Books & more: Fighting Power

Is it permissible to write this? "The German Army was an excellent combat organization. In terms of morale, spirit, unit cohesion, and elasticity, it was probably unsurpassed among the armies of the twentieth century." Sounds scandalous if it were from a pub table. But it comes from one of the world's leading military historians. Martin van Creveld teaches at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. The book with the simple German word "combat power" as its title is not a new release, but a welcome reissue, as it had long been out of print.

Creveld wrote it in the 1980s as a study for the Pentagon, which wanted to know what makes an army successful. And so the author compares the structures of the US Army and the Wehrmacht in World War II. This can be read as a technical, military book, but it is also a very exciting cultural history from the mid-20th century. The social status of the military, peculiarities in national character, but above all the social permeability of structures, reward and punishment, values and cohesion, indoctrination and leadership principles, all of this Creveld examines in comparison, with sometimes surprising results. For example, that German mission tactics give the individual much more decision-making freedom than the authoritatively led US Army of that time. That regional recruitment leads to much more stable units than the random composition of Americans. In addition, there are also structural comparisons of non-commissioned officer corps and officers up to the general staff system.

The result of the study has led to adaptations in the modern US Army. And even today, this book is a standard work for any reader interested in military matters, as it addresses the central question of a modern army: how can it become an efficient and powerful organization to be used? With this objective and sober study, Creveld does not relativize the crimes committed by the Germans in World War II. Highly recommended by SPARTANAT. Should not be missing in any library of readers interested in military matters.

Martin van Creveld on SPARTANAT: A Thirty Years' War?

Martin van Creveld on the Internet: www.martin-van-creveld.com

"Combat Power: Military Organization and Performance of the German and American Armies 1939-1945" by Martin van Creveld, Ares Verlag, 216 pages, Euro 19.90