Moltke on the Art of War: Selected Writings

by Helmuth Karl Bernhard von Moltke, Daniel J. Hughes (Editor, Translator), Harry Bell (Translator)

Field Marshal Helmuth Graf von Moltke is best known for his direction of the German/Prussian campaigns against Austria in 1866 and France in 1870-71, yet it was during his service as chief of the General Staff that he laid the foundation for the German way of war which would continue through 1945.

Professor Daniel Hughes of the Air War College, in addition to editing and assisting with the translation of this selection of Moltke’s thoughts and theories on the art of war, has written an insightful commentary on “Moltke the Elder” that places him in the broader context of Prussian military theorist Carl von Clausewitz’s sometimes abstract philosophical ideas.

The book also contains an extensive bibliographic and historiographic commentary that includes references to Moltke and his theories in the current literature in Germany, England, and the United States—a valuable aid to anyone doing research on the subject.

This volume, in addition to its appeal to scholars, serves as an introduction to the theory of the German army, as well as a summary of Moltke’s enduring theoretical legacy.

Praise for Moltke on the Art of War

“Moltke molded the Prussian and ultimately the German army at a time of technological and economic change. For that reason . . . this book deserves a much wider audience than those interested in nineteenth-century military history. Readers will be particularly grateful for the editor’s careful explanation of terms that are easily mistranslated in English, and for concise and useful footnotes and bibliography. A model of fine editing.”—Foreign Affairs Magazine

“This valuable work ably compiles the selected writings on the art of war of one of military history’s greatest geniuses. [Moltke’s] impact on American military thinking persists, especially in various military staff college curricula. Strongly recommended.”—Armed Forces Journal

“A thoughtfully edited, well-translated anthology that merits a place in any serious collection on the craft of war in the modern Western world."—Journal of Military History

Genres: History, Military Fiction, War, Military History, Germany, Leadership, Philosophy

288 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1993

About the author

Helmuth Karl Bernhard Graf von Moltke was a German Field Marshal who acted as chief of staff of the Prussian Army for thirty years. He is also referred to as Moltke the Elder.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helmuth...

Reviews

[Jaron Roux · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book! I felt like this book was written from a senior general to mid-level field grade officers on how they should think about war... "Eternal peace is a dream, and not even a pleasant one. War is part of God's world order. War develops man's noblest virtues, which otherwise would slumber and die out: courage, self-denial, devotion to duty, and willingness to make sacrifices. A man never forgets his experiences in war. They increase his capability for all time to come." I believe this paragraph bests sums it up for anyone who has ever served in combat!

[Readius Maximus · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was expecting a more big picture discussion on war. It was more tactical then I was expecting but still good. Moltke has some great sayings. Hitler's conduct of the ww2 was the total opposite of what Moltke teaches. Hitler clearly didn't read Moltke.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best source on Motlke's reforms in the Prussian military. An excellent read.

[Nguyen Hoang Quan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a good book offering interesting points, but is hampered by the historical context from which it was written and the repetition from compiling text not supposed to be taken together. You would see some points repeated with the exact same reasoning used before, and this is a minus in term of reader experience.

On the other hand, it does address interesting problems arisen from the time - the concentration of forces, while necessary, should be limited to the decisive moment to lessen the burden on logistic; commanding officers should concentrate on his plan and leave the particular to their subordinates as they are detached from the actual circumstance; how flanking as a move is dangerous due to the growing size of war and armies; and the importance of keeping fast and consistent communication between headquarters and units in the field. There is no simple solution to those, and most of them can only be dealt with by increasing the ability of the army and its officer corps.

All in all, a very informative read, but I can't give it a 5 star. It's tempting though. Very very temptingly so.

[Dumky De wilde · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some great insights and quotes, but a lot of it has a really outdated feeling to it. Which is not strange of course for a book on warfare that's 150 years old...

[Dennis Chow · Rating 3 out of 5]

DNF 60% read. There are bits and pieces in it which are very interesting but for a large part it is rather boring. I wanted to like it but I just couldn’t get through it.

[Nate Huston · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, Moltke was the man when it came to interpreting Clausewitz, though he didn't always agree. Specifically, he (at least initially) viewed politics' place as confined to the beginning and end of war, but thought it had no place during. While he later came to amend his viewpoint, I think it's still worth consideration that direct political involvement in operational level planning can be challenging. Policy cannot be separated from war, but it can focus on a certain level, in my opinion.

Interestingly, Moltke predicted the challenges faced by field commanders with robust communications connectivity to headquarters. He warned of the dangers of the higher levels getting too involved with the lower, something we are struggling with today.

He also liked the advent of railroads. A lot.