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First Reich: Inside the German Army During the War With France 1870-71
First Reich Inside the German Army During the War With France 187071 Author:David Stone Because it lasted only seven months, the Franco-Prussian War has sometimes been ignored by historians and yet it merits study for the fact that it was the first deployment of a ruthlessly efficient and superbly organized German Army, a phenomenon that was to be seen twice more in the next 75 years. Indeed, military professionals and history stud... more »ents have long sought a thorough account of this conflict for the very reasons of its significance in both military development and European evolution. The war machine of the expansive Prussians used organizational strength and modern techniques to prevail over the more antiquated French and yet the battles were keenly fought and brought awesome casualties. The lessons learned by both sides, and onlookers, had a mighty impact; the emergence of a dominant German land force, a German nation and a German Empire determined the course of European and world history for a century and beyond. The story of the war is told with vigor and accuracy and will be a significant contribution to military history and to our understanding of the development of Europe as we see it today.« less