Friedrich Beck was the single most important figure in the transformation of the inept Habsburg military into the modern military state that would wage World War I. He correctly perceived that only an elite body of officers responsible for war planning and preparation could provide lasting security for the Austro-Hungarian empire. After firmly establishing the general staff as an institution, Beck led war planning to counter threats from Russia, Italy, and the Balkans; and spearheaded a vast rebuilding of the rail network. While his rise to power marked a return to the favorite system of military administration of the early Franz Joseph period, Beck proved himself a man with real military ability that revolutionized an army.

Friedrich Beck rebuilt the Habsburg army, using a Prussian-style general staff reform, so that it was able to wage the kind of total war that engulfed the empire in 1914.

About the Author
SCOTT W. LACKEY has a Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina. He is Chief of the Combat Training Center/Warrior Information Network Division of the U.S. Army Combined Arms Center History Office/Army Knowledge Network, Ft. Leavenworth, KS.


Book Information
ISBN 9780313293610
Author Scott Lackey
Format Hardback
Page Count 272
Imprint Praeger Publishers Inc
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Weight(grams) 567g