Tannenberg: Clash of Empires, 1914

by Dennis E. Showalter

Book Overview

The battle of Tannenberg (August 27-30, 1914) opened World War I with a decisive German victory over Russia--indeed the Kaiser's only clear-cut victory in a non-attritional battle during four years of war. In this first paperback edition of the classic work, historian Dennis Showalter analyzes this battle's causes, effects, and implications for subsequent German military policy. The author carefully guides the reader through what actually happened...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1574887815
• ISBN13: 9781574887815
• Release Date: April 2004
• Publisher: Potomac Books
• Length: 420 Pages
• Weight: 1.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

The Best Book on the Subject

This is an outstanding piece of scholarship which provides a tremendous amount of detail on not only the 1914 campaign in East Prussia, but also on the Russian and German armies, and the imperial rivalry between the two nations in eastern Europe. Amazingly well researched and superbly written, this is the best book by far on the subject.

Valuable and comprehensive overview of overlooked WWI aspect

Showalter's "Tannenberg" is an exceptionally thorough and comprehensive history of not just the 1914 Battle of Tannenberg but also the dynamics that lead up to this clash and the fallout later. The only shortcomings are the lack of any historical photographs and the somewhat difficult to read, elliptical style of writing that Showalter uses at times. A recent article in "Military History" magazine also coincidently covers the same battle but incorporates historical photographs of the people and places which adds to our understanding of this turning point. This book is nonetheless well worth reading for any historian interested in this overlooked aspect of World War One or in German history in general