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After the defeat at Colenso, the Natal Field Force under General Buller needed to break through the Boer lines and relieve the besieged town of Ladysmith. Buller's army marched westwards, crossed the Tugela River at Trichardt's Drift and Potgieter's Drift, and from 17-27 January 1900 fought the Boers with artillery and infantry attacks. These significant and prolonged battles have largely been ignored because of the horror of Spion Kop (Spioenkop) on 24 January. Yet Spion Kop began as a small flank attack - only a tenth of the British force were initially involved, and only 300 Boers counter-attacked.This book is the culmination of years of study, and correctly places Spioenkop in the context of the larger campaign. The author uses battlefield archaeology and eyewitness accounts of Boer and British participants to create a highly original and detailed account. This book also serves as a battlefield guide to Tabanyama and Spioenkop, providing detailed maps and numerous GPS locations.

Russian Campaigns in Central Asia reprints rare translations of 1839 and 1873 Russian accounts, detailing campaigns, logistics, and forces in Uzbekistan.Russian Campaigns in Central Asia reprints two rare translations of Russian-language works covering the 1839 and 1873 campaigns in what is now Uzbekistan, originally issued in Calcutta by the government in India. The two accounts cover the campaigns, logistics and the forces involved.The first Russian attempt to subjugate Khiva occurred in 1717. Unsuccessful, this was followed up in 1839 by a Russian army led by Count Perovsky. Again, this attempt would fail before the task was successfully undertaken in 1873. The 1839 campaign is narrated by its commander, Perovsky. After a full discussion of the preliminaries, the campaign itself is described in detail, including notes on the preparations for the invasion, the nature of the march and organization of detachments, and a significant focus on the logistics of the campaign, which dominated the outcome, and ultimately hindered Russian attempts to bring it to a successful conclusion.A second attempt in 1873 saw the Russians succeed, partly down to their achievements on the battlefield and partly due to some luck with logistics. The narrative is detailed, including much on the organization of the Russian forces and their actions, as well as notes on the medium and long-term results of the expedition.Taken together, the two narratives within this book present detailed accounts of neglected aspects of imperial expansion during the nineteenth century and provide much information on the challenging factors involved in logistics related to such campaigning.

In September 1848 on behalf of the Austrian Kaiser, his Croatian Viceroy declared war on the King of Hungary, precipitating one of the largest and bloodiest European conflicts of the nineteenth century. The Kaiser and King were one and the same man, Ferdinand. The war was only concluded with the massive intervention of the Tsarist Imperial Russian Army the following year, at the end of which independent Hungary was crushed.The Hungarian War of Independence of 1848-49 was a hugely complex event, both politically and militarily.Here, for the first time in English, in one single volume is a detailed study of how the armies of that war were raised, dressed, equipped and fought.Including detailed Orders of Battle, this work also includes a historical background, and a chapter giving an overview of the war itself, providing vital context for an understanding of how the troops of that conflict were raised and fought.

The fourth and concluding volume in this series - The Destruction of the Imperial Army - takes an in-depth look at events between the humiliating French surrender at Sedan and the ignominious submission of Bazaine and the Army of the Rhine at Metz as, seemingly, a succession of disasters befell Napoleon's once proud and invincible forces.French fortunes appeared to be at their nadir following the raising of the white flag over the walls of Sedan, but the worst was yet to come. The unsavory infighting between the French generals at Sedan seeking to apportion blame for their defeat in battle and Napoleon's equally humiliating interview with Bismarck and the Prussian King was partially offset by General Uhrich's courageous, albeit ultimately futile, defense of Strasbourg. However, such sacrifice could not compensate for Bazaine's frankly incomprehensible behavior at Metz. His inexplicable failure to break through the besieging German lines at the two day battle of Servigny/Noisseville and his equally underhand behavior during ensuing negotiations with the German commander, Prince Charles, le friends and adversaries - and the marshal had many antagonists amongst the French ranks - simply bewildered.As with previous volumes, the narrative draws heavily on the French official history and Lehautcourt's exhaustive studies, enlivened by quotes from all the major participants and eyewitnesses which provide fresh insights into the final days of this momentous campaign, which resulted in the downfall of the Second Empire and the birth of the third Republic.The book concludes with chapters on French and German tactics, weapons and warfighting, and as with previous volumes in the series, includes extensive orders of battle, casualty lists and appendices, the extensive text being complemented by numerous photographs and illustrations, period maps and copies of tactical plates taken from contemporary French and German training manuals.

The AmaNdebele War was part of the expansion of the British Empire in Africa in the late Nineteenth Century and part of Cecil Rhodes' plan to expand two Empires: his own through the British South Africa Company, and that of Queen Victoria.It discusses the international conflict which this expansion caused, especially with Portugal and the Boer Republics, who both claimed the rights to the region which eventually became known as Rhodesia.Rhodes' plans had only lukewarm support from the British Government which tried to ensure that the rights of the indigenous peoples of southern Africa were protected from the most outrageous attacks on their way of life. Which meant it was wary of allowing Rhodes to execute his most outrageous plans to exploit Southern Africa.However it was Company's desire to develop the land which had been given to them by Charter from the Government which brought them into conflict with native Africans whose way of life was not compatible to Victorian sensibility and morality and eventually led to war.The book describes the hazardous journey to Mashonaland which was taken by would be prospectors and settlers who had been promised riches in gold and land by the Company in order to boost its shares. The horror of AmaNdebele raids on the people of Mashonaland which were part of their accepted way of life and the terrifying effects their brutality had on the settlers who demanded that GuBulawayo and the AmaNdebele king be captured and the raiding stopped. This was partly achieved but only after the famous massacre of a patrol by AmaNdebele Impis.The story is full of larger-than-life characters such as Jameson the Administrator, Patrick Forbes, the out of place military commander, Allan Wilson, the Scottish hero and leader of men, Pieter Raaff, a survivor of the First Boer War, Sir Henry Loch, the High Commissioner and, Burnham and Ingram, the American Scouts without whose assistance British casualties would have been much higher and of course, Lobengula the Chief of the AmaNdebele, who having unwittingly given away his land for money and guns was forced to attempt to drive away an invading army armed with superior weapons but failed. His escape and pursuit became one of the tales of daring do in the Victorian psyche but the search for who to blame almost cost the Company its Charter.The book concludes with a detailed examination of the characters three leaders of the invading force and analyzes how Leander Starr Jameson's decision to select them to lead the pursuit of Lobengula contributed to its failure.

Canada's varied roles in the South African War, from mounted troops to artillery, highlight its complex contribution and military impact.The story of Canada in the South African War is a complex one. How it even came about that the Canadian Government agreed to the dispatch of troops has its many talking points.Serving as units integrated within a larger British force, several contingents were sent during the course of the conflict, the first being the 2nd (Special Service) Battalion of the Royal Canadian Regiment of Infantry. Subsequent contingents were made up mostly of mounted troops but also artillery and later a field hospital. The first mounted units were the 1st and 2nd Canadian Mounted Rifles, the first of these becoming the Royal Canadian Dragoons. Then there was the privately raised Strathcona's Horse. Of considerable interest are the more than 1000 Canadians who enlisted in the South African Constabulary.There was no single manner in which the Canadian Contingents were raised and paid for, though the men mostly served under fixed terms of enlistment. Those joining the South African Constabulary, however, frequently found themselves in action for longer periods as, though they were raised as a para-military police force, the unanticipated extended period of hostilities meant they were engaged in much more of a military role than had been expected.Canada's role in the changing and evolving conditions of the South African War was complex and varied, and Canadian troops rose to the task and performed well. The impact of the war on the development of the Canadian military is also of considerable interest.

In contrast to the existing biographies which treat Kitchener as British, the author of Kitchener: The Man, considers him an outsider within the British establishment. Of his 64 years, a mere 11, and those not consecutive, were spent in England. He learned from those around him, ways that were not always understood and appreciated by those educated

James Moncrieff Grierson was born in Glasgow in 1859. Having been educated in Scotland and Germany, he entered the Royal Military Academy passing out fourth and joining the Royal Artillery in 1878. He saw service in India, Egypt and the Sudan, and started to build a reputation both as a competent staff officer but also as a knowledgeable individual on foreign armies, and attended many European army maneuvers as an official representative. Active service overseas was combined with staff work at home, particularly in the Intelligence Department where he headed up the Section concerning Russia. Grierson was also an expert of the German military, where he had many friends and was warmly welcomed. There is therefore a certain irony that it was Grierson who would later lay the foundations of military cooperation between Britain and France in the early years of the 20th century. Prior to the outbreak of war in 1914 it had been presumed that Grierson would be appointed Chief of Staff, but when war came Grierson was given command of the 2nd Army Corps of the B.E.F. Sadly on the 17th August 1914, whilst on a train near Amiens, he suffered an aneurism of the heart and died. His untimely death remains one of the great 'what if' questions of World War One.Grierson was a first rate staff officer and had a considerable active service record to support it. An expert in foreign languages and an astute writer, he made a considerable contribution to the British Army during the Late Victorian and Edwardian period.D S MacDiarmid's biography of Grierson will always remain the definitive account of his life, with extensive quotations from diaries and private papers. Unfortunately, on the death of MacDiarmid Grierson's papers are said to have been destroyed. This therefore adds importance to this work and why it proves a useful tool to historians of the period.

This collection of essays contains fifteen chapters. Chapters one introduces the topic of war in its various forms, before chapter two considers the more general topic of strategy. Chapter three examines the tactical use of cavalry, which leads into the fourth chapter which looks at the tactical use of the combination of the three arms (cavalry, infantry and artillery). Henderson then goes on to look at the career of the Duke of Wellington in the next chapter with particular emphasis on his strategic and tactical thinking. The next two chapters take on the subject of military criticism and modern tactics, before looking at lesson to be learnt from the past. Henderson did considerably research and writing on the American Civil War, and it is perhaps unsurprising that a book of his essays and writing focus heavily upon this. Chapter seven to eleven focus on various elements of said conflict. Chapter twelve looks at the modern use of infantry on the attack, using several contemporary examples to examine this. Chapters 13 and 14 focus closer to 'home, and concentrate on the British Army. Chapter 13 is a brief examination of the South African War, and in particular Lord Roberts time in command. As Henderson was for a time an officer on Roberts staff, this is an interesting chapter. The final chapter is a look at the condition of the British Army, examining its faults and failings.To the student of late Victorian military strategy and tactics, Henderson's work is an invaluable tool.

Finalist, 2023 Army Historical Foundation Distinguished Writing Awards"...an invaluable read, not only for those with an interest in the Black regulars, but also for those seeking to learn more about the Army from the Civil War through the Great War." -- The NYMAS ReviewPrior to the 1960s, the term "Buffalo Soldier" was a fairly obscure one. Then, a trickle of titles became a torrent of books, articles, novels, monuments, and expanding numbers of historic sites along with museums all of which have changed the picture. Even an occasional nod from television and movies helped transform these once relatively little-known Black U.S. Army troops into familiar figures, who have taken their place in a mythic past. Indeed, powerful imagemakers from William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody and his Congress of Rough Riders to Frederic Remington, the dean of frontier artists, helped lionize the Black troops whose exploits brought them to the American West, Cuba, the Philippines, Mexico, Alaska, and Hawaii in the years between 1866 and 1916.Despite a significant shift in emphasis, numerous efforts treating this element of the vital, complex story of the post-Civil War U.S. Army frequently repeated earlier studies rather than added fresh perspectives. Also, the narrative typically ended with the so-called Indian Wars or Spanish American War. Many authors likewise dwelt on military operations rather than numerous other relevant contributions and activities of these men who played a role in the nation's complex evolution during the half century after the American Civil War.Profusely illustrated with compelling images and detailed maps, along with an array of appendices, this latest addition to the Buffalo Soldier saga represents over five decades of research by military historian John P. Langellier. Further, More Work an Glory: Buffalo Soldiers in the United States Army, 1866-1916 combines the best features of prior scholarship while enhancing the scope with new or underused primary sources.The author views the subject through the broader perspectives of race. He sets the text against the backdrop of the transition of the U.S. Army from a frontier constabulary to an international power. In the process, he highlights the staggering assortment of non-military missions including assignments to national parks and forests; road building; exploration; pioneer military bicycling; duty along the explosive border between the United States and Mexico; employment as agents of law and order, along with a litany of other contributions that enhanced an impressive combat record against formidable Native Americans and others. Langellier frames the narrative within the context of continuity and change from Reconstruction in the 1860s through the early twentieth century. Above all, he focuses on the soldiers themselves to provide a human perspective as well as challenges prevalent misconceptions that often overshadow more fascinating facts.

Before dawn on June 24, 1859, near the small northern Italian town of Solferino, the largest battle on the European continent since the Napoleonic Wars was fought. The crucial encounter of the Second War of Italian Unification raged all day and into the evening, across an 18-kilometer front. This underappreciated battle featured nearly 300,000 men of all arms, led for the last time by their three sovereigns. Today, the Battle of Solferino-San Martino is known as the birthplace of the Red Cross, but the events of that day encapsulated much more. This work is translated from the original Italian and has been updated with new and never seen before maps and images. This work will inform historians, military enthusiasts and wargamers alike who will welcome the impressive detail of the combat between Austrian, French and Piedmontese armies.This lucid and accurate analysis highlighting aspects never revealed before about events and people.It describes in detail the long-range reconnaissance that led the Emperor of Austria Franz Joseph I to resume the offensive against the allied armies of France and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The deadly series of encounter battles that took place by the three belligerent armies in as many main sectors geographically delimited by the plateau of San Martino to the north, from the hilly strip of Solferino in the center and from the plain of Medole-Guidizzolo to the south were all carried out autonomously with little coordination.The fight immediately ignited furiously first in Medole, then along the hilly ridge that from the Grole passes through Solferino arriving in Cavriana and beyond to Volta Mantovana.All the individual clashes are analyzed, described and commented and some unpublished aspects revealed from the comparison of the reports of the commanders in suborder preserved in the State and War archives, with particular regard to the Austrian "Alte Feldakten" traced in the kilometer-long Viennese depots.Finally, also a dutiful reconstruction of the events that saw protagonists in the imperial ranks the Venetian soldiers of the Wernhardt regiment, recruited in the districts of the provinces of Treviso and Venice, so far completely forgotten by history.

The most comprehensive account of the defeat of the French Imperial Army in the last 100 years, making use of previously unpublished Orders of Battle and casualty reports.This work, the third in a four volume series, takes a fresh and in-depth look at the events of the opening months of the Franco-Prussian War between Napoleon's Imperial Army and King Wilhelm's German armies, when within the space of four weeks in the summer of 1870 the established order was overthrown and Prussia laid the foundations for a military and political hegemony in Europe which led directly or indirectly to two World Wars.In preparing this work the author has drawn heavily on the numerous volumes of the French official account, La Guerre de 1870-71 published by the Section historique de l'État-major de l'Armée around the turn of the 20th Century, which in addition to making use of information not available to the authors of the earlier German official history also includes detailed annexes providing copious orders of battle, after-action unit reports and casualty records for almost every engagement. This excellent source material has been supplemented by the works of Lehautcourt and the memoirs of many of the French commanders with additional detail and analysis derived from the numerous official and semi-official Staff studies published during the 1880-90's. While many of the German works have been published in English few, if any, of the French works have been translated and their inclusion within this work will hopefully provide both a fresh perspective of events as well as providing a useful counterpoint to the somewhat 'Prussian-centric' viewpoints reflected in many previous works.Following on from the previous books in the series, the Opening Engagements and The Battles around Metz, the third volume take a fresh and detailed look at both the military and political background to this short but decisive campaign which saw French and German forces clash at Nouart, the encounter battle at Beaumont and the pivotal engagement of the campaign, fought between Marshal MacMahon's Army of Châlons and the combined German armies under General Moltke outside the walls of Sedan.The detailed narrative is complemented by extensive orders of battle and casualty lists derived from the French and German official histories and is accompanied by a number of maps together with color and black and white illustrations.

Extensively annotated translation of the Austrian semi-official history of the first half of the Hungarian War of Independence 1848-1849.

An iconic battle during the South African War, this book details the Magersfontein battle and other lead up actions to this battle. Using archival collections of survivor and battle accounts never before published, combined with terrain research, this book creates a first-hand narrative for all sides.

In this short book historian Hugh Driver examines the struggle to determine and stabilize the frontier of southern Africa's Cape Colony in the aftermath of the British occupation in 1806.

The remote desert outpost, manned by rugged and desperate legionnaires, surrounded by hordes of camel borne tribesmen has become something of an iconic image since PC Wren published Beau Geste in 1926. The last stand of a beleaguered garrison has resulted in many Hollywood films and books of similar genre.

A fresh study of the tumultuous events of August 1870 when Prussia overthrew the established order in Europe, laying the foundations for a military and political hegemony lasting into the 20th Century.

First work in English that covers this war in its full context.

One of the few English language books to cover this important war in South American history, using English and Spanish sources.

An investigation of the effect of the Industrial Revolution on naval warfare before the battle of Lissa and a comprehensive study of the campaign.

The Jameson Raid and its effects on Governments and individuals in their attempts to expand the British Empire.