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Hans Delbruck

The Barbarian Invasions: History of the Art of War, Volume II Paperback – February 1, 1990

by Hans Delbrück (Author), Walter J. Renfroe Jr. (Translator)

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Moral decadence did not contribute to the fall of the Roman Empire, but political instability that was most strongly reflected in a weakened army did, writes Hans Delbrück in volume 2 of History of the Art of War. The rise of sectionalism and the constant overthrowing of emperors left the empire without a secure superior authority demanding the loyalty of the legions and without the money to support them. Delbrück’s celebrated work traces the collapse of the Roman military system and its replacement with barbarian mercenaries by the fourth century, following the invasions by the Germanic peoples.

The Barbarian Invasions opens with a discussion of the military organization of the early German tribes, compares it with that of the early Roman legions, and goes on to show how tactics and strategies changed after entire peoples such as the Goths, Vandals, and Burgundians migrated to Roman soil and formed an uneasy alliance with the Romans. It ends with an examination of the decline of the Germanic-Romanic military system in the Middle Ages and the rise of the feudal system.

This Bison Book edition marks the first appearance in paperback of the English translation of volume 2 by Walter J. Renfroe Jr.

Print length

506 pages
Language

English
Publisher

University of Nebraska Press
Publication date

February 1, 1990
Dimensions

6 x 1.13 x 9 inches
ISBN-10

0803292007
ISBN-13

978-0803292000
Lexile measure

1470L
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Delbrück is internationally regarded as the first modern military historian. History of the Art of War, considered a classic, is his foundational achievement. Renfroe's translation retains the spirited erudition of the original German and renders it into elegant and readable English. Beyond a doubt a landmark in twentieth-century historical literature."—Arden Bucholz, author of Hans Delbrück and the German Military Establishment

"This volume affects most deeply . . . our inherited concepts of world history, through its elimination of the legendary ideas on the fall of the ancient world and on the migrations of peoples (Volkerwanderung), as well as its positive contributions, especially those concerning the substantiation of the alliance between Constantine and the Christian Church as postulate of the changed military system and institutions."—Hans Delbrück

From the Back Cover

From the eighth century through the Middle Ages feudalism determined the nature of European warfare. Medieval Warfare begins in the time of Charlemagne, who maintained a military system of freemen and of vassals bound to him in service for lands granted in fief. These pages are crowded with re-creations of famous events like the Battle of Hastings and movements like the Crusades; with the brightest flowers of knighthood, and with the mercenary grandeur of Byzantium.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ University of Nebraska Press; Revised ed. edition (February 1, 1990)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 506 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0803292007
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0803292000
Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 1470L
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.53 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1.13 x 9 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #306,831 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #664 in Naval Military History
- #8,099 in Engineering (Books)
- #13,689 in United States History (Books)

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bowonwing

for maps, and for easier reading, see Richard A. Gabriel's books

Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2015

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From "Soldiers & Ghosts- A History of Battle in Classical Antiquity," (2005), by J. E. Lendon, Bibliographical Notes, on page 394, "Frustratingly perverse but a forefather to the present work in its interest in treating the evolution of tactics as a historical problem, seeking reasons for change, and relating military forms to the wider world of combatants, is H. Delbruck's "History of the Art of War, vol 1, "Warfare in Antiquity," (1920) and vol. 2, "The Barbarian Invasions." On Delbruck (with insight into his perversity), see G.A. Craig, "Delbruck: The Military Historian," in P. Paret (ed.), "Makers of Modern Strategy," (1986) pp. 326-53.

There are no maps or diagrams, which IMO are essential to truly understanding battles. For instance in Volume One, "Warfare in Antiquity," we have on page 538 "The Battle of Pharsalus." This is beautifully described by Delbruck, but as I stated there are no maps or diagrams contained within. This is a serious lack and for true understanding a map or diagram is necessary. He puts Caesar's Commentaries in their place, full of hyperbole, and he still goes to great lenghts to understand them.

Re: maps, and for easier reading, see Richard A. Gabriel's books "The Great Battles of Antiquity," and his " Empires at War," three volumes, have maps of the "Battle of Pharsalus," which graphically represents Caesar's placement of the "six cohort line" at on oblique angle behind his cavalry. This was the decisive move which enveloped Pompey's cavalry, leading to Caesar's victory. Gabriel also has some great commentary in his books about Pharsalus and many other battles.

For beginner I would start with Gabriel's books and if the interest stays with you move on later to Delbruck's books. Gabriel has a much easier writing style and presents the essential materials in a easy straight forward way to understand the big picture. Delbruck can get mired in a numbers game for page after page, which IMO is not essential to the understanding of these battles in antiquity.

For general reference: "O2S4 MEC:"
Objective (Simplicity);
Offensive, Sprit of;
Superiority at Point of Contact (Economy of Force);
Surprise (Security);
Security (Surprise);
Simplicity (Objective);
Movement (Mobility);
Economy of Force (Superiority at Point of Contact);
Cooperation (Unity of Command)

6 people found this helpful

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Rodrigo Fenton

Finally someone who set the record straight

Reviewed in the United States on April 17, 2001

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I have been reading both BH Liddel Hart's book on Strategy and JC Fuller's "Military History of the Western World" at the same time as Delbruck. While the first two books may be more valuable for someone searching a overview of ancient struggles, Delbruk's book shines in the description of ancient warfare.

Delbruk is brave enough to argue and discard many things that historians bypass or take as true, like the supposed numerical superiority of the Persians in their conflicts with the Greeks and Macedonians, the true use of elephants in battle or the way the ancient Roman maniples were an improvement to the phalanx. He practically rewrites many battles (Marathon, Salamis, Issus, Zama, Alesia), discarding absurd notions and finding a logical interpretation for the flow of the battle that would explain the outcome. I my opinion, he describes these battles much better than most other authors I've read (Including Herodotus himself).

As noted by other reviewers, you should have a general idea of the general history of the conflicts and their outcome, because Delbruk only discusses pure military aspects and not the background. This is not a book for beginers.

If you ever felt that the overwhelming numerical superiority of barbarian armies was a gross exaggeration or that Roman tactics seem absurd when explained by non-military historians, you MUST get this book.

17 people found this helpful

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James Richard C.

A Rare Look at the Truth of Historical Warfare

Reviewed in the United States on January 17, 2000

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I stumbled upon this book several years ago while doing research for a computer game concerning ancient warfare and was simply stunned by Delbruck's insights. He lays bare the truth behind the myths we've all grown up believing, and the result is something of an expose, providing such startling conclusions as the fact that the Greeks actually outnumbered the Persians at the battle of Marathon!
While much of Delbruck's writing seems to fly in the face of accepted convention, he does such a masterful job of backing up his conclusions with hard facts and indisputable logic that one is rapidly converted to his way of thinking. These books are a rarity in a society that still takes ancient history at face value: Delbruck digs deep to find the truth, and as a result these works (the entire series is fantastic) are vital reading for anyone interested in truly understanding the history of warfare. I can't reccommend these books highly enough.

14 people found this helpful

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Kassia Michelle Herron

An excellent book on warfare

Reviewed in the United States on October 4, 2016

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Exactly what I was looking for. An excellent book on warfare.

One person found this helpful

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Denny H

Military History revised

Reviewed in the United States on March 15, 2012

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An excellent account of warfare in the ancient world, succinct yet informative. An essential guide complementing the existing works of the period in addressing the basic logistical needs and requirements in fighting in the age of antiquity.

One person found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States on November 1, 2015

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All the process was ok

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Brian A. Powell

Essential Reading for Warfare Nerds

Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2018

This is dry academic writing and at times a bit confusing to read. The maps and descriptions of battles are missing here. What is important is that a veteran of the Prussian Quartermaster Corps examines the historical reports of ancient wars and shines the light of reality on historical exaggeration. Revelation number 1, the forces involved were much smaller than the exaggerated numbers reported by ancient authors. It was simply impossible to supply and control such numbers in the field prior to the 19th century. Revelation number 2, battles were ordinarily won by superior numbers. Ancient authors made a habit of exaggerating the strength of the defeated side to add to the glory of the winners. Revelation #3, the Romans conquest of the Mediterranean world was due to more to their superior logistical organization rather than superior tactics or ferocity of their troops. Most often they would be able to concentrate superior numbers of better armed and better fed soldiers on the battlefield. The Parthians showed them to be very vulnerable when their supply lines were overstretched.

This is an important work for understanding ancient warfare. It is academic in nature and not popular entertainment.

One person found this helpful

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