Summary Of The German Way Of War By Robert Citino

Robert Citino’swork, The German Way of War, offers an insightful analysis of what the author describes as the German way of war. Operational maneuver is used by Citino to describe the approach taken by the Germans in war. The author manages to trace the German approach to war to historical events and eras. Frederick William I’s 17th century engagements, the Great Elector, Hohenzollern Dynasty, and World War II are all incorporated in an attempt to understand the German way of war.

According to Citino(2005) historians should diverge away from analyzing what one ought to have done during military engagements. Instead, they should have an in-depth analysis of the reason why the parties did what they did (269).The author modifies certain generally acceptable aspects of German war operations. Germans are presented as a nation which takes war as a science rather than an art. Auftragstaktik refers to the intellectual approach taken by the Germans to analyze all their military engagements. Under this approach, Citino emphasizes that, the generals create which are geared towards enabling field officers win the war. The field officers are able to maximize flexibility

and respond to any eventuality.
Citino looks at certain elements of German warfare which were ahead of their time.

For instance, the Germans emphasized on staff balance and operational flexibility without necessarily having concrete coordination.This was not imaginable in an era where technology and communication was not advanced. The central position of Germany is also looked into while analyzing the German art of war. Like Persia, Germany’s central position, its scarcity of resourcesand its engagement in short wars also led to the success with its offensive approach. Citino notes that these short wars enabled the Germans to be agile and quick while attacking with fearlessness. While this tactic enabled the Germans to have operational maneuver, they had to act aggressively and take up the earliest opportunity to attack the opponent to

gain.
The book succeeds in looking at an element of German military engagements which has been largely ignored in previous studies; offensive operations. Traditionally, Germans have been renowned for their preference for an offensive approach. This has not only led to success in numerous German wars but has also acted as a distinguishing feature which sets them apart from enemies.In the book, Citino gives specific examples where the Germans used this strategy successfully. Prussia’s and the earlier Brandenburg’s are cited as impressive use of the German offensive approach. Citino points out that the Germans would have lost most of these wars if it were not for their offensive operations.
The book is a significant piece in understanding the German art of war. While the book has been successful in creating a historical masterpiece due to the factual references, the book is also easily readable. The language and chronology of the book does not only make it ideal for academic purposes but also for general layman reading. The author manages to translate most of the German terms to ease understanding of the book. Though descriptions such as those given about the Prussian commanders might distract the reader, the book has not lost its quality. The source citations and notes are an extra for the readers. The well-researched and written bibliography also provides a guide for the readers and researchers. The book managers to achieve its objective of describing the unique nature of German approach to war.

Reference
Citino, R. (2005). The German way of war: From the thirty years’ war to the third reich. University Press of Kansas. ISBN