David T. Zabecki (born 1947) is an American military historian, author and editor. Zabecki served in theU.S. Army both in theVietnam War and inUnited States Army Europe in Germany attaining the rank ofmajor general. Zabecki holds PhDs in engineering and in military science. He is the author, editor and translator of several books on themilitary history of Germany, includingWorld War I andWorld War II.
David T. Zabecki | |
|---|---|
 Zabecki as Major general in 2004 | |
| Born | 1947 (age 77–78) |
| Occupation(s) | Historian, author, editor,U.S. Army general (retired) |
| Academic background | |
| Alma mater | Xavier University Florida Institute of Technology California Coast University United States Army War College Royal Military College of Science |
| Academic work | |
| Era | 20th century |
| Discipline | History |
| Sub-discipline | Modern European history[broken anchor]; military history |
| Institutions | Weider History Group United States Naval Academy University of Birmingham |
| Notable works | Books on the military history of Germany |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1966–2007 |
| Rank | Major general |
| Battles / wars | Vietnam War |
| Awards | Legion of Merit |
Education and career
editZabecki entered theU.S. Army in 1966; in 1967−68, he served in theVietnam War, retiring from active service in 1969. He enrolled atXavier University, earning bachelor's and master's degrees in history. After obtaining a MS degree in systems management from theFlorida Institute of Technology in 1976, Zabecki worked atJohn Deere both in the United States andWest Germany. In 1985 Zabecki joined theUnited States Army Reserve, and, in 1987, earned a PhD in engineering from theCalifornia Coast University. In 1995 Zabecki graduated from theUnited States Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Between 1997 and 2000 he served in senior staff roles with theUnited States Army Europe (USAREUR) in Germany. From 2000 to 2002 he was deputy chief of theUnited States Army Reserve in Washington, DC, returning to USAREUR in Germany in 2002/03 as commanding general. In 2004 he obtained a PhD in military science from theRoyal Military College of Science (UK).[1]
Military historian
editIn 2008 Zabecki became senior historian of theWeider History Group, a U.S.-based magazine publishing company focused on military history topics. Since 2009, he has been an honorary senior research fellow in the War Studies Programme theUniversity of Birmingham (UK). In 2012 Zabecki was appointed Leo A. Shifrin Chair in Naval and Military History at theUnited States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.[2] He is a member of theNew York Academy of Sciences and thePolish Institute of Arts and Sciences of America. Zabecki is editor of theVietnam Magazine dedicated to the history of the Vietnam War, and a senior historian at theMilitary History Magazine. Both are published byWeider History Group. He is the author of over 600 articles, some of which appeared at Weider's online property,Historynet.com.[3]
Zabecki is an author, editor and translator of several books on military history. The 2014 English edition ofThe Schieffen Plan: International Perspectives on the German Strategy for World War I, edited byHans Ehlert [de],Michael Epkenhans, andGerhard P. Gross [de] and translated by Zabecki, received the Arthur Goodzeit Book Award from theNew York Military Affairs Symposium.[4] Along with Bruce Condell, he translated and editedTruppenführung ("Handling of Combined-Arms Formations"), the 1933−1934 German Army field manual, published in English byLynne Rienner Publishers in 2001 asOn the German Art of War: Truppenführung: German Army Manual for Unit Command in World War II.[5]
Zabecki served as editor in chief of the four-volume encyclopediaGermany at War: 400 Years of Military History published in 2014 and 2014 byABC-CLIO. Reviewing the work for the publication of theReference and User Services Association, Michael Hawkins of theKent State University notes that the scope of the project that covers "Federal Republic of Germany today, its predecessor states, and the component kingdoms and principalities that combine to form Imperial Germany" is unique. The reviewer writes: "This set does not offer anything new to the field of Germany military history; however, it does a good job of compiling information together into one location. While there are other works that compile sections of German military history into one edited work, this one covers a unique timeline others do not."[6]
Selected works
edit- On the German Art of War: Truppenführung: German Army Manual for Unit Command in World War II (2001),Lynne Rienner Publishers,ISBN 978-1555879969; as editor and translator
- The German 1918 Offensives: A Case Study in the Operational Level of War (2006),Routledge,ISBN 978-0415558792
- Chief of Staff, Vol. 1: The Principal Officers Behind History's Great Commanders, Napoleonic Wars to World War I (2013), Vol. I−II,Naval Institute Press,ISBN 978-1591149903
- Germany at War: 400 Years of Military History (2014 ann 2015), Vol. I−IV,ABC-CLIO,ISBN 978-1598849806; as editor in chief
References
edit- ^Author biography, InAmerican Artillery and the Medal of Honor by David T. Zabecki, 2008
- ^Profile:Blueprints for Battle: Planning for War in Central Europe, 1948-1968,University Press of Kentucky web site
- ^Staff of Military HistoryArchived 2016-12-20 at theWayback Machine,HistoryNet
- ^"The Schieffen Plan is Named the Winner of The Arthur Goodzeit Book Award"
- ^James Corum (introduction), in Zabecki, David T. and Condell, Bruce, eds. (2008):On the German Art of War: Truppenführung: German Army Manual for Unit Command in World War II,Stackpole Books,ISBN 978-0811735520
- ^Michael Hawkins: "Germany at War: 400 Years of Military History. Ed. by David T. Zabecki. Santa Barbara, CA",Reference and User Services Association, Vol 55, No 1 (2015)