Carl von Clausewitz (1780-1831) is best known for his masterpiece of military theory On War, yet that work formed only the first three of his ten-volume published writings. The others, historical analyses of the wars that roiled Europe from 1789 through 1815, informed and shaped Clausewitz's military thought, so they offer invaluable insight into his dialectical, often difficult theoretical masterwork.
Among these historical works, one of the most important is Der Feldzug von 1799 in Italien und der Schweiz, which covers an important phase of the French Revolutionary Wars. The Coalition Crumbles, Napoleon Returns focuses mainly on the campaigns in Switzerland, where the cracks that finally fractured the alliance between Russia and Austria and led to the defeat of the Second Coalition first opened.
Moving from strategy to battle scene to analysis, this first English translation of volume 6 of Clausewitz's collected works nimbly conveys the character of Clausewitz's writing in all its registers: the brisk, often powerful description of events as they unfolded and the critical reflections on strategic theory and its implications.
The Coalition Crumbles, Napoleon Returns features Suvorov's astonishing march through the St. Gotthard Pass and major actions such as the Second Battle of Zurich and the Battle of Mannheim. The nature of the campaign highlighted the contrast between the opposing armies' different strengths and weaknesses and the problems of fighting as part of a coalition. This book will expand readers' experience and understanding of not only this critical moment in European history but also the thought and writings of the modern master of military philosophy.
Carl von Clausewitz (1780-1831) is best known for his masterpiece of military theory On War, yet that work formed only the first three of his ten-volume published writings. The others, historical analyses of the wars that roiled Europe from 1789 through 1815, informed and shaped Clausewitz's military thought, so they offer invaluable insight into his dialectical, often difficult theoretical masterwork.
Among these historical works, one of the most important is Der Feldzug von 1799 in Italien und der Schweiz, which covers an important phase of the French Revolutionary Wars. The Coalition Crumbles, Napoleon Returns focuses mainly on the campaigns in Switzerland, where the cracks that finally fractured the alliance between Russia and Austria and led to the defeat of the Second Coalition first opened.
Moving from strategy to battle scene to analysis, this first English translation of volume 6 of Clausewitz's collected works nimbly conveys the character of Clausewitz's writing in all its registers: the brisk, often powerful description of events as they unfolded and the critical reflections on strategic theory and its implications.
The Coalition Crumbles, Napoleon Returns features Suvorov's astonishing march through the St. Gotthard Pass and major actions such as the Second Battle of Zurich and the Battle of Mannheim. The nature of the campaign highlighted the contrast between the opposing armies' different strengths and weaknesses and the problems of fighting as part of a coalition. This book will expand readers' experience and understanding of not only this critical moment in European history but also the thought and writings of the modern master of military philosophy.
Nicholas Murray teaches strategy and policy at the
US Naval War College. He is the author of The Rocky Road to the
Great War: The Evolution of Trench Warfare to 1914.
Christopher Pringle is an academic publisher and a
former officer in the British Territorial Army. He is the author of
Bloody Big BATTLES! Rules for Wargaming the Late Nineteenth Century
and a supporting blog.
Murray and Pringle are the cotranslators and coeditors of Carl von
Clausewitz's Napoleon's 1796 Italian Campaign, also from Kansas.
Carl von Clausewitz's The 1799 Campaign in Italy and Switzerland
deserves attention not only because it is one of the last texts he
wrote. Careful readers would not fail to recognize why this largely
overlooked campaign preoccupied Clausewitz's mind in the late
1820s. None of the adversaries could claim a commander of
Napoleon's caliber, thus providing a more balanced view about the
changes the French Revolution had ushered in in the military realm.
The campaign revealed the difficulties of coalition warfare, a
subject Clausewitz mulled over in the late 1820s. Fought within a
fraught domestic and international context, the campaign's
leadership and direction frequently changed. For many of the
participants, this remained mainly a war with limited objectives.
In other words, throughout The 1799 Campaign, Clausewitz explored
issues he had encountered while writing On War but was yet to
capture on its pages comprehensively. Murray and Pringle's
translation is exceptional; it remains faithful to the original
while offering its readers elegant and accessible prose." - Vanya
Eftimova Bellinger, author of Marie von Clausewitz: The Woman
behind the Making of On War
"Carl von Clausewitz-the name evokes the masterpiece of military
theory, but much of the great Prussian theorist's voluminous legacy
remains unknown to the wider public. This includes Clausewitz's
insightful analysis of crucial campaigns of the French
Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. Nicholas Murray and Christopher
Pringle have done a masterful job in rectifying this problem. They
have already translated Clausewitz's book on Napoleon's 1796
Italian Campaign, and now regale us with a new and exciting edition
of the eminent military thinker's analysis of the 1799 campaigns in
Italy and Switzerland. This is a highly welcome and
thought-provoking addition to Clausewitzian studies. The
translation is brilliantly executed, with copious footnotes and
annotations by the erudite editors. This book should be on the
bookshelf of anyone with an interest in the French Revolutionary
Wars or who wants to understand how history, strategy, and politics
interact under wartime conditions. Highly recommended!" - Alexander
Mikaberidze, author of The Napoleonic Wars: A Global History
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