Why the Germans Lose at War (Paperback)
The Myth of German Military Superiority
(click here for international delivery rates)
Need a currency converter? Check XE.com for live rates
‘This book is a brilliant account of German military history which makes for thought-provoking reading.’ – Military Modelcraft International
The German armed forces suffered crushing defeat in the last century. Kenneth Macksey examines the reasons behind these catastrophic military failures. Were they the random fortunes of war, or the inevitable result of a particular structure, leadership and history?
A nation with few natural defensive boundaries, Germany traditionally had to struggle to survive, and developed an aggressive and militant outlook. Its great strengths were the brilliance of individual generals and military thinkers, the innovative development of the military forces, and the skill and tenacity of the fighting men.
Set against all this was a short-term war policy, a tendency to underestimate the enemy and believe its own propaganda, and the politicisation of the military staffs. These and many other factors were to lead Germany from nineteenth-century success, and dreams of world domination, to twentieth-century defeat.
A compelling read, well laid out and argued.
Miniature Wargames, November 2018 – reviewed by Chris Jarvis
As featured in
The Bookseller 6/10/17
About Kenneth Macksey
Kenneth Macksey served in WWII under the command of Percy Hobart, later writing the authoritative biography of that leader. Amongst many other books, Macksey wrote two volumes of alternate history, one dealing with the (successful) invasion of England by Germany in 1940 (Operation Sea Lion); the other describing a NATO-Warsaw Pact clash in the late 1980s.