For God and Kaiser: The Imperial Austrian Army, 1619-1918

by Richard Bassett

The definitive history of Austria’s multinational army and its immense role during three centuries of European military history.

Among the finest examples of deeply researched and colorfully written military history, Richard Bassett’s For God and Kaiser is a major account of the Habsburg army told for the first time in English. Bassett shows how the Imperial Austrian Army, time and again, was a decisive factor in the story of Europe, the balance of international power, and the defense of Christendom. Moreover it was the first pan-European army made up of different nationalities and faiths, counting among its soldiers not only Christians but also Muslims and Jews.
 
Bassett tours some of the most important campaigns and battles in modern European military history, from the seventeenth century through World War I. He details technical and social developments that coincided with the army’s story and provides fascinating portraits of the great military leaders as well as noteworthy figures of lesser renown. Departing from conventional assessments of the Habsburg army as ineffective, outdated, and repeatedly inadequate, the author argues that it was a uniquely cohesive and formidable fighting force, in many respects one of the glories of the old Europe.

Genres: History, Military History, European History, Military Fiction, Audiobook, Nonfiction, World War I

616 pages, Hardcover

First published May 26, 2015

Reviews

[Manray9 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Richard Bassett's For God and Kaiser: The Imperial Austrian Army is an outstanding work of history. It is comprehensive, deeply researched, and yet very readable. Bassett provided a thoughtful insight into a critical element of European history by taking into account the different perspective resulting from a worldview not subject to the nationalism that profoundly shapes modern life. The Imperial Austrian military was characterized by archaic concepts of valor and honor owed, not to a nation state, but to a family who represented faith, tradition, stability and integrity. As a writer, Bassett immersed his reader in the multi-ethnic, polyglot, religiously diverse, surprisingly tolerant, but culturally unified entity of Habsburg Austria. He recreated vivid scenes of the victories and setbacks of many distinguished warriors – Wallenstein, Prinz Eugen, Archduke Charles, and Radetzky.

What did this seemingly strange entity, the Austrian Empire, mean to history? Bassett wrote:

The problems of Central Europe, notably how to organize entities of different nationalities so that they can enjoy the security and prosperity that the Imperial and Royal Army once guaranteed them, remain. The armed forces and the dynasty they served offered for many centuries a solution. Palacký predicted correctly that once the Habsburgs departed from Central Europe, the vacuum would be filled by German and Russian influence

Bassett explored a long bygone era in which a strong and successful society could be organized around forces other than nationalism. In the case of Austria, it was based on loyalty to one family – the Habsburgs. It seems quaint now, but it worked for centuries. The Imperial Austrian Army was a key factor in making work.

For God and Kaiser: The Imperial Austrian Army earned Five Stars from me.

['Aussie Rick' · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have just finished this delightful book on the Imperial Austrian Army; “For God and Kaiser”. As soon as I saw this book I knew I had to have a copy for my library as it appeared to cover those periods of history that I find fascinating; from the Thirty Years War, the Turks at the gates of Vienna, the Wars of Austrian Succession, the Seven Years War, the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, the battles and campaigns of Austria and Italy followed by Austria and Prussia and through the many skirmishes and battles in the Balkans to the end of the Great War.

I figured that this would be a hard task for the author, to cover over 300 years of warfare and keep the reader interested. In this case the author did amazingly well considering the amount of history to be covered. Obviously the story had to be general in nature due to the confines of space (591 pages of which 540 is narrative) but enough detail was provided to keep me glued to the pages. The book certainly allowed me to mark out areas for further reading.

I have read a fair bit of most of the periods covered but usually from the other side. I have read mostly accounts of Austria’s enemies; Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden, Frederick the Great, Napoleon, etc, but never from the Austrian point of view. It was great to read of Albrecht von Wallenstein, Count of Tilly, Eugene of Savoy, Maria Theresa (more needs to be written of this woman!) and many other famous Austrian soldiers and commanders.

The book was easy to read and full of interesting bits of information and first-hand accounts, like this account of an incident during, the battle of St Gotthard during the Austro-Turkish War of 1663-64: "The Austrian centre was cleverly split by the Janissaries and Montecucccoli began to fall back, ordering one final counter-attack to be spearheaded by Sporck's cavalry. When Sporck received the order he rode to the head of his riders, removed his helmet, dismounted and knelt before them. In a loud voice he shouted: 'Almighty Generalissimus above us! If you do not wish to help your Christian children at least do not support the Turkish dogs! Just watch on and you will get your joy'."

Most of you may know how Eugene of Savoy was turned away by Louix XIV when he asked for a commission in the French Army: "When many years later, after France had come to regret all to painfully its rejection of Eugene. A message from the French court gingerly enquired whether Eugene after all might consider serving France and said that a dazzling career awaited him in the service of Louis XIV. The Prince of Savoy demonstrated that he neither forgot nor forgave: 'I should like to accept the invitation to return to France,' he replied, 'but only at the head of an invading army to occupy it'."

During the Battle of Landshut between Austrian and Prussian forces, the Prussian General Fouque was shot and wounded and was about to be finished off by an Austrian hussar when an Austrian cavalry officer, Colonel Voit, recognised him and managed to spare his life: "Voit, an officer in the Loewenstein Dragoons, brought up his own beautifully saddled remount for the wounded Prussian who at first declined the offer, noting that 'the blood will spoil your fine horse furnishings', to which Voit replied with old Austrian courtesy: 'It will become far more precious when it is stained with the blood of a hero'."

During the Battle of Aspern & Essling in 1809, Archduke Charles had to rally the Austrian centre which was about to be broken by Napoleon's troops: " ... Charles galloped off to the colours, his horse rearing, and pointing with his arm at the enemy he screamed at his troops to hold the line .... Many accounts have the Archduke seizing the colours ... Such was Charles's innate modesty, he always denied seizing the colours, usually with the self-deprecating observation: 'Me carry such a heavy weight? ... hardly!' "



There are a number of basic maps(7) outlining the major battles during this period and numerous B&W photographs/illustrations however a few colour prints wouldn’t have gone astray. Overall I really enjoyed this book and I am sure anyone interested in this period of Austria’s history or even just an interest in military history would definitely enjoy this book.

[David Bird · Rating 3 out of 5]

Given the high praise of this book in reviews on Amazon, and that it comes from a reputable publisher, I expected more from this book than it delivered.

On the positive side, it covers a topic that one rarely sees in English. The author has read much in source works that are not readily accessible to the typical American reader.Too much of what we get in the English language on European history is from a British perspective, or less often French or German, and so reading something from an Austrian, Mitteleuropa perspective is good. Bassett is also correct to point out that to judge the success of this institution, one must understand its goals (principally, he argues, preservation of the dynasty), and measure against them rather than ones imposed from the outside.

On the negative, the thinking and analysis is simply not at the level that one expects from a major university press. I found myself thinking of 1066 and All That rather too often. Maria Theresa is Bassett's clearest instance of A Good Thing; Frederick the Great was A Bad Thing. Maria Theresa's reforms were A Good Thing; those of her son, who was too much in thrall to his Prussian counterpart, A Bad Thing.

Bassett is pro-Austria and pro-Hapsburg, and so at every point he looks to find the best interpretation of events for a favorable gloss. At one point, he gives a numerical tally that shows the Austrian Army won more battles than it lost. He misses, or wants to miss, the point that it matters rather more which battles an army wins than some kind of tally. It is not a league score.

The First World War presents a particular challenge for an historian of the Good Thing/Bad Thing school. The high command and the diplomats obviously did poorly, and it is noted, on p. 464 that "In an admittedly competitive field, Potiorek ran Conrad a close second for military incompetence in 1914." But on p. 470, this same Potiorek is responsible for "an action that to this day is considered an exemplary piece of 'movement warfare.'"

It is not, on balance, a bad book, but it is not a great one as other reviewers have suggested.

[Nooilforpacifists · Rating 4 out of 5]

What Aussie Rick said.


The author's single most important contribution to my understanding was this: Austria never really lost a war. It rarely won them either, but its armies were created solely to protect the Emperor:


"No Austrian army could hazard trying to destroy its opponents if it ran the slightest risk of annihilation itself. Adventurous tactics posed a threat to the dynasty. Excessive daring or spontaneous military gambles were not part of the Habsburg manual of warfare. The army always had to be able to fight another day, to defend the dynasty."


As a result, "It never suffered the fate of the Prussian army at Jena in 1806, wiped out in an afternoon, and crippled for years as a fighting force."



"The Imperial army was supranational. Among its ranks, members of twenty different nations, in return for knowledge of 86 German words of command, were vouchsafed equal treatment…[B]y 1918, the army's most highly decorated regiments were made up of Bosnian Muslims and Alpine Catholics, not infrequently commanded by Jewish officers and led by a general whose father had been a stalwart of the Serbian-Orthodox community."


My fault with the book is that it is absurdly partisan. It even suggests Crown Prince Rudolf was murdered by George Clemenceau (not yet French president), in some sort of anti-Habsburg plot. Nonsense. Everyone knows that Rudolf and his mistress were a double suicide at Mayerling -- at least anyone who's ever read "The Sorrows of Young Werther."

[T. Fowler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fascinating book as it filled in so many gaps in my knowledge not only of the history of the Imperial Austrian Army but also of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Habsburg dynasty, the wars of central Europe from the 17th to 20th century, and the evolution of warfare during this period. The author's style is easy to read and full of detail concerning the subjects he chooses to dwell on, based on him residing there for many decades as a result of which he made many personal contacts that provided insight to this topic. On quite a few occasions, he diverts his attention to some side-issues which, by themselves are very interesting - like who was Field Marshal Radetzky (whose march I have heard broadcast many times from Vienna on New Year's Day)? And finally I now know something about that strange military creation, the Imperial Austrian Navy! My only criticism is that some maps that show the political geography of the main eras along with key battle sites would help immeasurably, as he discusses the strategic significance of the hodgepodge of countries making up central Europe then, such as Galicia, Piedmont, Lombardy, Bohemia, Moravia, etc.

[John Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

An essential read for one like me interested in the subject matter - the Austrian Army, I overall enjoyed the book, though did find some exasperating aspects. It covers nothing substantially about the history of the Monarchy or the period of time that it spans 1619 to 1918, such that it would be hard to follow or put the Army in proper context without prior knowledge on the subject. For all of the space devoted to individual battles, especially in the 19th century, I often found the big picture drowned out in the details, a trend amplified by the paucity and simplicity of battle maps. There were no maps of the general geography of the empire which would have helped following the story.

The book did have a clear central theme, stated in the original chapter and amply illustrated throughout, that the Army took as its mission to protect the Monarchy This sometimes resulted in battles no fought for the decisive defeat of an enemy. The maintenance of the Army as a force for future action in the main objective, Monarchy preservation, was more important than conservation of territory, destruction of an adversry, or political ideology.

This is essential reading for one interested in the Austrian Army 1619-1918, but be prepared to have acess to additional background information including maps.

[Heinz Reinhardt · Rating 5 out of 5]

For the English language audience, few areas of European history are as shrouded in either myth, or simply the unknown, as is that of Central Europe. And yet if one were to study Central Europe, one must also come to an understanding of the Hapsburg Dynasty, and their Empire which lasted for over three centuries.
This book, beautifully written, and a much needed corrective towards a still typical condescension towards all things Hapsburg in academia, is the story of the army of the Dynasty. A Dynasty that could never have survived had it not had the undying support of its multiethnic army.
Beginning his tale with the split of the Austrian House of Hapsburg from that of the Spanish in the later part of the 16th century, and ending with the depressing aftermath of Der Weltkrieg, Bassett chronicles the triumphs and tragedies, heroes and cowards, and the luminaries as well as the dim bulbs of the Austro-Hungarian Army.
One of the many correctives that the author points out is that there were indeed brilliant commanders in the Hapsburg armory. Wallenstein, von Tilly, Eugene of Savoy (perhaps the greatest of them all), Archduke Karl (the man who delivered Napoleon's first unambiguous defeat at Aspern und Essling in 1809), Boroevic, and Pflanzer-Baltin.
The Hapsburg Armies waged war against the Protestant/German nationalists and the Swedes in the 30 Years War, fought the French, Bavarians and Prussians on numerous occasions, repeatedly thumped both the Ottomans and the Italians, crushed the revolutionaries of 1848 (though showed considerable Catholic grace to their enemies once peace was restored), and only saw consistent defeat at the hands of the Czar's forces in the apocalypse of the Great War. (It should be noted that they also fought with British troops in Der Weltkrieg as well, a fact that caused considerable anguish to the Empire considering their close ties to the English through the centuries).
And while the author does a creditable job of describing all of these various conflicts (with standout accounts being the Seven Years War and the Napoleonic Wars), he never loses site of why the Army fought.
They fought to preserve the Hapsburg Dynasty, a force of peace and order in Central Europe. And while a Christian Empire, whose devotion to Catholicism saved Western Civilization at the Siege of Vienna, they treated with far more 'progressive' civility not only non Austrians or Hungarians but also the Jews, Muslims, Protestants and even atheists who inhabited their lands. Anti Semitism was all but unheard of, especially in the Army where Jews earned a special place in the armed community. Muslims were welcomed with open arms and Bosnian troops were amongst the best of the KuK during the Great War.
All of the supposed liberal states surrounding them could never touch the record on human rites that this supposed backwards, Catholic throwback earned. And it is to the credit of the Empire's view on minorities that during the Holocaust, the joint capital of the Empire, Budapest, became a haven for Jews despite tremendous Nazi pressure.
And after the Second World War, Budapest became the Jewish center of Europe. This is owed to the Hapsburg connections that the city possessed.
This is a fine book. And while the author makes some claims that can be argued against, and his own clear love for the Austro-Hungarian Army does prompt him to possibly overlook some of their tarnish, it is still the best work in English on the subject.
Very highly recommended, easily my favorite work on military history I have read in 2017.

[A.L. Sowards · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the first few chapters of this book as research, then listened to the rest of it as an audiobook. My listening time has dropped drastically since the pandemic started, and this book was almost 29 hours, so it feels like I’ve been listening to it for a long time. I learned more about several parts of history that I haven’t read much about, and was glad for a slightly different take on the Habsburg Army during WWI. Sometimes books that cover such a broad time period (roughly 300 years) aren’t able to go into much depth on anything, but this one works. It manages to be both scholarly and accessible. Lots of information for readers interested in the topic.

[Koit · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I have a certain reluctance in rating a non-fiction book at five stars, I cannot help but feel that this work deserves it wholeheartedly. The story of an army which served a dynasty for three centuries is brought to a satisfactory pedestal with the expectation that the starting point of a modern reader in general is the inauspicious attitude of many later philosophers who have denigrated and subjugated the role of the Austrian (Imperial and Royal) army--whether that happened in the person of Eugene compared to Marlborough, or Conrad to the OHL, or, in general, through sayings which have less basis in reality than is now considered likely.

Indeed, the stories this book brings to life are worth a read on their own. I am keener now to investigate both the lives of Franz-Josef and other Austrian commanders as their personal aspect is brought to a forefront in discussing how any of these people reacted to the situations of the day. Adding to the narrative of the book, small quips, such as that of a Piedmontese Colonel, Filippo del Carretto, enrich the story of the Imperial (and) Royal Army throughout.

Furthermore, the very aspect of a commonly held belief being challenged--the very basis of this history--with a snazzy attitude towards both its allies and enemies is what brings this work to life. It is not difficult to imagine that a writer with different sympathies would have exhorted Germany in the Great War or Great Britain in the War of the Spanish Succession, but Mr Bassett keeps true to the statement of the book and speaks like a reviewer of the Habsburg should. The outlook on the three centuries after 1618 is, I feel, true to what any of the monarchs could have thought to write, but perhaps more objective in bringing to light the relative benefits as we have the hindsight of a further century to look back with.

[Krešimir Koržinek · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good book, that achieves its core mission of dispelling the myths of Austrian military deficiency, and brings with it an understanding of the Imperial Austrian Army, its history and its purpose.

Along the way, the book does stumble a bit. While the author maintains a suitable level of objectivity throughout most of the book, on occasion he slips, and his pro-Austrian biases do show. While that is actually refreshing considering how thoroughly filled the field is with anti-Austrian bias (even among what should be, and otherwise are, reputable authors and publications), it is still a flaw that somewhat mars an otherwise great and enticing read.

None the less, I have found this book imparts an important understanding of the Imperial Army, and is a valuable addition to the field of military history, especially considering the sad lack of (objective) work dedicated to this subject. Until a better book takes it's place, this is a valuable companion book for anyone interested in Europe's military history in general, and Habsburg history in particular.

[Monty Milne · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is a splendid photograph in this book showing three uniformed army chaplains, linking arms and smiling at the camera. The remarkable thing is that they are from three different faiths - Christian, Muslim and Jewish. Ponder the virtual impossibility of such a photograph from any other European army and you have the essence of all that was good about the Imperial Austrian army: the way a wide selection of different ethnic and religious groups were able to subsume their differences in a common loyalty. Contrast that with the murderous poison of nationalism, and weep that the Habsburg Empire is no more.

Of course it wasn't all benevolence: all armies are instruments of violence, after all, and Bassett doesn't gloss over the human foibles and the resulting human tragedies (including the war crimes - by the irregular Pandours at the beginning, and against Serb civilians at the end). But this a gripping story well told, and the author's obvious affection for his subject seems to me to be justified. In 1994 I met an Austrian army officer of Croat descent, who showed me the signet ring he wore, and explained it had been awarded to his ancestor by the Emperor for bringing a cohort of Croatian warriors to assist the relief of Vienna in the great siege of 1683. The Emperor apologised that those who were ennobled were given an iron ring rather than the customary gold, as the treasury had been depleted to repel the Ottomans. But noblemen within the Empire came to regard the iron ring as much more prestigious than the gold, because of its origins in the events of the siege. Despite the Republican abolition of noble titles, and despite the dissolution of the monarchy, and despite the fact that he was not an ethnic "Austrian", I met with a man who still felt so much pride at the bestowal of a small piece of iron on his ancestor more than 300 years before that he continued the family tradition of serving in the army of Austria. I think of him, and the genocidal massacres that tore apart the former Yugoslavia in the same decade I met him, and I know where my sympathies lie.

[Gabriel Stein · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, but sloppy and in places strange

A very interesting history of the Austrian army, stressing the link between the Armed Forces and the House of Habsburg. The book covers the period from the early 17th century to the end of World War I and the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

However, although fascinating, it suffers from a number of flaws. There are a number of niggling errors, such as claiming that the Emperor Ferdinand was the nephew of Charles V (should be brother), or that Eugene de Beauharnais was the son-in-law of the Emperor Napoleon (should be stepson).

In addition, it is difficult to avoid the impression that the author is slightly gilding the success of Austrian arms. A quick impression is that either they won their battles, or they fought fantastically bravely.

But where I really part company with the author is when he starts peddling conspiracy theories, e.g. that Crown Prince Rudolf, instead of committing suicide as has pretty conclusively been proven, was murdered at the instigation of the French politician George’s Clemenceau.

In short, a good book, but be aware of the author's bias and shortcomings.

[Shrike58 · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are quite a few things that I could say about this work, but if you're looking for a history of the Austrian Empire's military from the perspective of a historian who tends to admire the House of Austria you could do much worse than this book. It is to be noted that the first half covering the Wars of Religion through the Napoleonic Era is the better half. The post-1814 portion dealing with Vienna's failures to cope with social and political change during the "long" 19th century has a certain routine quality about it, though Bassett is as dismissive of generals such as Conrad and Potiorek (the Austrian field commanders of 1914) as any other historian I've read; their failures had much to do with the Dual Monarchy ultimately having no future.

Originally written: June 3, 2020.

[Matt Caris · Rating 2 out of 5]

(Torn between a 2 and a 3, call it a 2.5 . . .)

This is not a scholarly analysis of the Imperial Austrian Army. It is a narrative history of Austria's conflicts and its Army in the context of the empire's wars and foreign policy. As per the author's journalism background, if viewed through this lens, it is a very readable and enjoyable work.

But if, like me, you were hoping for a more scholarly treatment and sound analysis of the Imperial Austrian Army as an organization, this book is wide of the mark. There is far more discussion of the Prince of Kaunitz's grand foreign policy strategic designs than Wallenstein’s logistics system or the adaptations of Archduke Charles after Austerlitz or the doctrines and training failures that set the Austro-Hungarian Army up for such a miserable performance in 1914. Worse, when Bassett does deign to provide some analysis, it tends to be weak analysis with limited evidence. As another reviewer notes, he tends to fall into the "good/bad" binary trap, and his comments on Frederick the Great and Prussia are straight out of MacAulay and wildly out of step with recent work by historians. He also claims the Central Powers 1917 offensive ran out of steam after Caporetto due to Germany wanting to keep Italy in the war and thus Austria dependent on Germany, a poorly-sourced claim with no corroboration in scholarship elsewhere - indeed, like all First World War offensives, the Caporetto offensive ran out of steam due to mobility and logistics challenges, as well as winter on the Piave River. Instead, Bassett claims with no sourcing that the German/Austro-Hungarian forces were well-supplied and had not outrun their logistics. The book is also full of smaller inaccuracies that while insignificant, are still annoying.

[Buck · Rating 2 out of 5]

While the author covers many underserved elements of European military history by detailing the Hapsburg army's exploits, I found that the latter part of the work let me down. Bassett moves from historian to partisan and conspiracy theorist. The constant attempts to find a German to blame for anything amiss during and before the great war is somewhat overwrought, and his repeated references to the totally unsubstantiated claims that prince rudolf was assassinated by a professional hired by Georges Clemenceau would do even the most tin foil JFK nutter proud.

I had hoped for a look at the organization and equipment of the great war army, an honest look at their limitations and failings. This is not what I read, sadly. Never a discussion of the critical debacle of the carpathian campaigns (never even referenced at all beyond a mention of a "great victory" at Limonawa), no particular analysis of the Galician campaign, and hardly any time discussing Gorlice-Tarnow (where there could be a compare/contrast of the Austrians v German performance) beyond Bassett claiming that the whole campaign was Conrad's idea and that mackensen essentially just had to execute a ready made master stroke.

The pre ww1 information was new and interesting, but the author's clear agenda and lack of critical thinking in the ww1 material (coming from someone who is a dedicated "easterner" when it pertains to great war history) makes me question the quality of all that came before.

Very disappointed.

[Richard Sisson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m sad to say that I found this book enormously disappointing.

When I first saw it I was so excited I bought it immediately and my expectations only increased as I read the introduction, but it was downhill after that.

Others have described it as scholarly and accessible. Accessible it may be, but it isn’t particularly scholarly. Yes, a lot of sources have been consulted, but it lacks scholarly rigour. it is certainly easy to read, but it was too long and poorly edited. I found the author’s writing style often polemical and rambling.

The book purports to be a history of the Austrian army, or more correctly, the regular army of the Hapsburgs between 1619 and 1918 - it didn’t become the Imperial and Royal (KuK) until the nineteenth century. I was expecting a military history, with details of the organization and structure of the army, of its battles and campaigns, the lives of its commanders and the conditions of its soldiers. The book only does this in part. Some of this information is present, but it is a rambling potted history, full of information, which was colorful and perhaps provided context, but also detracted from the main topic. For example, there were several interesting but unnecessary chapters on the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand and the political situation, while the subsequent chapters on World War One border on the superficial, glossing over the battles and campaigns, except for the siege of Lvov and the Battle of Caporetto, which are treated in more detail. There are lots of generalizations and anecdotes but little detail, and its presentation often confused.

The author knows Austria, Austrian history and the Austrians very well. No doubt about that, and he has great access, but I often had the impression that he had a very limited grasp of things military, and a poor understanding of military terms, the weapons and tactics he described. For example on page 233 the author describes the same event as a “disciplined withdrawal” and a “retreat” in consecutive sentences. Sometimes it’s nonsensical. On page 272 troops are described as advancing with flags flying and bands playing (a phrase he uses more than once in the chapters on the Napoleonic Wars) but their attack was still somehow a surprise!

The author is full of assertions, lacks objectivity, indulges in irrelevancies and flirts with conspiracy theories, such as implying that the French statesman Clemenceau had been involved in the death of the heir to the Austrian and Hungarian thrones, the Archduke Rudolf, and that both Russian and German policies towards the Balkans were more responsible for encouraging the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Several others have mentioned his partisanship and poor approach to history - the Austrians were always the good guys and their opponents always wrong, bad, evil. As well as the lack of objectivity, this partisan approach leads the author to try too hard to rationalize his argument, leading to repetitive and unconvincing narrative.

The author rails against the enemies of Austria and the Hapsburgs - he’s very negative about and critical of Frederick the Great of Prussia, Kaiser Wilhelm II and the German Imperial General Staff - while praising leading Austrians like the Empress Maria Theresa, the emperors Franz Joseph and Charles and Archduke Charles, the great Austrian commander-in-chief during the Napoleonic Wars. He is hyper critical of Conrad, the Austrian chief of the general staff before and during World War I. His polemical style leads to him praising the skills of leaders such as Potiorek, the Austrian military commander in Bosnia-Hercegovina who was in charge of the initial in Serbia at the beginning of World War One, at the beginning of a chapter and lambasting him as incompetent at the end of the same chapter. The character failings and questions over their sexuality sometimes form part of the criticism of the ‘villains’ (eg descriptions of Potiorek on pages 415 and 423).

The book has few maps and no appendices of orders of battle or the organizational structure of regiments, battalions or divisions at different points in time. The author describes organization and reforms, but the reader’s understanding would have been aided by such diagrams and lists. Every so often the author mentions the total strength of the army or the number of regiments, but such facts are simply dropped into the text without much information or context. Again, I had the impression, the author didn’t really have a good grasp of the information he was presenting. Although he occasionally mentioned the names of specific regiments, there was little sense of the long history and special standing of those regiments and no real details about them.

For me the biggest problem was the apparent lack of editing, or at least of rigour, the lack of consistency, the rambling nature of the work. In some chapters certain terms or phrases are used excessively.For example, the phrase flags flying and bands playing is used more than once in the chapters on the Napoleonic Wars. The term ‘annihilate’ is often used to describe the outcome of a battle. On page 348 one of the archdukes is called Albrecht and Albert in the same paragraph and then interchangeably in the rest off the chapter. There aren’t enough dates and sometimes the account in a chapter jumps backwards and forwards while purporting to be chronological. Surnames are often dropped into the text without explanation/description and then some pages later their full name and title or rank are included. Sometimes the emperor is called the emperor, sometimes the kaiser, and sometimes the same term is used in the same paragraph; in the chapters on World War One, there are a couple of instances of Wilhelm II of Germany being referred to as the kaiser and Franz-Joseph of Austria referred to as emperor or vice versa in the same section. On page 423 there is a section titled Colonel ‘Apis’, about a Serbian officer who was the head of the secret society the Black Hand. In the section the officer is referred to as holding the rank of major and is called by his name - Dmitrievic - or as Apis, but never as either a colonel or Colonel Apis. These inconsistencies go on and on and on, and although it was a history of the army, there were several sections on the navy; all very interesting, but completely off topic and distracting.

I have a fairly extensive collection of books on military history, but I’m not sure if I will keep For God and Kaiser. An enjoyable (but very long) read for the generalist, judging by some of the reviews here, but those with a serious interest in military interest will be disappointed.

[Pieter · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Austrian army has a bit of a mixed reputation. Reliable and strong to keep off the Ottomans and to stretch its empire towards Bosnia and even beyond. But failing to beat Prussia twice and in case of Napoleon numerous times. Even during WW I, it was lucky to be bailed out by the Germans both against the Russians and Italians. But Bassett shows a more balanced view. Austria had a lot of fine military leaders like Tilly, Wallerstein, Charles of Lorraine, Prinz Eugen and Radetzky (from the similar famous marsch) and in some cases it was just unlucky to lose the battle.

The author spends time to discuss the political, religious and military evolution during the period 1618-1918. It offers a fine introduction to an army built and kept to protect both the Austrian kaiser as the catholic faith.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book changed my previous view of the Austrian (and later, Austro-Hungarian) Empire as a regime characterized by soldiers more renowned for their uniforms than their military prowess.

The author's central thesis is that between 1618 and 1918 the Austrian army existed to serve the Habsburg monarchy and to maintain that monarchy's hegemony over the diverse territories of the Empire. He paints a picture of an army in a constant quest for self-improvement to respond to its not-infrequent reverses in the field.

What jumped out for me was how the Austrian army was the only one that fought Revolutionary France and then Napoleon on the European mainland for the whole period from 1792 to 1815. Napoleon scored tactical victories over the Austrians numerous times at places such as Austerlitz and Wagram, but while the army would bend in the face of such battlefield defeats it never broke. Unlike most royal houses in Europe during this period, the Habsburgs survived intact until Napoleon's ultimate defeat in 1815.

Numerous colorful characters parade across the pages of this book, from Charles of Lorraine in 1683, through Daun in the Seven Years' War, to the Archduke Charles in the battles with Napoleon, and the redoubtable Radetzky, this last commemorated by the stirring Radetzky March, played every New Year's Day by the Vienna Philharmonic.

My only criticism of this book was that the author always takes the Austrian side in his description of events, and downplays the army's shortcomings whenever they enter the narrative. Nonetheless, I enjoyed this book and it gave me a good overview of the history of this remarkable state, which in many ways was well ahead of its time in terms of tolerance and diversity.

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A page turning history about the forces of the Habsburg empire during the periods it was called the Holy Roman Empire, Austrian Empire and finally the Austro-Hungarian empire. A topic that doesn't get as much attention from history lessons then it should. The book successfully looks at the strengths and weakness's of Austrian forces as they took part in, or sometimes fundamentally shaped world history. I've always been interested in this region, helps that my Oma was from Gratz and her father was a soldier in the KUK forces. There are only a couple things I would say that could be improved upon, like more detail of the war crimes of the first world war that saw the death of many Ukrainian, Serb and Romanian citizens within the empire. This only gets a glancing mention with the book. Anything else was just a little more detail here and there. However, understandably, that would have gone passed the topic of the book so that is a small caveat. Overall the research and detail put into it was well done. In the end, I would recommend this book to anyone and happily added it to my shelf(time to start the Kaiser Hymn).

[Ted Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book focuses specifically on the K. u. K., Imperial and Royal, military of the Habsburg dynasty, from its birth during the last days of the HRE, to its dissolution after the Great War.

It has possibly the most loving and doting tone of any of the Habsburg histories I've read this year, and I think is even unfair to several Habsburg antagonists such as Frederick III and Bismarck. But it is also incredibly detailed and well structured as a military history.

Like many of the revisionist Habsburg histories, it highlights the diversity of the Austrian Empire, and the strength that diversity gave. It delights in pointing out that while the militaries of the Entente powers were purging Jews, the K. u. K. not only had many Jewish officers, but even that the officers who later served in the Israeli military couldn't recall any anti-semitism directed against them as cadets.

It's easy to tell this story well, because it is a great story. But I think this book goes beyond.

[Tripp · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enjoyable, if occasionally wordy, look at the full history of the Imperial Austrian Army from 1619 to dissolution in 1918. Bassett seeks to rehabilitate the reputation of that Army, which is frequently associated with mockery at its performance in WW1. At times, he appears to go pretty far, for example claiming that Archduke Charles would be considered the genius of the early 19th century, if not for Napoleon. He does how ever show the strength of that Army particularly against the Ottomans, the Prussians and Napoleon.

If I have a complaint it is the chronological, personal focus. We hear a lot about leaders and battles, but less about systemic issues and approaches. Those are covered here, but it would have been even stronger with more.

If you are interested in a neglected military history topic, this will fit the bill.

[Max Parrott · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found this a great read up until the seven years war. The writer is extremely scathing of Fredrick the great and Prussia as a whole. He is very selective about which battles are mentions ignoring many Prussian victory’s. Quite a few of the stats about Prussia’s defeats are also exaggerated and Austrian losses downplayed. The battle of torgau Bassett claims Austrian loses to be around 2000 when most credible sources agree it was around 15,000. Bassett also spins Fredrick the great as a one layered villain, instead of a complex ( and as most credible sources agree highly competent military commander) multi layered real historical figure. It’s such a shame as I’d been really enjoying it so far but if Bassett is so blatantly biased how can I trust the book on later time periods of which I am less well informed?

[Borja Pino Jambrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magistral… ¡Absolutamente magistral!

Ameno, certero, tremendamente bien documentado, plagado de anécdotas curiosas e inolvidables, y redactado con una prosa fascinante, este libro es fantástico para cualquier amante de la historia promedio que desee aproximarse o, incluso, profundizar en la historia de una de las Fuerzas Armadas menos conocidas, más (injustamente) despreciada y, sin embargo, más influyentes y admirables de la historia de Europa.

Merece cada una de sus muchas páginas, de veras. Y��� Confieso que, al terminarlo, una sensación de cierta nostalgia inexplicable, de orfandad relativa, se ha apoderado de mí. Tal vez… ¿Algo en mi interior desearía haber conocido aquella porción sociocultural y militar del Viejo Continente a la que con tanta viveza Bassett nos transporta, y ya hace largo tiempo desaparecida?

Quizá…

[Russel Henderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

In-depth, erudite survey of the Hapsburg Army. The book sets out to convince the reader that the army was not so inept as popular imagination suggestions, and on that it tends to fall short. It also sets out to explain why, specifically the role of strategic thinking and the use of geography and the avoidance of decisive conflict as a means of ensuring the endurance of the monarchy. On that it is much more effective. On the whole a superb account of an important and underappreciated storyline in European history.

[Greatredwarrior · Rating 4 out of 5]

While it has a strong Austrian bias and tends to minimize defeats and exaggerate successes, I find this as a very thorough, enjoyable, and well put together work covering the beginning, middle, and end of the Imperial Austrian Military. The bias was clear enough that I never felt trick or deceived and it was never actually violent with the facts.

His central thesis, that the Austrian Emperors and the Imperial Army had a special relationship throughout their shared history was very compelling and easy to see. It was very well put together and I enjoyed it.

[Drake McCrary · Rating 3 out of 5]

While there were some great sections especially in the beginning and the very end overall it was rather dry and hard to get through. The resources listed at the end though are quite good so that might prove helpful in further reading on the topic.

[Alejandro Palau · Rating 5 out of 5]

El mejor libro sobre Austria

Es impecable, es un privilegio haberlo leído, me emociona igual que al autor la caballerosidad del ejército Austriaco y su capacidad de renacer

[Alec Avdakov · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely had a pro-Austrian bias which clouded how incompetent some Austrian officers genuinely were. The book was well written, but way too favorable to Conrad von Hötzendorf and Oskar Potiorek.

[Igor · Rating 5 out of 5]

When we think about the Habsburg Empire, we often have this idea of an empire defeated by the Prussians, the English, the French, the Italians etc This well written and researched book tells us otherwise. This book should be read after Roth's "Radetzky March".

[Matt Gross · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a very interesting read, and provides a wealth of knowledge about the Habsburg armies. It is a history that is rarely covered. Kudos to the author for keeping it interesting.