Nature of the preparations for a campaign--Mobilization--Concentration--Influence of considerations of policy--King William in 1866 anxious to avoid war--Problems solved by the Prussian staff in preparation for the campaign: calculation of the force required--Its distribution in the theatre of war--Choice of points of concentration; formation of two armies in 1866 inevitable--Movement of troops to the points selected; transport by rail and subsequent marches--Position on June 6th--Opening of campaign postponed for political reasons--Delay leads to better knowledge of Austrian movements, and corresponding modification of Prussian arrangements--King William finally decides for war--Invasion of Saxony--Position of Prussian armies on June 22nd--Summary CHAPTER V THE CRITICS Difficulties which beset the judgment of the conduct of a campaign--Insufficiency of the attainable knowledge of the motives which guided the commanders--Reserve therefore incumbent on the military critic--Illustration of hasty judgment--Impartiality consists only in the attempt to understand PART II _THE GENERAL STAFF AND THE ARMY_ CHAPTER I THE SPIRIT OF PRUSSIAN MILITARY INSTITUTIONS Spirit of the Prussian officers--The officer the teacher and leader of his men--System of promotion--Selection for the higher commands--Superiors responsible for the efficiency of their subordinates CHAPTER II THE ORGANIZATION OF THE ARMY The army corps and its subdivisions--The company, squadron, and battery commanders--The superior prescribes the object, and leaves to his subordinate the choice of means--Graduation of authority and responsibility--Resulting in freedom of superiors from the burden of detail CHAPTER III THE SYSTEM OF TRAINING Peace training determined solely by the requirements of war--It culminates in the manoeuvres--Which complete the training of the troops--And develop and test the capacity of the generals CHAPTER IV THE ARMY CORPS Review of the means adopted to secure its proper handling--Vastness of the administrative tasks involved in its management--Sketch of a mobilized Prussian army corps on the march and in quarters--Dual nature of its commander's anxieties--System devised to relieve him--Administrative services organized under two or three responsible heads--Military functions partly those of direction, partly those of routine--The latter dealt with by the adjutancy CHAPTER V THE GENERAL STAFF IN THE ARMY CORPS The bureau which assists the general in the military direction--Enumeration of its functions in war--And in peace--The chief of the general staff of the army corps--Summary CHAPTER VI COMPOSITION OF THE GENERAL STAFF AND ITS DISTRIBUTION THROUGH THE ARMY