New Books Network Peter H. Wilson, "Iron and Blood: A Military History of the German-Speaking Peoples Since 1500" (Harvard UP, 2023)
Jan 31, 2026
Peter H. Wilson, Professor of the history of war at Oxford and author on the Holy Roman Empire, offers a broad 500-year take on German-speaking military history. He challenges the idea of innate German militarism. The conversation covers Prussia, Austria, Swiss neutrality, soldier life, recruitment, and how perceptions of German military prowess formed and changed over centuries.
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Beyond The Inevitable March
- Popular narratives compress German military history into an inevitable march to Prussia and the world wars.
- Peter Wilson argues we must view five centuries in broader context to avoid teleological myths.
War In The Age Of Grass
- Early 16th-century warfare in German lands was seasonal and resource-driven: 'war in the age of grass'.
- Armies assembled for months then disbanded because logistics and fodder constrained campaigning.
Semi‑Professional Soldiers
- Sixteenth-century soldiers needed training and cohesion despite not being full-time professionals.
- Recruitment relied on bounties and promised pay, which often failed, making war economically precarious for fighters.
