The Rebirth of the Habsburg Army: Friedrich Beck and the Rise of the General Staff

(Hardback)

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Friedrich Beck was the single most important figure in the transformation of the inept Habsburg military into the modern military state that would wage World War I. He correctly perceived that only an elite body of officers responsible for war planning and preparation could provide lasting security for the Austro-Hungarian empire. After firmly establishing the general staff as an institution, Beck led war planning to counter threats from Russia, Italy and the Balkans; and spearheaded a vast rebuilding of the rail network. While his rise to power marked a return to the "favourite system" of military administration of the early Franz Joseph period, Beck proved himself a man with real military ability that revolutionized an army.

Reviews

"Institutions change slowly, and military organizations even more incrementally. General Friedrich Beck managed over four decades to reshape the military forces of Austria-Hungary. Scott Lackey analyzes and describes Beck's many successes and infrequent miscues. Utilizing archival records, diary extracts, and a comparative perspective, Lackey puts Beck's achievement into sharp contrast with the spectacular failures of his better known successor. General Conrad von Hotzendorf. Beck stands out as a Habsburg Moltke, yet remains virtually unknown to military historians. Lackey redresses a neglected era and a neglected general."- Samuel R. Williamson, Jr. The University of the South
"Lackey has not only written the definitive biography of one of the 19th century's most distinguished soldiers, he describes as well the transformation of the militarily-inept Habsburg Empire of the mid-19th century into a modern military state, ultimately able to sustain four years of world war."-Dennis E. Showalter The Colorado College
Lackey has done historians of the monarchy a great service in reminding them of Beck's role in the monarchy's military history and in lamenting the failure of Beck's successors to comprehend and follow his strategic thought.-Austrian History Yearbook
"Lackey has done historians of the monarchy a great service in reminding them of Beck's role in the monarchy's military history and in lamenting the failure of Beck's successors to comprehend and follow his strategic thought."-Austrian History Yearbook

Author Bio

SCOTT W. LACKEY has a Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina. He is Chief of the Combat Training Center/Warrior Information Network Division of the U.S. Army Combined Arms Center History Office/Army Knowledge Network, Ft. Leavenworth, KS.