Publisher's Synopsis
What can we learn from war, and warfare, in the twentieth century? What observations and deductions can we make, and what lessons can we draw? 'War and Warfare in the Twentieth Century' discriminates clearly between war (collective violence for political purposes) and warfare (the conduct of war). By focussing on the twentieth century it examines both a clearly-delineated period in the past, and the century which offers us the most (and the most relevant) material to examine.
'War and Warfare' deliberately looks at the subject through the prism of strategy, operations and tactics. That offers a surprisingly novel perspective on some apparently familiar ground. Would, for example, the Battle of the Somme be better considered as the Somme Campaign?
The book also discriminates rigorously between outputs and outcomes. What is the point, for example, of seizing ground and inflicting casualties (that is, outputs) if the battle or engagement doesn't meet its overall purpose (that is, intended outcome)? So, in the case of the Somme, what can we say about outputs and outcomes? And, to that extent, who won?
What did navies actually achieve? Did aircraft revolutionise warfare? How were the two World Wars actually won? Indeed what do winning and losing actually mean in relation to war? 'War and Warfare in the Twentieth Century' will make you think long and hard about what you thought you knew about war and warfare.
