Overview

Full Product Details

Author:   Holger Afflerbach (University of Leeds)
Publisher:   Cambridge University Press
Imprint:   Cambridge University Press
Edition:   New edition
Dimensions:   Width: 16.00cm , Height: 3.60cm , Length: 23.70cm
Weight:   0.940kg
ISBN:  

9781108832885

ISBN 10:   1108832881
Pages:   566
Publication Date:   20 October 2022
Audience:   General/trade ,  General
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In stock  
We have confirmation that this item is in stock with the supplier. It will be ordered in for you and dispatched immediately.

Table of Contents

Introduction; Part I. Hybris: 1. The Road to War; 2. 'It can hardly go wrong now': The Schlieffen Plan and its Failure; 3. Tannenberg and the Rise of Hindenburg; 4. The European Stalemate; 5. A Strategy of Muddling Through? The War in 1915; 6. 'An Unparalleled Act of Barbarism': The Naval Blockade, Submarine Warfare and the Battle for American Neutrality; 7. 'Potato-bread Spirit': The German Home Front in 1914-16; 8. Squaring the Circle: Falkenhayn and Verdun 1916; 9. Summer 1916: The Allied Attack on all Fronts and its Failure; Part II. Climax: At the apex of war: 10. 'Only a Miracle can Save us Now': Germany and the War in the autumn of 1916; 11. Action Stations, Panic Stations: The Radicalisation of Germany's Strategy under the Third OHL; 12. 'A Stroke of Genius': Tentative Offers of Peace in December 1916; 13. The misjudged stand-off: Unrestricted submarine warfare and the USA's entry into the war; Part III. Nemesis: The defeat of the Central Powers and the destruction of the European Order: 14. Military Developments in the First Half of 1917; 15. The First Russian Revolution and the Opportunity for a Peace Agreement with the Russian Democracy; 16. 'War Psychosis?' The Reichstag's Peace Offer and Bethmann Hollweg's Demission; 17. 'The Unmasking of the Central Powers?' Victory and Peace in the East; 18. 'Glorious, but hopeless': Germany's Position at the Turn of the Year 1917/18; 19. 'Ludendorff's Hammer': The Western Offensive of 1918; 20. 'Now the War was Lost': The Military Collapse of the Central Powers; 21. 'Savage in Victory, Contemptuous in Defeat': Germany's Route out of the War; The Final Reckoning: A Terrible Debt that Must be Paid.

Reviews

'All future historians of the First World War will have to engage with Holger Afflerbach's important and authoritative book, and his powerful and provocative case that the conflict was more of a 'close run thing' than previously thought.' Jonathan Boff, author of Haig's Enemy: Crown Prince Rupprecht and Germany's War on the Western Front 'A fascinating and provocative account - Afflerbach argues that the First World War could have ended in a draw and that the German leadership committed serious mistakes to lose it.' Annika Mombauer, author of The Origins of the First World War 'Holger Afflerbach provides a comprehensive reassessment of Germany's conduct of the 1914-18 war. Drawing on fresh archival sources and an impressive command of the immense secondary literature, he offers a thought-provoking reappraisal of the entire history of that terrible conflict.' David Stevenson, author of With Our Backs to the Wall: Victory and Defeat in 1918 'Boldly argued and beautifully written, Holger Afflerbach's On a Knife Edge vividly portrays Germany's strategic desperation in 1914-18 and reveals how the Allies' uncompromising pursuit of total victory radicalised the conflict and destroyed all hope of a lasting peace. Thought-provoking and sure to spark controversy - this is one of the most important and exciting new interpretations of the First World War!' Alexander Watson, author of Ring of Steel: Germany and Austria-Hungary at War, 1914-1918

'All future historians of the First World War will have to engage with Holger Afflerbach's important and authoritative book, and his powerful and provocative case that the conflict was more of a 'close run thing' than previously thought.' Jonathan Boff, author of Haig's Enemy: Crown Prince Rupprecht and Germany's War on the Western Front 'A fascinating and provocative account – Afflerbach argues that the First World War could have ended in a draw and that the German leadership committed serious mistakes to lose it.' Annika Mombauer, author of The Origins of the First World War 'Holger Afflerbach provides a comprehensive reassessment of Germany's conduct of the 1914-18 war. Drawing on fresh archival sources and an impressive command of the immense secondary literature, he offers a thought-provoking reappraisal of the entire history of that terrible conflict.' David Stevenson, author of With Our Backs to the Wall: Victory and Defeat in 1918 'Boldly argued and beautifully written, Holger Afflerbach's On a Knife Edge vividly portrays Germany's strategic desperation in 1914-18 and reveals how the Allies' uncompromising pursuit of total victory radicalised the conflict and destroyed all hope of a lasting peace.  Thought-provoking and sure to spark controversy – this is one of the most important and exciting new interpretations of the First World War!' Alexander Watson, author of Ring of Steel: Germany and Austria-Hungary at War, 1914-1918 'WWI scholars and enthusiasts will relish this exhaustive deep dive.' Publishers Weekly '… a highly readable account not only of the German side of the war but to some extent a retrospective on the war as a whole, one both enthusiasts and specialists can enjoy and fruitfully debate.' Avi Woolf, The Washington Examiner 'This book is a political study of Germany's war effort, not a campaign narrative, though it tells the 1914–18 story very well … Afflerbach gathers many strands into a coherent argument, and offers a host of details that are likely to be unfamiliar even to veteran students of the conflict.' Max Hastings, The Sunday Times '… a revisionist spin … Afflerbach argues that Germany's defeat in 1918 was not inevitable. It could have gone either way on the battlefield, but internal turmoil was to blame for the defeat, leading to a peace not 'based on justice but instead … too harsh'.' Simon Heffer, Best History Books of the Year, Daily Telegraph 'An impressive, well-researched and readable book which advances an important argument.' Military History Magazine 'The author's knowledge … is nothing short of stupendous … Highly recommended.' Klaus Schmider, British Army Review 'This is a fine study in grand strategy, more about the art of political judgement (and misjudgement) than it is about battles and tactics. There are very few quality English language studies of the German military-political scene in the Great War, and none to rival this.' John Spencer, Stand To! The Journal of The Western Front Association

'All future historians of the First World War will have to engage with Holger Afflerbach's important and authoritative book, and his powerful and provocative case that the conflict was more of a 'close run thing' than previously thought.' Jonathan Boff, author of Haig's Enemy: Crown Prince Rupprecht and Germany's War on the Western Front 'A fascinating and provocative account - Afflerbach argues that the First World War could have ended in a draw and that the German leadership committed serious mistakes to lose it.' Annika Mombauer, author of The Origins of the First World War 'Holger Afflerbach provides a comprehensive reassessment of Germany's conduct of the 1914-18 war. Drawing on fresh archival sources and an impressive command of the immense secondary literature, he offers a thought-provoking reappraisal of the entire history of that terrible conflict.' David Stevenson, author of With Our Backs to the Wall: Victory and Defeat in 1918 'Boldly argued and beautifully written, Holger Afflerbach's On a Knife Edge vividly portrays Germany's strategic desperation in 1914-18 and reveals how the Allies' uncompromising pursuit of total victory radicalised the conflict and destroyed all hope of a lasting peace. Thought-provoking and sure to spark controversy - this is one of the most important and exciting new interpretations of the First World War!' Alexander Watson, author of Ring of Steel: Germany and Austria-Hungary at War, 1914-1918 'WWI scholars and enthusiasts will relish this exhaustive deep dive.' Publishers Weekly

Author Information

Holger Afflerbach is Professor of Modern European History at the University of Leeds. His previous publications include a biography of Erich von Falkenhayn, and a study of the Triple Alliance.

Tab Content 6

Author Website:  

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

No review item found!

Add your own review!

Countries Available

All regions