Markkrigföring

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.

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.

A highly illustrated study of the T-72 main battle tank and variants, detailing its history from the Cold War Soviet Army through to the current War in Ukraine. The T-72 is one of the most recognisable tanks in the world. Produced in large quantities, it has seen service in numerous Middle Eastern and African conflicts, as well as the War in Yugoslavia and the current conflict in Ukraine. In this new study, respected Russian armour experts James Kinnear and Stephen “Cookie” Sewell tell the full story behind this iconic tank using extensive primary source material from Russian archives, much of which is appearing in English for the first time.The T-72 was originally developed in the late 1960s as a cheaper alternative to the recently introduced T-64 Main Battle Tank and entered service with the Soviet Army in 1974, becoming the most common tank used by the Warsaw Pact from the 1970s until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, with over 22,000 built for both domestic use and export.This new study contains over 300 photos detailing the history of the vehicle, as well as tables and data covering the weapons and systems used. It also covers related vehicles and systems such as artillery systems, engineer vehicles, bridge launchers, and recovery vehicles, as well as the unique heavy infantry support vehicles.

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.

A fully illustrated and expertly researched guide to the tanks of Hitler’s formidable war machine.The Panzers that rolled over Europe were Germany’s most famous fighting force, and are some of the most enduring symbols of World War II. However, at the start of the war, Germany’s tanks were nothing extraordinary and it was operational encounters such as facing the Soviet T-34 during Operation Barbarossa which prompted their intensive development. Tactical innovation gave them an edge where technological development had not, making Hitler's tanks a formidable enemy.Hitler’s Tanks details the development and operational history of the light Panzer I and II, developed in the 1930s, the medium tanks that were the backbone of the Panzer Divisions, the Tiger, and the formidable King Tiger, the heaviest tank to see combat in World War II. Drawing on Osprey’s unique and extensive armour archive, Chris McNab skilfully weaves together the story of the fearsome tanks that transformed armoured warfare and revolutionised land warfare forever.

An expert guide to the tanks that fought for the Axis in the Italian Campaign between 1943 and 1945, the least-known armoured campaign of World War II.World War II came to Italian soil in 1943 with the landings in Sicily, which the Wehrmacht tried to crush using substantial Panzer offensives. Over the next two years the Allies fought their way north, through some of the most difficult terrain of the war, until the final battles in the Po Valley in the spring of 1945. In this book, world armour expert Steven J. Zaloga offers a unique survey of Axis armour in the campaign, including the many types of tanks used, their roles and battlefield performance. The Italians deployed a variety of tanks on Sicily in 1943 including war-booty Renault R 35 tanks as well as their best tank destroyer, the Semovente 90/53, while a little-known rump Italian fascist army remained in combat until 1945, equipped in some cases with German tanks. Meanwhile Germany began its campaign equipped with leftovers from North Africa, but later deployed a much more substantial Panzer force. After the armistice Italy's industries continued to manufacture tanks for the Wehrmacht, giving it an exotic selection of both German and Italian tank types. Illustrated with superb new profiles and including many previously unpublished photos, this book is an essential guide to the tanks that fought the Axis’ least-known armoured campaigns.

The Deutsche Afrika Korps (best known as simply Afrika Korps) built up a well-deserved reputation as a superb fighting machine. While this was founded on the leadership and tactical genius of its legendary commander Erwin Rommel and the fighting skills of its officers and men, another vital element was its equipment in general and armour in particular.This superbly illustrated Images of War book reveals the full range of German armoured vehicles that saw service in North Africa over the two year period 1941 to mid-1943\. As well as the formidable panzers , such as the Tiger and Panther tanks, there were Sturmartillerie equipments, reconnaissance vehicles, half- tracks, armoured cars, Panzerkampwagens and motor cycles. All had their roles to play.While the Allies triumphed in North Africa ultimately, the combination of German design and engineering with superb generalship and fighting spirit, very nearly changed the course of the Second World War in 1942\. Military historians and equipment enthusiasts will find this a fascinating and authoritative book.

This colourful study describes and illustrates the troops of the Seleucid Empire in West Asia throughout its turbulent 250-year existence.Founded by the Macedonian general Seleucus I Nicator in 312 BC in the wake of the death of Alexander the Great 11 years previously, the Seleucid Empire came to control much of the territory conquered by Alexander in western Asia, and at its height reached from the Mediterranean to Afghanistan. The colourful armies fielded by Seleucus I and his successors are described and illustrated in this absorbing study of a major power at war in the ancient world.As the fortunes of their realm ebbed and flowed, Seleucid kings deployed vast armies recruited from diverse peoples that drew upon an array of military traditions, including the mighty phalanx, war elephants, scythed chariots and camel-mounted archers. Illustrated throughout with photographs and drawings as well as eight pages of specially commissioned artwork, this fascinating study draws upon a range of literary, archaeological and artistic sources to explore the organization, tactics, weapons and equipment of the varied units of Seleucid armies over two-and-a-half turbulent centuries in the ancient world.

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.

Russian expert Mark Galeotti provides an in-depth look at the siege that pitted Ivan the Terrible and Russia's first standing army against the Khanate of Kazan, leading to Muscovy's rise.The Khanate of Kazan, one of the greatest Turkic successor states to the Mongol Golden Horde, had for generations been a thorn in Muscovy's side, raiding its lands for slaves and plunder. The newly crowned Ivan IV, who would become known as Ivan the Terrible, was determined to end the threat once and for all, leading a massive army against Kazan in 1552, comprising the Streltsy (musketeers), Russia's first standing army, and a massive artillery and engineer train, including an English expert in siegecraft. Kazan was finally taken and brought directly into Muscovy's control, making it a truly multi-ethnic empire. The next four years would see a bitter guerrilla war against the Russians, but they were committed to the march south – going on to conquer the Astrakhan Khanate and the move east into Siberia, setting the scene for the rapid expansion of the Russian Empire under Ivan's Romanov successors.In this gripping tale of Russian history, expert historian Mark Galeotti explores the major land and river offensive that saw Kazan fall to Ivan the Terrible's Army. With colourful battlescenes, detailed 2D maps and 3D diagrams, this book showcases how this siege marked the rise of Muscovy and ultimately helped lead to the Russian state today.

An illustrated study of the big guns of Hitler's army – the Wehrmacht's field artillery, its capabilities and its role in German fighting units of World War II. Often overshadowed in military history by the tanks and aircraft of Blitzkrieg, Germany’s artillery was key to its methods of waging war throughout World War II. Field artillery remained the primary killer on the battlefield, often responsible for three-quarters of combat casualties inflicted.Redressing the balance, this book surveys the major Wehrmacht guns of the war, and the basic organizational structure of the German field artillery. Its primary focus is on the divisional field guns, especially the lFH 18 10.5cm field howitzer and the 15cm sFH 18 field howitzer that formed the backbone of German artillery. A brief survey is also made of the infantry guns used at the regimental level, and of corps-level heavy artillery. The issue of the use of"Beutewaffen,” captured war-booty field guns, is also looked at, as is the Nebelwerfer and schwere Wurfgerät rocket artillery. With archive photos and meticulously detailed new illustrations, this book provides a concise study of the German Army’s big guns of World War II, how they were organized and how they were used, both on the Eastern and Western fronts.

Organised chronologically by type, Russian Tanks of World War II offers a highly-illustrated guide to the main armoured fighting vehicles used by the Red Army during World War II. The book offers a comprehensive survey of Soviet AFVs, from the pre-war T-18 light tank and BT fast tank series to the heavy Joseph Stalin tanks and self- propelled guns of the final months of the war. All the major and many minor tanks are featured, including every significant variation of the T-26 light tank, KV series and T-34 to see action on the Eastern Front. There are also chapters on the many types of self-propelled guns developed by Soviet industry, as well as Allied Lend-Lease AFVs, such as the British Churchill and Valentine tanks and American Sherman and Stuart tanks. Each featured profile includes authentic markings and colour schemes, while every separate model is accompanied by exhaustive specifications. Packed with 120 newly-commissioned, full-colour artworks with exhaustive specifications, Russian Tanks of World War II is a key reference guide for military modellers and World War II enthusiasts.

Refitted and reorganized after the Normandy campaign, the 12.SS Panzer Division ‘Hitlerjugend’ participated in the Ardennes Offensive in December 1944. Tasked with covering the right flank of the offensive, the division fought hard, facing unexpectedly tough opposition from US forces. Despite repeated efforts and heavy losses, it never came close to a breakthrough. By the end of January 1945, when American reinforcements surged the front, the division had been pushed back to its starting positions. Next, in early March, the division took part in Operation Frühlingserwachen on the Eastern Front, an attempt to recapture the Hungarian oilfields. After initial success the advance was ground to a halt by increasing Soviet resistance. On 16 March the Soviets counterattacked, threatening to encircle the German forces. The 12.SS was involved in desperate rearguard fighting until driven into full-scale retreat towards Vienna. On 8 May 1945 its 10,000 survivors surrendered to the US forces. Proud and defiant to the bitter end, they refused to raise white flags, ignoring orders to the contrary, and marched into captivity in perfect formation as if on parade, with their vehicles bearing their national flags.

Packed with rare and unpublished photographs, this is a new history of the Red Army’s tracked artillery tractors that were pivotal to its success in World War II.The development of artillery tractors in the 1930s was integral to the industrial development of the Soviet Union. The tracked tractor plants at Chelyabinsk, Kharkov and Stalingrad were built specifically to industrialize the Soviet Union as well as to mechanize the Red Army, particularly the artillery.This new study by Russian armour expert James Kinnear tells the story of these artillery tractors. How they suffered horrendous losses in the opening months of the war but continued to be built and their numbers were bolstered by Lend-Lease tractors, primarily of American origin. At the end of the war, the same slow-moving and cumbersome artillery tractors that had served with the Red Army in the dark days of 1941 towed their heavy artillery pieces at a steady pace all the way to the streets of Berlin.There has been a resurgence of interest in recent years in these military workhorses and wrecks have been exhumed and restored, while Soviet factory and operational records have also become available. This new research is used here for the first time in English, alongside unpublished images, to tell the remarkable story of the artillery tractors that delivered Red Army artillery into combat throughout World War II.

The Tiger I and Tiger II tanks are probably the most famous German armoured fighting vehicles of the Second World War and despite the relatively small numbers produced, the heavy Panzer units of the German Army played a key role in the battles fought in North Africa, Italy, the Western Front and particularly in the East. In the seventh and final book on the Tiger in this series Dennis Oliver examines the first tanks that left the production line to go into service on the Eastern Front in an effort to break the Russian defences around Leningrad. As reinforcements steadily arrived, the same units played an important part in the blunting of the Soviet offensive efforts and in the retaking of Kharkov in eastern Ukraine in early 1943, a tactical achievement that is studied in military academies around the world today. In addition to archive photographs and painstakingly researched, exquisitely presented colour illustrations, a large part of this book showcases 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 the Tigers of 1942 and early 1943.

Tiger tanks were among the most-feared fighting vehicles of the Second World War and they gained almost legendary status, yet they never fulfilled their potential because they were not produced in sufficient numbers and the tide the war had turned against the German army by the time they were introduced. Often they were deployed in difficult circumstances and in defensive battles, struggling against the odds. Nowhere was this more true than in western Europe during the Allied advance across France and into Germany, and it is the Tigers of this phase of the war that Dennis Oliver portrays in his third volume on the Tiger in the TankCraft series.He uses archive photos and extensively researched colour illustrations to examine the Tiger tanks and units of the German Army and Waffen-SS heavy panzer battalions that struggled to resist the onslaught of Allied armour and air attacks during the last days of the conflict.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.

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.

Along with thousands of his compatriots, Wladyslaw Anders was imprisoned by the Soviets when they attacked Poland with their German allies in 1939\. They endured terrible treatment until the German invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941 suddenly put Stalin in the Allied camp, after which they were evacuated to Iran and formed into the Polish Second Corps under Anders command. Once equipped and trained, the corps was eventually committed to the Italian campaign, notably at Monte Cassino. The author assesses Anders performance as a military commander, finding him merely adequate, but his political role was more significant and caused friction in the Allied camp. From the start he often opposed Sikorski, the Polish Prime Minister in exile and Commander in Chief of Polish armed forces in the West. Indeed, Anders was suspected of collusion in Sikorski s death in July 1943 and of later sending Polish death squads into Poland to eliminate opponents, charges that Evan McGilvray investigates. Furthermore, Anders voiced his deep mistrust of Stalin and urged a war against the Soviets after the defeat of Hitler.

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.

Examines and analyses how the Soviet tank forces that fought at Stalingrad were rejuvenated in the months leading up to the battle, and the role they played in this iconic campaign. The Stalingrad campaign was a major turning point of World War II. The German Sixth Army’s 22 divisions and 250,000 troops were encircled and destroyed, while the Soviet 62nd Army’s desperate defense of the city and the suffering of the starving German troops receives much justifiable attention. Here, Soviet armor expert William E. Hiestand draws attention to the less-covered element of the battle: the reborn Soviet tank and mechanized corps that delivered the death blow to Hitler’s hopes. He explains how in summer 1942, the Soviet tank forces were failing to reach their potential; despite being equipped with superb T-34 and heavily armored KV-1 tanks, the Red Army’s newly formed tank corps were unable to integrate their armored thrusts with supporting infantry and artillery, and their disjoined attacks were repeatedly shattered. By November 19, however, Soviet organization, command and control, training, and tactics had matured, allowing the Fifth Tank Army to launch the decisive penetration through the Romanian Third Army.Packed with rare archive photos and superb profiles of the tanks involved, this book shows that it was at Stalingrad that the Red Army’s armored spearhead evolved into a force that could dominate the Eastern Front.

Illustrated with detailed artworks of Wehrmacht vehicles and their markings with exhaustive captions and specifications, The Essential Vehicle Identification Guide: Panzergrenadier Divisions, 1939–45 is the definitive study of the equipment and organization of Germany’s motorized army divisions during World War II. Organized chronologically by division and formation date, the book describes in depth the various models of tank and other armoured and soft vehicles in service with each panzergrenadier division, with listings of unit commanders, vehicle types and numbers, and unit structures. Each divisional section is further broken down by campaign, accompanied by orders of battle, a brief divisional history of the campaign, and any specific unit markings. Every motorized division is featured, including the elite Grossdeutschland and Hermann Göring divisions. With information boxes accompanying the full-colour artworks, all drawn to the same scale for easy comparison, The Essential Vehicle Identification Guide: Panzergrenadier Divisions, 1939–45 is a key reference guide for modelers and military history enthusiasts with an interest in the motorized divisions of the Wehrmacht.

Renowned authority M. C. Bishop investigates the origins, development, manufacture, decoration and use of the Roman cavalry helmet.Roman cavalry helmets of the Republican period at first differed little from the infantry helmets and identifying them proves a challenging but not impossible task. In this study, M.C. Bishop reveals how changes to the Roman Army under the Principate at the end of the 1st century BC, not least the incorporation of auxiliary forces, brought changes, with cavalry and infantry helmet types soon diverging. Notably, the Principate saw the introduction of face-mask helmets specifically for use in the hippika gymnasia, a form of combined mounted training and display manoeuvres.As with Roman infantry helmets, contact with Eastern cultures led to completely new types of cavalry helmet being introduced. As this study shows, this simplified helmet manufacture and ultimately led directly to a variety of post-Roman helmet types found, among others, with Saxon and Viking warriors. All of these types are described and illustrated in this ground-breaking work, featuring eight pages of specially commissioned full-colour artwork. This timely and accessible book builds on new finds and the latest research to chart the origins, evolution and legacy of the Roman cavalry helmet.

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.

Through World War II the US Army worked on projects for new heavy tanks, which are charted in this illustrated study of the M6 and the never-built T14, T28, and Pershing-derived designs.In this book, world-renowned armour expert Steven J. Zaloga examines the US Army's efforts to field a heavy tank in World War II. The first design was the M6, which never saw combat use despite being type classified. The heavy T14 assault tank, earmarked for the British under Lend-Lease, was also developed, while the M4A3E2 assault tank went into production as a stopgap for the 1944 campaign in France. The most outrageous US tank project of the war was the T28/T95 superheavy tank, which was so large that it required four sets of suspension bogies instead of the usual two. The M26 Pershing medium tank program also spawned a number of heavy tank projects, such as the T29, T30 and T34, which are also examined. Although production of these was envisioned in 1945–46, the end of the war put an end to any possibility of serial manufacture. Nevertheless, these tanks were heavily influenced by World War II lessons and their development and technical features are examined. Illustrated with rarely seen archive photos and meticulously illustrated new profiles of the key designs, this book traces the US Army’s efforts to develop heavy tanks comparable to the German Tigers, and the reasons why such monstrous machines were never required.

Airborne operations have often been called a vertical envelopment, and therein lies one of the best descriptions of their value.The essence of an envelopment is to pin the enemy in place so that it can be destroyed. A strong enemy force to one's rear disrupts supplies and communications and makes one more vulnerable to an attack from the front. It also has a major psychological impact. To an aggressor the value of airborne troops, used properly, far outweighs their numerical strength.Bruce Quarrie's engaging text tells the story of the German airborne troops of the Second World War.

The southeastern people were the descendants of ancient prehistoric Native American cultures, and were probably on the decline when first known to Europeans.Despite being poorly reported in popular histories, they have been well described by several early European traders and by a number of well-known American ethnologists who collected details of surviving native culture in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The white man's expanding plantation society and the tragic removal of the Native American population to Indian Territory saw the end of this farming, hunting and trading culture.This title examines the absorbing history and culture of the native peoples of the southeastern United States.

This history of the Catholic armies of the Habsburg Empire that fought in the Thirty Years' War explores the role of cavalry during the last major religious war in mainland Europe, which saw the end of the large mercenary forces and the beginnings of the well-disciplined national army.This book charts this progression, illustrating and explaining the forces of the key Catholic armies, while exploring the organization, tactics, and colourful uniforms of the cavalry forces as they were expertly wielded by the great captains of the period including Tilly, Condé and Gustavus.

'[An] excellent account.' - Richard Overy, The TelegraphShortlisted for the Military History Matters Book of the Year Award 2024A ground-breaking history of the siege of Leningrad, masterfully brought to life by a leading expert using original Russian and German source material.Starting in September 1941, the Red Army and the civilian population of Leningrad endured a bitter 900-day siege, struggling against constant bombing, shelling, and starvation inflicted by the encircling Axis forces. The Soviets made repeated, but unsuccessful, bids to break German lines and reach the city, failing to end the siege but nevertheless defying the odds to construct and defend the ‘Road to Life’ over the frozen Lake Ladoga, across which meager supplies were transported to the embattled garrison. Although they defeated Russia’s Second Shock Army twice over, the German infantry divisions were also steadily eroded, their resources and morale depleted under the pressure of near-constant assaults and battles.With To Besiege a City, Eastern Front historian Prit Buttar interweaves first-hand accounts with revelatory research to deliver the first major history of the siege of Leningrad in over a decade, expertly analyzing strategic failings on both sides while simultaneously detailing the horrific realities of daily life during a merciless war.

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.