From the Boxer Rebellion to Tsingtao to German East Africa (Tanzania), and colonies across Africa and the central Pacific, the Kaiser's Second Reich created a worldwide empire, and then lost it. 
Following Prussia's victory over France in 1871 and German unification, the invigorated Second Reich sought international status alongside the older colonial powers - Britain, France, Spain and Russia. Actual overseas settlement was always sparse, counted in the low tens of thousands only, but by the mid-1880s German trading companies had established footholds in what became German East Africa (Tanzania), German South-West Africa (Namibia), and German West Africa (Cameroon, and Togo). To consolidate their position against native resistance, and to extend their frontiers, the German Imperial government soon took over these enclaves as colonies or 'protectorates'. In the 1890s it established a new branch of the armed forces, the Schutztruppe, composed largely of African askaris with German officers and NCOs, backed up by German artillery and machine guns. In parallel, the Imperial Navy raised marine battalions - eventually, three Seebataillone - to protect its overseas bases and to reinforce the colonies as needed. After German participation in putting down the Boxer Rebellion (1900) their primary responsibility was the German concession territory at Tsingtao in China, where Germany also raised a local East Asia Brigade; but the marines also served in the German Pacific possessions - Samoa, New Guinea, the Bismarck Archipelago, the Northern Solomon Islands, the Marshalls, Marianas and Carolines. Marine companies were also rotated through the African colonies at need. In addition to small-scale 'police' work, the brief German colonial period involved putting down rebellions in East Africa (1888-98) and Cameroon, and crushing - with great ruthlessness - the determined resistance of the Herero and Nama tribes in SW Africa (1890-1907), where there was a degree of German settlement. In World War I, Germany soon lost almost all her colonies to much stronger Allied forces. In China, Tsingtao was captured late in 1914 by a Japanese force with token British assistance. Resistance was minimal in the Pacific; and in 1915 the last defenders of German South-West Africa surrendered to South African forces. However, in East Africa the Schutztruppe, commanded by the very able Col (later MajGen) Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck, fought a skillful mobile war against much larger British and Empire forces, and were the very last German troops to surrender in November 1918. Meanwhile, the Navy's marine infantry branch had been enlarged, forming first one, then two Marine Divisions, which fought on the Western Front - including the Ypres and Somme sectors - throughout the war. Featuring specially drawn full-colour artwork, this book tells the story of Imperial Germany's colonial and overseas troops, who fought in a host of environments including China, Africa, and the Western Front of World War I.

Imperial German Colonial and Overseas Troops 1885–1918 (Men-at-Arms, 490)

History

Quesada, Alejandro de

Dale, Chris

Europe

Osprey_Publishing

Nazi Germany's MP 38 and MP 40 submachine guns are among World War II's most iconic weapons, but it is often forgotten that they continued in use all over the world for many decades after 1945, even being seen during the fighting in Libya in 2011. Widely issued to Fallschirmjäger (parachute infantry) owing to their portability and folding stocks, the MP 38 and MP 40 became the hallmarks of Germany's infantry section and platoon leaders; by the war's end the Germans were following the Soviet practice of issuing entire assault platoons with submachine guns. Over 1 million were produced during World War II, many finding their way after 1945 into the hands of paramilitary and irregular forces, from Israel to Vietnam; the Norwegian armed forces continued to use them until the early 1990s, and examples and derivatives saw widespread use in the Yugoslav wars of that decade. 
The submachine-gun concept had its origins in the trenches of World War I, as German designers sought to develop a new weapon that utilized pistol ammunition to deliver devastating bursts of automatic fire at close ranges. The massively influential Bergmann MP 18, the world's first purpose-built 'machine pistol' (submachine gun), spearheaded the German assaults of 1918 and, although the Treaty of Versailles banned the study and manufacture of light automatic weapons in Germany, weapons designers like Berthold Geipel and Heinrich Vollmer of Erfurter Maschinenfabrik (Erma) covertly continued to innovate in this field.
An open-bolt, blowback-operated weapon with a single-feed 32-round magazine offering fully automatic fire only and a patented telescoping return spring guide that served as a pneumatic recoil buffer, Geipel and Vollmer's MP 38 drew upon earlier prototypes such as the VMP 1930 and MP 36, as well as the EMP 35, another Erma design that was widely exported and saw combat in the Spanish Civil War. The MP 38 was one of the first of the lighter, more compact "second generation" of submachine guns, utilizing stamped-steel and plastic components that made it easier to produce than earlier types such as the M1928 Thompson and the MP 18, which featured wooden stocks and employed machined-steel parts. It was rapidly adopted by Germany's armed forces and first saw combat during the invasion of Poland in 1939. An improved version, the MP 40, made greater use of stamped steel and electro-spot welding to simplify production further; a twin-magazine version, the MP 40/II, was briefly and unsuccessfully considered as a counter to the select-fire Soviet PPSh-41 with its 71-round drum magazine.
The MP 38 and the MP 40 saw combat in the hands of German troops in every theater in which they were involved, and have become synonymous with Nazi Germany's war effort in popular perception. Even during the war Geipel and Vollmer's designs, mistakenly attributed to the rival designer Hugo Schmeisser by the Allies, profoundly influenced the British Sten and the US M3 "grease gun" as well as postwar weapons such as the Spanish Star Modelo Z-45 and the Yugoslav M56. Featuring specially commissioned full-color artwork and period and close-up photographs, this is the story of the origins, combat use, and lasting influence of two of World War II's most famous firearms.

MP 38 and MP 40 Submachine Guns (Weapon, 31)

Military

The Spanish Civil War, 1936-39, was the curtain-raiser to World War II, and the major international event of the 1930s. It was the first great clash of 20th-century ideologies, between the rebel Nationalist army led by General Franco (right-wing, and aided by Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy), and the Republican army of the government (left-wing, and aided by the Communist Soviet Union and many volunteers from liberal democracies). Three years of widespread campaigns involved the most modern weapons available (submachine guns, mortars, artillery, tanks, and combat aircraft operating in direct support of ground forces). The war was fought ruthlessly by both sides, and when the Nationalists secured victory they installed a dictatorship that lasted until November 1975 - the last such regime in Western Europe.
The Nationalist forces were varied in origin and appearance. Their spearhead was provided by the colonial army brought over from Spanish Morocco - the Spanish Foreign Legion, and Spanish-led Moroccan native regiments. Apart from sympathizers within the pre-war regular army, troops raised in Spain reflected a number of distinct regional traditions and political militias, and included both internal security units and foreign volunteer contingents. Weapons and equipment came from a wide variety of Spanish and foreign sources. Featuring specially commissioned full-color artwork, this first part of a two-part study depicts the fighting men of the Nationalist forces that strove to take control of Spain alongside their German and Italian allies.

The Spanish Civil War 1936–39 (1): Nationalist Forces (Men-at-Arms, 495)

This book offers an extensive overview of the myriad Republican forces during the Spanish Civil War, 1936-39. The conflict was the curtain-raiser to World War II, and the major international event of the 1930s. The study illustrates, textually and visually, how the Republican forces were initially varied in appearance and character. Loyal elements of the Spanish army that rejected the appeal of the rebel generals were supported by a wide range of volunteer regional units and political militias, and by volunteers from many other countries. These disparate forces were later amalgamated--by force--into the Communist-dominated People's Army. Thereafter their motley array of clothing, weapons and equipment became rather more uniform as the Soviet Union provided support and supplies on a large scale. Featuring specially commissioned full-color artwork, this second part of a two-part study depicts the fighting men of the Republican forces that strove to retain control of Spain alongside thousands of international volunteers.

The Spanish Civil War 1936–39 (2): Republican Forces (Men-at-Arms, 498)

In 1898 US public opinion turned against the Spanish for their repression of Cuba. Relations between the two governments soured and ultimately resulted in the mysterious blowing up of the USS Maine in Havana harbor, which triggered a short but demanding war. 
A US expeditionary force was sent to Cuba, where the troops encountered both difficult climate and terrain, and a fierce Spanish garrison which, despite being greatly outnumbered, fought hard before surrendering.
Many famous US personalities were involved, including future President Theodore Roosevelt, future general John Pershing, and journalists William Randolph Hearst and Stephen Crane.
The war against the Spanish may have been brief but as Henry Cabot Lodge declared: "Its results were startling, and of world-wide meaning." Victory made the US a nation with global interests.
As an extension of the war, US troops also captured the island of Puerto Rico. The US Navy bombarded Manila in the Philippines, and landed its troops. The Spanish garrison quickly surrendered, but a local anti-Spanish insurgent force under Emilio Aguinaldo resisted US occupation. The conflict continued until 1902, more than 100,000 US troops were eventually committed, and the campaign saw difficult jungle fighting, with indigenous Moro tribesmen fiercely resisting US forces.
Providing a detailed examination of the experiences and equipment of the opposing sides, and featuring rare and previously unpublished photographs, this book highlights this crucial yet oft-forgotten war that changed the future of American foreign policy during "the age of American imperialism."

The Spanish-American War and Philippine Insurrection: 1898–1902 (Men-at-Arms)

Americas

Osprey's examination of the situation on the United States home front during World War II (1939-1945). The outbreak of World War II in Europe in 1939 led to cautious attempts to raise volunteer organizations among American men and women, to back the armed forces in the event of the USA becoming directly involved in the conflict. The attack on Pearl Harbor caused a huge surge of patriotic response, and voluntary enlistment in a wide range of auxiliary and civilian support services, as well as the armed forces, swelled vastly. Looking first at the background and general character of wartime life in the States, Alejandro de Quesada covers the main services, providing an interesting comparison with the conditions on the British Home Front and the experiences of other countries caught up in the war, examining organizations from the Red Cross to the Coast Guard. Full-color artwork reconstructions of the uniforms of over a dozen services are a unique feature of this book.

The US Home Front 1941–45 (Elite)

Osprey's examination of the events in the Bay of Pigs (1961) that led to the Cuban Missile Crisis (1962). In early 1961 President John F. Kennedy gave the go-ahead to an existing plan for Cuban exiles to return to overthrow Fidel Castro's communist regime. While the CIA helped in the planning stages, the attempt would not be assisted by any US armed forces. On the night of April 16, 1961, a force of 1,400 exiles, known as 2506 Brigade, landed at the Bay of Pigs on the south coast of Cuba, supported by a few World War II vintage aircraft flying from Nicaragua. While they succeeded in knocking out some of Castro's small air force on the ground, the remaining Cuban aircraft sank two of the exiles' support ships, and the beachhead became isolated. Fighting continued for three days before Castro's army overwhelmed the landing force. Most of the exiles were captured and suffered a harsh imprisonment before the US negotiated their release. This episode, followed by the installation of Soviet missiles in Cuba, led directly to the Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962, and continues to affect US/Cuban diplomatic relations to this day. This book, written by the nephew of a surviving 2506 Brigade veteran, includes detailed color plates, unpublished photographs, and interviews with veterans.

The Bay of Pigs: Cuba 1961 (Elite)

Osprey's examination of the brief but colorful history of the 1st US Volunteer Cavalry, detailing the rich experiences of the men who fought in its ranks. Founded in May 1898, the unit's actions in Cuba during the Spanish-American War (1898) have passed into military and national legend. The men who volunteered for the force came from a broad spectrum of American society, including seasoned ranch hands and cowboys, college athletes, and policemen. The unit was posted to Cuba in June 1898, where the 1st US Volunteer Cavalry fought in the battles of Las Guasimas, Kettle Hill and San Juan Hill. At this time, its commander, Colonel Leonard Wood, took charge of the US 2nd Cavalry Brigade, leaving Theodore Roosevelt to assume command of the 1st US Volunteer Cavalry. The unit subsequently became known as 'Roosevelt's Rough Riders', after Buffalo Bill's popular cowboy show that featured 'Rough Riders of the World'. Many of the volunteers were struck down by disease and sickness during the campaign, and the unit was eventually withdrawn, returning to a hero's welcome in the US. The last veteran of the unit died in 1975, but a rich body of source material has survived, and much of this is covered in this fascinating work.

Roosevelt’s Rough Riders (Warrior, 138)

To maintain its imperial power in America, Spain built fortifications across the width of the continent. These outposts were established along Spanish borders from the late sixteenth century onwards to defend its interests against rival European powers and to suppress uprisings of the Native Americans and local population. By the eighteenth century, Spain's defenses spread from the northern area of the Gulf of Mexico through to California. Some of these imperial fortifications, such as the Alamo, played key roles in conflicts including the American Revolution and the Texan War of Independence. This book provides a cogent analysis of Spain's defensive network at the height of the country's imperial strength on the American continent.

Spanish Colonial Fortifications in North America 1565–1822 (Fortress)

Alex de Quesada reveals the full history of the US Coast Guard throughout World War II (1939-1945) in this Elite title. In particular, the book draws attention to the little-known history of how the US Coast Guard ran a number of the landing craft throughout D-Day in 1944 as well as providing crucial anti-U-boat patrols throughout the war years. A number of Coast Guard servicemen were lost in these two campaigns, and their undeniable contribution to the US war effort deserves greater recognition. There was a diverse array of roles within the wartime Coast Guard, from the manning of landing craft, to Coast Guard aviators and gunners to the Merchant Marine and Port Security Services. These roles are all fully explained and illustrated with a number of rare photographs and specially commissioned artwork.

US Coast Guard in World War II (Elite)

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