Berliner Zinnfiguren/Books & Media/Books/1830-1914 products

Golbeck, Matthias: Russland in Zentralasien 85,00 €

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 07:00:09 +0200

This study operates at the intersection of autobiography studies and empire studies. It examines the cohesive impact of discourses regarding imperial self-representation, analyzing memoirs and accounts of participation and travel related to the Russian expansion into southern Central Asia after 1860. The authors of these textsmilitary officers, officials, and scholarsplayed a role in the conquest and exploration of the territory that would become the Governor-Generalship of Turkestan. To address the diversity of the source material, the study employs the concept of "autobiographical practices," viewing them as tools for shaping a specific self-conception. The analysis reveals how Russian actors in Turkestan developed distinctive forms of autobiographical storytelling by creatively adapting existing narrative modes. Over the course of six decades, they closely intertwined their personal tales of heroism with the empire, thereby contributing to its narrative of success in Turkestan and helping to stabilize it discursively.

Ross, Anna / Aliprantis, Christos: State-Making in an Age of Revolution, 1830-1880 99,95 €

Sat, 13 Jun 2026 07:40:07 +0200

How did states expand in the mid-nineteenth century? While scholars now associate the period after the 1848 revolutions with a striking increase in state activity, few have demonstrated how new state-building measures were put into practice. From France to Hungary and Scandinavia to Spain, State-Making in An Age of Revolution shows how officials went about implementing reform. With original contributions grounded in extensive archival research, this volume casts light on the scale at which officials relied on elites, professionals, and technical experts both inside and outside of government - and even from outside their own states - to carry out their expanding work. Together, these findings help us to re-think the reach and nature of growing states during these pivotal decades of change.

Table of Contents
Notes on Contributors
1. Introduction | ANNA ROSS and CHRISTOS ALIPRANTIS
Part I: Centralisation
2. Public Finance and the Limits of Centralisation in France, 184070 | JEROME GREENFIELD
3. The Emperors Desk: Public Service in the Habsburg Monarchy and the Role of the Emperor | PETER BECKER and JANA OSTERKAMP
Part II: Establishing Collaboration in Provinces
4. Unity, Uniformity, and Strict Discipline? State Police Surveillance in Hungary, 1849?60 | ÁGNES DEÁK
5. A Dead Letter in the Hands of Local Authorities? Implementing Public Health Legislation in French Provincial Cities, 185060 | WILL CLEMENT
6. Synchronising State and Society: Germany in the Networked Age | JEAN-MICHEL JOHNSTON
Part III: Working across Borders
7. An Open Border for Two Bordered States: Basque Disputes and the Remaking of the Franco-Spanish Frontier, 182956 | TALITHA ILACQUA
8. Between Local Communities and Interstate Police Cooperation: The Intendenti on the Border of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies | LAURA DI FIORE
9. Monks, Revolutionaries, and the Frivolity of Closing the Border: The Austro-Swiss Conflict of 1853-1855 and the International Policing of Dissent | HELÉNA TÓTH
Part IV: Contesting Sovereignty
10. Unification or State Formation? Norwegian Officers as Union Deconstructors, 183070 | ROALD BERG
11. Extraterritoriality, Political Policing, and Military Intelligence in Central Europe, 181571 | CHRISTOS ALIPRANTIS
12. The French Military Occupation in the Papal States, 184966: Imperialism and Sovereignty at the time of Italian Unification | ALESSANDRO CAPONE
13. The Mixed Courts of Egypt: A Reform Come True or European Trojan Horse? An Imbalanced Struggle over Statehood, Territoriality, and the Rule of Law in Egypt, 184082 | BEATRICE DE GRAAF
Part V: Conclusion
14. Conclusion | CHRISTOPHER CLARK
Index

Lampert, Andrew: No More Napoleons 16,95 €

Sat, 13 Jun 2026 07:40:07 +0200

How, for just over a century, Britain ensured it would not face another Napoleon Bonapartemanipulating European powers while building a global maritime empire.

At the conclusion of the Napoleonic Wars, a fragile peace emerged in Europe. The continents borders were redrawn, and the French Empire, once a significant threat to British security, was for now cut down to size. But after decades of ceaseless conflict, Britains economy was beset by a crippling debt. How could this small, insular seapower state secure order across the Channel?

Andrew Lambert argues for a dynamic new understanding of the nineteenth century, showing how British policymakers shaped a stable European system that it could balance from offshore. Through judicious deployment of naval power against continental forces, and the defence strategy of statesmen such as the Duke of Wellington, Britain ensured that no single European state could rise to pose a threat, rebuilt its economy, and established naval and trade dominance across the globe.

This is the remarkable story of how Britain kept a whole continent in checkuntil the final collapse of this delicately balanced order at the outset of World War One.

Dotto, Bruno/Browne, Jeff (Hrsg.): Decision in Lombardy 59,95 €

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 07:00:09 +0200

Volume 62 of the series "From Musket to Maxim 18151914." Just before dawn on June 24, 1859, near the small northern Italian town of Solferino, the largest battle fought on the European continent since the Napoleonic Wars unfolded. This decisive engagement of the Second Italian War of Independence raged throughout the day and into the evening along an 18-kilometer front line. Often underestimated in its significance, the battle involved nearly 300,000 men of all armscommanded, for the last time in history, by three reigning monarchs. Today, the Battle of Solferino-San Martino is widely regarded as the birth of the Red Cross; yet the events of that day encompassed far more. This work, translated from the original Italian, has been enriched with newly created and previously unpublished maps and illustrations. It offers valuable insights for historians, military enthusiasts, and wargamers alikegroups that will all appreciate the depth and precision of its depiction of the combat operations between Austrian, French, and Piedmontese forces. This clear and meticulously researched analysis sheds new light on events and personalities that have hitherto remained in the shadows of history. It examines in detail the extensive reconnaissance operations that prompted Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria to resume the offensive against the allied armies of France and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The deadly sequence of encounter battles that unfolded between the three warring armies spanned three main sectors: the San Martino plateau in the north, the hilly terrain surrounding Solferino in the center, and the plains of Medole and Guidizzolo in the south. These engagements were fought largely independently, with only limited coordination between the individual troop units. The fighting erupted with great ferocityinitially at Medole, and subsequently along the ridge extending from Grole through Solferino to Cavriana and onward toward Volta Mantovana. Each of these engagements is meticulously analyzed, described, and interpreted; in doing so, the narrative draws upon a comparative evaluation of reports submitted by subordinate commanders, which have been preserved in state and military archives. Particular attention is devoted to the Austrian "Alte Feldakten" (Old Field Records), housed within the extensive archival collections in Vienna. Finally, this work offers a long-overdue reconstruction of the role played by the Venetian soldiers serving in the Imperial Regiment "Wernhardt"men recruited from the provinces of Treviso and Venice whose contribution has, until now, been largely overlooked by historians.

Henderson, G. F. R.: Science of War 32,95 €

Sat, 13 Jun 2026 07:40:07 +0200

Volume 63 of the series "From Musket to Maxim 18151914." Colonel G.F.R. Henderson was one of the most distinguished soldier-scholars of the British Army during the late Victorian eraa gifted historian, strategist, and lecturer whose writings shaped the professional education of an entire generation of officers prior to the First World War. First published in 1905, *The Science of War* collects Hendersons most important essays and lectures on warfare, strategy, leadership, and military thought, written during the final decade of his life. This remarkable volume reveals Henderson at the very zenith of his intellectual powers. Moving effortlessly between theory and history, he examines the nature of strategy, the tactical employment of cavalry, the relationship between morale and firepower, and the timeless principles of command. His studies of Wellington, the American Civil War, Gettysburg, and the Wilderness Campaign remain to this day among the most outstanding examples of military analysis in the English-speaking world. Throughout the work, Henderson consistently affirms his conviction that war can never be reduced to mechanical formulas; rather, judgment, leadership, initiative, and moral force remain the decisive factors. Few British military thinkers of that era exerted a greater influence. As Professor of Military Art and History at the Staff College in Camberley, Henderson shaped the thinking of numerous officers who would later assume positions of command during the First World War. His celebrated biography, *Stonewall Jackson and the American Civil War*, established his international reputation; yet *The Science of War* arguably offers the deepest insight into the intellectual foundations upon which his entire body of work rested. Here, the reader encounters not merely a historian, but a profound interpreter of the very nature of warfare. At a time when European armies were grappling with the implications of industrial warfare, mass mobilization, and modern firepower, Henderson insisted that military history remained indispensable as an intellectual training ground for the commander. Officers, he argued, needed not only to acquire technical skills but also to develop the capacity to think under pressure, cope with uncertainty, and grasp the human dimensions of combat. His writings thus stand at the crossroads between Napoleonic warfare and the industrial conflicts of the 20th century.

Boeri, Giancarlo: L'esercito Pontificio 1800-1860 35,00 €

Sat, 13 Jun 2026 07:40:07 +0200

This study was inspired by a series of engravings by A. Pochon depicting Swiss troops in the service of the Holy See between 1830 and 1860 (including the Swiss Guard). In his drawings, Pochon portrayedamong othersvarious members of the Papal Foreign Brigade (which in 1831 consisted primarily of Swiss volunteers, was disbanded in 1849, and was finally reconstituted in 1852), as well as, separately, the Pope's Swiss Guard. "Soldiershop" has therefore seized the opportunity to present this research on the service of Swiss troops to the Holy See during the first half of the 19th century, situated within the historical and political context of the Papal States (and their armed forces) between 1820 and 1860. For the accompanying text, they drew upon a study by Donato Tamblé, excerpts from the Moroni Dictionary, and information from the work of Paolo Dalla Torre; for the illustrations, they utilized unpublished images derived largely from contemporary depictions or from the renowned Piroli Collection (Museum of the Risorgimento in Rome), as well as from the records of Brandani and Boeri.

Lipscombe,: A History and Atlas of Victoria’s Wars, 1815-1902 56,95 €

Sun, 07 Jun 2026 08:35:08 +0200

A magnificently designed atlas that illuminates the numerous battles and campaigns that defined the reign of Queen Victoria. In 1815, the Congress of Vienna brought an end to the Napoleonic Wars and laid the foundation for a general European peace that endured for nearly a century. Britains last European rival in the quest for empire and global supremacy had been neutralized; and between 1815 and 1901Britains "imperial century"the British Empire absorbed approximately ten million square miles of territory and some 400 million people. On every single day of Queen Victorias reign (18371901), British forces were engaged in action somewhere in the worldconflicts that are explained and illustrated in detail in this authoritative atlas. Over the course of this so-called *Pax Britannica*, the British government awarded some 43 campaign medalsfeaturing a total of 202 claspsfor a multitude of minor wars waged against irregular forces, as well as for large-scale conflicts against regular armies. Featuring over 135 maps created specifically for this volumeexpertly explained and placed within their historical context in the accompanying textthis beautifully produced atlas examines the role of Victorias army (and, to a lesser extent, the Royal Navy) in fulfilling its duty as "the Queens soldiers": amidst those inspiring victories and bitter defeats that Rudyard Kipling once termed the "savage wars of peace."

Häußler, Matthias: Die Last der Sonne 29,90 €

Fri, 05 Jun 2026 07:05:14 +0200

German South West Africa, 1904: The Ovaherero rise up against German colonial rule. In an attempt to break their resistance, German troops commit the first genocide of the 20th century. Later, the Nama also take up the fight against colonial rule. Matthias Häußler now presents the first comprehensive account of the bloody wars in present-day Namibia. "He has taken on the 'burden of the sun' and it will crush him," the Nama leader Hendrik Witbooi prophesied to the Ovaherero leader, Kamaharero, when the latter signed the protection treaty with the German Empire in 1890. He would be proven right. But how did the crimes committed by the German colonial troops during the suppression of the uprisings come about? In his compelling account, Matthias Häußler shows how the violence slowly escalated and how the genocide was fueled more by the prevailing circumstances and an excessive will to power than by a genocidal intent. In doing so, he describes the Ovaherero and the Nama not merely as powerless victims, but deliberately as independent actors whose abilities and successes surprised the colonial rulers more than once and truly fueled their will to destroy them.

Catellani, Renato: Il Berretto nero per gli ufficiali della Fanteria in Linea e dei Granatieri (1871-1923) 24,95 €

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 06:55:07 +0200

Volume 5 of the "Appunti di uniformologia" series. The uniforms of officers in the Royal Army, from the Ricotti reform of 1871 to the introduction of the gray-green color in 1909, have been described little and not always precisely. Of all the uniform components, headgear has undoubtedly always been the most iconic. The cap, in particular, comprises a multitude of elements that allow the wearer to clearly identify his role and position within the armed forces. This study examines every aspect of the cloth capa practical and functional head covering, yet so rich in detail that it can be considered one of the finest pieces of Italian military uniform of all time. Featuring 69 original and previously unpublished historical photographs, numerous reproductions of regulations, photographs of memorabilia, and detailed color plates, the volume analyzes the caps of line infantry officers and the Granatieri di Sardegna (Sardinian Grenadiers).

Ernst, Josef: Feldmarschallleutnant Emanuel Salomon Freiherr von Friedberg-Mirohorsky 29,90 €

Sat, 23 May 2026 07:40:09 +0200

The essential foundation for this examination of the biography of Field Marshal Lieutenant von Friedberg-Mirohorsky consists of his personal notes and accounts, from which the author quotes extensively. The authors objective was not to produce a purely fact-based biography, but rather to shed light on Friedbergs diverse spheres of activity, to synthesize these into a cohesive overall picture, and thereby to offer readers a vivid insight into the military and social history of the late Habsburg Monarchy.

Barnard, C. J.: General Louis Botha on the Natal Front 1899-1900 34,95 €

Wed, 20 May 2026 07:05:11 +0200

Volume 61 of the series "From Musket to Maxim 1815-1914." This detailed study, now translated into English, offers a compelling account of the confrontation between the Boer commandos and the British Army on the Natal Front from the beginning of the Boer War in October 1899 to the British relief of Ladysmith in February 1900. The chapters focus on key battles such as Talana, Colenso, Spioenkop, and Vaalkrans. The central figure is Louis Botha, whose biography is partially recounted in this book: it traces his rise from ordinary citizen to commanding general in just five months and details his achievements as a military tactician. Making C. J. Barnard's meticulous research in Dutch and Afrikaans primary sources accessible to English-speaking readers, the book also features revised maps and a wealth of photographs, including some never before published.

Nagel, Johannes: U.S. Military Reform and the Observation of the World, 1865–1905 104,00 €

Fri, 24 Apr 2026 09:40:13 +0200

In this study, Johannes Nagel examines a series of far-reaching Army and Navy reforms in the USA between 1865 and 1905 in a global context, with a particular focus on the societal effects of the First Globalization. Although security and empire-seeking played a role in these reforms, only adaptation to global norms and models can explain why they took the form they did - and why the U.S. began to shape itself into a European-style great military power.

Raugh Jr., Harold E.: The Crucible of Combat 41,95 €

Sat, 23 May 2026 07:40:09 +0200

Volume 1 of the Raugh Military History trilogy. This is a fascinating anthology of the author's previously acclaimed works on British military history, focusing on the period from the mid-19th century to the Second World War. These fourteen exciting essays are carefully researched and captivatingly written, shedding light on little-known battles and campaigns, bravery on the battlefield, deception, the development of weapons, tactics and leadership, and the indispensable and often neglected human dimension of soldiering. The incredible stories of miraculous escapes from besieged Delhi during the Indian Rebellion are recounted in detail through eyewitness accounts, and the differing perceptions of battles by participants of various ranks are examined. Naive examples of the deliberate use of war correspondents and the planting of false documents as a means of deception to mislead opponents and provide them with misinformation are analysed and evaluated. Often overlooked military operations such as the Perak War of 18751876 and the Fashoda Expedition of 1898 are described in detail. The tactical use of artillery in the Battle of Omdurman in 1898 in Sudan and the decisive role of advanced weapons, scattered tactics and the accuracy of rifles in Elandslaagte in 1899 during the South African War are insightfully evaluated. Case studies also showcase innovative training methods, detailed planning and dynamic leadership from both world wars. Crucible of Combat is a book that makes an important contribution to British military history.

Dong, John: Sunstruck Giant. Band 2: The Sino-Japanese War of 1894-95. Teil 2 45,95 €

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 07:00:09 +0200

Volume 60 of the series From Musket to Maxim 1815-1914. Using previously untranslated sources, the second volume of Sunstruck Giant provides a complete campaign history of the First Sino-Japanese War of 1894-95, detailing not only the battles themselves but also the strategic motives that shaped them. Six color plates bring the most important battles of the war back to life with vivid authenticity. The First Sino-Japanese War is often portrayed as the death throes of one empire and the rise of another, and is commonly understood as a stark contrast between a backward China and a fully modernized Japan. This nationalistic view has led many accounts to gloss over the positive qualities of the Chinese military while downplaying the serious shortcomings of the Japanese military. Based on previously untranslated sources, Sunstruck Giant is the first English-language work to take a truly comprehensive and balanced look at both sides of this neglected conflict. Existing English-language historical works rely almost exclusively on Japanese sources, ignoring the invaluable Chinese perspective and often concealing facts that are less flattering to the Japanese side. Sunstruck Giant therefore examines the other side of the mountain and analyzes the successes, failures, mistakes, and misfortunes of both sides of the war. The Chinese forces were by no means uniformly backward, but showed moments of genuine heroism, while the supposedly modernized Japanese were by no means immune to serious and costly mistakes.

Solka, M./Pavlovic, D. (Illustr.): German Armies 1870-71. Teil 2: Prussia's Allies 13,00 €

Sun, 17 May 2026 08:17:57 +0200

The armies of Prussia's allies: Baden, Bavaria, Brunswick, Hesse-Darmstadt, Saxony, Mecklenburg-Schwerin, and Württemberg, their organization, uniforms, and equipment in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870/71.

Gaudinet, Frédéric: La Moselle dans la tourmente de la Guerre 70 25,00 €

Sat, 23 May 2026 07:40:09 +0200

For the French, 1870 is a year that remains a painful memory. The Moselle region was on the front line after the French General Staff's failures. They bravely tried to stand up to the Prussians on their own. Under a false pretext, Otto von Bismarck, a Machiavellian genius, pushed France and its Emperor Napoleon III to declare war on Prussia, with the sole aim of securing German unity. The French armies' confidence after their successful invasion of Saarbrücken was quickly destroyed by the shortcomings of the General Staff. They switched from the offensive to the defensive. The Moselle fortresses of Metz, Thionville, Bitche and Longwy now found themselves facing the Prussian armies and their allies. The commanders of the forts organised themselves as best they could. But the unexpected fall of Metz and Bazaine's betrayal changed the situation. With no reinforcements and abandoned by all, the other forts were unable to withstand the Prussian onslaught and surrendered. The last to surrender was Bitche in March 1871. This disastrous war ended with the signing of the Treaty of Frankfurt, the consequences of which would weigh heavily on the population of Moselle and Alsace, as these regions were detached from France for 48 years and annexed to the German Empire. Until the first days of the First World War...

Spagnoli, Cederic: Verdun dans la guerre de 70 22,00 €

Sat, 23 May 2026 07:40:09 +0200

The memory of the 1870 war has been given far too little attention in French politics, art and literature, both in Verdun and elsewhere. The courage shown by the inhabitants of Verdun during the siege of 1870 is part of the city's long military history, which saw a total of eleven sieges between 1792 and the battle of 1916. The Battle of Verdun in 1916 pushed the siege of 1870 out of people's memories. Nevertheless, Verdun suffered under the German blockade for more than 80 days in August 1870. The city was bombarded three times, on 24 August, 26 September and from 13 to 15 October. With its numerous sorties and combat readiness, the garrison was an obstacle to German communications. Only the surrender of Metz and the threat of large-scale bombardment explain the surrender of Verdun on 9 November 1870. After 1871, with France's defeat and the loss of Alsace-Lorraine, the Meuse was only a few dozen kilometres from the new border, which explains the increased militarisation of the area. Verdun was occupied for 1,000 days and was the last town to be evacuated by the Germans in September 1873. Although the occupation was marked by a certain, albeit limited, repression, it took place in a fairly peaceful atmosphere overall, which did not, however, exclude resentment towards the Germans.

Thomas, Dale (Hrsg.): The Philippine Insurrection 1899-1902 28,95 €

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 07:35:16 +0200

The previously unpublished letters and diaries of Quartermaster Fred Tuttle offer a personal, unvarnished insight into the Philippine Insurrection of 1899 to 1902 and the brutal methods used by the US Navy to suppress it. With the USS Vicksburg as his mobile headquarters, General Jacob Smith pursued a scorched earth policy, burning villages and executing prisoners. Tuttle, who served aboard the Vicksburg, witnessed the capture of Emilio Aguinaldo, the leader of the uprising, and the suppression of the rebellion in the southern islands. Back in the United States, the Philippine uprising was at the centre of a debate between imperialists and anti-imperialists, with both President William McKinley and Senator Albert Beverage throwing their considerable weight behind the former group. Beverage believed that the United States should annex the Philippines, as he considered its inhabitants to be uneducated and incapable of governing themselves. Mark Twain, on the other hand, argued that it would violate the principles of the Declaration of Independence and corrupt the democratic institutions of the United States if the United States were to rule another nation without its consent. Away from the debating chambers and opinion columns, Fred Tuttle's fascinating eyewitness account reveals in shocking detail what imperialist policy meant on the ground.

Pons, Rouven: Erzherzog Stephan (1817-1867) 95,00 €

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 06:30:23 +0200

This work is the first scholarly biography of Archduke Stephen (18171867). After a successful start to his career as Governor of Bohemia and Palatine of Hungary, he was forced into exile during the revolution of 1848 and retired to his mother's estates on the River Lahn, where he had a castle built in his own unique style. Based on the Archduke's correspondence, which is scattered across numerous archives, as well as contemporary accounts and newspaper reports, the biography traces the external and self-constructed image of a Habsburg who was regarded as significant by his contemporaries. His personality developed from self-images and external images, which in his case were more formative than his achievements.