If by Chance: Military Turning Points That Changed History - Softcover

Strawson, John

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0330492454 ISBN 13: 9780330492454

Publisher: Macmillan Pub Ltd, 2004

Synopsis

Could Napoleon have won the Battle of Waterloo? Or suppose Nelson had not destroyed the French fleet at Aboukir, would Napoleon have conquered India and become Emperor of the East?
If Lord Cardigan had shown some initiative at Balaklava and exploited the Heavy Brigade's startling success by instantly charging with his Light Brigade there and then, the battle would have been a triumph for both the cavalry and the British army.
What if Hitler had not halted his panzer forces before Dunkirk and had entrapped the entire British Expeditionary Force? How would Churchill have then defied the Wehrmacht? Or had Hitler been assassinated in 1944 and the German General Staff taken control, withdrawing their armies to the east and allowing the Anglo-American forces to occupy Germany, would there have been a totally different kind of surrender?
In examining these and other contingencies, Major General Strawson brings his experience of command in war and his skill as a military historian to present us with a catalogue of chance and speculation, while emphasizing how profoundly the character of commanders influenced events and how events affected their character.

About this title

About the Author

Major-General John Strawson served with the 4th Hussars during World War II and later commanded the regiment in Malaysia and Germany eventually becoming Chief of Staff, United Kingdom Land Forces. He has written twelve works of military history including The Italian Campaign and Churchill and Hitler: In Victory and Defeat. He is married with two daughters.

Edition details

• Publisher: Macmillan Pub Ltd
• Publication date: 2004
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0330492454
• ISBN 13: 9780330492454
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 288