The following pages were written partly during the campaign itself and partly shortly thereafter. The thoughts they contain all stem from the war. The book initially aimed to provide officers, who were unable to see the war from a central perspective, with an overview of the nature of modern combat, a framework into which they could fit their specific knowledge. It was also intended to offer insights for the further development of the army.

This purpose has now become completely obsolete. A large part of our magnificent officer corps lies out on the battlefields; another segment has been forced to leave their noble profession due to wounds and illness; the rest has dissolved along with the army and seeks a difficult livelihood in other areas of life.

Despite all this, I publish this work with a dual purpose. First, I want to demonstrate how utterly impossible a war is for the impoverished and broken Germany, that is, a war based on modern principles. Secondly, it should be noted that the military scientific interest in the world war, which undoubtedly marks the beginning of a new period in world history with its consequences, will soon awaken everywhere. Therefore, it is our duty to summarize and reflect on the important lessons of this great struggle, under whose fresh impression we stand, so that future generations, should they need these lessons, do not accuse us of irresponsible negligence.

This book, written by a contemporary witness of the First World War and a General of Cavalry, is an unaltered reprint of the long out-of-print original edition from 1920.