The field of military psychiatry was founded at the beginning of this century for the purpose of patching up psychologically wounded soldiers. This book presents a history of this field. The first part provides a historical survey of the conduct of war, with an emphasis on front-line experiences and the psychological pressures typical of various combat situations. The second part deals with military psychiatry itself: what kinds of problems did the soldiers have, how were they diagnosed by psychiatrists, and which therapies were used.

Includes bibliographical references (p. [211]-216) and index.

Preface / Deirdre N. McCloskey -- 1. Introduction -- I. The background. 2. The psychologically wounded soldier : an actor without a speaking part in the theater of war -- 3. The psychologically wounded soldier : an actor with a lead role among the wounded -- 4. Victims, perpetrators and witnesses -- 5. Civilian psychiatry -- II. Military psychiatry. 6. From shell shock to combat stress -- 7. Therapy in wartime -- 8. The basic principles of military psychiatry -- 9. Prevention is better than cure -- 10. When the war is over (PTSD) -- 11. Final conclusion.