Download or read book The Rebirth of the Habsburg Army written by Scott Lackey and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 1995-10-20 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Friedrich Beck was the single most important figure in the transformation of the inept Habsburg military into the modern military state that would wage World War I. He correctly perceived that only an elite body of officers responsible for war planning and preparation could provide lasting security for the Austro-Hungarian empire. After firmly establishing the general staff as an institution, Beck led war planning to counter threats from Russia, Italy, and the Balkans; and spearheaded a vast rebuilding of the rail network. While his rise to power marked a return to the favorite system of military administration of the early Franz Joseph period, Beck proved himself a man with real military ability that revolutionized an army.