"The Great War toppled four empires, cost the world 24 million dead, and sowed the seeds of another worldwide conflict twenty years later. This is the only book in the English language to offer comprehensive coverage of how Germany and Austria-Hungary, two of the key belligerents, conducted the war and what defeat meant to them. This new edition has been thoroughly updated throughout, including new developments in the historiography and, in particular, addressing new work on the cultural history of the war. This edition also includes: new material on the domestic front, covering Austria-Hungary's internal political frictions and ethnic fissures; more on Austria-Hungary and Germany's position within the wider geopolitical framework; increased coverage of the Eastern front."--Page 4 of cover.

1. Origins : 'now or never.' Vienna : war as salvation -- Berlin : the 'calculated risk' -- The 'leap into the dark' -- Questionable allies : Britain and Italy -- The 'mood of 1914' -- 2. The plans of war. Almost allies : Conrad and Moltke to 1914 -- Conrad von Hötzendorf : war at any price -- Moltke : the march to the Marne -- Plan 19 : the Russian 'steamroller' -- Plan XVII : À Berlin -- Britain : continental commitment? -- 3. The great gamble, 1914. 'This war is great and wonderful' -- Tannenberg : reality and myth -- Conrad's war -- The battle of the Marne -- The last hurrah -- 4. Towards industrialized war, 1915. The German command system implodes -- Wars of 'limited means' -- The Italian 'snake' -- 'The bones of a Pomeranian grenadier' -- Deadlock : the western front -- 5. Dual defeats : from the Meuse to the Siret, 1916. Verdun : 'the heart of France' -- The Somme : 'battles of material' -- Lutsk : 'lack of luck' -- The Romanian detour -- 6. The long-war reality, 1915-16. Austria-Hungary : on the brink -- Of men and machines : the third OHL -- 'Total war' : reality and myth -- 7. Survival. Hunger : Austria-Hungary -- Beleaguered fortress : Germany -- Death, disease and doctors -- The politics of 'total' war -- 8. A sea change, 1917. U-boat warfare : playing va banque -- The Nivelle offensive : À Berlin once more -- Triump in the east -- Caporetto : a cosmetic victory -- 9. The last levy, 1917-18. The hollow ally -- Strikes and mutinies -- The k.u.k. army disintegrates -- Germany : mutinies, strikes and megalomania -- 10. Operation Michael : the 'last card.' Tactical virtuosity -- The battle -- The turning point -- 11. Defeat, 1918-19. Finis austriae -- Finis prussiae.