Customer Reviews

The German High Command at War: Hindenburg and Ludendorff Conduct World War I

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I would definitely recommend this book. I have read many books on the Great War, and none have given Hindenburg and, more importantly, Ludendorff (because he was really the one who pulled the strings) such detailed attention. I think the author portrayed the ideological background that so often drives Germany and its people to seek glory in conquest or transcendence through hardship and hero worship (in this case, of the book's namesakes), and that is good because too many historians forget this all too important, almost racial, Wagnerian ideological aspect to Germany's quest for world hegemony. Indeed, the author quotes one German general as comparing Ludendorff being stabbed in the back by a weak home front and politicians with Siegfried in Wagner's Gotterdamerung. However, the author lambasts Hindenburg and Ludendorff so mercilessly, without quarter, that he sometimes appears biased and as if he had an agenda to destroy the myth of the Iron Duo. This may very well be the actual case, as I think he even admitted in the preface, but still, I don't think you can blame two men for a society and political structure that allowed, even encouraged authoritarianism, and the eventual rule of such a strong man. Moreover, Ludendorff was singlehandedly controlling the entire nation, and while obviously in hindsight he made a general mess of it, he did do some remarkable things and was a master of tactics and of recognizing military skill and promoting it, if not grand strategy. The author emphasizes his failures (after all, Germany did lose), but never seems to credit the military insights of Ludendorff. These are simply stated as fact but not really anaylzed, or they are given a negative slant. Overall, however, this was an extremely informative and deatiled anaylsis of these two men, what they meant to Germany, and their place in history.

First, this is a relatively unbiased book. Asprey doesn't ding Germany for dictatorial tendencies, contrary to what some may think; rather he ding the dictator, Quartermaster-General Ludendorff, who executed a bloodless coup against Kaiser Wilhelm II.

That is, in essence what started in 1916, and was complete by the time German relaunched unlimited submarine warfare in early 1917.

That said, Ludendorff had plenty of fellow-traveler idiots in both the German military and in Wilhelmm's cabinet. A stupid Grand Admiral, Tirpitz, who clamored for the naval expenditures that antagonized the UK, then was afraid to use his toy in war. A series of spineless chancellors and ministers, emasculated by Wilhelm and afraid of Ludendorff when he sought to push them aside.

And, in front of him? A puppet figure concerned to the nth degree about image, Field Marshal Hindenburg -- the man who did NOT win Tannenburg (neither did Ludendorff, of course), but rode that combination of myth and manipulation by Ludendorff to head the German Army.

Ludendorff deserves his military hacking down to size, too. The one positive thing, on the tactical side, was his development of stormtroopers. Otherwise, his rejection of the tank was idiocy in both tactics and larger strategy. His "Kaiser's offensive" was little better than the attrition warfare of two years earlier.

The real hero in Germany? The common soldier and common civilian, even more than in World War II, under a dictatorship in some ways as restrictive as Hitler's Germany, and with even tighter restraints on food and raw materials.

I agree with the previous reviewers. I would give this five stars, save for the fact that I would have liked to see more detail on some points. Still, this book changed my thinking about the Great War for all time. Study of the 1914-18 war is an exercise in frustration -- so many "what ifs," such an unsatisfactory conclusion. I suspect I will go to my grave still debating Haig's generalship -- at times I tend to agree with John Terraine et. al. that we at least have to credit Haig with sound strategic sense in realizing that the war was going to be won or lost on the Western Front and sideshows like Salonika and the Middle East were a waste of effort. Then I look at the operational blunders in 1916 and 1917 and wonder whether he wasn't a bloody fool who was saved by having good subordinates like Plumer, Monash, Currie, Maxse, et al. I raise this point to illustrate that at least here there remains room for debate. I defy anyone to read Asprey's book without coming to the conclusion that Hindenburg and Ludendorff weren't criminally incompetent, waging aggressive war until they had bled their own country white. The British at least had the excuse that this was the first -- indeed only -- time in history that their army had to take on the main force of a preeminent land power (see Terraine's writings on this point). In other words, they had to fight a war they weren't ready for in 1914. By 1918, against all odds, they won. The Germans, on the other hand, squandered every advantage.

Robert Asprey writes well, and convincingly. This is a very entertaining book, on a subject that is not well-worn in the English language. He has written a competent History of the German High Command, exposing them where they deserve it, and those who read it will better understand how and why the allies won. If there is a criticism to be made, it is that he glosses over some important points, or fails to go into enough detail, or smoothly avoids the real issues. He also should more carefully document some of his statements. For all this, it is a worthwhile book. Alan Culpin Austin, Texas. Western Front Assoc.

Besides a detailed account of the major and minor events of this hell called WW I, Asprey gives a frightening insight in the rise and fall of Ludendorff. The man who was just a simple staff officer in August 1914 managed to get absolute power over Germany by 1917. It would be interesting if Asprey could have made a comparision between Ludendorff and Hitler, but unfortunately there is no place for that in this book.If you read this book your image of WW I will change.
Asprey not only gives facts and figures but depicts a lively scene that is realistic and absurd at the same time.
I was terrified to read that the use of the system of "atrition" is so perfectionised in this war."If we lose 100.000 man it is ok, as long as the allies lose 110.000 man". In my opinion, anyone who would like to know more about World War I, has to buy this book

I find this book to be very well written. The author shows that Germany was by no means in good shape during the war.
Towards the end of 1914 the author tells of the just begining, but never ending, problem with supply reserves. It shows how Germany was starving in 1918, and still Ludendorff attacked France. It shows that this lead to the German defeat. It tells you the many actions Germany could have, should have, taken to secure a reasonable treaty giving them territories taken in 1871 and Belgium.
I find this book to be a very detailed look at the most overated man of the German army(Hindenburg, and the true leader of Germany(Ludendorff). From their rise to their ushering in of the Nazi party. A book fitting of 5 stars.

I initially had high hopes for this work, especially because it focuses on a topic that has not received much attention in English. While I do not disagree with the main point of this work, I think Mr. Asprey's selective inclusion, and selective exclusion, reduced the book to an anti-German slam piece. This is sad because he certainly had enough insight on the topic to have crafted a well balanced account. Instead Asprey starts off by admitting in a note to the reader that he had previously been inclined to view the conflict from the Allied side, something that has apparently not changed. In this work reason yields to inclination. Asprey starts his rant by placing all of the blame for the First Wold War at Germany's feet, an assertion most serious scholars would laugh at today. Many did not even believe that in 1918. Make no mistake about it, Asprey feels Britain's cause was righteous. After he finishes painting Imperial Germany as an evil empire he turns his sights on the country's generals and politicians. To hear it from Asprey, they were all incompetent, uncultured, and at the bottom rung of the intelligence scale-although I'm not sure what that says about the allied leaders! Asprey is usually able to sum up a German's, or an Austrian's good points in less than a line, yet he spends pages focussing on their personal and physical flaws, and even rumored flaws. Sadly even Archduke Ferdinand, a murder victim, does not escape Asprey's selective inclusion. The only word Asprey uses to describe him was: "corpulent'. In short I found the book far from unbiased. File it under latter day propaganda.

If you like propaganda, the book rates five stars, otherwise two stars is being generous.

I would recomend this book to any history buff and also to general public who on armistice days pretend or impersonates ?? to shed "genuine" tear for impression of youth on imaginary toomb of unknown victim. Poppy vendors and perpetuators of myth - I would do it ,too! Again, and again and again.. for any king , country , yahwe or act of parliament. In time when glorification of something purposeless as break-down of human communication takes place by celebration of bloody sacrifice on small screen by Band of 1/2 brothers, Young lions , Pacifics or imposing scenarios for Ethernal freedom on Colombian and Afganistan coca and poppy cultivators , the book is sane reminder that war is something completely else than Spilberg's glorifications presents.Or CNN Pentagon spokesman/woman says.