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Battle Leadership
Some personal experiences of a junior officer of the German Army with Observations on battle tactics and the psychological reactions on the troops in campaign. Most of the lectures contained in this volume were delivered either to students of the Advanced and Company Officers' classes of the Fort Benning Infantry School or to the officers of the 29th Infantry. In presenting these lectures Captain von Schell is placing his experience in open warfare at the disposal of the American Army. Chapter 1. Battle Psychology; Chapter 2. The First Days of War; Chapter 3. The 14th German Division in the First Battle of the Marne; Chapter 4. Leaving Raw Troops with Battle-tried Veterans; Chapter 5. A Young Company Commander in a Rapidly Changing Situation; Chapter 6. Contrasting Service with Trained and Untrained Troops; Chapter 7. The Borderland Between Open and Trench Warfare; Chapter 8. The Development of the German Army Since the World War; Chapter 9. The Army of the United States.
104 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1987
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
October 28, 2015
This book is a great study on how to develop people and organizational cultures to take initiative. It's an older book but the messages on devolving mutual trust and building a bottoms up decentralized decision making culture are timeless.
February 9, 2024
The things I do for money....
October 2, 2020
Overall this was a solid book that reinforces unit tactics but also makes the reader aware of the psychology of warfare as well. Of all the chapters, the last two are the most interesting when looking through a historical lens of how the German military was to go on to become a fearsome force during the Second World War. Additionally, the final chapter shares a view of the US Army and its development of it officers that has for the most remained unchanged.
July 25, 2019
Perfect complement to SLA Marshall's 'Men against fire'. He basically did the same for Germany after WW1 and focussed on how little you know of the enemy beforehand and how we should train more to cope with that uncertainty and friction of war.
August 21, 2016
A little-known classic, more's the shame of it. Quoted at length in the US Army's training material of the period. Especially illuminating is the last chapter, in which Von Schnell analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of the 1930's US Army for Germany.
March 7, 2020
Captain Adolf Von Schell was an infantry officer in the German Army during World War I where he served on the Belgian frontier in the Westphalian VII Corps. He led troops at the Liege, the Marne, in the Winter Battles of the Mazurian Lakes, and many other engagements. In 1930, after the war, Von Schell was designated to attend the Infantry School at Fort Benning. This book is a series of essays he wrote, many published in the Infantry Journal, while at the U.S. Infantry School. It reads similar to Rommel's Infantry Attacks. His stories and lessons reveal fundamental truths about command, combat, and leadership that transcend time, locations, and nation-states. An absolute must read for any war-fighter.
December 14, 2023
Fascinating insights into military leadership, worth reflecting on in work today
I came across this small book on a military history site. The author relates his experiences in the WW1 German Army on the western and eastern fronts. Succinct and precise reflections, especially on how different America's geopolitical and cultural positions are. Written in the early 1930s, it criticises Versailles, and shows army attitudes that shaped their so tragically mistaken support for Hitler.
I came across this small book on a military history site. The author relates his experiences in the WW1 German Army on the western and eastern fronts. Succinct and precise reflections, especially on how different America's geopolitical and cultural positions are. Written in the early 1930s, it criticises Versailles, and shows army attitudes that shaped their so tragically mistaken support for Hitler.
March 5, 2018
Quick read at only 95 pages even taking notes. Lots of interesting first hand anecdotes as this German officer drew upon his experiences in the First World War German army to talk small unit command to his classmates in The Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia in 1930. Von Schell would return to Germany and his army career, serving in several command positions during the war until killed in December 1944 as a Lieutenant General.
April 6, 2023
Force Master Chief Jason Knupp gave me this book and I loved it! Great lessons on small unit leadership with an infantry focus. I truly enjoyed the author’s sense of humor and frequent anecdotes, a soldier to the bone. I rarely mark up books but I highlighted and underlined freely while reading this one. I took away the importance of mission command, strong leadership, and moral/physical courage. Absolutely worth the 2 hours needed to read!
January 10, 2026
If I could recommend one book to new platoon commanders, it would be this. This is what I thought Rommel’s Attacks would be. Short, succinct, valuable lessons from multiple leadership roles across multiple campaigns. Interesting to learn about the author’s experience with the post war actions as well in the final chapters.
August 5, 2025
Gekregen van een vriendin. Boeiende eerste inkijk in leiderschap en een van de eerste boeken die ingaat op de psychologie van oorlogsvoering. Heb er niet zoveel aan gehad omdat het specifiek op bepaalde cases en echt op militairen gericht is.
March 18, 2018
Short, easy to digest, and essential to aspiring leaders. I read this about 15 years ago and have consistently referenced the lessons.
April 1, 2018
Good Read
Helped bolster those lessons taught at the basic level of military leadership. A very real ancestor to MCDP 1 “Warfighting”.
Helped bolster those lessons taught at the basic level of military leadership. A very real ancestor to MCDP 1 “Warfighting”.
August 29, 2018
Very interesting
Very interesting view of the psychology effects of war but more so the men of war. Intriguing for any aspiring leader.
Very interesting view of the psychology effects of war but more so the men of war. Intriguing for any aspiring leader.
November 4, 2019
Good as History
Interesting analysis of the techniques used and learning from the first World War. Also a good chapter on the American army of that time.
Interesting analysis of the techniques used and learning from the first World War. Also a good chapter on the American army of that time.
January 15, 2021
This book is a great read for new supervisors. The focus on mentality and instilling confidence is huge. It's an old book but is one of those things that stays relevant through all time.
December 31, 2021
Read for MSIII year ROTC - a yearly read for sure.
January 14, 2022
If you like a good book on military strategy, that is NOT dry, you will love this one. There great battle scenes and heart and soul to go with it.
May 10, 2022
Niche look at historical battle
Deep look into world War 1 battled from a officers point of view. Great to see what leadership and experience can do in battle
Deep look into world War 1 battled from a officers point of view. Great to see what leadership and experience can do in battle
March 28, 2025
Concise and insightful short read. Relatable to any company grade officer/leader of men.
January 19, 2019
Good book; short read. I picked up this book in 2014 from a colleague that was cleaning out his desk and getting rid of old/unwanted military or history books. It is one of the best small unit leadership books that I've read and I later used several examples from the book in leadership talks with small groups.
In Battle Leadership, Captain Adolf von Schell documented his experiences as a company grade infantry officer in the Germany Army during the Great War (World War I). The book was largely written in a narrative format and was captured primarily from lectures von Schell gave to the U.S. Army Infantry School at Fort Benning, GA during the period between World War I and World War II. The book is a powerful application of lessons learned from personal experiences at the tactical level and applied to the greater areas of military science and defense policy.
Von Schell described the transformation of individuals and collective units as they progressed from personnel acquisition by the Army, initial training and educations courses to military exercises and ultimately deployment to combat. Von Schell drew from combat examples during German campaigns on the western front against France, the southern front against Italy, and the eastern front against Russians. His main focus was on the actions and factors that impacted the decisions of tactical combat leaders at the platoon, company, battalion, regimental and division levels in both offensive and defensive operations. To summarize, von Schell emphasized the following factors for effective combat leadership: character, psychology, personal courage; battlefield positioning; information processing, mission orders and communications; and dealing with complexity and uncertainty.
For character, psychology, and personal courage, von Schell identified that it is impossible to know how soldiers and leaders would react when they first encountered combat. Training and drills, while they were effective for mechanical warfighting skills and processes, did not enable a deeper look into the psychology of individual men and recommend appropriate actions to take when confronted with the anticipation and fear of initial combat. It was up to tactical leaders to sense this apprehension in the ranks, and then take small, but meaningful and courageous actions, to alleviate soldiers’ fears of potential catastrophic consequences from enemy artillery fire and direct fire. Leaders used a mixture of humor, courage, information dissemination, storytelling, etc. to alleviate fears and build confidence in their units.
Physical presence was a key command and control and leadership decision during combat. Leaders had to craftily balance the requirements to “lead from the front” and effectively control an operation. Mission success depended on being able to quickly see and maneuver to take advantage of opportunities or plug gaps once contact was gained with the enemy. If a leader chose to position themselves with the lead element during an attack, it was likely that they would become occupied with individual tasks associated with fire and maneuver and their physical exposure limited their ability to see their entire formation (main and supporting efforts). After multiple engagements, leaders learned to demonstrate their physical courage in other ways outside of battle and then position themselves on the battlefield in more central locations to influence the outcome by controlling supporting efforts such as machine guns and artillery and follow on maneuver forces. The freedom of physical positioning was only achieved through effective delegation of combat leadership tasks to the lead elements officers and non-commissioned officers.
In Battle Leadership, Captain Adolf von Schell documented his experiences as a company grade infantry officer in the Germany Army during the Great War (World War I). The book was largely written in a narrative format and was captured primarily from lectures von Schell gave to the U.S. Army Infantry School at Fort Benning, GA during the period between World War I and World War II. The book is a powerful application of lessons learned from personal experiences at the tactical level and applied to the greater areas of military science and defense policy.
Von Schell described the transformation of individuals and collective units as they progressed from personnel acquisition by the Army, initial training and educations courses to military exercises and ultimately deployment to combat. Von Schell drew from combat examples during German campaigns on the western front against France, the southern front against Italy, and the eastern front against Russians. His main focus was on the actions and factors that impacted the decisions of tactical combat leaders at the platoon, company, battalion, regimental and division levels in both offensive and defensive operations. To summarize, von Schell emphasized the following factors for effective combat leadership: character, psychology, personal courage; battlefield positioning; information processing, mission orders and communications; and dealing with complexity and uncertainty.
For character, psychology, and personal courage, von Schell identified that it is impossible to know how soldiers and leaders would react when they first encountered combat. Training and drills, while they were effective for mechanical warfighting skills and processes, did not enable a deeper look into the psychology of individual men and recommend appropriate actions to take when confronted with the anticipation and fear of initial combat. It was up to tactical leaders to sense this apprehension in the ranks, and then take small, but meaningful and courageous actions, to alleviate soldiers’ fears of potential catastrophic consequences from enemy artillery fire and direct fire. Leaders used a mixture of humor, courage, information dissemination, storytelling, etc. to alleviate fears and build confidence in their units.
Physical presence was a key command and control and leadership decision during combat. Leaders had to craftily balance the requirements to “lead from the front” and effectively control an operation. Mission success depended on being able to quickly see and maneuver to take advantage of opportunities or plug gaps once contact was gained with the enemy. If a leader chose to position themselves with the lead element during an attack, it was likely that they would become occupied with individual tasks associated with fire and maneuver and their physical exposure limited their ability to see their entire formation (main and supporting efforts). After multiple engagements, leaders learned to demonstrate their physical courage in other ways outside of battle and then position themselves on the battlefield in more central locations to influence the outcome by controlling supporting efforts such as machine guns and artillery and follow on maneuver forces. The freedom of physical positioning was only achieved through effective delegation of combat leadership tasks to the lead elements officers and non-commissioned officers.
February 21, 2015
The Dep Dant gave this to me after a football game.... Not as good as I had hoped.
-The greatest commanders know the soul of their men.
-Make your men feel confident.
-Story of when they were in the shed and the officer got a haircut.
-Men like to be active, not passive in battle. Give them something active to do.
-Each soldier has a different psychology and they must be led a different way.
-Commanders must know the psychology of their men. They can’t learn it, they must be able to sense it.
-War has a novel psychological effect on soldiers.
-We can learn about war during peacetime from books and maps, but we cannot learn how to help our own men overcome their private battles until war is actually upon us.
-War induces a fog- during wargames, operate with as little information as possible on the enemy.
-As a leader you must lead from the front, but not so much that your influence becomes localized.
-Soldiers need a commander who inspires them. The commanders job is to inspire confidence.
-It is important to have a backbone of veterans who can teach the younger, less experienced men.
-Spare no expense to have the element of surprise.
-We must be prepared to make decisions in the absence of information.
-Leadership is knowing when to make the decision.
-In peace you prepare as if war were a grammar school game; in reality it’s more like college.
-War is a kaleidoscope of ever changing problems and opportunities.
-When dealing with infantry, half the battle is getting them to believe that they will succeed. If you can do this, then half the battle is already won.
-The American officer must be a teacher and leader.
-The greatest commanders know the soul of their men.
-Make your men feel confident.
-Story of when they were in the shed and the officer got a haircut.
-Men like to be active, not passive in battle. Give them something active to do.
-Each soldier has a different psychology and they must be led a different way.
-Commanders must know the psychology of their men. They can’t learn it, they must be able to sense it.
-War has a novel psychological effect on soldiers.
-We can learn about war during peacetime from books and maps, but we cannot learn how to help our own men overcome their private battles until war is actually upon us.
-War induces a fog- during wargames, operate with as little information as possible on the enemy.
-As a leader you must lead from the front, but not so much that your influence becomes localized.
-Soldiers need a commander who inspires them. The commanders job is to inspire confidence.
-It is important to have a backbone of veterans who can teach the younger, less experienced men.
-Spare no expense to have the element of surprise.
-We must be prepared to make decisions in the absence of information.
-Leadership is knowing when to make the decision.
-In peace you prepare as if war were a grammar school game; in reality it’s more like college.
-War is a kaleidoscope of ever changing problems and opportunities.
-When dealing with infantry, half the battle is getting them to believe that they will succeed. If you can do this, then half the battle is already won.
-The American officer must be a teacher and leader.
February 10, 2017
I read this book in less a day and enjoyed 95% of the book. The analysis done by the Author on the Psychology of soldiers and officers during the first world war can be applied to any sort of leadership (to some extend). The Author brings interesting stories from his own experience in the Russian front putting deep understanding of the humanitarian factor in such frightening war.
This is unusual book to me and enjoyed reading it
This is unusual book to me and enjoyed reading it
June 18, 2013
As a combat veteran, I can personally attest to the truth and accuracy in this book. Adolf Von Schell does a very good job of using real-world examples, most of them personal experiences, to illustrate key lessons. The main idea is that peacetime training is different than war, and the lessons are mostly concerned with how to make peacetime training more effective. When reading this book, you must remember that it was written just after WW1, so it is tactically outdated. That being said, there are timeless pieces of knowledge that anyone interested in leading troops into combat should know.
January 15, 2016
Von Schell's book implores that modern leaders look more closely at the psychological challenges of warfare and apply increasing efforts to duplicating the chaos of battle in the training ground. While Schnell's book is brief and full of many anecdotes, his advice is worth heeding as commander over 80 years later. No doubt it's insights will continue to prove valuable on any battlefield of the future.
April 28, 2013
Respite with good military wisdom and stories of German Officership in the first World War, Battle Leadership is a practical resource for insight into the effect of war on the human dimension. Easy to read --in total it may take around three to four hours. If one is interested in the more human side of war, especially in regards to leadership, it's certainly worth a read.
July 6, 2008
This book discusses how to lead men in combat. It discusses how to handle different personalities, how to prepare your troops psychologically for combat and how to instill confidence in them. It is written by a World War I German infantry officer.
June 28, 2015
Tremendous look at Captain Von Schell's experience on both the eastern and western fronts in WWI. His insights into the nature of battle and small unit leadership are second to none. A book to be re-read multiple times as experience in the military increases.
January 18, 2016
A series of articles written just after the end of WWI from the German perspective. It contains some succinct and easy to digest anecdotes and resultant analysis that is still somewhat applicable to modern warfare. Recommended for junior NCO and junior officers, particularly those in combat corps.
July 19, 2016
Really interesting analysis of the German Army in WW1 from a line officer. There are some really prescient comments in the final two Chapters about the limits in the American military model of the interwar period.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews