Erik Durschmied

Erik Durschmied

Erik Durschmied was born on December 25th, 1930 and is currently 95 years old. Erik Durschmied was born in Vienna, Austria. Durschmied attended McGill University.

Erik Durschmied is a cinematographer, producer, director, author, and professor of military history. He also worked as a war correspondent for the BBC and CBS. Newsweek described him as a highly talented reporter who transformed the media he worked in, while The New York Times said he had witnessed more wars than any living general.

Durschmied is also famously known for his book The Hinge Factor, later retitled How Chance and Stupidity Have Changed History. His books have been translated into about twenty-four languages, and in recognition of his literary work, he was granted honorary citizenship in Austria.

The book The Hinges of Battle examines how mistakes and poor decisions altered the course of history during pivotal battles and significant political events. The author explains how personal conflicts, unexpected circumstances, and miscalculations often mattered as much as military plans.

One example is the Battle of Tannenberg in 1914 during World War I. The Russian Czar chose Generals Alexander Samsonov and Pavel Rennenkampf to lead forces against Germany, even though they hated each other. Their rivalry went back to the Russo-Japanese War when Rennenkampf refused to help Samsonov during an attack. This resulted in Samsonov’s troops being defeated.

A few days later, they even got into a fistfight over it. At Tannenberg, Germany utilized aerial scouting to identify a significant gap between the two Russian armies. German General Paul von Hindenburg listened to Captain Max Hoffman, who was aware of the tension between the Russian commanders.

As Hoffman predicted, Rennenkampf refused to assist Samsonov. This allowed the German army to crush Samsonov’s forces first and then turn on Rennenkampf’s army. Russia was forced to seek peace, which altered the entire course of the war.

The book also describes the collapse of the Berlin Wall in 1989. As pressure for freedom grew in Eastern Europe, East German spokesman Günther Schabowski gave a press conference praising socialism. When a reporter asked when citizens would be allowed to travel freely, Schabowski surprised everyone by saying they could go wherever they wanted and nobody would stop them. This statement caused thousands of East Germans to pour through checkpoints into West Germany. People celebrated and began tearing down the wall that had divided their country for twenty-seven years.

Another event covered is Germany’s invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941 during World War II. The German army achieved major victories and advanced close to Moscow. By October, the city was almost empty because people feared a German takeover. Then heavy rain turned Russian roads into mud, which slowed German tanks.

By mid-November, Hitler decided to resume the attack even though temperatures fell to minus thirty degrees Celsius. The tanks froze, and German soldiers lacked winter clothing. Meanwhile, Soviet leader Joseph Stalin learned from a Japanese spy that Japan would not attack from the east.
This allowed him to move the Siberian troops to Moscow. These soldiers were properly trained and equipped for the harsh weather, and they launched a powerful counterattack. The German army was forced to retreat and eventually lost the war.

Through these stories in The Hinges of Battle show how rivalry, accidents, and natural forces can shape history as much as strategy or leadership.

Related Authors

Fans of Erik Durschmied also enjoy these authors:

1. Harlan Coben, author of the Myron Bolitar Series.
2. Michael Connelly, author of the Harry Bosch Series.
3. David Baldacci, author of the Amos Decker Series.
4. Lee Child, author of the Jack Reacher Series.
5. James Patterson, author of the Alex Cross Series.

Erik Durschmied: F.A.Q