WHY THE GERMANS LOSE AT WAR

The myth of German military superiority. The German armed forces suffered crushing defeats in the last Century. In this acclaimed book, Kenneth Macksey examines the reasons behind these catastrophic military failures. A nation with few natural defensive boundaries, Germany traditionally had to struggle to survive, and developed an aggressive and militant outlook, its great strengths were the brilliance of individual generals and military thinkers, the innovative development of its military forces, and the skill and tenacity of its fighting men. Set against this was a short-term war policy, a tendency to underestimate the enemy and believe its own propaganda, and the politicisation of the military staffs. These and many other factors were to lead Germany from 19th Century success and dreams of world domination, to 20th Century defeat.