Blueprints for Battle: Planning for War in Central Europe, 1948-1968 Illustrated Edition
Author(s): Jan Hoffenaar (Editor), Dieter Krüger (Editor), David T. Zabecki (Editor)
Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
Publication Date: 5 Oct. 2012
Edition: Illustrated
Language: English
Print length: 304 pages
ISBN-10: 9780813136516
ISBN-13: 0813136512
Book Description
While scholarship abounds on the diplomatic and security aspects of the Cold War, very little attention has been paid to military planning at the operational level. In Blueprints for Battle, experts from Russia, the United States, and Europe address this dearth by closely examining the military planning of NATO and Warsaw Pact member nations from the end of World War II to the beginning of détente. Informed by material from recently opened archives, this collection investigates the perceptions and actions of the rival coalitions, exploring the challenges presented by nuclear technology, examining how military commanders’ perceptions changed from the 1950s to the 1960s, and discussing logistical coordination among allied states. The result is a detailed study that offers much-needed new perspectives on the military aspects of the early Cold War.
Editorial Reviews
Review
“”Blueprints for Battle delves into the military planning used by each side and how it was shaped and reshaped as the world was transfored from the end of World War II to the late 1960s.” — Military History” —
“”Jan Hoffenaar and Dieter Kruger’s anthology Blueprints for Battle: Planning for War in Central Europe, 1948-1968 is essential reading for any serving officer and should be required reading for senior officials.” — Col. Gregory Fontenot, U.S. Army retired” —
“”Readers of these conference offerings are given a sweeping vista of the war plans developed by the two alliances fort the arena of Central Europe during the first two decades of the Cold War.” — Tal Tovy, H-War” —
“Contains a host of fascinating observations about a period for which the historical records are only just emerging. Although many books have analyzed the diplomatic and national security aspects of the early Cold War, few have gone down to the next level to examine how national strategies translated into specific military plans and actions.” — Jonathan M. House, author of A Military History of the Cold War, 1944-1962
“Essential reading for any serving officer and should be required reading for senior defense officials. Blueprints, if read, would go a long way toward correcting the apparent memory loss of the purpose of armies and illusions of whether or not the Cold War was complicated or complex.” — Army Magazine
“The Cold War has been indifferently plumbed by scholars, especially regarding the Eastern bloc. This book, with its wealth of new and fascinating information on the subject, is especially welcome.” — Spencer C. Tucker, retired holder of the John Biggs Chair of Military History at the Virginia Military Institute and editor of the Encyclopedia of the Cold War: A Political, Social, and Military History
From the Publisher
Maj. Gen. David T. Zabecki, editor of Vietnam magazine and author of several military history books, served as an infantry rifleman in Vietnam. After earning his commission, he was an operations officer, intelligence officer, and a chief of staff. In 2003 he was the senior security adviser on the U.S. co-ordinating and Monitoring Mission in Israel. He lives in Germany.
About the Author
Maj. Gen. David T. Zabecki, editor of Vietnam magazine and author of several military history books, served as an infantry rifleman in Vietnam. After earning his commission, he was an operations officer, intelligence officer, and a chief of staff. In 2003 he was the senior security adviser on the U.S. co-ordinating and Monitoring Mission in Israel. He lives in Germany.
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