What can we learn from war, and warfare, in the twentieth century? What observations and deductions can we make, and what lessons can we draw? ‘War and Warfare in the Twentieth Century’ discriminates clearly between war (collective violence for political purposes) and warfare (the conduct of war). By focussing on the twentieth century it examines both a clearly-delineated period in the past, and the century which offers us the most (and the most relevant) material to examine.
‘War and Warfare’ deliberately looks at the subject through the prism of strategy, operations and tactics. That offers a surprisingly novel perspective on some apparently familiar ground. Would, for example, the Battle of the Somme be better considered as the Somme Campaign?
The book also discriminates rigorously between outputs and outcomes. What is the point, for example, of seizing ground and inflicting casualties (that is, outputs) if the battle or engagement doesn’t meet its overall purpose (that is, intended outcome)? So, in the case of the Somme, what can we say about outputs and outcomes? And, to that extent, who won?
What did navies actually achieve? Did aircraft revolutionise warfare? How were the two World Wars actually won? Indeed what do winning and losing actually mean in relation to war? ‘War and Warfare in the Twentieth Century’ will make you think long and hard about what you thought you knew about war and warfare.
Publication date: c. January 2025
hardback: 9781912440566
paperback: 9781912440573
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War and Warfare in the Twentieth Century
Introduction
1. 1900-1914
2. The First World War: Strategy
3. The First World War: Campaigns and Operations
4. The First World War: Tactics
5. 1918-1939
6. The Second World War: Strategy
7. The Second World War: Campaigns and Operations
8. The Second World War: Tactics
9. 1945-1975
10. 1975-1999
11. Conventional Land Warfare
12. Irregular Warfare
13. Aerial Warfare
14. Warfare at Sea
15. War and Warfare in the Twentieth Century
Jim Storr was an infantry officer in the British Army for 25 years. He served in the headquarters of British Forces Falklands Islands, the 1st Infantry Brigade (The United Kingdom Mobile Force), and United States European Command; in the British Army of the Rhine (three times), Northern Ireland, Canada and Cyprus. He gained a doctorate for considering the nature of military thought; planned the introduction of battlefield digital systems; and wrote high-level doctrine.
In his second career he has consulted to international tech and oil companies; been a professor of war studies, and taught human factors at Oxford University. ‘War and Warfare’ is his sixth book.