Artlieb, Erich With a sharp Blade

The Cutting and Stabbing Weapons of the Habsburg Monarchy 1600–1848. 2 Volumes

This large-scale, lavishly designed two-volume colour publication is the first to provide a comprehensive, scientifically sound and in-depth presentation of the armament of the Habsburg army with swords, broadswords, sabres and rapiers. From the hereditary lands to the Holy Roman Empire and the Austrian Empire, whose emperors were provided by the Habsburgs for more than six centuries, an impressive variety of forms, types and regional characteristics of these decisive hand weapons developed. The imperial and royal army reflected not only the military necessity of these bladed weapons, but also their cultural and representative significance. They were at once weapons, insignia of rank and symbols of the soldiers' self-image.

The first volume covers the period from the beginning of the 17th century, the end of the Thirty Years' War, the beginning of standing armies from around 1650 to the end of the Seven Years' War in the middle of the 18th century. This section of military history was marked by profound changes in organisation, tactics and armament. Around 850 high-resolution photographs from public and private collections vividly document the development of edged weapons during this era. The image series are supplemented by scientifically precise essays, detailed object descriptions and contextual analyses, creating a multifaceted overall picture. The first section of the volume is based on the unique holdings of the Landeszeughaus Graz, which is still considered one of the largest and most important preserved testimonies to early modern armament culture. The second section draws on previously little-noticed material from the Vienna War Archives: the hand-drawn archive of artillery captain Anton Dolleczek. Dolleczek was not only an employee of the newly opened Army Museum, but also a lecturer at the Artillery Cadet School in Vienna. His Monograph of the Austro-Hungarian Empire's Bladed and Hand-Fired Weapons, published in 1896, remains a fundamental standard work to this day. His early attempt to systematise the cutting and stabbing weapons of the first half of the 18th century long before binding adjustment regulations were issued is revisited in this volume, critically examined and placed in a broader historical context.

The second volume is devoted to the period from the mid-18th century to the reign of Emperor Franz Joseph I. Particular emphasis is placed on the first comprehensive and systematic analysis of the so-called economy sample books. These documents, preserved in six handwritten volumes and supplemented by extremely precise drawings by contemporary artists, are a key source for research into the army reforms initiated under Emperor Joseph II and Field Marshal Lacy. They provide detailed information on edged weapons, uniforms and equipment and are therefore an invaluable source. Based on this unique compendium, the third section of the work is carefully explained and vividly documented with first-class images from public and private collections.

The presentation is supplemented by contemporary graphics, paintings and illustrations from the second half of the 18th century, which give the reader an impressive picture of the material culture and military reality of this period of upheaval. The fourth and final section is based on another outstanding source: the so-called Schmideder sheets preserved in the Museum of Military History in Vienna. Created as a direct successor to the economy sample books, they comprise around 1,200 finely executed lithographs, some of which are artistically hand-coloured. This collection allows for an almost complete tracing of the development of edged weapons, including the first illustrated regulations on uniforms. The two-volume standard work Mit scharfer Klinge (With a Sharp Blade), together with the book Mit blankem Säbel (With a Bare Sabre), published by the same publisher, thus covers the entire period of the standing army of the Habsburg Monarchy. It offers a unique combination of opulent pictorial documentation and scientific analysis, making it an indispensable reference work not only for collectors and military historians, but also for museums, auction houses and the art and antiques trade.