Truppenführung

The original German-language text, which is notable for its clarity, was prepared by a group led by Colonel General Ludwig Beck (1880–1944) (who was later executed by the Nazi regime for his part in the 1944 plot against Hitler).

It contained basic military doctrine for the German land forces (Heer), in use from its first publication up to the end of World War II.

It was in Moltke’s "Instructions for Large Unit Commanders" and his concept of separated armies from which modern German doctrine emerged.

The system of moving units separately and concentrating as an army before a battle, resulted in more efficient supply and lower vulnerability to modern firepower.

A consequence of this innovation was the commander's loss of overall control of his forces, due to the limits of means of communication which, at that time were visual (line-of-sight) or couriers, either mounted or on foot.

The traditional concept of the elimination of uncertainty by means of total obedience became obsolete and operational initiative had to be delegated to a point further down the chain of command.

Only thus will men develop, who will in the hour of danger maintain their courage and decisiveness and carry their weaker comrades with them to achieve deeds of daring.

Everyone from the highest commander down to the youngest soldier, must be constantly aware that inaction and neglect incriminate him more severely than any error in the choice of means.

[4] (emphasis in the original text) At the beginning of the First World War, the German armed forces were using a set of Field Service Regulations which had been issued in 1905.

The emptiness of the battlefield (die Leere des Schlachtfelds) requires soldiers who can think and act independently, who can make calculated, decisive and daring use of every situation and who understand that victory depends on each individual.

As Matthew Cooper states in his book The German Army 1933-45, "On the question of tactics, die Truppenführung was a brilliant exposition of modern principles and drew sound lessons from Germany’s terrible experience in the 1914-1918 war.

Its success in the war years was to prove immeasurably superior to the methods of its enemies" Truppenführung today is still widely considered to be one of the most influential military manuals ever produced.

Surprisingly, until 2001 very little of its text was available in English except for some roughly translated excerpts and hand written notes in U.S. military archives and Gen. Wedermeyer's report on the Prussian General Staff College.

Equally surprisingly, the manual was classified by the United States military authorities until 2001 when the first full English translation was completed.