was the foundation stone of Prussia's, and later Germany's, astounding battlefield performances. Universally praised in military circles, Auftragstaktik remains both poorly understood and badly practised. This uniquely German leadership philosophy lies shrouded in a fog of mystery and misinterpretation.

Colonel Oliviero clears away that fog. He succinctly explains the early intellectual and structural growth of this leadership philosophy from before the French Revolution to the eve of the First World War, with a glimpse at the interwar period. He thereby provides the necessary background and understanding, without which Auftragstaktik cannot be fully understood.