Quest for Decisive Victory: From Stalemate to Blitzkrieg in Europe, 1899-1940 (Modern War Studies)

Was very readable has all books I have by same author1 Excellent addition to my collection on military history!

Robert Citino starts with a problem: from the middle of the 19th century, decisive battles, so common in the Napoleonic Wars, suddenly disappear. Although battles were still fought and won, they became increasingly sterile, deciding little. He shows that this had more to do with command, control and communication (C3) than increasing firepower or any imagined superiority of defense over attack. He then takes us through the campaigns of the early 20th century to see how the problem (and solutions) evolved. In the process, he gives us excellent operational histories of many little-known wars, such as the Russo-Japanese (1904-05) and Balkan (1912-13) wars, as well World War 1. This alone would make the book a "must-buy" for me. However, this is just a way to his goal of showing how battles once again became "decisive". His discussion of the inter-war period, which has been analyzed ad nauseum, still finds some new things to say. In particular, he shows how the radio was more important than the tank to Blitzkrieg. He winds up with the opening battles of world war 2, where mobility and decisiveness were restored to the battlefield.

Great Book!!Citino is the Best!!

This book offer a very interesting work, (as Mr. Citino has offered before)with an added "plus" of readability that makes a Scholar book as an interesting Novel. Highly recommended.

I found this book to be questionable in its veracity. I found a number of mistakes that a military historian should not make, even if the errors are small. For instance, Union Maj. Gen. Hooker's first name was Joseph, not Robert. A military historian should know that, esp. since his famous nickname was "Fighting Joe." Stonewall Jackson was not killed at Chancellorsville, he was wounded there, and died of complication from that wound several days later. A larger issue is that Citino seems to think military operations happen with no political context. That must be why he jumps into the Boer War without letting the reader know what its causes were, what British objectives were, etc. Same thing goes for the Russo-Japanese War--no context given, we just start hearing about the fighting for Port Arthur with no background at all! The author also introduces generals for the first time without giving first names, full ranks, or any background. This may be more the fault of a sloppy editor, esp. if earlier sections were cut out, but during the final proofing stage someone should have checked to make sure there were none of these "hanging" references at all.

There are not many books which treat comprehensively the period of 1899-1941 i.e. from Boer War till Fall of France. Especially books which consider with some length with russo-japanese or Balkan Wars.Besides book is very good written with good flaw - you won't get bored.Citino is also author of many more books - and all of them are of very good standard."The quest for decesive victory" is of course not definitive history but a starter - but very good starter. You won't regret buying it.

In Quest for Decisive Victory, Dr. Citino analyzes the progression of warfare from the age of Napoleon to the opening battles of the Second World War. The study consists of the numerous military leaders in the period looking for methods of winning a decisive victory in Napoleonic style despite the great technological advances of the time. Dr. Citino puts to rest the abundance of myths that have risen about the period, especially the military doctrine of all commanders in the opening stages of the First World War. In the period following the end of World War I, Citino is at his best, providing a tremendous amount of information about the great debate of the "interwar period," and the opening battles of World War II, which proved some analyists to be correct in their debates, and others to look like fools. Overall, Dr. Citino's narrative style makes the work enjoyable to read and easy to understand.

Dr Citino's newest book is a must read for anyone interested in expanding their knowledge of modern military history. I anticipated this books publication for over a year and was not disappointed. The focus of the Quest For Decisive Victory is the evolution of tactics and strategy to deal with the innovations in technology and the changing battlefield. From the rise of the "invisible battlefield" due to smokeless powder in the Boer War to the simple introduction of the wireless radio set to the tank intended as a replacement for hand flags as the main form of communication among tank commanders , a weapon system or technical innovation is only as good as the commanding Generals understanding of its capabilities and how best to employ it in war. Dr. Citino Traces this process from 1899-1940 showing how the static stalemate of war first appearing in the Boer War and the Russo Japanese war was finally overcome by the "War of Movement" as practiced and envisioned by Guderian, Rommel, Fuller, and Von Seckt.

An interesting veiw of a period of change in the conduct of War. The Balkans and Russian Japanese conflicts are little know in the English speaking world but flagged up some of the changes in the conduct of Military affairs more so than the blanketing image of stalemate in the First world war. Worth getting for any one interested in the coduct of warfare in the eary 20th century.His veiw on the Spanish civil war is fresh to me and does challange the view that the only reason that Francos forces won was the presence of German forces.

Great book. Citino takes you through some of the less known wars of the 20th century. If you are for instance interested in russo-japanese war or the balkan wars this is a good starting point. The most important part - the stalemate is well covered too. Although there are some things lacking like the polish-russian war, which is only mentioned in a paragraph.

Very well written and informative.