What do you think?
Rate this book
Steel Wind: Colonel Georg Bruchmüller and the Birth of Modern Artillery
Steel Wind is a piece of historical detective work that explains how Colonel Georg Bruchmuller, an obscure German artillery officer recalled from retirement, played a pivotal role in the revolution of offensive tactics that took place in 1917-18. Ironically, the methods developed by Bruchmuller ultimately were rejected by the German Army of World War II, but they were taken up and applied with a vengeance by the emerging Red Army. The Soviets further developed Bruchmuller's principles and incorporated them into their doctrine, where they remain to this day. Through Soviet doctrine, they have become fundamental to the practice of many other armies. Bruchmuller's influence in shaping the former Soviet Army has also been mirrored in the shape of those armies designed to oppose it.
224 pages, Paperback
First published December 30, 1994
6 people are currently reading
77 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 8, 2022
Colonel Bruchmueller was a person at the right place at the right time. Re-enlisted artillery colonel (retired because of medical issues before WW1) got re-enlisted and then assigned to the Eastern front. Here he proved to be invaluable and rather inventive when it comes to artillery organization, command and control - he demonstrated his knowledge during the battle of Riga.
His approach to use of artillery and way it should be incorporated into general Imperial German Army gave new vigor to the German military machine. In 5 last offensives led by Ludendorf, colonel's doctrine proved its value in the field but came in too late to save the Germans.
As one of the reviewers noted we are not exactly given information how Bruchmueller came to his ideas - everything starts at the moment of his first application of new approach in Riga. It would be interesting to see how he built his knowledge but unfortunately we are never shown this evolution.
On the other hand we are given rather detailed evolution of artillery in Imperial German Army, role it played in the last year and half of WW1 and the way Allies found counter measures against this new German military art.
After 1918 we are given overview how colonel's approach to artillery and his works affected all the sides post WW1 and even today (especially when it comes to USSR/Russia). This part is very informative and shows how proven techniques, especially in field that does not allow for mistakes and second chances, are there to stay. That being said I was surprised that WW2 Germany decided to drop artillery in full - this was marked as a warning note in the book (together with, ironically, Yom Kippur war mentions), mistake of relying on only one way\technology when it comes to waging war. In this way book also shows how artillery and the way it is used changed dramatically at the end of WW1 and paved the way to modern organization of army artillery as a branch (where theory and concepts of application remained the same with only aspect of artillery technology/gun improvements developing at ever higher speed).
It is to the author's credit that book, although rather short, is very readable and very rich with information related to artillery (listed bibliography is quite amazing).
Highly recommended.
His approach to use of artillery and way it should be incorporated into general Imperial German Army gave new vigor to the German military machine. In 5 last offensives led by Ludendorf, colonel's doctrine proved its value in the field but came in too late to save the Germans.
As one of the reviewers noted we are not exactly given information how Bruchmueller came to his ideas - everything starts at the moment of his first application of new approach in Riga. It would be interesting to see how he built his knowledge but unfortunately we are never shown this evolution.
On the other hand we are given rather detailed evolution of artillery in Imperial German Army, role it played in the last year and half of WW1 and the way Allies found counter measures against this new German military art.
After 1918 we are given overview how colonel's approach to artillery and his works affected all the sides post WW1 and even today (especially when it comes to USSR/Russia). This part is very informative and shows how proven techniques, especially in field that does not allow for mistakes and second chances, are there to stay. That being said I was surprised that WW2 Germany decided to drop artillery in full - this was marked as a warning note in the book (together with, ironically, Yom Kippur war mentions), mistake of relying on only one way\technology when it comes to waging war. In this way book also shows how artillery and the way it is used changed dramatically at the end of WW1 and paved the way to modern organization of army artillery as a branch (where theory and concepts of application remained the same with only aspect of artillery technology/gun improvements developing at ever higher speed).
It is to the author's credit that book, although rather short, is very readable and very rich with information related to artillery (listed bibliography is quite amazing).
Highly recommended.
December 27, 2025
Great book on the birth of modern artillery practice, organization for combat. A must read by all artillery marines.
March 13, 2008
A good look both at how German artillery Doctrine evolved alongside their Infantry's stormtroop techniques.
It's also a good look at how good ideas from the outside can be ignored by a group used to doing things otherwise (in this case Bruchmuller's eastern front experiences by Western Front commanders.
It suffers from being a bit brief, however. It purports to be about Bruchmuller, but it's vague about his involvement in many ways. I'm aware that many of his papers did not survive the second world war, but I'd love to see more biographical texture, particularly with regard to his struggles to get his tactics accepted in the west.
The other hole is that there's no real detal as to how Bruchmuller's tactics developed- it's descriptive, and talks about how they were adopted in the west, but they seem to have sprung fully armed from Zeus' head just in time for the assault on Riga. I'm curious what gave rise to this.
It's also a good look at how good ideas from the outside can be ignored by a group used to doing things otherwise (in this case Bruchmuller's eastern front experiences by Western Front commanders.
It suffers from being a bit brief, however. It purports to be about Bruchmuller, but it's vague about his involvement in many ways. I'm aware that many of his papers did not survive the second world war, but I'd love to see more biographical texture, particularly with regard to his struggles to get his tactics accepted in the west.
The other hole is that there's no real detal as to how Bruchmuller's tactics developed- it's descriptive, and talks about how they were adopted in the west, but they seem to have sprung fully armed from Zeus' head just in time for the assault on Riga. I'm curious what gave rise to this.
April 18, 2019
It is amazing what a good mind, intelligence, the accumulation of knowledge and an environment for change can do and accomplish. All this without the benefit of a computer. This is a great book about solving modern artillery challenges during WW I. It is even a better book about how to get major projects done and rapidly transfer and inculcate key operational knowledge to right people at the right time.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews