The Seeds of Disaster: The Development of French Army Doctrine, 1919-1939

Archon Books, Published 1985. Hardcover, xi, 232 pp.; 24 cm; First Edition (1985 Archon, the only edition); illustrated with maps. In Very Good condition, no dust jacket. Black cloth boards with gilt lettering, mild surface wear and some scuffing to back cover. Binding tight. Pages clean. Otherwise unmarked.Examines the development of French Army doctrine between the world wars, arguing that France drew the wrong lessons from World War I and entered 1940 wedded to a defensive, firepower-centered "methodical battle" doctrine ill-suited to mobile mechanized warfare. Military historian Robert Allan Doughty draws on French army manuals, lectures, and staff debates to trace how institutional and doctrinal choices shaped the swift collapse of May-June 1940.Contents: The Framework of French Doctrine; An Army of Reservists; The Defense of the Frontiers; The Legacy of the Past; Firepower and the Methodical Battle; Institutions and Doctrine; The Development of the Tank; The Creation of Large Armored Units; Conclusion; Notes; Select Bibliography; Index.…