"Under the Shadow of Napoleon: French Influence on the" Topic

…American Way of Warfare from Independence to the Eve of World War II

"The way an army thinks about and understands warfare has a tremendous impact on its organization, training, and operations. The central ideas of that understanding form a nation's way of warfare that influences decisions on and off the battlefield. From the disasters of the War of 1812, Winfield Scott ensured that America adopted a series of ideas formed in the crucible of the Wars of the French Revolution and epitomized by Napoleon. Reflecting American cultural changes, these French ideas dominated American warfare on the battlefields of the Mexican-American War, the American Civil War, the Spanish-American War, and World War I. America remained committed to these ideas until cultural pressures and the successes of German Blitzkrieg from 1939 – 1940 led George C. Marshall to orchestrate the adoption of a different understanding of warfare. Michael A. Bonura examines concrete battlefield tactics, army regulations, and theoretical works on war as they were presented in American army education manuals, professional journals, and the popular press, to demonstrate that as a cultural construction, warfare and ways of warfare can be transnational and influence other nations."

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Armand

Interesting, but far too expensive!

(smile)

Armand

and that is the Kindle price!

I'm currently slogging my way through a book about NY in the War of 1812. I'm about halfway through and Napoleon hasn't been mentioned once. What is evident is the Whackadoodles in American politics had no idea what the Hell they were doing. And, the two political parties of the time were willing to sabotage military operations to make their opposing party look bad. Napoleon had nothing to do with operations along the Great Lakes of NY's Northern Border. However, military/political incompetence did. After 1815 a case can be made. Jus sayin.

Thanks.

Armand

Is it on reading lists at West Point and Sandhurst?

Get the distinct impression at all things Napoleon/Napoleonic were taught at West Point and maybe Sandhurst prior to ACW and the professional army officers on both sides adopted and then cast off or modified what they learnt for the changed circumstances. It was wrote once or more "Was the ACW the last of the Napoleonic type wars or the first war of a more modern age. Grant was new age as he fought a new War of attrition which defeated the Confederates. But I'm British so what do I know!