Tannenberg: Clash of Empires [Hardcover]

Dennis E. Showalter (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In August 1914, at Tannenberg in East Prussia, the German 8th Army under Hindenburg and Ludendorff won a stunning victory over two Russian armies. In this richly textured account of the greatly outnumbered German army's defeat of the Russian forces, Showalter, a history professor at Colorado College, provides a thorough historical and cultural context; examines the tactical, operational and strategic aspects of this decisive WW I battle; and clears up many of the myths associated with it. Among them: that Russian General Rennenkampf was "unwilling" to come to the aid of Samsonov's beleaguered 2nd Army; that the 2nd Army was "annihilated"; that the typical Russian soldier was "a uniformed primitive." Showalter judiciously analyzes Tannenberg's long-range effect on German military thinking, showing, for instance, that the victory led the Wehrmacht to underestimate Russian capabilities during the planning of Operation Barbarossa in 1941. This is a scholarly military study of the highest caliber, written in a crisp and lively style that should attract the general reader as well as the military specialist.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Military historian Showalter ( Railroads and Rifles , Archon, 1975) provides a leisurely, well-detailed, and extremely perceptive analysis of the epic battle between Germany and Russia that simultaneously opened World War I and initiated the downfall of the Tsar. Astutely examining the social and military dynamics of both armies, he adroitly punctures numerous myths and misconceptions about the German military machine and Russia's peasant soldiers. His writing style is deft and erudite, and the battle's widespread ramifications are incisively explored. An important addition to the serious literature on the era, this book will also be enjoyed by the knowledgeable lay reader. Showalter is an LJ reviewer.
-Ed.)-- Raymond L. Puffer, U.S. Air Force History Prog., Los Angeles
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 419 pages
• Publisher: Archon Books (February 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 020802252X
• ISBN-13: 978-0208022523
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,509,588 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Valuable and comprehensive overview of overlooked WWI aspect, August 14, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Tannenberg: Clash of Empires (Hardcover)

Showalter's "Tannenberg" is an exceptionally thorough and comprehensive history of not just the 1914 Battle of Tannenberg but also the dynamics that lead up to this clash and the fallout later. The only shortcomings are the lack of any historical photographs and the somewhat difficult to read, elliptical style of writing that Showalter uses at times. A recent article in "Military History" magazine also coincidently covers the same battle but incorporates historical photographs of the people and places which adds to our understanding of this turning point. This book is nonetheless well worth reading for any historian interested in this overlooked aspect of World War One or in German history in general

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Tannenberg: In need of Better Maps and Organization, April 29, 2000

By 

R. A Forczyk (MD, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Tannenberg: Clash of Empires (Hardcover)

This is a widely acclaimed account of the great German victory over the Russians in 1914 that falls far short of expectations. One third of the book is spent recounting the events leading up to a Russo-German war, starting about 1870. The author would have done better to spend time discussing the organization, doctrine and leadership in both armies. Instead, the armies of both sides remain rather faceless ciphers in this account. Showalter does a better job describing the campaign, with much useful detail, but it is difficult to follow without adequate maps and the timelimes of specific events are often vague. Good maps are the heart of any detailed operational-level military history, but this book lacks them. Showalter does have some interesting observations, particularly about the much-maligned Tsarist army. The Russian army apparently learned something in the Russo-Japanese War because they had some initial tactical superiority over the Germans in their use of artillery and skillful use of terrain. Despite spending over 100 pages discussing events leading up to the war Showalter's account has a significant omission: despite the fact that the Germans knew for over twenty years that they would have to conduct a delaying operation in East Prussia against numerically-superior Russian forces they never developed a proper mobile covering force or the doctrine of delaying actions. Instead, the German army of 1914 had only two tactical options: attack or defend, neither of which was well-suited for the start of the war in the East.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Book on the Subject, February 4, 2003

By 

Douaumont (Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tannenberg: Clash of Empires (Hardcover)

This is an outstanding piece of scholarship which provides a tremendous amount of detail on not only the 1914 campaign in East Prussia, but also on the Russian and German armies, and the imperial rivalry between the two nations in eastern Europe. Amazingly well researched and superbly written, this is the best book by far on the subject.