Imagining War: French and British Military Doctrine between the Wars

Awards:   Winner of Edgar S. Furniss Book Award of the Mershon Center at Ohio State University 1998 (United States)
Author:   Elizabeth Kier
Publisher:   Princeton University Press
Volume:   153
ISBN:  

9780691653921


Pages:   250
Publication Date:   21 March 2017
Format:   Hardback
Availability:   Manufactured on demand   Availability explained
We will order this item for you from a manufactured on demand supplier.

Our Price $160.00 Quantity:  
Add to Cart

Share |

Imagining War: French and British Military Doctrine between the Wars


Add your own review!

Awards

  • Winner of Edgar S. Furniss Book Award of the Mershon Center at Ohio State University 1998 (United States)

Overview

In this innovative theoretical book, Elizabeth Kier uses a cultural approach to take issue with the conventional wisdom that military organizations inherently prefer offensive doctrines. Kier argues instead that a military's culture affects its choices between offensive and defensive military doctrines. Drawing on organizational theory, she demonstrates that military organizations differ in their worldview and the proper conduct of their mission. It is this organizational culture that shapes how the military responds to constraints, such as terms of conscription set by civilian policymakers. In richly detailed case studies, Kier examines doctrinal developments in France and Great Britain during the interwar period. She tests her cultural argument against the two most powerful alternative explanations and illustrates that neither the functional needs of military organizations nor the structural demands of the international system can explain doctrinal choice. She also reveals as a myth the argument that the lessons of World War I explain the defensive doctrines in World War II. Imagining War addresses two important debates.It tackles a central debate in security studies: the origins of military doctrine. And by showing the power of a cultural approach, it offers an alternative to the prevailing rationalist explanations of international politics. Originally published in 1999. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

Full Product Details

Author:   Elizabeth Kier
Publisher:   Princeton University Press
Imprint:   Princeton University Press
Volume:   153
Dimensions:   Width: 15.20cm , Height: 1.60cm , Length: 23.50cm
Weight:   0.510kg
ISBN:  

9780691653921


ISBN 10:   0691653925
Pages:   250
Publication Date:   21 March 2017
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Tertiary & Higher Education ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Manufactured on demand   Availability explained
We will order this item for you from a manufactured on demand supplier.
Language:   English

Table of Contents

AcknowledgmentsIntroduction31Structure, Function, and Military Doctrine102Culture and Military Doctrine213Explaining French Doctrine394Culture and French Doctrine565Explaining British Doctrine896Culture and British Doctrine1097Conclusion140Notes167Works Cited203Index231

Reviews

Kier's book is a welcome and important addition to the growing body of literature concerned with doctrine. The high quality of her work reflects not only a keen understanding of the of the doctrinal process but also a willingness to investigate the archival materials essential for such an understanding. --Robert A. Doughty, American Political Science Review Winner of the 1998 Edgar S. Furniss Book Award, Mershon Center at Ohio State University


Winner of the 1998 Edgar S. Furniss Book Award, Mershon Center at Ohio State University Kier's book is a welcome and important addition to the growing body of literature concerned with doctrine. The high quality of her work reflects not only a keen understanding of the of the doctrinal process but also a willingness to investigate the archival materials essential for such an understanding. --Robert A. Doughty, American Political Science Review


Author Information

Tab Content 6

Author Website:  

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

No review item found!

Add your own review!

Countries Available

All regions
Latest Reading Guide

Aorrng

Shopping Cart
Your cart is empty
Shopping cart
Mailing List