*This post originally appeared on February 18, 2016 via Tom Ricks’ Best Defense
By Joe Byerly and Casey Dean
In 1929, William Lassister, a veteran of the First World War, wrote the following:
It is terribly difficult for military men to keep their methods adapted to rapidly changing times. Between wars the military business slumps. Our people lose interest. Congress concerns itself with cutting the Army than with building it up. And the troops… find a large part of their time and energy taken up with caring for buildings, grounds, and other impedimenta. In view of all the inertias to be overcome, and in view of the fact that our lives and honor are not in peril from outside aggression, it is not likely that our Army is going to be kept to an up-to-the-minute state of preparedness.
For many, his description of garrison life in between the wars accurately describes their experiences serving today. It is for this reason that leaders can benefit from studying the leadership, the innovations, and the training methodologies of those officers and NCOs who prepared our Army to fight and win in World War II. The stories of Conner, Marshall, Eisenhower, and Patton provide tremendous insights into the leadership required to prepare our organizations for future conflicts. Additionally, by studying the reforms of the Germany military led by Hans Von Seekt or their method of educating their officer corps in tactical decision-making, leaders might find practices that would prove beneficial today.
Below is a list of books that give leaders a glimpse into the period between the two World Wars. Obviously, this list is not all encompassing, so I encourage you to add additional books in the comments section below.
Fast Tanks and Heavy Bombers, by Dave Johnson
The Roots of Blitzkrieg: Hans Von Seekt and German Military Reform, by James Corum
Military Innovation in the Interwar Period, by Murray and Millett
Grey Eminence: Fox Conner and the Art of Mentorship, by Edward Cox
Patton: A Genius for War, by Carlo D’Este
Battalion Commanders at War, by Steven Barry
The Generals, by Thomas E. Ricks
At Ease: Stories I tell to Friends, by Dwight Eisenhower
George C. Marshall , Vol 1: Education of a General, by Forest Pogue
Cry Havoc: How the Arms Race Drove the World to War, 1931-1941, by Joseph Maiolo
The Echo of Battle: The Army’s Way of War, by Brian McAllister Linn
