Military History

A modern history of the 46th Division and their evolution in combat effectiveness and reexamining historical interpretations of key figures and events.This groundbreaking modern history of the 46th (North Midland) Division draws upon a vast array of largely neglected sources from a variety of archives, and challenges some comfortable assumptions. University historians' increasingly positive views of Haig are challenged by primary evidence of his own blatant willingness to change his mind to protect his promotion prospects. The overall theme is of how the ordinary Tommies of 46th Division learnt to fight more effectively and ultimately stormed the Hindenburg Line. In dealing with the Somme, the book effectively rewrites our understanding of Third Army's experience; the book demonstrates that Middlebrook was mistaken in accepting the claim by Major General Stuart-Wortley that he was sacked for saving his men from further slaughter. That chapter concludes with the evidence of young subalterns, bringing to life moments in history that illuminate a generation's experience of the carnage of war. All previous large-scale studies have focused on elite units, but this book follows this un-fancied, often belittled, division along the learning curve of the British Army. The book therefore develops the view put forward in studies of the Canadian Corps, and reflected in modern biographies of leading commanders, that the British Army gradually developed the system of "bite and hold". The poignant chapter on a "Shot at Dawn" and the concluding chapter on the poor postwar treatment of the many miners make this book more than a purely military history by linking the First World War to its social, political and economic context.

The British Expeditionary Force of 1914 was described by the official historian as "incomparably the best trained, best organized, and best equipped British Army that ever went forth to war."

In this first volume of a planned two-volume set, Zamulin takes a close look at the condition of the German and Soviet forces following the winter campaign.

Using a wide range of sources, this volume provides an in-depth account of military operations between 1987 and 1990 of the Sri Lankan War.

Prelude to Berlin: The Red Army¿s Offensive Operations in Poland and Eastern Germany 1945 offers a panoramic view of the Soviet strategic offensives north of the Carpathians in the winter of 1945. During the course of this offensive the Red Army broke through the German defences in Poland and East Prussia and eventually occupied all of Germany east of the Oder River. The book consists primarily of articles that appeared in various military journals during the first decade after the war. The General Staff¿s directorate charged with studying the war experience published these studies, although there are other sources as well. A particular highlight of these is a personal memoir that offers a rare insight into Soviet strategic planning for the winter¿spring 1945 campaign. Also featured are documents relating to the operational-strategic conduct of the various operations, which were compiled and published after the fall of the Soviet Union.The book is divided into several parts, corresponding to the operations conducted. These include the Vistula¿Oder operation by the First Belorussian and First Ukrainian Fronts out of their respective Vistula bridgeheads. This gigantic operation, involving over a million men and several thousand tanks, artillery and other weapons sliced through the German defences and, in a single leap, advanced the front to the Oder River, less than 100 kilometres from Berlin, from which they launched their final assault on the Reich in April. Equally impressive was the Second and Third Belorussian Fronts¿ offensive into Germany¿s East Prussian citadel. This operation helped to clear the flank further to the south and exacted a long-awaited revenge for the Russian Army¿s defeat here in 1914. This effort cut off the German forces in East Prussia and concluded with an effort to clear the flanks in Pomerania and the storming of the East Prussian capital of Konigsberg in April. The study also examines in considerable detail the First Ukrainian Front¿s Upper and Lower Silesian operations of February¿March 1945. These operations cleared the army¿s flanks in the south and deprived Germany of one of its last major industrial and agricultural areas.

Berlin Operation, 1945, tells the story of the Red Army¿s penultimate offensive operation in the war in Europe. Here the forces of three fronts (Second and First Belorussian and First Ukrainian) forced the Oder River and surrounded the defenders of the German capital, reduced the city and drove westward to link up with the Western allies in central Germany.This is another in a series of studies compiled by the Soviet Army General Staff, which during the postwar years set itself the task of gathering and generalizing the experience of the war for the purpose of training the armed forces¿ higher staffs in the conduct of large-scale offensive operations.The study is divided into three parts. The first contains a brief strategic overview of the situation, as it existed by the spring of 1945, with special emphasis on German preparations to meet the inevitable Soviet attack. This section also includes an examination of the decisions by the Stavka of the Supreme High Command on the conduct of the operation. As usual, the fronts¿ materiel-technical and other preparations for the offensive are covered in great detail. These include plans for artillery, artillery and engineer support, as well as the work of the rear services and political organs and the strengths, capabilities and tasks of the individual armies.Part two deals with the Red Army¿s breakthrough of the Germans¿ Oder defensive position up to the encirclement of the Berlin garrison. This covers the First Belorussian Front¿s difficulty in overcoming the defensive along the Seelow Heights along the direct path to Berlin, as well as the First Ukrainian Front¿s easier passage over the Oder and its secondary attack along the Dresden axis. The Second Belorussian Front¿s breakthrough and its sweep through the Baltic littoral is also covered.Part three covers the intense fighting to reduce the city¿s defenders from late April until the garrison¿s surrender on 2 May, as well as operations in the area up to the formal German capitulation. This section contains a number of detailed descriptions of urban fighting at the battalion and regimental level. It closes with conclusions about the role of the various combat arms in the operation.