The Russell Cawthorn Collection
The Great War 1914-1918, and Associated Conflicts Diplomacy and Government The Diplomatic Background
The Experiences of a Military Attache in The Balkans
by H.D. Napier
ISBN
9781845747817
Purchase Price
£8.99 (new)
Date Purchased
March 31, 2020
Publisher
The Naval & Military Press (2019, Uckfield, East Sussex)
Notes
This is a very interesting book, written by someone who was familiar with Balkan diplomacy (such as it was) and was well suited for his (fairly limited) role with Bulgaria. This is not just a tale of a Military Attache with a neutral power which went on to join the Central Powers. True, that is the basis of the whole story, but Napier is a strong critic of the various Balkan Powers' inability to work together for the common good, and also of Sir Edward Grey for not exercising his obvious influence on various countries to work together. Napier comments "it would have been quite possible to reconstitute "the Balkan Bloc" during the first few months of the war, and this would have, in all probability, prevented or put an end to the defection of The Ottoman Empire; the fiasco of the Dardanelles would not have taken place; Russia would have been saved by a liberal supply of guns and ammunition, and the war would have been very much shortened." Thus this is a very relevant book for the Collection. This present volume is, of course, a facsimile reprint of the original publication.
9781845747817
Purchase Price
£8.99 (new)
Date Purchased
March 31, 2020
Publisher
The Naval & Military Press (2019, Uckfield, East Sussex)
Notes
This is a very interesting book, written by someone who was familiar with Balkan diplomacy (such as it was) and was well suited for his (fairly limited) role with Bulgaria. This is not just a tale of a Military Attache with a neutral power which went on to join the Central Powers. True, that is the basis of the whole story, but Napier is a strong critic of the various Balkan Powers' inability to work together for the common good, and also of Sir Edward Grey for not exercising his obvious influence on various countries to work together. Napier comments "it would have been quite possible to reconstitute "the Balkan Bloc" during the first few months of the war, and this would have, in all probability, prevented or put an end to the defection of The Ottoman Empire; the fiasco of the Dardanelles would not have taken place; Russia would have been saved by a liberal supply of guns and ammunition, and the war would have been very much shortened." Thus this is a very relevant book for the Collection. This present volume is, of course, a facsimile reprint of the original publication.