James R. Arnold - Böcker

This is the first English language account of the 1809 campaign for Vienna to weave stories of individual persons into the larger motif of the struggle to dominate Europe. The book explores three themes: the decline of Napoleon's powers, the rise of German nationalism, the end of the era of cavalry dominance of the battlefield and the ascendance of artillery. The campaign for Vienna led to Napoleon's first defeat on the battlefield. In May, Napoleon sat with his defeated army at the end of a long and imperiled line of communications. At the moment of crisis, he displayed his formidable talents and prepared a masterful counterstroke. The Battle of Wagram—a battle of unprecedented lethality—was a triumph for Napoleon and led to a peace which he dictated.In 1809 the world's undisputed military genius—Napoleon Bonaparte—confronted his implacable continental foe, the Hapsburg Empire. During the Vienna campaign of that year, Napoleon suffered his first defeat since becoming Emperor, but rebounded to win Wagram, a battle of unprecedented lethality. Referring to the strategic importance of the battles he fought, Napoleon reflected: My power is dependent on my glory, and my glory on my victories. My power would fall if I did not base it on still more glory and still more victories. Conquest made me what I am; conquest alone can keep me there. Even in the midst of a life and death campaign struggle against Austria, Napoleon continued to make nearly every decision of state on a daily basis. During his bath, while being shaved, when eating his meals, aides presented petitions and requests for his tireless attention: a second lieutenant asks to retain his French citizenship while serving in the Dutch army? Granted. Emperor Alexander I of Russia asks that an English prisoner of war who is a relative of his personal surgeon be released? Granted. If genius lies in the attention to detail, here was genius at work.The sun rose on April 24, 1809, to illuminate a continent at war. From Poland to Spain, some 600,000 soldiers awakened to duty. Nowhere was the concentration of forces greater than in the Danube Valley where Napoleon had determined to launch his blow against the Austrian Generalissimus, Erzherzog (Archduke) Karl. If Karl triumphed, most of Europe stood poised to pounce. Napoleon and the French Empire would be attacked from all quarters. If Karl failed, all Europe—except England and perhaps Portugal and Spain—would make whatever accommodations were necessary to survive under Napoleonic hegemony. The ensuing campaign led to Napoleon's first defeat at Aspern-Essling. So, at the end of May, Napoleon sat with his battered army at the end of a long and imperiled line of communications while Europe erupted around him. Yet, at the moment of supreme crisis, Napoleon displayed his formidable talents and prepared a masterful counterstroke. French and Austrian alike suffered horrific losses at Wagram, but at battle's end, Napoleon's commanding presence produced a French triumph. It was a victory so complete that the Emperor forced Austria into unwilling alliance and even took the daughter of the Austrian Kaiser to be his new wife. For one last time, the French conqueror redrew Europe's map.

This essential reference work helps promote a thorough understanding of the conflict that divided the nation and proved more costly in terms of human suffering than any in American history.Coinciding with the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War, American Civil War: The Essential Reference Guide offers an accessible, single-volume source on the conflict that helped define the American nation. Enhanced by historical illustrations and documents, this guide promotes a nuanced understanding of the events, personalities, and issues related to the war and its aftermath.In addition to an A–Z encyclopedia of major leaders, events, and issues, this work includes a comprehensive overview essay on the war, plus separate essays by a prominent Civil War historian on its causes and consequences. Perspective essays tackle such widely debated issues as the primary cause of the Confederate defeat and will inspire readers to exercise critical thinking skills. Biographies of military and political leaders provide insights about those individuals who played major roles in the conflict, while entries on key battles showcase the strategies of both sides as they struggled to emerge victorious.

The impact of the Cold War is still being felt around the world today. This insightful single-volume reference captures the events and personalities of the era, while also inspiring critical thinking about this still-controversial period.Cold War: The Essential Reference Guide is intended to introduce students to the tensions between the Soviet Union and the United States that dominated international affairs in the second half of the 20th century. A comprehensive overview essay, plus separate essays on the causes and consequences of the conflict, will provide readers with the necessary context to understand the many facets of this complex era.The guide's expert contributors cover all of the influential people and pivotal events of the period, encompassing the United States, the Soviet Union, Europe, Southeast Asia, China, the Middle East, Latin America, and Africa from political, military, and cultural perspectives. Reference entries offer valuable insight into the leaders and conflicts that defined the Cold War, while other essays promote critical thinking about controversial and significant Cold War topics, including whether Ronald Reagan was responsible for ending the Cold War, the impact of Sputnik on the Cold War, and the significance of the Prague Spring.

This historical reference highlights the people, diseases, and innovations that have impacted the health of soldiers and civilians during wartime, focusing on U.S. conflicts from early colonial skirmishes to the current War on Terror.This intriguing text examines the connections between war and health, addressing both the good and bad aspects of this relationship and tracing the evolution of medical practice under its influence. The work features 12 American military operations—from the Revolutionary War to the American Indian Wars to the Spanish-American War to the current War on Terror—and offers insight into the conflicts' contributions to medical advances as well as the unique health challenges presented during battles of the time. From George Washington's decision to inoculate his troops against smallpox to the development of modern plastic surgery techniques to treat disfigured World War I veterans, this valuable work illustrates the progression of medical practice from trial and error to scientific management. Cross-disciplinary essays profile each of the wars, and alphabetical entries cover such topics as the use of biological weapons, federal responsibility for veterans, and the influence of sickness and disease on military affairs.