Fall of the Double Eagle: The Battle for Galicia and the Demise of Austria-Hungary, Summer 1914

Although Southern Poland And Western Ukraine Are Not Often Thought Of In Terms Of Decisive Battles In World War I, The Impulses That Precipitated The Battle For Galicia In August 1914 -- And The Unprecedented Carnage That Resulted -- Effectively Doomed The Austro-hungarian Empire Just Six Weeks Into The War. In Fall Of The Double Eagle, John R. Schindler Explains How Austria-hungary, Despite Military Weakness And The Foreseeable Ill Consequences, Consciously Chose War In That Fateful Summer Of 1914. Through Close Examination Of The Austro-hungarian Military, Especially Its Elite General Staff, Schindler Shows How Even A War That Vienna Would Likely Lose Appeared Preferable To The 'foul Peace' The Senior Generals Loathed. After Serbia Outgunned The Polyglot Empire In A Humiliating Defeat, And The Offensive Into Russian Poland Ended In The Massacre Of More Than Four Hundred Thousand Austro-hungarians In Just Three Weeks, The Empire Never Recovered. While Austria-hungary's Ultimate Defeat And Dissolution Were Postponed Until The Autumn Of 1918, The Late Summer Of 1914 On The Plains And Hills Of Galicia Sealed Its Fate-- Examination Of The Battle For Galicia (23 August-11 September 1914), The Most Historically And Strategically Consequential Of The Great War's Three Opening Campaigns-- Introduction -- Aeiou -- The Most Powerful Pillar -- War Plans -- July Crisis -- Disaster On The Drina -- To Warsaw! -- Meeting The Steamroller -- Lemberg-rawa Ruska -- From Defeat To Catastrophe -- Aftermaths. John R. Schindler. Includes Bibliographical References (314-329 Pages) And Index. "[A] must-read for students of history and historians alike." Washington Book Review Although southern Poland and western Ukraine are not often thought of in terms of decisive battles in World War I, the impulses that precipitated the battle for Galicia in August 1914and the unprecedented carnage that resultedeffectively doomed the Austro-Hungarian Empire just six weeks into the war. In Fall of the Double Eagle , John R. Schindler explains how Austria-Hungary, despite military weakness and the foreseeable ill consequences, consciously chose war in that fateful summer of 1914. Through close examination of the Austro-Hungarian military, especially its elite general staff, Schindler shows how even a war that Vienna would likely lose appeared preferable to the foul peace the senior generals loathed. After Serbia outgunned the polyglot empire in a humiliating defeat, and the offensive into Russian Poland ended in the massacre of more than four hundred thousand Austro-Hungarians in just three weeks, the empire never recovered. While Austria-Hungarys ultimate defeat and dissolution were postponed until the autumn of 1918, the late summer of 1914 on the plains and hills of Galicia sealed its fate. "Although southern Poland and western Ukraine are not often thought of in terms of decisive battles in World War I, the impulses that precipitated the Battle for Galicia in August 1914 -- and the unprecedented carnage that resulted -- effectively doomed the Austro-Hungarian Empire just six weeks into the war. In Fall of the Double Eagle, John R. Schindler explains how Austria-Hungary, despite military weakness and the foreseeable ill consequences, consciously chose war in that fateful summer of 1914. Through close examination of the Austro-Hungarian military, especially its elite general staff, Schindler shows how even a war that Vienna would likely lose appeared preferable to the 'foul peace' the senior generals loathed. After Serbia outgunned the polyglot empire in a humiliating defeat, and the offensive into Russian Poland ended in the massacre of more than four hundred thousand Austro-Hungarians in just three weeks, the empire never recovered. While Austria-Hungary's ultimate defeat and dissolution were postponed until the autumn of 1918, the late summer of 1914 on the plains and hills of Galicia sealed its fate"-- Provided by publisher Although southern Poland and western Ukraine are not often thought of in terms of decisive battles in World War I, the impulses that precipitated the battle for Galicia in August 1914—and the unprecedented carnage that resulted—effectively doomed the Austro-Hungarian Empire just six weeks into the war.In__Fall of the Double Eagle__, John R. Schindler explains how Austria-Hungary, despite military weakness and the foreseeable ill consequences, consciously chose war in that fateful summer of 1914. Through close examination of the Austro-Hungarian military, especially its elite general staff, Schindler shows how even a war that Vienna would likely lose appeared preferable to the “foul peace” the senior generals loathed. After Serbia outgunned the polyglot empire in a humiliating defeat, and the offensive into Russian Poland ended in the massacre of more than four hundred thousand Austro-Hungarians in just three weeks, the empire never recovered. While Austria-Hungary’s ultimate defeat and dissolution were postponed until the autumn of 1918, the late summer of 1914 on the plains and hills of Galicia sealed its fate. Contents 6 Acknowledgments 8 Introduction 12 1 AEIOU 24 2 The Most Powerful Pillar 41 3 War Plans 76 4 July Crisis 101 5 Disaster on the Drina 129 6 To Warsaw! 160 7 Meeting the Steamroller 200 8 Lemberg– Rawa Ruska 224 9 From Defeat to Catastrophe 256 10 Aftermaths 279 Notes 302 Bibliography 324 Index 342 "Examination of the Battle for Galicia (23 August-11 September 1914), the most historically and strategically consequential of the Great War's three opening campaigns"-- Résumé de l'éditeur "Examination of the Battle for Galicia (23 August-11 September 1914), the most historically and strategically consequential of the Great War's three opening campaigns"-- Provided by publisher