[Except for chapters 27 and 28, which have been considerably revised, this edition is essentially a reprint of 1969 edition.]

Replaces earlier publications issued by the U.S. Dept. of the Army under the same title.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 649-679).

Introduction. What is military history? -- Theory and practice of war -- The American military system -- The beginnings. The European heritage -- Eighteenth Century European warfare -- The Colonial scene -- Colonial Militia -- The Colonies in the World Conflict, 1689-1783 -- The Aemrican rifle -- The Colonial heritage -- The American Revolution: First phase. The outbreak -- Formation of the Continental Army -- The invasion of Canada and the Fall of Boston -- The new nation -- Evolution of the Continental Army -- The British problem -- Of strategy -- The British offensive in 1776 -- Trenton and Princeton -- The winning of Independence, 1777-1783. The Campaign of 1777 -- Valley Forge -- First Fruits of the French Alliance -- The new conditions of the war -- British successes in the South -- Nadir of the American cause -- Greene's Southern campaign -- Yorktown: The final act -- The summing up: Reasons, lessons, and meaning -- The formative years, 1783-1812. The question of a peacetime army -- Toward a more perfect union -- The Militia -- Military realities in the Federalist period -- The Indian expeditions -- The perils of neutrality -- quasi war with France -- Defense under Jefferson -- The army and westward expansion -- American reaction to the Napoleonic Wars -- The War of 1812. Origins of the war -- The opposing forces -- The strategic pattern -- The first campaigns -- The second year, 1813 -- The last year of the war, 1814 -- New Orleans: The final battle -- The thirty years' peace. Toward a professional army - The war hatchet raised in Florida -- John C. Calhoun and the War Department -- Pioneering in the West -- The Second Seminole War -- Westward expansion and the Texas issue -- The Mexican war and after. The period of watchful waiting -- The Battles of Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma -- War is declared -- The Monterrey Campaign -- The battle of Buena Vista -- The landing of Vera Cruz -- The battle of Cerro Gordo -- Contreras, Churubusco, Chapultepec -- Occupation and negotiation in Mexico City -- The army on the new frontier -- Increasing the peacetime army -- Weapons and tactics on the eve of the Civil War --

The Civil War, 1861. Secession, Sumter, and standing to arms -- The opponents -- Manassas (Bull Run) -- The second uprising in 1861 -- The Civil War, 1862. The Twin Rivers campaign -- Capture of Forts Henry and Donelson -- Confederate counterattack at Shiloh -- Perryville to Stones River -- The army of the Potomac moves South -- Jackson's Valley campaign -- The Peninsular campaign: Fair oaks -- The Seven Days' battles -- Second Manassas -- Lee invades Maryland -- Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation -- Fiasco at Frederciksburg -- West of the Mississippi -- The Civil War, 1863. Confusion over clearing the Mississippi -- Grant's campaign against Vicksburg -- Hooker crosses the Rappahannock -- Chancellorsville: Lee's finest battle -- Lee's second invasion of the North -- Gettysburg -- The chickamauga campaign -- Grant at Chattanooga -- The Civil War, 1864-1865. Strategy of annihilation and unity of command -- Lee cornered at Richmond -- Sherman's great wheel to the East -- Thomas protects the Nashville base -- Lee's last 100 days -- Dimensions of the war -- Darkness and light: The Interwar Years, 1865-1898. Demobilization, reorganization, and the French threat in Mexico -- Reconstruction -- Domestic disturbances -- The National Guard movement -- Isolation and professional development -- Line and staff -- Technical development -- Civil accomplishment -- Winning the West: The Army in the Indian Wars, 1865-1890. The setting and the challenge -- The Bozeman Trail -- The Southern Plains -- The Northwest -- The Southwest -- The Northern Plains -- Emergence to world power, 1898-1902. A New Manifest Destiny -- Trouble in Cuba -- Mobilizing for war -- Victory at sea: Naval operations in the Caribbean and Pacific -- Operations in the Caribbean -- The Battle of Santiago -- The Fall of Manila -- The Philippine Insurrection, 1899-1902 -- The Boxer uprising --

Transition and change, 1902-1917. Modernizing the Armed Forces -- Reorganization of the Army: Establishment of the general staff -- Reorganization of the Army: The regular Army and the Militia -- Caribbean problems and projects -- The Army on the Mexican border -- World War I: The first three years. How war came in Europe -- The early campaigns -- The impact of the war on the United States -- The National Defense Act of 1916 -- The war in 1916 -- And end to neutrality - A year of crisis in Europe -- The United States prepares for war -- Changes in the Army high command -- World War I: The U.S. Army overseas. Training and organizing U.S. troops -- Pressure from French and British -- The German offensive, March 1918 -- Unity of command -- The Lys Offensive, April 1918 -- The Aisne Offensive, May 1918 -- The German Offensive, June 1918 -- A growing American force -- The last German offensive, July 1918 -- Allied Counteroffensive -- A separate American army -- The Somme Offensive -- The St. Mihiel Offensive -- Meuse-Argonne Offensive -- The German surrender -- Between world wars. Demobilization -- Immediate duties -- Reorganization under the National Defense Act of 1920 -- Regular Army strength and support -- Civilian components -- Domestic employment -- National and military policy -- The Army strengthened -- The beginnings of World War II -- The Prewar mobilization -- Toward war -- World War II: The defensive phase. The outbreak of war: Action and reaction -- Fall of the Philippines -- Deploying American military strength -- Planning for a cross-channel invasion -- Torch replaces sledgehammer-roundup -- End of the defensive stage -- Grand strategy and the Washington high command. Strategic planning for offensive warfare: Midwar -- Completing the strategic patterns -- Expansion and distribution of the wartime Army -- Balancing means and ends -- World War II: The war against Germany and Italy. The North African Campaign, November 1942-May 1943 -- The Tunisia Campaign -- The Sicily Campaign, July-August 1943 -- The surrender of Italy -- The Italian Campaign, September 1943-May 1945 -- Cross-Channel attack -- Build-up and breakout -- Invasion of Southern France -- Pursuit to the frontier -- The Ardennes Counteroffensive -- The Russian Campaigns -- The final Offensive -- The situation on V-E Day --

World War II: The war against Japan. Japan's strategy -- Guadalcanal and Papua: The first offensives -- Search for a strategy -- Cartwheel: The encirclement of Rabaul -- The Central Pacific Drive begins -- Acceleration of the Pacific Drive -- The decision to invade Luzon -- The Philippines Campaign -- Iwo Jima and Okinawa -- The American effort in China, Burma, and India -- The Japanese surrender -- Retrospect -- Peace becomes Cold War, 1945-1950. Demobilization -- Unification -- Occupation -- The rise of a new opponent -- The trends of military policy -- The Army of 1950 -- The Cold War intensifies -- The Korean War, 1950-1953. The decision for war -- South to the Naktong -- North to the Parallel -- North to the Yalu -- The new war -- The static war -- The aftermath -- The Army and the new look. Massive retaliation and the new look -- The NATO build-up -- Continental defense -- The missile era -- Challenges and responses -- The military budget -- Defense reorganization --The dual capability Army -- The reserve forces -- Global pressures and the flexible response. The changing face of the Cold War -- Cuba and Berlin -- Detente in Europe -- The growing commitment in underdeveloped areas -- Trouble in the Caribbean -- Civil Rights and Civil disturbances -- Secretary McNamara and thew New Management System -- Army reorganization -- Tactical readjustment for flexible response -- The reserve forces and the draft -- Problems and prospects -- The U.S. Army in Vietnam. Role of the United States through the Geneva Accords -- Early growth of the insurgency -- Limited increase in U.S. Commitment -- Growing U.S. Commitment -- Logistical build-up -- Early U.S. operations -- The nature of the war -- The military campaign -- The Pacification Program -- The military campaign in 1967 -- The Tet Offensive- 1968 -- Invasions of Cambodia and Laos.