified during the Civil Wars across the entire British Isles.

In the early seventeenth century the Principality of Transylvania was a new state, organized in the decades that followed the dissolution of the medieval Kingdom of Hungary, towards the middle of the sixteenth century. The rulers of Transylvania were vassals of the Ottoman Empire but enjoyed a considerable degree of autonomy in matters of domestic policy. The second half of the sixteenth century was a difficult period for the young state, caught between two warring factions, the Ottomans and the Habsburgs.In the first half of the seventeenth century the Principality of Transylvania underwent a process of international affirmation which culminated with its involvement in the Thirty Years' War. Prince Gabriel Bethlen (1613- 1629) implemented several military reforms that strengthened the professional elements of the Transylvanian army, and he recruited a regiment of German infantry that was kept in service for several decades. The traditional components of the Transylvanian army, such as the Nobility, the Székely and Saxon levies were maintained but their importance was reduced. George Rákóczi I (1630-1648), continued this policy and fought in the Thirty Years' War as an ally of Sweden and of France. These two rulers had transformed Transylvania into a regional power while still ensuring peace and prosperity inside the country. In 1657 Prince George Rákóczi II, attempted an ambitious military and diplomatic venture by attempting to take the throne of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. He had a strong army at his disposal; he secured alliances with Sweden, the Cossacks, Moldavia and Wallachia, but it was not enough. The campaign was a military disaster and most of the Transylvanian army was captured by the Tartars. In the meantime the Ottoman Sultan organized a punishment campaign that devastated the whole of Transylvania. In addition, in 1660, Transylvania lost its most important fortification on the Western frontier - the fortress of Oradea. The last decades of the autonomous Principality of Transylvania were marked by desperate efforts for survival under the constant pressure of neighboring empires. From a military point of view the focus shifted to organizing a defensive chain of fortifications provided with permanent garrisons and well supplied with modern weapons. This was not enough to stop the eastern expansion of the Habsburgs who managed, in a few years (1686-1690), to completely occupy Transylvania through shrewd diplomacy and a little military effort.The first chapter of this book offers a broad overview of the history of Transylvania and its rulers in the seventeenth century. The most important political events are presented in connection with social, economic and military developments. The second and third chapters are dedicated to the military organization of the Principality with detailed discussion of all its components - the military categories, weapons and equipment, recruitment of troops, mobilization, motivation and compensation, fortifications, military regulations and justice, et cetera. Campaigns and battles represent the main focus of the fourth and final chapter with detailed descriptions of some of the most important military achievements of Transylvania during the early modern age.

Studies of the campaigns of the 1775-1783 American War for Independence often suffer from a lack of understanding of the operational aspects of the armies involved. This collection of essays looks at many facets of military operations in America, showing how the armies (British, French, Spanish, German auxiliaries, and the nascent Continental Army) involved adapted their recruitment, training, tactics, and logistics to the specific challenges of this war. The European forces adapted - much more readily than they are given credit for - to the needs of this particular conflict. The British Army adopted a doctrine of open-order light infantry tactics and raised large numbers of Loyalist troops in the theater of war. The British government obtained the assistance of regiments from several German states, established military organizations that relied heavily on specialized skirmishing troops - jäger - and chasseur companies composed of picked men after the fashion of the British light infantry. The French government sent an expeditionary force from its regular army, while Spain largely employed colonial troops from its North American holdings; each of these armies faced significant logistical challenges while mounting major campaigns. Not least, of course, the American colonies rose to the monumental task of recruiting, training, and supplying an army created specifically for the conflict.This collection of essays examines various aspects of the problems faced by each of these forces, and the solutions that they achieved - British training of regulars and raising of Loyalist militia, German adaptation of tactics, French and Spanish logistics and campaigning, and American recruiting and conscription. The authors featured have distinguished themselves by their use of primary sources to re-examine aspects of the period's armies long obscured by assumptions or inaccurate generalizations. Throughout their writings conventional wisdom is challenged, and established assumptions are dispelled by well-documented evidence, showing the real strengths and weaknesses of wide array of professional and part-time military organizations involved in this world-changing war.

New research on an army that details the military system of Qing China, which fought a variety of enemies ranging from Ming Chinese, Mongols, and Tibetans to Russians and Western Colonial armies.This book describes and analyses the Manchu, or Qing, army in all its aspects. The emphasis lies on the Qing army in the seventeenth and early eighteenth century, because this is the time when the Manchu military system developed its own characteristics and reached maturity. Furthermore, having achieved this and in the process conquered one of the largest empires ever gained, the Qing army changed but little before c. 1850, when the Taiping War marked the beginning of the end of the Qing empire, as well as changed the character of the Manchu military system. In its heyday, the Qing army achieved a number of significant victories. First, it conquered Ming China. The Qing consistently achieved victories against numerically superior Ming armies. The Qing military operated as combined arms armies, successfully joining the various strengths of cavalry, infantry, and artillery. The Qing army was for cultural and historical reasons particularly strong in cavalry, as could be expected from a power that had incorporated numerous Mongols into its ranks. On the strategic level, this intimate level of cooperation with steppe nomads and the deep understanding thereby achieved of steppe politics and political systems of nomad states, enabled the Qing state to extend its borders further to the north and west than any previous sedentary ruler of China.In the tropical countries to the south of China, the Qing army experienced both victories and serious losses, especially to disease. In this they showed similarities with the various European armies of the time. The Portuguese colonial troops in southern China proved no obstacle to Qing conquests.Perhaps the clearest indication of the versatility of the Qing military system was its successful containment of the very active Russian expansion then underway. The two treaties of Nerchinsk in 1689 and Kyakhta in 1727 delimited the Manchu-Russian border exactly where the Manchus wanted it to be, and the border selected by the Manchus remained unchallenged until the second half of the nineteenth century. Indeed, the border delimited at that time forms the backbone of the national borders of the region to this day.In this book, Michael Fredholm von Essen presents new research on an army and military campaigns previously seldom described in English. He explains the development of the Manchu Conquest and Imperial Qing Armies and details the military system of Qing China, which until 1912 fought a variety of enemies ranging from Ming Chinese, Koreans, Mongols, Tibetans, Gurkhas, Burmese, and Vietnamese to Russians and Western Colonial armies.

Offers an overview of strategic skirmishes and overlooked battles alongside profiles of the contemporary masters of irregular warfare during the 18th century.Histories of the Seven Years War or French and Indian War tend to concentrate on the larger engagements. In the European theater, the attention goes to Rossbach and Leuthen (1757) or Minden (1759). By the same token, in the North American theater, historians tend to dedicate the most time to engagements such as the Battle of the Monongahela (1755), the attack on Fort Carillon (1758), later renamed Ticonderoga, or the battle on the Plains of Abraham (1759). One consequence of this focus on the larger engagements has been a general tendency to overlook the more constant war of raids, ambushes and scouting that pervaded in both theaters, what contemporaries referred to as the petite guerre or kleine krieg.Light Troops in the Seven Years War fills this gap by examining not only the conduct of these smaller, but at times operationally and even strategically significant engagements. It draws parallels between the theaters as well. The work surveys the development of irregular troops, sometimes referred to as light infantry, on both continents over the course of the eighteenth century. It goes to provide examples of these troops in action in the Seven Years War. Thus, the focus shifts from the major engagements listed above to smaller encounters such as the ambushes at Gundersdorf and Domstadtl (1758) in Europe. The raid constituted a relatively small attack, but one that had major operational, even strategic consequences. In the North American theater, the raid on Fort Bull in 1756 is examined, again, an often-overlooked engagement, but one with a significant impact, nonetheless.The book likewise highlights the careers of various practitioners, recognized by contemporaries, as masters at the conduct of irregular warfare. These figures include Johann Ewald, Andreas Graf Hadik von Futak, Simon-Claude Grassin de Glatigny, Gaspard-Joseph Chaussegros de Léry, Graf Nikolas von Luckner, Johann von Monkewitz and Robert Rogers.

"[O]f primary interest to readers of naval history, readers seeking information on less-covered aspects will enjoy these informative and interesting contributions." - Pirates and PrivateersContaining the proceedings of Helion & Company's inaugural 2022 Naval History Conference, this volume includes chapters from scholars experienced and young, and from across the world, on various aspects of the naval history of the Age of Reason and Revolution.This work contains its fair share of high seas action and naval operations, representing British, Spanish, French, and Italian perspectives: Mauro Difranceso explores the operations and effectiveness of the Venetian Armata grossa during the Second Morean War, and Albert Parker explores first how Spain utilized seapower during the 1730s-1740s, and then second assesses the French and Spanish Bourbon operations to supply and support the 1745 Jacobite Rising. Olivier Aranda pitches in to assess the success of the French navy's flying squadrons of the early 1790s, long neglected by French and English-language historiography.A particular focus is on naval operations in North American waters, and on the wider significance of those operations. R.N.W. Thomas provides an analysis of the North American Station in the 1760s/1770s, exploring how the navy was maintained and how it was utilized to enforce imperial policies in the pre-American Revolutionary period. Thomas Golding-Lee then examines the 'Nile that wasn't' and the French missed opportunity at the Battle of St Lucia (1778), and Nicholas James Kaizer highlights the historical lessons learned from three single ship actions of the War of 1812 where the Royal Navy displayed an appalling lack of leadership and skill in action, including a challenge to preeminent narratives of the Royal Navy in that conflict.Of course, naval administration, recruitment, and other aspects of manpower are well served. On the strategic level, Paul Leyland assesses the role played by Antwerp in British and French naval strategies and wider foreign policy. Andrew Young then examines the herculean role played by Anson as First Lord of the Admiralty in building up of the Royal Navy's administrative capacity. Joseph Krulder examines the state of affairs in 1754-1755, at the start of the Seven Years War, demonstrating that this process was far from complete by this stage, all while placing this period into its proper social context. And Andrew Johnston explores the changing trends in naval law through courts martial held from 1812-1818, demonstrating the navy rapidly moving away from 'rum, buggery, and the lash.'Next, three chapters address topics related to the social/cultural history of the Royal Navy: Jim Tildesley examines the career of Consul John Mitchell and his contributions to manning the fleet and supplying intelligence. Andrew Lyter explores the careers of black pilots serving with HMS Poictiers, long forgotten by history, and how they leveraged their vital knowledge to carve out identities as free maritime professionals. Finally, Callum Easton examines the careers and demographics of the Greenwich pensioners, veterans of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, and provides a fascinating picture of how society's views and stereotypes of these Jack Tars changed in the decades following the long eighteenth century.

Discover the gripping tale of the longest siege of the American Revolution, the Siege of Pensacola, as historian Joshua Provan intricately weaves together the military significance and sacrifices of this pivotal event in shaping the character of the United States.The Siege of Pensacola was the longest siege of the war in North America. It was the final act of Bernardo de Gálvez's remarkable Gulf Coast Campaign and stands out as a classic tale of warfare and sacrifice.In the final years of the American Revolution, the military situation was changing from a dogged stalemate to a crisis that the British or the Americans could turn to their advantage. France's entry as an active participant had highlighted the difficulties of the rebels' new alliance, not its strengths. The successful British defense of Savannah in 1779 drew British eyes southwards, and in 1780, Charleston fell, and Gates' southern army was crushed at Camden.It was a perilous moment for the rebellious colonies. British dominance in the south would give them a strong strategic position from which to prosecute the war. A ray of hope came from Spain, which had entered the war as a French ally in 1779. From then until 1780, British possessions from the Mississippi and along the Gulf of Mexico suddenly came under threat from the daredevil Governor of Louisiana, Don Bernardo de Galvez. By 1781, Pensacola was the last British-held post in West Florida.The British garrison in Pensacola was strong, and its commander, Major General John Campbell, was determined to defend his fort. If Gálvez's campaign was typical of those undertaken by the likes of Amherst and Montcalm more than 15 years before, then the siege itself was also a model of eighteenth-century grit, fieldcraft and chivalry.It was grim work, and both sides endured hardship and fatigue as the siege progressed. As Spanish reinforcements were slowly released from Havana, the British depended more and more on the assistance of loyalists and an auxiliary force of Creeks and Choctaws collected by their Indian Agents to oppose the Spaniards.The story of the siege of Pensacola and the Spanish and Spanish-American part in the Revolutionary War represents a different side to the struggle; far removed from Redcoats and Patriots, it is also a story of great drama, color and sacrifice that helped shape the character of the United States.Historian René Chartrand says that Joshua Provan is 'the first historian to really mix all the elements together and suggest the true military consequences of the siege on the War of American Independence. It has been mooted, but never this well demonstrated.

Suffren versus Hughes describes the fascinating but relatively little-known naval campaign between Britain and France for mastery of the Indian Ocean in the closing years of the War of American Independence. It is effectively the third volume of a trilogy recording the history of the Royal Navy during this period, the earlier volumes being Crisis at the Chesapeake (2021) and From Ushant to Gibraltar (2022).The contest for control of the sea was crucial to the maintenance of Britain's position in India. It was played out against the political, economic and military background created by the impact of the British East India Company upon the complex system of the various dynasties that ruled India, and which themselves competed with each other for advantage.Britain and France sent out squadrons of ships of the line which were at various times nearly equal in strength. In the course of their hard-fought campaign, these fought five battles, none of which produced the decisive victory which each sought. This campaign was remarkable not just for the strategic and tactical questions which it raised, but also for the light it shed on the characters and abilities of the respective commanders. Sir Edward Hughes and Pierre-André de Suffren were very different men, who brought to their commands contrasting approaches to the particular problems of naval warfare of the eighteenth century. Hughes was a very typical product of the traditions of the Royal Navy, a patient and careful exponent of all that he had learned from his training and experience. Suffren, on the other hand, was untypical of French admirals of the period; he was bold, aggressive and innovative, and impatient of the stately conventions of sea battles of the period.Each of them had extremely difficult problems to overcome, in addition to the fact that they were operating many thousands of miles from home, which meant that orders reached them months after they were first issued. Hughes faced considerable difficulties in his relationship with the various presidencies of the East India Company which ruled British India at this time. Suffren, on the other hand, who conducted the campaign for the most part without any effective base, was frequently badly let down by some of his captains, while the performance of his squadron demonstrated that the French navy was far less efficient than the British. For both men, a central problem was obtaining supplies, as well as that of effecting repairs to their ships some of which were extremely badly damaged during the battles which they fought.The two men had a very considerable respect for each other. However, while the life and career of Suffren has generated a huge literature, principally among French historians, that of Hughes has passed relatively unnoticed. Both men, though, deserved well of their countrymen for what they were able to achieve.

Covers the full scope of the French East India Company's military prowess and colonial influence, from its global trade dominance to its strategic triumphs in India and Africa.From the early seventeenth century a multitude of French East or West India companies holding overseas trade monopolies and privileges were active in various parts of the world, especially in Africa and Asia. From 1719, they were united into a single vast Compagnie des Indes (Company of the Indies) known to the anglophone world as the French East India Company. In reality it was far more than that, for its trade privileges also covered Africa, other places in Asia from Arabia to China, and North America. Besides a multitude of usually modestly fortified trade lodges and factories, these companies were the actual government representing the Kingdom of France over substantial parts of Africa, India and the Indian Ocean islands as well as Louisiana in America from 1716 to 1731. The profits were expected to cover government operations. The companies had the power to make war where they operated, and thus, private-sector military conflicts often occurred. They, therefore, maintained their own private armies and navies that were totally independent from those of the King of France. These private troops were usually very modest until the formation of the Compagnie des Indes in 1719. Thereafter, as the French company expanded and became involved in the politics of the crumbling Mughal Empire in India, especially during the rule of the imperial visionary Dupleix, the fairly modest number of European soldiers was greatly expanded by enlisting many thousands of Indian soldiers who were given European training, weapons and sometimes uniforms. It was at the 1746 Battle of Aydar that Compagnie des Indes' French soldiers and sepoys utterly defeated a far larger Indian princely army so that dominance of a European nation in India was assured. After a hard fight, though, that nation would be Great Britain thanks to the good and effective support of its government compared to the French disinterest in overseas matters by the late 1750s. Pondicherry fell in 1761, as Senegal in Africa had three years earlier. The Compagnie des Indes, however, went on for another decade until it closed its books in 1770.The monopoly companies had quite a variety of troops posted in many places. The port of Lorient in France was, from the later seventeenth century, the European troops' depot and training center. Some served as marines on the company ships, others in a multitude of forts and trading lodges on three continents. Their recruitment and command are described. In India, their tactical role multiplied and led to the creation of units of gunners, horse grenadiers, dragoons, hussars, and grenadiers, all with very distinct uniforms. There were sepoy, topas and caffre units as well as auxiliary allied princely armies in India, and trained auxiliary soldiers in Africa. The few royal army soldiers sent to India in the late 1750s are also considered. All Indian, African and metropolitan army troops are covered and described in this fully illustrated study.

Finalist, 2023 Army Historical Foundation Distinguished Writing Awards"...an invaluable read, not only for those with an interest in the Black regulars, but also for those seeking to learn more about the Army from the Civil War through the Great War." -- The NYMAS ReviewPrior to the 1960s, the term "Buffalo Soldier" was a fairly obscure one. Then, a trickle of titles became a torrent of books, articles, novels, monuments, and expanding numbers of historic sites along with museums all of which have changed the picture. Even an occasional nod from television and movies helped transform these once relatively little-known Black U.S. Army troops into familiar figures, who have taken their place in a mythic past. Indeed, powerful imagemakers from William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody and his Congress of Rough Riders to Frederic Remington, the dean of frontier artists, helped lionize the Black troops whose exploits brought them to the American West, Cuba, the Philippines, Mexico, Alaska, and Hawaii in the years between 1866 and 1916.Despite a significant shift in emphasis, numerous efforts treating this element of the vital, complex story of the post-Civil War U.S. Army frequently repeated earlier studies rather than added fresh perspectives. Also, the narrative typically ended with the so-called Indian Wars or Spanish American War. Many authors likewise dwelt on military operations rather than numerous other relevant contributions and activities of these men who played a role in the nation's complex evolution during the half century after the American Civil War.Profusely illustrated with compelling images and detailed maps, along with an array of appendices, this latest addition to the Buffalo Soldier saga represents over five decades of research by military historian John P. Langellier. Further, More Work an Glory: Buffalo Soldiers in the United States Army, 1866-1916 combines the best features of prior scholarship while enhancing the scope with new or underused primary sources.The author views the subject through the broader perspectives of race. He sets the text against the backdrop of the transition of the U.S. Army from a frontier constabulary to an international power. In the process, he highlights the staggering assortment of non-military missions including assignments to national parks and forests; road building; exploration; pioneer military bicycling; duty along the explosive border between the United States and Mexico; employment as agents of law and order, along with a litany of other contributions that enhanced an impressive combat record against formidable Native Americans and others. Langellier frames the narrative within the context of continuity and change from Reconstruction in the 1860s through the early twentieth century. Above all, he focuses on the soldiers themselves to provide a human perspective as well as challenges prevalent misconceptions that often overshadow more fascinating facts.

The most comprehensive account of the defeat of the French Imperial Army in the last 100 years, making use of previously unpublished Orders of Battle and casualty reports.This work, the third in a four volume series, takes a fresh and in-depth look at the events of the opening months of the Franco-Prussian War between Napoleon's Imperial Army and King Wilhelm's German armies, when within the space of four weeks in the summer of 1870 the established order was overthrown and Prussia laid the foundations for a military and political hegemony in Europe which led directly or indirectly to two World Wars.In preparing this work the author has drawn heavily on the numerous volumes of the French official account, La Guerre de 1870-71 published by the Section historique de l'État-major de l'Armée around the turn of the 20th Century, which in addition to making use of information not available to the authors of the earlier German official history also includes detailed annexes providing copious orders of battle, after-action unit reports and casualty records for almost every engagement. This excellent source material has been supplemented by the works of Lehautcourt and the memoirs of many of the French commanders with additional detail and analysis derived from the numerous official and semi-official Staff studies published during the 1880-90's. While many of the German works have been published in English few, if any, of the French works have been translated and their inclusion within this work will hopefully provide both a fresh perspective of events as well as providing a useful counterpoint to the somewhat 'Prussian-centric' viewpoints reflected in many previous works.Following on from the previous books in the series, the Opening Engagements and The Battles around Metz, the third volume take a fresh and detailed look at both the military and political background to this short but decisive campaign which saw French and German forces clash at Nouart, the encounter battle at Beaumont and the pivotal engagement of the campaign, fought between Marshal MacMahon's Army of Châlons and the combined German armies under General Moltke outside the walls of Sedan.The detailed narrative is complemented by extensive orders of battle and casualty lists derived from the French and German official histories and is accompanied by a number of maps together with color and black and white illustrations.

The Battle of Megiddo was not only the last large cavalry offensive in world history, but also a tribute to combined arms operations fostered over the course of the First World War. Fought between 19-25 September 1918, it was the final Allied offensive of the Sinai and Palestine Campaign. The contending forces were the British Empire's EEF (Egyptian Expeditionary Force) of three infantry and one mounted corps pitted against the Ottoman-German Yildirim Army Group which numbered three weak armies with the approximate total strength of a single enemy corps. Comparable to what General Erich von Ludendorff called the 'Black Day' of the German Army (opening of the Battle of Amiens, 8 August 1918) on the Western Front, the complete Ottoman defeat would have been impossible without the application of superior logistics. Whilst Megiddo did not determine the outcome of the war in the Middle East, the ramifications of the victory decisively shaped the post-war world in the region.

"...a very nice reference book that contains a well written informative text, many subject specific photographs and illustrations, well detailed captions and more..." -- ArmoramaThe importance of land transport vehicles within an armed force is often underestimated by the average reader, attracted by more 'martial' subjects such as tanks and artillery. Nevertheless, it was thanks to motorcycles, cars, trucks and tractors that - since the early years of the twentieth century - men, weapons, ammunition, provisions, fuel, equipment and orders were transported, all elements without which AFVs, guns and infantry are unable to fight.This first volume opens with a historical and technical introduction to the civil and military motorization in Italy from the 1920s to the end of the Second World War. This is followed by chapters dedicated to motorcycles, cars and light trucks. Each subject is described through its history, technical evolution and specifications, all supported by numerous contemporary photographs.It is common opinion that the Italian Army was beaten above all because of the poor quality of its combat vehicles. Actually, impartial and in-depth studies, made since the end of the war, have revealed that the main problem was the shortage of vehicles, as well as an entirely insufficient logistics chain. The tank crews were able to compensate with bravery and experience for the fact that their tanks were, from a certain point on, inferior to those of their enemies, but the inadequate number of AFVs and other material was impossible to remedy. The same problem plagued the entire sector of military soft-skinned vehicles, a sign of Italy's limited industrial capacity (and of procurement of raw materials and components) compared, for example, to its ally Germany. There were too few factories, too few skilled workers, and poor management skills within the armed forces.However, if quantity was lacking, the same cannot be said for quality. Many models of efficient, robust and resistant vehicles were produced, especially in the sector of the so-called 'standardized' motor vehicles, such as those mentioned above and others that we will see. These vehicles allowed the Italian troops to move and fight in the large and difficult territories of North Africa, the Balkans and the Soviet Union and which brought home what was left of the defeated soldiers.This is the first English-language study describing the soft-skinned vehicles of the Italian Armed Forces, starting from the 1930s, when Mussolini's Italy faced some colonial conflicts and participated - albeit unofficially - in the Spanish Civil War, and throughout the Second World War. For each vehicle there is a file describing its evolution and the main technical aspects, accompanied by one or more photographs and, for the most significant examples, line drawings. The work is enriched by a historical introduction, various appendices and color profiles.

An accessible account of medical services in Gallipoli and their development.The Fight for Life: The Medical Services in the Gallipoli Campaign 1915-16 examines the development of the medical services immediately prior to the First World War and its involvement in the failed Gallipoli Campaign. Although crucial to the entire operation, the planning for their involvement was both late and insufficient. In consequence, the services received considerable criticism both during and after the campaign. The Fight for Life explores the actual steps taken in the planning and the work carried out by the medical services at each stage of the campaign. Casualties sustained at the start of the Gallipoli operations were mainly combat-related but, as operations developed, there were a large number of sick caused by diseases such as dysentery and enteric fever. Much of this was related to poor sanitation, absence of water and the ever-present plague of flies. The causes of the diseases are examined and considered in light of the overall lack of success of the initial landings which prevented the routine development of sanitation, rest camps and base hospitals. The development of base hospitals is considered in respect to the increasing casualties arriving from the battlefield and the development of institutions in Egypt and later in Malta is considered in some detail. Early planning for such hospitals underestimated casualty figures and this was also a direct result of the lack of success during the first phase of the campaign. Further to this, the employment of hospital ships is explored together with the oft-criticized use of transports or 'Black Ships' for the same purpose. These vessels were a vital link in the treatment of the wounded and sick of the peninsula and in many cases they were forced to act as floating casualty clearing stations as their staff treated thousands, moving some to hospitals at both Lemnos and Imbros before sailing to base hospitals in Alexandria, Cairo or indeed Malta. The importance of nursing care aboard these ships is also considered, as nurses struggled to cope under adverse conditions.The harrowing winter 1915-16 storms are considered from the medical standpoint which added stress to a system working to cope with day-to-day casualties. The role played by the medical services in the evacuation of the peninsula is considered and the organization required for removal of casualties during the preparations cannot be overstated. Finally, a short analysis of the findings of the Dardanelles Commission as it applies to the medical services is provided.

The first detailed account of World War I's Battle of Langemarck from an Irish perspective.Having fought alongside each other with great success at the Battle of Messines (7-14 June 1917), the 16th (Irish) Division and 36th (Ulster) Division again fought side by side at the Battle of Langemarck (16 August 1917). On that occasion however, there was to be no success. Instead, an unmitigated disaster ensued resulting in the decimation of both divisions despite their tenacity and sacrifice. In A Bad Day I Fear: The Irish Divisions at the Battle of Langemarck, 16 August 1917, author Michael James Nugent investigates the causes of the failure to exploit the undoubted success of the Messines offensive which contributed to the delay between it and the opening of the Third Battle of Ypres. These were a general lack of urgency, misunderstandings and lack of clarity over assigned tactical objectives, mismanagement of artillery, tank and infantry assets and a failure to understand local geography.The unfortunate delay between the close of the Messines operations in mid-June 1917 and the opening of Third Ypres on 31 July enabled the German defenders to accelerate construction of reinforced ferro-concrete blockhouses and pillboxes that were to play an important role during the campaign. Their development and method of construction demonstrated the extent of the enemy defenses faced by the Irish divisions.The failure to break through the German defenses on 31 July led to the unplanned relief of XIX Corps' exhausted divisions by both Irish formations. This exchange ensured that 16th and 36th divisions held the front line under horrendous weather conditions and constant enemy shelling for two weeks prior to the 16th August attack. The result of this ordeal was weary and half-strength infantry battalions advancing to the assault at zero hour.This tragic affair is examined in detail from the perspective of each assault battalion by utilization of contemporary war diaries, personal accounts, official and regimental histories, enabling a coherent picture of the events of 16 August to be revealed for the first time. German sources are also employed as a means of presenting the 'other side of the hill' experience. Careful analysis of the severe manpower losses is included to emphasize the devastating consequences of a dreadful day that brought sorrow to many homes throughout Ireland.Finally, the controversial post-operation observations by General Sir Hubert Gough (GOC Fifth Army) concerning the performance of the Irish divisions are carefully analyzed to reach the determination that they were ill-advised and a poor attempt to deflect blame from the shortcomings of Fifth Army.

Muskets & Springfields is designed for playing big battles in the American Civil War and is not model scale dependent and uses the player's current basing system. The game is set at the operational level. The player is the army commander with sub command groups. This will be typically a Corps. In these rules a Corp is made up of several infantry brigades, mounted cavalry, and artillery batteries. If you wish you can also include Native American Indian warbands.The basic unit in wargaming terms is the infantry brigade, which are grouped into Corps or Divisions. The game system uses grids as the unit of measurement. The game space is broken into several square grids which represent 300 yards in ground scale. Taking a balance of the various drill guides of the period this is approximately equal to 600 men in two ranks. For a typical 6x4 playing space it is recommended a ratio width x depth of 1.5 x 1. A typical 6x4 table provides the following 12 (3600 yds) by 8 (2400 yds) of battlefield.Morale is handled at the corps level and attrition is held at the individual unit base. These rules have three levels of morale. This is not the usual average, veteran, elite often used. Instead, the format is designed to reflect the actual state of mind on the day. These are Unknown, Nervous and Steady. In a game, unless representing specific historical units all bases start as Unknown. The actual morale state is not known till the unit takes damage. The player then rolls against a chart which provides a score for the unit being Nervous or Steady. This is dependent on the year being played and if Confederate or Union. When a unit fails a morale check this is recorded against their parent corps. Once a corps reaches its break point it will then flee the battlefield. Attrition is held at the unit level. This represents loss of cohesion, battlefield casualties or supplies running low. A unit can absorb 6 hits before it is automatically destroyed.To facilitate a clean flow of play these rules also facilitate the use of sharpshooters and skirmishers. Turns use a bag-pull system in which it is possible for the non-active player to able to interdict the play.​

Explore the fascinating history on the purpose, design, and progress of fortifications and siegecraft across Europe, from the height of military engineering to the introduction of rifled artillery.Christopher Duffy's brilliant history of fortifications and siegecraft is the best general work available on the subject. It covers the classic age of military engineering, which was heralded by the work of Vauban, chief engineer to the French King Louis XIV. There was astonishingly little change in the way fortresses were perceived and used for the next 200 years until the advent of rifled artillery brought dramatic new ideas into play. Duffy examines the purpose of fortresses across Europe and the debates of the time concerning their offensive and defensive uses. He analyses the strategic and structural considerations that dictated their locations and describes how they were planned, designed and built and by whom. He then explains how a siege progressed from start to finish: plans and preparations, the investment of the fortress, the ways in which a fortress could be reduced short of a formal siege, and the siege itself at every stage, from the choice of the frontal attack to the storm of the breaches and capitulation. The differences in siting, design and techniques of attack and defense for coastal fortifications are also covered. Using excerpts from the accounts of people who took part in actual sieges or were themselves besieged, Duffy brings out the human side of siege warfare as well as its purely technical aspects. In order to give the overall picture, he traces four great sieges in their entirety: Namur in 1692 and again in 1695, with Vauban and his Dutch counterpart Coehoorn pitting their wits against one another; the French attack on Antwerp in 1832, which showed how little siegecraft had changed since Namur; and the Anglo-Dutch naval bombardment of Algiers in 1816. Duffy's clear perspective and skillful handling of details make Fire and Stone an enthralling book to read and an invaluable source of information.

Hellish tales of brutal combat on the Eastern Front from commanders, soldiers and survivors as the Latvian 15th SS division tries to hold back the Red Army's 1945 Vistula-Oder operation in Pomerania. This is the first of two books charting their epic, chaotic retreat in a pitiless war.

This volume covers the history of the British XXX Corps in the French Bocage as seen by the men who fought there from both sides of the fighting lines. It features hundreds of first-hand accounts from the men at the sharp end.

This unique work is devoted to the camouflage and application of identification marks and tactical designations on the aircraft of the Red Army Air Force in 1941.

Contains many info and photos of American and Soviet and also German aces and pilots (American and Soviet victors and victims of the Hungarian aces and German aces, who flew joint missions and claimed jointly with the Hungarians, including Erich Hartmann, the top ace of the war and aviation history).