The German Way of War

[Homer Hodge]

I recently read Robert M. Citino's new book, The German Way of War: From the Thirty Years' War to the Third Reich . This is the latest of a series of excellent books the author, a history professor at Eastern Michigan University, has written on military art and doctrine in an historical context. Citino focuses on Bewegungskrieg, or war of maneuver at the operational level, to describe and demonstrate continuity in the Prussian and German conduct of campaigns from the late 17th Century up until 1941. A major, if not the primary, characteristic of Bewegungskrieg was the independence of the commander (what is usually called Auftragstatik or mission-type orders today). Citino's choice to end his book at 1941 is due to his conclusion (a correct one in my view) that after Barbarossa, the independent authority of higher level commanders to determine the means and methods that they chose to accomplishment their respective missions was precluded by the "micro-management" style of Hitler's as well as der Fuehrer's military staff from 1941 until the end of the war.
In sum, if you have an interest in the historic roots of Germany's conduct of maneuver warfare at the operational level, I think you'll enjoy as well as learn from this book.
Homer

[J.von Canon]

This sounds interesting.And I hope it will make the "Reading List"at the War College & U.S. Infantry School(but doubt it will.)
What I see as one of the greatest setbacks in today's U.S. military is micro-management...U.S. colonels & generals zipping around at 5000+ feet AGL.in circling choppers and making decisions on maps that should be made by NCO'S and junior officers ON THE GROUND...
It was a big problem in Vietnam and continues to be a big problem today.
I've always liked the German tactical emphasis on reacting quickly-even if it later proves to be incorrect,in hindsite.Wehrmacht officers,for instance,were criticised for slowness of response,as opposed to 100% "correct" solutions.
With the U.S. military "zero tolerance" for error-this makes U.S. leadership grossly over cautious in emplementing tactics..
I'll get off the soap box now...

[Homer Hodge]

I certainly agree with your comments. I saw the same thing during my Army service (1960-1980) including a tour in Vietnam. The emphasis on Auftragstatik as part of Air-Land Battle was supposed to solve that problem but unfortunately the "Zero Defects" mentality of the leadership worked against that concept. I think the Marine Corps with its "Maneuver Warfare" doctrine, has been more successful but even they still haven't quite got to the level the Germans were prior to 1941.