History, Military / Napoleonic Wars

This book is a translation of Volume 6 of the collected works of Carl von Clausewitz, Der Feldzug von 1799 in Italien und der Schweiz. In 1799, the Second Coalition against France fought major campaigns in Italy and Switzerland. This volume focuses mainly on that in Switzerland, where the cracks opened up that finally fractured the alliance between Russia and Austria and led to the defeat of the Second Coalition.

Napoleon Absent, Coalition Ascendant is a translation of Volume 5 of the collected works of Carl von Clausewitz, whose historical writing underpinned On War, his seminal work on the science of war. In 1799, the Second Coalition against France fought major campaigns in Italy and Switzerland. Volume 1 focuses mainly on Italy, where the allies’ tide of victories under Suvorov’s dynamic leadership lapped up against the French frontier.

First translation into English of Clausewitz’s most important campaign history, which offers key insights into his theoretical classic On War.

Epstein argues that the true origins of modern war can be found in the Franco-Austrian War of 1809. He examines 1809 in terms of the evolving systems of recruitment, organization, and command used by both sides.