War for the Every Day
Generals, Knowledge, and Warfare in Early Modern Europe, 1680-1740
- 256 pages
- English
- PDF
- Available on iOS & Android
About this book
A study of operational warfare in the Habsburg old regime, 1683-1740, which recreates everyday warfare and the lives of the generals conducting it, this book goes beyond the battlefield to examine the practical skills of war needed in an agricultural landscape of pastures, woods, and water. Although sieges, forages, marches, and raids are universally considered crucial aspects of old regime warfare, no study of operational or maneuver warfare in this period has ever been published. Early modern warfare had an operational component which required that soldiers possess or learn many skills grounded in the agricultural economy, and this requirement led to an economy of knowledge in which the civil and military sectors exchanged skilled labor. Many features of scientific warfare thought to be initiated by Enlightenment reformers were actually implicit in the informal structures of armies of the late 1680-1740 period. In this period, the Habsburg dynasty maintained an army of more than 100, 000 men, and hundreds of generals. This book might be called a labor history of these generals, revealing their regional, social, and educational backgrounds. It also details the careerist dimensions of another neglected aspect of the early modern general's work, the creation of military theory. Theory arose naturally from staff work and commanded wide interest among both high-ranking officers for professional reasons, and for its significant impact on service politics.
Frequently asked questions
- Essential is ideal for learners and professionals who enjoy exploring a wide range of subjects. Access the Essential Library with 800,000+ trusted titles and best-sellers across business, personal growth, and the humanities. Includes unlimited reading time and Standard Read Aloud voice.
- Complete: Perfect for advanced learners and researchers needing full, unrestricted access. Unlock 1.4M+ books across hundreds of subjects, including academic and specialized titles. The Complete Plan also includes advanced features like Premium Read Aloud and Research Assistant.
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app.
Information
Table of contents
- Contents
- Abbreviations
- Acknowledgments
- Notes on Translation
- Introduction
- 1. "The Generation of 1683": The Emperor's Generals, 1686–1723
- 2. Tactics, Operations, and the Economy of Knowledge
- 3. Generals as Engineers
- 4. Administering War in an Age of Reason: Staff Generals Through 1740
- 5. Generals at War: Emperor versus Sultan, Khevenhiiller versus Schmettau, 1737–1739
- Conclusion
- Appendix: The Generallisten, 1686–1723
- Bibliography
- Index