Collision of Empires: The War on the Eastern Front in 1914

Collision of Empires is the first major historical work on the Eastern Front during World War I since the 1970s. One of the primary triggers of the outbreak of World War I was undoubtedly the myriad alliances and suspicions that existed between the Russian, German, and Austro-Hungarian empires in the early 20th century. Yet much of the actual fighting between these nations has been largely forgotten in the West. Driven by first-hand accounts and detailed archival research, Collision of Empires seeks to correct this imbalance. The first in a four-book series on the Eastern Front in World War I, Prit Buttar's dynamic retelling examines the tumultuous events of the first year of the war and reveals the chaos and destruction that reigned when three powerful empires collided. A war that was initially seen by all three powers as a welcome opportunity to address both internal and external issues would ultimately bring about the downfall of them all.

Table of Contents:
List of Illustrations List of Maps Author's Note Dramatis Personae Introduction 1. The German War Machine 2. The Russian Steamroller 3. Austria-Hungary: the Other Sick Man of Europe 4. Over the Brink 5. The First Battles: Stallupönen and Gumbinnen 6. Crisis of Command 7. Tannenberg 8. The Illusion of Victory: Galicia, August 1914 9. The Battle for the Masurian Lakes 10. The Reality of Defeat: Galicia, September 1914 11. A Bloody Sideshow: The Serbian Front 12. Mud and Blood: Autumn in Poland 13. Lódz 14. The First Christmas 15. Disappointments and Illusions Appendix: Place Names Notes Bibliography Index

About the Author :
Prit Buttar studied medicine at Oxford and London before joining the British Army as a doctor. After leaving the army, he has worked as a GP, first near Bristol and now in Abingdon. He is extensively involved in medical politics, both at local and national level, and served on the GPs' Committee of the British Medical Association. He appears from time to time on local and national TV and radio, speaking on a variety of medical issues. He contributes regularly to the medical press. An established expert on the Eastern Front in 20th century military history, Buttar has published two books focusing on the Second World War, and Collision of Empires is the first of a four-volume series, the definitive study of the First World War on the Eastern Front.

Review :
"Insightful, drawn from numerous sources woven together into a narrative that is easy to follow even if one knows little about this theater of the war... The centennial of World War I is under way, and authors around the globe are writing many new books about the way. This book certainly ranks among the best of them." "--Military Heritag"e "Painstaking research and firsthand accounts propel the author's narrative of events that took place during the first year of the war a century ago. Buttar's splendid hardcover book puts an exclamation point on the reality that their collision in combat resulted in the downfalls of all three empires." --"Toy Soldier & Model Figure " "Based in archival research, this book will appeal to readers interested in World War I and especially the first months of battles on the Eastern Front." "--Library Journal" ..".a timely retelling of the early weeks of the war on the Eastern Front." --WWI Historical Association (www.ww1ha.org), October 6, 2014 "Painstaking research and firsthand accounts propel the author's narrative of events that took place during the first year of the war a century ago. Buttar's splendid hardcover book puts an exclamation point on the reality that their collision in combat resulted in the downfalls of all three empires." --"Toy Soldier & Model Figure " "Based in archival research, this book will appeal to readers interested in World War I and especially the first months of battles on the Eastern Front." "--Library Journal" ..".a timely retelling of the early weeks of the war on the Eastern Front." --WWI Historical Association (www.ww1ha.org), October 6, 2014