steve on Nostr: “How the War Was Won” by Phillips Paulson O’Brien ⭐️⭐️ O’Brien makes ...
“How the War Was Won” by Phillips Paulson O’Brien
⭐️⭐️
O’Brien makes the case that materiel (equipment, weapons, munitions, etc) ultimately determine victory or defeat in war. Using WWII as a back drop, the author characterizes war as an attritional fight marked by battles of industrial capacity, less so people. O’Brien’s thesis is supported with a wealth of data that speaks well, however, his arguments ignore the importance of contingency during conflicts. Despite the fact that industrial capacity restrains a nation’s strategic reach, pivotal moments in history are often decided by the individuals living them. Nazi Germany wasn’t a rational actor making informed decisions based on the state of their industrial base… they were an authoritarian state poisoned by a deeply flawed ideology. Nonetheless, this book serves as an excellent case study if you can ignore the one-sided nature of the author’s argument. 🏭👨🏻🏭
⭐️⭐️
O’Brien makes the case that materiel (equipment, weapons, munitions, etc) ultimately determine victory or defeat in war. Using WWII as a back drop, the author characterizes war as an attritional fight marked by battles of industrial capacity, less so people. O’Brien’s thesis is supported with a wealth of data that speaks well, however, his arguments ignore the importance of contingency during conflicts. Despite the fact that industrial capacity restrains a nation’s strategic reach, pivotal moments in history are often decided by the individuals living them. Nazi Germany wasn’t a rational actor making informed decisions based on the state of their industrial base… they were an authoritarian state poisoned by a deeply flawed ideology. Nonetheless, this book serves as an excellent case study if you can ignore the one-sided nature of the author’s argument. 🏭👨🏻🏭