Friedrich von Bernhardi (1849–1930,) fully Friedrich Adam Julius von Bernhardi, was a Prussian general and military historian known for his controversial writings on warfare and German militarism. His works shaped pre-World War I military thought, advocating Germany’s aggressive expansion.
Born in St. Petersburg, Russian Empire, his family moved to Silesia in 1851. He joined the Prussian Army in 1869, serving as a cavalry officer in the Franco-Prussian War (1870–71.) He later held positions as military attaché in Switzerland (1891–94) and head of the military history department in Berlin.
His most famous work, Deutschland und der Nächste Krieg (1911, Germany and the Next War,) argued war was a biological necessity and Germany had a right to expand its power. Other notable publications include Unsere Kavallerie im Nächsten Kriege (1899, Cavalry in Future Wars,) Vom heutigen Kriege (1912, On War of Today,) and Vom Kriege der Zukunft (1920, On War of the Future,) analyzing military strategy and lessons from World War I.
During World War I, Bernhardi commanded German forces on the Eastern and Western Fronts, earning the Pour le Mérite (1916) for defensive operations. His writings later became controversial, cited as justifications for militarism and expansionist policies.
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Friedrich von Bernhardi
The inevitableness, the idealism, and the blessing of war, as an indispensable and stimulating law of development, must be repeatedly emphasized.
—Friedrich von Bernhardi
Topics: War
Leave a Reply