Race to the Front: The Materiel Foundations of Coalition Strategy in the Great War

When war broke out in Europe in 1914, nearly every combatant foresaw a short decisive conflict. Experience would soon prove, however, that this belief was sorely misplaced. Eventually, excessive economic dislocations would topple every authoritarian regime. Only the intervention of the United States would save the British and the French from collapse. This book traces the trilateral struggle between the Entente, the Central Powers, and the United States to determine the outcome of the war. Stubbs focuses on a few essential factors vital to understanding this three-way race: the acquisition of war materiel, food, human resources, and the movement of each. In an analysis of coalition strategies, it is not enough to study the memoirs and memoranda of General Staffs or political figures engaged in war. One must also examine the roles played by each population, their industries, economy, means of transportation, and the financial decisions that make such strategies possible. In short, the material foundations of war set the boundaries within which strategic maneuvers occur. Ultimately, the United States determined the outcome of the First World War, not simply because it provided the last untapped reservoir of manpower, but due to its overall economic contributions to the allied effort.

Table of Contents:
Introduction Human Resources Mobilization Background and Prewar Conditions August 1914 to February 1916 February 1916 to November 1917 November 1917 to November 1918 Casualties, August 1914 to November 1918 Economic Resource Mobilization Introduction Pre-War Production Raw Materials Production, 1914-1918 Agriculture Output, 1914-1918 Munitions Production, 1914-1918 Transportation in the Great War Transportation Systems, 1914-1918 Maritime Transportations, 1914-1918 Rails, Rivers, and Roads, 1914-1918 Coalition Warfare Competing National Interests, 1914-1918 The Entente, August 1914-April 1917 The Central Powers, August 1914-April 1917 The American Intervention, April-December 1917 Amalgamation Controversies, August 1914-November 1918 American Expeditionary Force The Rise of American Hegemony Appendix 1: German Casualties in 1918 Appendix 2: Munitions Production in the Great War Appendix 3: Transportation Bibliography Index

About the Author :
KEVIN D. STUBBS is Lieutenant Colonel in the USAF Reserve. He holds a Ph.D. in Military History from Texas A&M.

Review :
"[A]n interesting and useful book examining the impact of material mobilization on World War 1....Stubbs's book has numerous strengths that commend it to both scholars of World War 1 and the general reader....[S]tubbs's view of European reaction to American power serves as a basis for future discussion while his statistical data certainly helpto explain the actions of coalitions."-The Journal of Military History "[S]tubb's work in a valuable addition to the study of the 1914-1918 conflict."-Stand To! ?[A]n interesting and useful book examining the impact of material mobilization on World War 1....Stubbs's book has numerous strengths that commend it to both scholars of World War 1 and the general reader....[S]tubbs's view of European reaction to American power serves as a basis for future discussion while his statistical data certainly helpto explain the actions of coalitions.?-The Journal of Military History ?[S]tubb's work in a valuable addition to the study of the 1914-1918 conflict.?-Stand To! "ÝA¨n interesting and useful book examining the impact of material mobilization on World War 1....Stubbs's book has numerous strengths that commend it to both scholars of World War 1 and the general reader....ÝS¨tubbs's view of European reaction to American power serves as a basis for future discussion while his statistical data certainly helpto explain the actions of coalitions."-The Journal of Military History "ÝS¨tubb's work in a valuable addition to the study of the 1914-1918 conflict."-Stand To! "Ýa¨n interesting and useful book examining the impact of material mobilization on World War 1....Stubbs's book has numerous strengths that commend it to both scholars of World War 1 and the general reader....ÝS¨tubbs's view of European reaction to American power serves as a basis for future discussion while his statistical data certainly helpto explain the actions of coalitions."-The Journal of Military History "[a]n interesting and useful book examining the impact of material mobilization on World War 1....Stubbs's book has numerous strengths that commend it to both scholars of World War 1 and the general reader....[S]tubbs's view of European reaction to American power serves as a basis for future discussion while his statistical data certainly helpto explain the actions of coalitions."-The Journal of Military History