by RNS | Jun 26, 2023 | Beating Tsundoku
Douglas Miller, The German Peasants’ War 1524-26 (Helion, 2023)
When does a widespread but disconnected insurgency constitute a war? Some argue that when it comes to the revolts in German regions of the Holy Roman Empire between 1524 and 1526, it doesn’t, despite their similarities. Douglas Miller disagrees, and in this book, Miller lays out his thesis for a war that redirected the path of German sociopolitical history.
Miller takes us into the German lands of the Holy Roman Empire in the 16th Century where the peasant farmers carried more than their fair share of the social burden. This was also a time of religious and social turmoil. It is no surprise then to find a peasantry regularly on the edge of rebellion. Miller highlights that warfare too was changing, moving away from feudal elitism based on mounted knights to infantry based armies fighting with pikes. Firearms and artillery also played a more prominent role. We then move on to the military organisation of the peasant armies, including logistics and command. Miller notes the use of mercenary landsknechts on both sides. With the stage set, Miller takes us into the fighting, beginning with the war in the southwest in 1524 followed by Swabia the following year. Indeed, there were few regions that escaped the ravages of class warfare as it raged on into 1526. The effects of all this were catastrophic with devastation across great swathes of countryside and over 100,000 peasants killed or wounded. The peasants lost and retribution was harsh. Miller concludes with an analysis of how the Peasant rebellions caught fire but lacked overall leadership and were ultimately crushed by better equipped and organised armies under strategic control.
This is an excellent introduction to a complex series of rebellions that Miller argues constituted a general war. You don’t need to favour the Marxist view of history to lean towards Miller making his case; these rebellions had much in common and the ruling elites seem to have understood the general threat to their status. Miller’s engaging writing is complemented by many wonderful contemporary illustrations, battle maps and colour strategic maps, and colour plates of peasant banners and soldiers from both sides. The end result is a standout account of the Peasants’ War, and it is highly recommended for students of this period.
by RNS | Jun 17, 2023 | Beating Tsundoku
Murray Dahm, Byzantine Cavalryman versus Vandal Warrior (Osprey, 2023)
The Vandalic War, fought between 533 and 536 CE, is hardly the first war that springs to mind when discussing military history, but it was one with important ramifications for early medieval history. It is also a fascinating conflict, featuring one of the great commanders in Belisarius. In this excellent contribution to Osprey’s Combat series, Murray Dahm takes us into the action.
For those of us unfamiliar with the Vandalic War, Dahm’s introductory overview is clear and draws you into the story of this risky Byzantine expedition into North Africa. We move on to descriptions of the Byzantine and Vandal forces, the latter possibly consisting entirely of cavalry, though the evidence is admittedly sketchy. Dahm covers organisation, tactics, and equipment, deftly explaining the various technical terms that otherwise could become confusing. Three exemplar battles from the Vandalic War occupy the central portion of Dahm’s book: Ad Decimum (September 533), Tricamarum (December 533), and the Bagradas River and Scalae Veteres from 536. For each, Dahm presents the background, the action, and the result. In his analysis, Dahm highlights the crucial presence of Belisarius for Byzantine success, and he notes the surprising effectiveness of Byzantine cavalry in achieving battlefield victories. For the Vandals, their superiority in numbers masked critical weaknesses in morale and command that led to their defeat. Dahm concludes his survey with the aftermath of the Vandalic War, a story of continued Byzantine success and Vandal collapse. I should add a note here in praise of Dahm’s inclusion of a review of the sources and an excellent bibliography for such a slim volume.
The purpose of any history book is for the reader to come away from it better informed. Achieving that in 80 pages on a somewhat obscure war contested between two relatively unfamiliar powers is no mean feat. But Dahm succeeds admirably. His survey is based on Procopius, though Dahm engages profitably with his secondary sources to produce a well-balanced and well-written account. He is ably supported by Osprey’s usual high quality illustrations and maps, creating a book that is an excellent introduction to the period and a fascinating conflict.
by RNS | Jun 2, 2023 | Beating Tsundoku
James Falkner, Prince Eugene of Savoy (Pen & Sword, 2022)
If you didn’t know, Prince Eugene of Savoy was one of Europe’s greatest commanders. A colossus in an era of great rivals, Eugene has been overshadowed somewhat by the Duke of Marlborough, at least in the anglophone world of most of our military history. James Falkner offers a necessary corrective in this military biography by placing Eugene firmly in the context of the wider European history while bringing to the fore his often brilliant achievements.
BUY NOW
Falkner skips straight into the action after a brief nod to Eugene’s parentage and upbringing. Eugene, the unpromising teenager, absconded to Vienna from under Louis XIV’s uncaring nose to offer his service to the Habsburg Emperor Leopold. Thus began Eugene’s extraordinary career narrated in surefooted fashion by Falkner. Eugene arrived at an opportune moment, with the Ottoman empire expanding to the gates of Vienna. He earned his spurs in the fightback, despite his impecunity, and rose through the ranks in six years of fighting. He next campaigned against the French in Italy before taking up the command of the army in the East in 1697 at the age of just 33 years old. He subsequently destroyed the Ottomans at Zenta. But Eugene had little time to bask in his glory before being sent to command in the War of the Spanish Succession. That began in Italy with victories against the French, leading to his appointment as head of the Imperial War Council from where he could reorganise the Empire’s battered and out-dated armies.
Eugene joined the Duke of Marlborough on the Danube in 1704 to combine their armies against the French. The two great commanders established a lasting friendship that served both of them well as they swept to victory at Blenheim. Eugene then commanded Imperial forces in Italy again, giving the hapless French the runaround in what Falkner describes as an ‘astonishing campaign’. Eugene became Field-Marshal of the Empire as his reward. There followed the curiously lacklustre campaign to seize Toulon, which failed, and Eugene never again returned to Italy. Instead, he once more joined Marlborough to defeat the French at Oudenarde in 1708 and Malplaquet in 1709. Marlborough’s sacking by Queen Anne and Eugene’s failed diplomatic visit to London severely dented the Alliance’s chances of success against France. Eugene took part in further operations, but treaties and peace became the best options for all concerned. In 1715, Eugene’s attention returned to the Ottoman threat. A stunning victory at Peterwardein followed in 1716 then came the siege and capture of Belgrade. Eugene’s political fortunes failed to match his military successes, and Falkner winds down his biography with court politics reducing Eugene’s status before a comeback even as his health declined. Eugene took to the field one last time in 1734 in an inconclusive effort against the French. He died in his bed in 1736.
Despite Falkner describing Eugene as a ‘unique genius as a military commander’, this book is far from being a hagiography. Rather Falkner has written a straightforward account of Eugene of Savoy’s career that toes a central line for the most part, and you have to keep in mind that some of Eugene’s military achievements were truly astonishing. Falkner also points out Eugene’s faults, particularly his seeming ambivalence, or negligence, of courtly politics with unfortunate personal results. Falkner is also even-handed in establishing the context for Eugene’s career, with Vienna looking east at the Ottoman threat as much as anything coming from France. That reduces the anglophile emphasis on Eugene and Marlborough so common in books relating to this pivotal era in European history. If you don’t know Eugene of Savoy but keep hearing his name, then Falkner’s biography is a solid and reliable place to start.
