Moltke Myth - by Terence Zuber (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

The Moltke Myth is author Terence Zuber's groundbreaking book on Helmuth Karl Bernhard Graf von Moltke, the chief of staff of the Prussian Army for thirty years. Often referred to as Moltke the Elder, he is portrayed today as the nearly-infallible victor of the Prussian wars in 1864 against Denmark, in 1866 against Austria, and in 1871 against France. Moltke the Elder is known as a brilliant, innovative planner and master of the battlefield. The Moltke Myth shows that this "common knowledge" is based solely on hero-worship and simplistic generalizations.

Zuber, a career infantry officer, subjects Moltke's plans and orders to a militarily professional analysis. He asserts a new premise that Moltke was a normal human being who made grave errors like systematically failing to use cavalry reconnaissance and never knowing the location of his enemy. Zuber presents the true story about how realistic peacetime training and tactical excellence in combat helped the Prussian army win battles. The Moltke Myth offers stimulating new perspectives on tactics and strategy in the Wars of German Unification

Review Quotes

"Received a favourable review from Dennis Showalter in The Journal of Military History. Zuber is a welcome reinforcement to those scholars who have in fact been studying the Prussian/German army as a military instrument even before his arrival on the field...." --Dennis E. Showalter, Colorado College; author of Patton and Rommel: Men of War in the Twentieth Century, The Journal Of Military History

""Zuber" is a welcome reinforcement to those scholars who have in fact been studying the Prussian/German army as a military instrument even before his arrival on the field." --The Journal Of Military History

"Zuber...builds a strong and convincing case. Zuber's book demands a serious reappraisal of Helmuth von Moltke the elder and his proper place in military history." --War in History

About the Author