The German Cavalry in Belgium and France 1914 by M von Poseck

[steenie]

THE GERMAN CAVALRY IN BELGIUM AND FRANCE 1914

By

GENERAL DE KAVALLERIE MAXIMILIAN von POSECK

This work was translated from the German by the United States Cavalry and was published by the United States Cavalry Association in Germany in 1923.

If you are looking for a description of equipment and uniform this book is not for you. If you are looking for an understanding of the German Cavalry Arm and its tactics, mind set, and view on contemporary cavalry of other nations by the Germans, then you have are there

When reading this book, you are struck, as you are by all books written by Prussians of this time, by the pomposity of the author and the prevalent attitude of Prussia to the rest of the world. As it was said by another great man, ‘Prussia is an army masquerading as a nation’. This boorish pomposity can be overlooked as just something irksome. What I found I could not stomach was Poseck's efforts to justify the brutality of the Belgium civilian population by the German Army. He ends this that if France or England had been in the same situation, we would have done the same if not more so. NOOOOO we wouldn’t.

Anyway, onto the content; Poseck is detailed in the extreme in minute detail of the operations of the cavalry in this opening campaign of the Great War. He not only goes into dispositions but gives detailed descriptions of the ground covered. It is interesting to compare other works, such as Vaughan and de Lisle for the same engagement.

Poseck, besides his indepth reports also gives a great insight into the prevalent ideas of combat his army.

I would recommend this work to all who have an interest in the Great War and cavalry in particular. If however, you want to read this from cover to cover, as against using it as a reference book; I would recommend you do not try to use it for bedtime reading. I would also suggest plenty of black coffee if you intend to stay awake.