Jeremy Black, The Geographies of War (Pen & Sword, 2022)
‘War occurs as a spatial process’, argues Jeremy Black, despite modern efforts to make it seem otherwise. Geography and military history are intertwined, and in this illuminating analysis of warfare at all levels and in many different environments, Black sets out to demonstrate how that linkage works and why it is so important.
The Geographies of War breaks down into two broad sections, conceptual and practical, and within those he divides geography into physical and human aspects. He begins at ground level, discussing tactics, then scales up into operations and strategy; a mountain under tactical consideration becomes a range of mountains for operations; weather becomes climate. Black notes that operations and strategy overlap and introduces wider concepts; for example, force-space ratios. Broadening his horizons one step further, Black considers geopolitics, including not just physical geography but cultural issues such as religion and the east-west divide. Changes in technology have affected how geography is used in war, including aspects beyond weaponry such as trains and printing. The latter leads into how commanders use geography in what Black terms the ‘militarisation of information’, particularly the need for accurate mapping and its attendant problems, which constitutes the last conceptual chapter before Black’s historical case studies.
The underlying theme of the second half of The Geographies of War is how geographical considerations ebb and flow with the expansion of war. Black begins in North America with the American Revolution and Civil War with an emphasis on mapmaking that threads its way through modern warfare. Black views the imperial era as the ‘the determination of imperialism to control geography’, though he fits that to all military empires from Rome to China to Britain. The First World War, Black argues, forged an unprecedented role for geography at all levels as warfare expanded, new technologies were introduced, and war became global. He notes in particular the introduction of aircraft. The Second World War continued the trend with mechanised warfare fought across much of the world on land, sea, and air with the attendant difficulties in managing resources and accurate mapping. The Cold War was ‘understood and presented in geopolitical terms’ and physical technology such as nuclear weapons and satellites appeared to abrogate geography. But this was not the case, argues Black; strategic elements of containment and influence, nuclear bases, controlling insurgencies etc., emphasized the importance of human geography. Finally, Black speculates on the direction of future wars with a warning regarding the folly of assuming geography is less important than in previous eras.
The Geographies of War is a thought-provoking reminder of the complexities involved in understanding military history. Black backs his marriage of geography and history with numerous examples drawn from across the globe, though maybe with too much western emphasis. Moreover, his range of topics and themes are comprehensive – anyone following the current war in Ukraine will recognize many of Black’s arguments. Some might find Black’s academic language challenging in parts, but that should not be a deterrent to reading a thoroughly enjoyable and enlightening book.
