Siren Songs: The Perils of Interwar Escapism

By: Burke, Eric Michael

"Some of the most dramatic outcomes in human conflict have involved a belligerent who miscalculates or underestimates another's tactics and prior preparations. This study compares strikingly different yet similar twentieth and early twenty-first century German and US Army efforts that shared a similar delusion-the siren song that future victory could be achieved without addressing failures that previously led to disastrous defeat. In developing the trajectory to pilot an army following defeat, leader decisions at every level matter a great deal. Delusional thinking, or belief in cherished myths, can cause intelligent and well-meaning officers and policymakers to chart a reckless course straight for the rocky shoals of defeat. Siren Songs is designed to help leaders steer clear of such mistakes and such a dismal fate"--

• Format: Misc.
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0578911604
• ISBN13: 9780578911601
• Release Date: January 1
• Publisher: Army University Press US Army Combined Arms C