Overview

The German Army lost two consecutive wars and the conclusion is often drawn that it simply wasn't able to cope with its opponents. This image is constantly reinforced in literature and in the media, where seemingly brainless operating German units led by fanatical officers predominate. Nothing was as far from the truth. The records show that the Germans consistently outfought the far more numerous Allied armies that eventually defeated them: their relative battlefield performance was at least 1.5 and in most cases three times as high as that of its opponents. The central question in this book is why the German Army had a so much higher relative battlefield performance than the opposition. A central element within the Prussian/German Army is Auftragstaktik, a tactical management concept that dates from the middle of the nineteenth century and is still very advanced in terms of management and organization. Using more than fifty examples to illustrate the realities of the battlefield, the author explains why the Prussian/German Army was such an unprecedented powerful fighting force. And why Auftragstaktik--under other guises--is still the basic form of operation for many European armies, with even the US Army introducing certain elements of Auftragstaktik into its organization, more than 150 years after its conception.

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Jaap Jan Brouwer studied medicine, law, and history at Groningen University in the Netherlands. He has been a management consultant for more than thirty years and has written books on general management topics, health care, the Dutch industry, and on military organizations. He has a thorough knowledge and expertise on organizations and warfare, particularly the Second World War. His way of looking at military organizations provides a new, intriguing context and introduces new dynamics in the history of warfare, allowing the listener to understand why military organizations acted and reacted as they did. A 2010 BBC Carleton Hobbs Award winner, Iain Batchelor has been featured in over forty radio drama productions for the BBC, starring in various audiobooks within the Doctor Who universe. Iain's narration has been heard on the BBC World Service and cultural affairs segments such as the Today program (BBC Radio 4). Iain has recorded a wide range of audiobooks and is also widely known for his voice-over work on the Hitman video game series and his screen work such as Wolf Hall (BBC/Masterpiece) and the Robert Zemeckis feature film Allied (GK Films/Paramount). On stage, Iain has most notably enjoyed successful spells at both the National Theatre, London and the Royal Shakespeare Company. A 2010 BBC Carleton Hobbs Award winner, Iain Batchelor has been featured in over forty radio drama productions for the BBC, starring in various audiobooks within the Doctor Who universe. Iain's narration has been heard on the BBC World Service and cultural affairs segments such as the Today program (BBC Radio 4). Iain has recorded a wide range of audiobooks and is also widely known for his voice-over work on the Hitman video game series and his screen work such as Wolf Hall (BBC/Masterpiece) and the Robert Zemeckis feature film Allied (GK Films/Paramount). On stage, Iain has most notably enjoyed successful spells at both the National Theatre, London and the Royal Shakespeare Company.

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