Mountain Warfare in Europe

E.T. Sharp specialized in military history and disarmament and lived in Toronto.

Mountain Warfare in Europe is an attempt to provide serving officers and military scholars with an up-to-date explanation of the development and direction of changes in mountain fighting. Written by a German alpine officer, the book concentrates on the problems of mountain warfare likely to be faced by the NATO alliance in the event of an outbreak of conventional war in Europe. There is a detailed examination of the Soviet Union and its allies with emphasis on how the experiences of the Red Army in Afghanistan have influenced Soviet doctrine and training. Schepe provides a background history of mountain warfare and develops the traditional theories of alpine fighting; however, the emphasis is on future, not past, wars. He feels the development of new weapons, particularly helicopters and their large-scale adoption by the Warsaw Pact, has changed the potential for mountain warfare to the degree that past experiences no longer have much value. Although the book is succinct and informative, it is of use primarily to serving officers and students of modern strategic and war studies.