Overview

The U.S. Army GHQ Maneuvers of 1941 is a masterful study of the largest military training exercises ever conducted by a military organization attempting to mobilize and modernize simultaneously during a rapidly changing international security environment. As suggested by Christopher R. Gabel, the maneuvers had an incalculable influence on the development of the American force structure in World War II, giving Army formations experience in teamwork and combined arms. Viewed by Army Chief of Staff George C. Marshall as the "combat college for troop leading" for the rising crop of field-grade officers, they also served to test emerging assumptions about doctrine, organization, and equipment. Gabel's work assumes its rightful place as an important and useful addition to the body of historical literature on military training. The evolution of training in the U.S. Army, particularly the linkage between maneuvers and changes in doctrine and organization, is worthy of reflection by military students and those with an interest in maneuvers as field laboratories for simulating large-scale engagements.