Professor Holger Afflerbach

Profile

I studied modern and medieval history, Italian and German literature at the Heinrich Heine Universität Duesseldorf and the Universita degli Studi di Napoli. I wrote my PhD thesis on the Prussian Minister of War and German Chief of Staff, General Erich v. Falkenhayn (1861-1922), one of Imperial Germany's key protagonists during the First World War. Afterwards I started a major research project on international relations before 1914. The outcome was a large monograph entitled "The Triple Alliance and European Great Power Politics, 1881-1915" and several articles. I was awarded my "Habilitation" at the Heinrich-Heine-Universität Duesseldorf and got there also a honorary professorship.

I got a major research grant by the Fritz-Thyssen-Foundation for research on Wilhelm II as Supreme Warlord during the First World War. The result - a 1100 pages edition of new sources - was published in 2005 by the Historical Commission of the Bavarian Academy of Science.

I was DAAD Professor of Modern German History at Emory University in Atlanta from 2002-2006. Among other things I organised a large international conference in 2004 on the outbreak of the First World War in 1914 which was opened by President Jimmy Carter.

I wrote six books, published eight edited volumes and am the author of more than 150 chapters, articles and smaller pieces.

Responsibilities

Research interests

My expertise lies in the following fields:

• History of Europe in both World Wars, especially World War I with particular reference to late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century German, Austrian and Italian history in a European context
• International relations in Europe since 1870, especially between Bismarck and 1914
• History of War, especially in the 19th and 20th centuries

Past research projects:

1. Auf Messers Schneide - Wie das Deutsche Reich den Ersten Weltkrieg verlor (On a knife's edge - How Germany lost the First World War)

I wrote a history of Germany, and German strategy, during the First World War which was published by C.HJ. Beck in Munich. https://www.chbeck.de/afflerbach-messers-schneide/product/22346694

The book was translated and was published by Cambridge University Press: On a Knife Edge. How Germany lost the First World War, Cambridge 2022.

I got two very prestigious fellowships which enabled me to write this book. The first one was a year at the Historische Kolleg, Munich. I was Senior Fellow in this wonderful place in 2012/13 (details are here (in German): http://www.historischeskolleg.de/personen/holger-afflerbach.html)

In 2014/15 I was member at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton. A link to this excellent institution is here: https://www.hs.ias.edu/?utm_source=ias&utm_medium=image_link_hs&utm_campaign=frontpage

During my stay in Munich I produced a collected volume on War Aims during the First World War (Holger Afflerbach (Ed.): The Purpose of The First World War. War Aims and Military Strategies, Munich: De Gruyter/Oldenbourg 2015).https://www.degruyter.com/view/product/248056

2. The encyclopedia of the First World War

I was Section Editor (together with Roger Chickering, Georgetown) for the section "Power" of "1914-1918-online. International Encyclopedia of the First World War".

3. Completed in 2012 and 2013: How fighting ends - a History of Surrender

I organised in cooperation with Professor Hew Strachan, University of Oxford, and the GHI London, an International conference on the topic: 'How fighting ends - a History of Surrender'. This conference took place in Leeds in June 2009; 32 top scholars from nine countries were invited to present their research on the topic. The outcome is an edited volume on the History of Surrender. This book was published in 2012 by Oxford University Press.https://global.oup.com/academic/product/how-fighting-ends-9780199693627?cc=gb&lang=en

I wrote also a single authored book on surrender, on military honour and defeat, on fighting to the death in European history. The book (in German) (Die Kunst der Niederlage. Eine Geschichte der Kapitulation) was published by CH Beck, Munich, in March 2013. Details are here: http://www.chbeck.de/Afflerbach-Kunst-Niederlage/productview.aspx?product=11431202. An Italian translation of this book was published in June 2015.

Past Research:

Among my previous book publications are

• An edited volume (co-edited with David Stevenson, LSE) on the outbreak of World War I (An Improbable War? The Outbreak of World War I and European Political Culture before 1914) was published in 2007. Second Edition, PB, 2012;
• a collection of sources on Wilhelm II as Supreme Warlord in World War I: Wilhelm II als Oberster Kriegsherr. Quellen aus der militärischen Umgebung des Kaisers 1914-1918 (Munich 2005);
• my study of the Triple Alliance, entitled 'Der Dreibund'. (Vienna 2002);
• a book on the history of the Atlantic Ocean (Das entfesselte Meer. Die Geschichte des Atlantik, 2nd edition Munich 2002) which was directed towards a broader audience;
• In 1997 I co-edited (with Christoph Cornelissen) a book on "Victors and Vanquished - 1945 as a turning point";
• the biography of the Prussian War Minister and Chief of General Staff Erich von Falkenhayn (Munich 1994, 2nd edition 1996)
• I have published more than 50 scholarly chapters and articles to journals and books and around 100 shorter pieces and research reviews.

Qualifications

• Magister Artium in History, German and IItalian Literature, Heinrich-Heine-Universitaet Duesseldorf
• Dr. phil., Heinrich Heine Universitaet Duesseldorf
• Habilitation, Heinrich Heine Universitaet Duesseldorf
• Venia Legendi, Heinrich-Heine-Universitaet Duesseldorf

Professional memberships

• Verrtrauensdozent, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung
• Arbeitskreis Militaergeschichte
• Stv. Vorsitzender des Beirats der Otto-von-Bismarck Stiftung, Friedrichsruh

Student education

Postgraduate Supervision

I can offer supervision in the following areas:

• Military history 19th and 20th centuries, especially both World Wars
• International Relations 19th/early 20th century
• German, Italian and Austrian history 19th / 20th centuries

Teaching Areas

• History of Imperial Germany
• Military history, 19th and 20th century
• International relations, 1850-1919
• Naval history / Atlantic history

Research groups and institutes

• War Studies

Current postgraduate researchers

• Eileen Palma
• Neil Blenkinsop
• Matthew Hough