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A Mad Catastrophe: The Outbreak of World War I and the Collapse of the Habsburg
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A Mad Catastrophe: The Outbreak of World War I and the Collapse of the Habsburg Empire Hardcover - 2014

by Geoffrey Wawro


From the publisher

A masterful account of the Hapsburg Empire's bumbling entrance into World War I, and its rapid collapse on the Eastern Front The Austro-Hungarian army that attacked Russia and Serbia in August 1914 had a glorious past but a pitiful present. Speaking a mystifying array of languages and lugging obsolete weapons, the Habsburg troops were hopelessly unprepared for the industrialized warfare that would shortly consume Europe. As prizewinning historian Geoffrey Wawro explains in A Mad Catastrophe, the disorganization of these doomed conscripts perfectly mirrored Austria-Hungary itself. For years, the Empire had been rotting from within, hollowed out by complacency and corruption at the highest levels. When Germany goaded Austria into starting the world war, the Empire's profound political and military weaknesses were exposed. By the end of 1914, the Austro-Hungarian army lay in ruins and the course of the war seemed all but decided. Reconstructing the climax of the Austrian campaign in gripping detail, A Mad Catastrophe is a riveting account of how Austria-Hungary plunged the West into a tragic and unnecessary war.

Details

  • Title A Mad Catastrophe: The Outbreak of World War I and the Collapse of the Habsburg Empire
  • Author Geoffrey Wawro
  • Binding Hardcover
  • Edition First Edition
  • Pages 472
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Basic Books, New York
  • Date 2014
  • Illustrated Yes
  • ISBN 9780465028351 / 0465028357
  • Weight 1.57 lbs (0.71 kg)
  • Dimensions 9.64 x 6.37 x 1.56 in (24.49 x 16.18 x 3.96 cm)
  • Themes
    • Aspects (Academic): Military
    • Chronological Period: 20th Century
    • Chronological Period: 1900-1919
    • Cultural Region: Central Europe
  • Library of Congress subjects World War, 1914-1918 - Causes, Austria - History - Franz Joseph I, 1848-1916
  • Library of Congress Catalog Number 2013039393
  • Dewey Decimal Code 940.414

Media reviews

Citations

  • Choice, 09/01/2014, Page 140
  • Kirkus Reviews, 03/01/2014, Page 0
  • Library Journal, 04/15/2014, Page 101
  • Publishers Weekly, 03/17/2014, Page 0

About the author

Geoffrey Wawro is professor of history and director of the Military History Center at the University of North Texas and the author of six books, including A Mad Catastrophe: The Outbreak of World War I and the Collapse of the Habsburg Empire. Wawro lives in Dallas, Texas.
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A Mad Catastrophe : The Outbreak of World War I and the Collapse of the Habsburg Empire

by Geoffrey Wawro

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