Feld Marschall Helmuth Graf von Moltke, the Prussian Chief of Staff, who together with Bismarck, masterminded the wars of
German Unification, was a prolific writer. A wide ranging collection of his essay orders, ranging from philosophical reflections on the nature of war to instructions for handling wagon trains explains the approach to war and command that helped ensure a formidable German Army in the field for a century.
Moltke, adapted the Napoleonic precepts of offensive war to the realities of te
industrial age. His method combined rapid mobilization, transportation, deployment, movement and combat into one continuous sequence, making every effort to bring superior numbers into the final decisive battle, the Kesselschlacht.
Moltke is famous for placing both railroads and telegraphs at the service of the Prussian Army, communications and railroads are important in modern war.
Instructions for large unit commanders* provided the basis for German theory on large unit operations for more than 70 years. Its basic precepts dominated the German Army’s classic manual of 1933.
Highly recommended reading.
Referenz: Militarische werke, Kriegslehren Moltke, Helmuth. Graf von, 1800 – 1891
Verordnungen fur den hoheren Truppenfuhrer: Moltke, Helmuth, Graf von*.