Markkrigföring

The follow-up to Finland at War: The Winter War, this is the astonishing David and Goliath story of Finland's military history during World War II as, heavily outnumbered, they held off the Soviet invadersIn the aftermath of the Winter War, Finland found itself drawing ever closer to Nazi Germany and eventually took part in Operation Barbarossa in 1941. For the Finns this was a chance to right the wrongs of the Winter War, and having reached suitable defensive positions, the army was ordered to halt. Years of uneasy trench warfare followed, known as the Continuation War, during which Finland desperately sought a way out, German dreams of victory were dashed, and the Soviet Union built the strongest army in the world. In the summer of 1944, the whole might of the Red Army was launched against the Finnish defences on the narrow Karelian Isthmus. Over several weeks of fierce fighting, the Finns managed to halt the Soviet assault. With Stalin forced to divert his armies to the race to Berlin, an armistice agreement was reached, the harsh terms of which forced the Finns to take on their erstwhile German allies in Lapland.Featuring rare photographs and first-hand accounts, this second volume of a two-part study, publishing in paperback for the first time, details the high price Finland had to pay to retain its independence and freedom.

With an Introduction by Angus Calder.As Angus Calder states in his introduction to this edition, 'Seven Pillars of Wisdom is one of the major statements about the fighting experience of the First World War'. Lawrence's younger brothers, Frank and Will, had been killed on the Western Front in 1915. Seven Pillars of Wisdom, written between 1919 and 1926, tells of the vastly different campaign against the Turks in the Middle East - one which encompasses gross acts of cruelty and revenge and ends in a welter of stink and corpses in the disgusting 'hospital' in Damascus.Seven Pillars of Wisdom is no Boys Own Paper tale of Imperial triumph, but a complex work of high literary aspiration which stands in the tradition of Melville and Dostoevsky, and alongside the writings of Yeats, Eliot and Joyce.

An in-depth look at one of the biggest set-piece battles and one of the most decisive in European history pre-WWI.Growing friction between the centuries-old Austrian Empire, self-styled guardian of Germany, and the smaller but more dynamic Prussian Empire led to war between the two countries. In June 1866, three Prussian armies crossed into Bohemia, and brushed aside the hastily assembled Austrian forces that stood in their path. The battered Austrians fell back to the town of Könnigrätz (now the Czech city of Hradec Králové) on the River Elbe, where their reserves were waiting. The battle began on 3 July and resulted in a Prussian victory.Expert historian Angus Konstam explores this critical battle of the Austro-Prussian War, examining what the Prussian victory meant for the political landscape and how it led to the modern German state. Featuring stunning artwork, detailed maps and period images, this book also highlights how advanced Industrial Age technology played an important role, and how more modern tactics fought against the old style.

Built for mobile antitank firepower, the Marder family combined the superb 7.5cm antitank gun with existing light tank chassis. Fully illustrated, this studies their design and use.The appearance of T-34 and KV tanks in 1941 forced the Wehrmacht to field a more powerful antitank gun, the 7.5cm PaK 40. Although an excellent weapon, the towed gun was heavy, awkward to employ, and vulnerable to enemy counter-fire. At the same time, many light tanks had become obsolete even though their chassis was still useful.In this book, armor expert Steven J. Zaloga presents a study of how these obsolete tanks and the superb new gun were combined to create the Marder family of tank destroyers. The Marder I used captured French Chenilette Lorraine chassis, and subsequently other French light tanks such as the Hotchkiss H39 and FCM36, while the Marder II was based on the PzKpfw II chassis. The Marder III was the most significant of the new types, built on the Czech PzKpfw 38(t) chassis. The Marder family reached its peak production in 1942, constituting over 18 percent of new German Panzers, and production ended in 1944.Packed with rare photos and original artwork, this book explores the designs, capabilities, and employment of the Marders, as well as the little-known and largely unsuccessful late-war attempts to produce further self-propelled 7.5cm PaK 40 vehicles on half-track, armoured car and tractor chassis.

Leading expert Mark Galeotti explores the undeclared war in the Donbas in 2014, illuminating the long-running Russia-Ukraine crisis.The emerging and undeclared struggle for Ukraine's south-eastern Donbas region that erupted after the Russian annexation of Crimea was at once an insurgency, a proxy war and a direct Russian intervention. At first, it was a struggle largely between local insurgents and Russian volunteers on the one side, and local security forces and pro-government militias on the other. Over time, Ukrainian government forces assumed a growing role – and so too did Russian regulars. Over the next year, back-and-forth struggles continued as neither side was able to assert themselves until the conflict settled into an uneasy, bad-tempered and ultimately unstable stalemate.Expert historian Mark Galeotti explores the war in the Donbas in 2014–15, detailing the eclectic mix of combatants and the mix of set-piece battles, scrappy insurgency and plain street brawls. With new artwork, detailed maps and diagrams, this book dives into the causes of the conflict, which only effectively froze in mid-2015 with the Minsk II peace deal, and shows how this played a role in the 2022 invasion.

This absorbing study describes and illustrates the US, British, Japanese, French, Italian and Czechoslovak troops deployed to North Russia and Siberia at the height of the Russian Civil War.Between March 1918 and late 1920, a multinational force was deployed in the former Russian Empire’s Arctic Circle and in Eastern Siberia, becoming drawn into the Russian Civil War. American, British, Canadian, Czechoslovak, French and Japanese troops all took the field as the victorious Allied Powers sought to intervene in the unfolding struggle between the Bolsheviks and their opponents. In this book, Phoebus Athanassiou surveys the main operations conducted by the expeditionary forces before covering the organization, weapons and equipment of each of the contingents involved. Eight plates of specially commissioned artwork reveal the appearance of these troops, many of them World War I veterans, as they lived and fought in the challenging environment of North Russia and Siberia.

The story of the ‘Winter War’ between Finland and Soviet Russia is a dramatic David versus Goliath encounter.When close to half a million Soviet troops poured into Finland in 1939 it was expected that Finnish defences would collapse in a matter of weeks. But they held firm. The Finns not only survived the initial attacks but succeeded in inflicting devastating casualties before superior Russian numbers eventually forced a peace settlement.This is a rigorously detailed and utterly compelling guide to Finland's vital, but almost forgotten role in the cataclysmic World War II. It reveals the untold story of iron determination, unparalleled skill and utter mastery of winter warfare that characterised Finland's fight for survival on the hellish Eastern Front. Now publishing in paperback, Finland at War: The Winter War 1939–40 is the premiere English-language history of the fighting performance of the Finns, drawing on first-hand accounts and rare photographs to explain just how they were able to perform military feats that nearly defy belief.

A compelling and in-depth history of one of the world’s greatest armoured warfare commanders, Hermann Balck (1897–1982).During World War II, Balck commanded panzer troops from the front line and led by example, putting himself in extreme danger when rallying his soldiers to surge forward. He fought battles that were masterpieces of tactical operations, utilizing speed, surprise and a remarkable ability to motivate his men to achieve what they considered to be impossible.We follow his journey through the fields of France, mountains of Greece and steppes of Russia. In Greece, through flair and innovative leadership, his soldiers overcame every obstacle to defeat determined Australian and New Zealand soldiers defending the narrow mountain passes. Balck personally led his men to victory in battles at Platamon Ridge on the Aegean coast and in the Vale of Tempe, before entering Athens.This is also the story of a cultured and complex man with a great love of antiquity and classical literature, who nevertheless willingly fought for Hitler’s Third Reich while remaining strangely detached from the horrors around him. The book is the result of extensive research of primary and secondary sources, including Balck’s battle reports and first-hand accounts written by Allied soldiers who opposed him, panzer division war diaries and campaign assessments, and declassified Pentagon documents.

By the end of 1944 the Wehrmacht had been pushed back to the borders of Germany and the Army's defensive efforts increasingly relied on ad-hoc units scraped together from depleted tank and infantry formations. Despite the dire strategic situation and the ever-crumbling front, industrial output had in fact been expanded and manpower losses were somehow made good. Battered regiments were rebuilt and new units were created and the real striking power of the Panzer battalions was now the Pzkpfw V Panther, perhaps the most effective armoured vehicle produced by Germany during the Second World War. In Dennis Oliver's latest volume in the TankCraft series he uses archive photos and extensively researched colour illustrations to examine the later models of the Pzkpfw V Panther tank and the units that operated this deservedly famous armoured vehicle during the savage defensive battles against the Soviet army during the last weeks of the war. A key section of his book displays available model kits and aftermarket products, complemented by a gallery of beautifully constructed and painted models in various scales. Technical details as well as modifications introduced during production and in the field are also examined, providing everything the modeller needs to recreate an accurate representation of these historic tanks.

This is one of the most significant military books of the twentieth century. By an outstanding soldier of independent mind, it pushed forward the evolution of land warfare and was directly responsible for German armoured supremacy in the early years of the Second World War. Published in 1937, the result of 15 years of careful study since his days on the German General Staff in the First World War, Achtung Panzer! argues how vital the proper use of tanks and supporting armoured vehicles would be in the conduct of a future war. When that war came, just two years later, he proved it, leading his Panzers with distinction in the Polish, French and Russian campaigns. Panzer warfare had come of age, exactly as he had forecast.This first English translation of Heinz Guderian's classic book - used as a textbook by Panzer officers in the war - has an introduction and extensive background notes by the modern English historian Paul Harris.

Written by one of the world's leading experts on the Eastern Front, this captivating history explores the final battle for Berlin and the heart of Germany. This sweeping saga takes us from the banks of the River Oder as the Red Army begins it relentless drive towards the still beating heart of the Third Reich: Berlin. Only the Seelow Heights stood between the Soviet forces and the capital. Over the course of three days in May 1945 almost one million Soviet troops would attack these final entrenched positions. Once these defences were breached it was guaranteed that a bitter street-by-street battle would take place in the city itself between a vengeful Red Army and desperate, fanatical Nazis until final capitulation. Using vivid first-hand accounts, Prit Buttar reveals the brutal combat that defined the final death throes of the Third Reich.Not only was the outcome of the war at stake. As the Red Army rolled into Berlin this was already a foregone conclusion even if it would take its toll in blood. Already battle lines for the forthcoming Cold War were being drawn. Stalin, fearful that the Western Powers would not honour their agreements, was determined to have boots on the ground to ensure his control of what would become the Soviet occupation zone. Berlin: Endgame 1945 is the brilliant account of the ferocious climax to World War II and a chilling prologue to the Cold War.

The 'Lion of the North', King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden, was one of the major players in the Thirty Years War of 1618-48.In 1630 Gustavus - the last champion of the Protestants - crushed the Catholics at Breitenfeld in a victory widely viewed as the fulfilment of a prophecy foretelling the defeat of the eagle (the German Emperor's emblem) by a golden lion. Killed in battle at Lützen only two years later, Gustavus nevertheless won fame for his technical and tactical innovations.The first of two volumes, this book examines the equipment, uniforms and organization of the infantry that comprised Gustavus's army.

Much of the fame of Gustavus Adolphus has founded upon his cavalry.He is said to have reversed the stagnation of European cavalry warfare, giving it back fluidity and vigour. Like much 'Gustavus mythology', however, the truth may well be quite different. Richard Brzezinski explores the truth behind the myth, in an attempt to find the real story of Gustavus's cavalry.Their organization, arms, armour, tactics and uniforms are examined in a text accompanied by many illustrations, including eight fine full page colour plates by Richard Hook.

The book aims to provide the reader with a state-of-the-art introduction to classic and modern military theory. The text accounts for the most important theories within the field by developing and analyzing these theories, as well as problematizing both their normative and explanatory aims. While focusing on military theory, the book does not only reflect a single way of relating to knowledge of war and warfare, but furthers learning by introducing contrasting perspectives as well as constantly criticizing the theories. There is a clear need for an introductory text for the entire field of military theory that focuses whole-heartedly on the theories – not on their context or how they are expressed in practice during war. This book covers such questions as how we should understand the changing character of war, the utility of force and how the pursuit of political ends is achieved through military means. It draws upon and illustrates military thought through a wide-ranging number of examples from the Napoleonic Wars to the current war in Afghanistan. This book will be of great interest for students of military theory, strategic studies, security studies and defence studies.

Zulu military organisation was extremely sophisticated.Warriors were organised into regiments with some form of basic uniform and shields were state-manufactured and owned. Yet, in spite of this sophistication, firearms were ill understood, and between 1816 and 1906 the Zulus maintained their primary reliance on hand-to-hand fighting.In this book Ian Knight investigates Zulu weaponry in detail, and also their society, beliefs and rituals, particularly with regard to ceremonies conducted before and after battles. Tactics, dress and customs are also carefully examined, making this a thorough account of the Zulu warrior.

This colourful study investigates the Byzantine and Seljuk forces that fought in a series of battles with profound implications for the Middle East during the 11th and 12th centuries.The Byzantine defeat at Manzikert in one of history’s pivotal battles resulted in the victorious Seljuk Turks pushing west to the Bosporus. Byzantine appeals for aid sparked the First Crusade, as the Byzantines and Seljuks continued to fight their own private war for control of the Anatolian peninsula (present-day Turkey).In this account, Si Sheppard examines the fighting men on both sides of this critical struggle, as the Byzantine armies stabilized their Empire’s eastern frontier, reclaiming control over the coastline, while the Seljuk forces tightened their grip in its interior. Placing the two sides’ struggle in the wider political and military context, he shows how this war of raid and counter-raid periodically flared up into full scale military commitments by both sides; the outcome of this stand-off hung in the balance, hinging on one wrong move, one decisive victory.Incorporating carefully chosen photographs, specially drawn maps and vivid original artwork, this book also analyses the battles of Manzikert (1071), Philomelion (1116) and Myriokephalon (1176), three decisive encounters that determined not just the ultimate fate of the Anatolian peninsula, but the Levant to its east and Balkans to its west for centuries to come.

Illustrated throughout, this is the first book to study the Soviet and German armoured forces that fought the campaign for the Eastern Front’s vital oilfields. Although Sixth Army’s battle for Stalingrad dominates accounts of the German summer 1942 offensive, the parallel thrust by von Kleist’s elite First Panzer Army actually came closer to Hitler’s main strategic objective of 1942: the Caucasus oilfields. In this book, military historian William E. Hiestand presents an analysis of the armoured forces that fought this campaign. The Germans struggled with difficult terrain, stiffening Soviet resistance, and extraordinarily long lines of communications, but the campaign would see the Panzers battle into the mountains and towards the Caspian Sea, marking the Wehrmacht’s deepest thrust eastward. The Soviet defenders had to make do with tank brigades of obsolete T-26s and inferior T-70s, with limited T-34s and KV-1s, as most T-34 production was funnelled towards Stalingrad. However the Western Allies had opened the Persian Corridor to the USSR, and the Caucasus defenders made extensive use of Lend-Lease Valentine and M3 Lee tanks. Illustrated with rare photos and detailed new profiles of the tanks on both sides, this book explores how armour fought the campaign, until the collapse of German forces around Stalingrad forced von Kleist’s Panzers to retreat, ending German hopes of securing the vital oil.

An authoritative analysis of how Putin's Russia conquered the Crimea in 2014 using 'grey zone' warfare techniques, blending operations by anonymous special forces with cyber, sabotage, and propaganda. Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 was almost bloodless – fought as much through propaganda, cyberattacks and subversion as by force of arms – but it is crucial for our understanding of both modern warfare and recent Russian history. Ironically, this slick triumph eventually led to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the largest and costliest conventional war in Europe since 1945.This is a fascinating account of the Crimea conquest from a supremely qualified expert on modern Russian forces. Illustrated throughout, it explores how Russia developed its new model of ‘hybrid’ or ‘grey zone’ warfare, and planned and deployed it against Crimea, from the choreographed appearance of ‘spontaneous’ protesters through to the deployment of unbadged Russian elite forces. In this book Mark Galeotti explores the lessons that Russia, Ukraine, and the West took from it – correctly and mistakenly – and how this apparently textbook operation sowed the seeds that would erupt so catastrophically in 2022.

Richard Freiherr von Rosen was a highly-decorated Wehrmacht soldier and outstanding panzer commander. His memoirs, richly illustrated with contemporary photographs, including key confrontations of World War II. After serving as a gunlayer on a Pz.Mk.III during Barbarossa, he led a Company of Tigers at Kursk, later a company of King Tiger panzers at Normandy and in late 1944 commanded a battle group (12 King Tigers and a flak Company) against the Russians in Hungary in the rank of junior, later senior lieutenant (from November 1944, his final rank.) ?? Only 489 of these King Tiger tanks were ever built. They were the most powerful heavy tanks to see service, and only one kind of shell could penetrate their armour at a reasonable distance. Every effort had to be made to retrieve any of them bogged down or otherwise immobilized, which led to many towing adventures. The author has a fine memory and eye for detail, his account is easy to read and not technical, and adds very substantially to the knowledge of how the German Panzer Arm operated in the Second World War.

Get up close to more than 400 of the most important tanks and armoured vehicles ever built.In 1916, the British built a machine that was impervious to enemy fire, and could dominate the battlefield, crushing obstacles and barbed wire in its path. The first tank, or "Mother" as it was known, had arrived. In The Tank Book you can view it in detail, along with other iconic models, including the German Panzer, the legendary Tiger, the Vickers Medium Mark II, the Centurion, and the Hellcat - the fastest armoured fighting vehicle ever.This comprehensive volume takes you through the most exciting story in recent military history with the development of heavy artillery, anti-tank weaponry, and the men - such as Sir William Tritton and Mikail Koshkin - who designed these awe-inspiring beasts. It shows each key model in stunning detail, highlighting elements such as their armour and weaponry, and much more besides.Produced in association with The Tank Museum, The Tank Book traces the tank's development in response to two world wars, Korea, Vietnam, the Cold War, and many other conflicts. If you are interested in modern warfare, The Tank Book is truly unmissable reading.

A detailed look at the 1983 American invasion of Grenada, the largest and most significant US military operation since the end of the Vietnam War.When a hardline Marxist faction overthrew Grenada’s existing communist regime in October 1983, a coalition of Caribbean countries requested US military assistance. With many American students on the island, President Ronald Reagan and military leaders were forced to plan the operation with minimal warning and poor intelligence. Operation Urgent Fury – the US invasion of Grenada – began on October 25, and was the only time that President Reagan deployed American ground forces in combat during his presidency.This was the first major deployment of the post-Vietnam all-volunteer force and involved the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and special forces. Despite international criticism and UN disapproval, the US maintained that rescuing the American citizens trapped in Grenada was reason enough to invade. This book examines the tricky political situation Reagan faced, the three-day battle against Grenadian and Cuban forces, and how this operation led to the modernization of the US military and prepared it for post-Cold War conflicts. With detailed maps, diagrams, and stunning artwork, this book explores the legacy of this small but crucial military campaign in US history.

'Kershaw’s book is a welcome rebalancing; a thoughtful, well-researched and well-written contribution to a narrative that has long been too one-sided and too mired in national mythology.' - The TimesThe British evacuation from the beaches of the small French port town of Dunkirk is one of the iconic moments of military history. The battle has captured the popular imagination through LIFE magazine photo spreads, the fiction of Ian McEwan and, of course, Christopher Nolan’s hugely successful Hollywood blockbuster. But what is the German view of this stunning Allied escape? Drawing on German interviews, diaries and unit post-action reports, Robert Kershaw creates a page-turning history of a battle that we thought we knew.Dünkirchen 1940 is the first major history on what went wrong for the Germans at Dunkirk. As supreme military commander, Hitler had seemingly achieved a miracle after the swift capitulation of Holland and Belgium, but with just seven kilometres before the panzers captured Dunkirk – the only port through which the trapped British Expeditionary force might escape – they came to a shuddering stop. Only a detailed interpretation of the German perspective – historically lacking to date – can provide answers as to why.Dünkirchen 1940 delves into the under-evaluated major German miscalculation both strategically and tactically that arguably cost Hitler the war.

The army of Charlemagne and his successors enabled the western Franks to recreate what contemporaries regarded as a 'reborn' western Roman empire.Frankish society was well prepared for war, with outstanding communications drawing together the disparate regions of a large empire. The role of mounted troops, the essential striking force of the Frankish army, is explored here. Alongside it was the impact that new technology, such as stirrups, had on warfare in this period.Illuminating a much-neglected area of history, this book shows how the role of cavalry grew in prestige, as the Carolingian armoured horseman gave way to the knight of the early 10th century.

A detailed guide to the tanks and armored vehicles of Russia and Soviet Union, including hundreds of historical images along with color profiles.      This is a remarkably comprehensive illustrated history of the Soviet and Russian armored branch. Readers will learn about virtually every tank and armored vehicle that has been deployed from WWI to the present day, even including some obscure prototypes.  Armor enthusiasts will gain great insight into both the technical details and operational use of these vehicles in the Russian Civil War, WWII, the Cold War, and the 21st-century conflict with Ukraine. The inclusion of the advanced T-14 Armata brings this book fully up to date with modern technology.  Along with hundreds of historical photographs (both in B&W and color), each vehicle entry features a large color profile of the type. Packed with content, this book is useful reference for historians, modelers, and gamers alike.

This fully illustrated study pits Germany’s Panzer I against the Soviet T-26 in the Spanish Civil War.In 1936, as Spain descended into civil war, both Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union sent tanks to aid the opposing sides, keen to see how they fared in combat. Armed with twin machine guns, Germany’s Panzer I fought alongside Nationalist troops, while the 45mm-armed Soviet T-26 took the field with Republican forces, with captured examples soon equipping the Nationalists. In this book, Jacek Zabielski reveals the origins, development and combat history of these two types, which remained in front-line service in 1941 as Hitler’s forces invaded the Soviet Union.While both types were soon outclassed by better-armed and -armoured successors, the lessons learned in Spain would shape German and Soviet combined-arms doctrine on the Eastern Front during and after Operation Barbarossa. Featuring specially commissioned artwork, full-colour mapping and archive photographs alongside the authoritative text, this study reveals how the Panzer I and T-26 performed in battle, and their technical and tactical influence throughout World War II.

A highly illustrated look at the failed German and Finnish plan to capture Murmansk, and its consequences on the rest of World War II.After taking Narvik in 1940, the Germans then deployed further north and took up positions on the Finnish border by June 1941. As part of the larger Operation Silver Fox, Operation Platinum Fox was conducted by a force of German Gebirgsjager, commanded by General Eduard Dietl. Murmansk was critical as it was the only port open year-round and it routinely had Allied convoys arriving to supply materiel to the Russians. The nickel deposits in nearby Finland also had to be protected and defended as they were crucial to German armament production. Due to the inhospitable environment, Dietl found his avenues of approach limited. Numerous river lines would have to be bridged but the Russian Northern Fleet began to land soldiers to threaten the German lines of communication. After failing twice to cross the Litsa River, Dietl attempted a third try in September, but the Russian soldiers were ready to fight back.Here, historian David Greentree explores this lesser-known but strategically vital campaign in the Arctic. This was a resounding failure for the German and Finnish troops – Dietl lost over 10,000 men for 15 miles of ground. With stunning artwork, period images and detailed maps, this book highlights why Operation Platinum Fox failed and how that affected the remainder of the war.

The announcement of the imminent withdrawal of the British Royal Navy's ice patrol ship HMS Endurance in early 1982 prompted the Argentinian Junta in Buenos Aires to plan a military grab of the Falklands-a siege they assumed would succeed with little resistance.Such an adventure was attractive as a distraction for the Argentine public at a time of political unease. In April the Junta, led by Gen. Leopoldo Galtieri, made its move.This fascinating book examines the history, organization and equipment of the Argentine forces that battled for control of this remote British outpost.

France was to call up a total of 1,600,000 men during the Napoleonic Wars, of whom a mere 600,000 were to survive.For those conscripted into service, one of the better fates would be recruitment as a cavalryman. Napoleon's dragoons were not just any band of individuals sorted and labelled cavalrymen; they were mounted infantrymen, trained to be adept with both musket and sabre, and proud of that distinction. Originally mounted for the sake of mobility but generally fighting on foot, they evolved into an army equally at home sabring at the charge as firing dismounted.

The chasseurs, being the indigenous French light horse, can perhaps therefore be equated best with the infantry demi-brigades of this period.A half-trained, unprofessional, make-shift collection, they made up with zeal what they lacked in experience, a qualification which in no way diminished the importance of their role within Napoleon's all-conquering army.Emir Bukhari's fine text examines the dress and equipment of Napoleon's line chasseurs, plus the histories of individual regiments in a volume containing a plethora of illustrations and diagrams including eight full page colour plates by popular artist Angus McBride, showing a variety of uniforms in admirable detail.