The battle of Tannenberg (August 27-30, 1914) opened World War I with a
decisive German victory over Russia--indeed the Kaiser's only clear-cut
victory in a non-attritional battle during four years of war. In this
first paperback edition of the classic work, historian Dennis Showalter
analyzes this battle's causes, effects, and implications for subsequent
German military policy. The author carefully guides the reader through
what actually happened on the battlefield, from its grand strategy down
to the level of improvised squad actions. Examining the battle in the
context of contemporary diplomatic, political, and economic affairs,
Showalter also reviews both armies' social settings and military
doctrine, and shows how the battle may be understood as a case study of
problems that military organizations face in the initial stages of a
major war. In addition, he demolishes many myths about the battle, such
as the supposed superiority of the German military, the animosity among
Russian field commanders, and the assumption that the Germans viewed
their opponents as a horde of uniformed illiterates.
Tannenberg's mystique later served the Weimar Republic and Third Reich
propagandists. For years its legends helped to shape German nationalist
ideology and military policy. In 1941, Hitler's Wehrmacht grossly
underestimated Soviet military capability, leading to disaster in World
War II.
