Violence had stamped the German state since unification in the late 19th century and Heuss’s own republic had emerged in 1949 from the ashes of two devastating world wars instigated by German governments. Starting in 1500 with the Holy Roman Empire describing the relationship between the electors and empire and between each other, reasons when the war was deemed as permissible, means to wage the war, day to day of the army, relationship between the army and the civilian, advances in weaponry and strategy and how those changed the face of war.

Granted I am more of a Modern European History student, so the early material was largely new to me. Given that other centuries saw guns develop from matchlock to flintlock whereas the twentieth century saw the invention of aircraft, tanks and dreadnoughts, this is understandable. You can change your choices at any time by visiting Cookie preferences, as described in the Cookie notice. By setting his account in the broader context of European history, Wilson launches a sustained attack on the teleological Prussocentrism of the traditional story. Don’t get me wrong, I have loved reading all I can get my hands on regarding WW1 and WW2, and the German military figures large in both.Only after Prussia’s unexpected victory over France in 1871 did Germans and outsiders come to believe in a German gift for warfare—a special capacity for high-speed, high-intensity combat that could overcome numerical disadvantage. This does not even mention issues of how military history is tied to economic and social history in modernizing Europe. As with all history, what with hindsight seems inevitable, at the time is the result of chance, mistakes and Clausewitz's famous fog of war.

The title, "Iron and Blood," aptly captures the essence of the German experience, encapsulating the indomitable spirit and tumultuous history that have shaped the German-speaking peoples. He offers an absorbing overview of how slowly changing societal forces—such as fiscal systems, scientific and technological capabilities, ideological and cultural beliefs, and the social background of soldiers—have transformed the use of military force across modern times. This doctrine was proved blindingly successful in Bismarck's 1870 war against France, but was devastatingly wrong in 1914. illuminating on the complicated relationship between Prussia, both state and society, and its army . This goes for the Swiss military evolution as well--their soldiers once admired as the epitome of the warrior.Wilson looks to dispel the myth that the German military really is based on the Prussian model and that it was at its peak in the 2 World Wars.

Encircled by powerful neighbours, its people inevitably favoured authoritarian rulers able to mobilise for pre-emptive attacks. A strength of the book lies in Wilson's ability to strike a balance between academic rigor and engaging storytelling. Iron and Blood is a startlingly ambitious and absorbing book, encompassing five centuries of political, military, technological and economic change to tell the story of the German-speaking lands, from the Rhine to the Balkan frontier, from Switzerland to the North Sea. From the Enlightenment and Romanticism to the cultural boom of the Weimar Republic, the author captures the vibrancy and complexity of German cultural contributions.Wilson’s fascinating and comprehensive chronicle reminds us that the country’s vaunted reputation was of recent vintage anyway and failed to encompass the many Germanic traditions that had little to do with Prussia, which was dominant for only a limited period. Wilson masterfully navigates through the complex web of the Holy Roman Empire and the Thirty Years' War, shedding light on the divergent paths taken by the various German-speaking states. The whole book, at 900+ pages, serves as a massive and clear counterpoint to received wisdom — that there is no special "German way" (Sonderweg) — and that the historical analogies that remain are, as the saying goes, both convincing in their simplicity and completely wrong. Germany, their argument goes, was naturally predisposed to bellicosity thanks to its place at the heart of Europe.

Of course this reading of history was bollocks and this, as well as Peter Wilson's other books on the Holy Roman Empire and Thirty Years War, are a reminder that history should never be written 'after the fact'. The other type of reader is interested in what caused the great wars that defined European history over this period. Not for the faint of heart, but great book for those looking for a broad overlook of military history and culture as it interacted and reacted to political currents and whims. Each century is covered in one part, with each part divided into three sections: chronological history, strategic, logistic and tactical development, and the experience of warfare. There are chapters that seem like data dumps with tons of details and numbers thrown the reader's way with only a sprinkle of context.It’s 5 stars if you want extreme detail of everything from belt buckles to leader whims in a generalized broad summary of the time and region covered. But nonetheless I enjoyed reading through some of the trivia, especially around the late medieval and early modern eras, as well as the longstanding German obsession in the 20th century with a quick victory to stave off an extended two-front war. The author has clearly mastered the subject matter, but sometimes seems to have trouble organizing his thoughts.