On the Psychology of Military Incompetence

Why do even the best armies in the world repeat fatal mistakes over and over again? Norman Dixon reveals the deep mechanisms of military failures - from Napoleonic campaigns and the Crimean War to the battles of both world wars and conflicts of the second half of the 20th century.
Uniqueness of the study:
Analyzes the key traps of the mind and psychological factors of failures: prejudices, fears, excessive self-confidence of commanders.
Reveals how the organizational culture of armies contributes to the adoption of catastrophic decisions, rewarding conformity instead of competence.
Shows the universality of the problem with many examples understandable to any country and army.
The book is relevant for today, because it explains how ignoring historical lessons costs millions of lives, or why a "three-day special operation" turns into years of war. This is not only an analysis of past defeats, but also a tool for future victories - both for military command and for leaders in politics, business and other areas.