Jäger: Europe's First Special Operations Forces: History, Organization, Arms & Equipment of the Austro-Hungarian Empire's Eli - Hardcover

J ger were Europe's first special operations forces, and their success on the battlefield was legendary. Yet, until now, no modern account of Austria's elite J ger troops in the 18^th and 19^th centuries has been available in either English or German.

Written by a historian and a West Pointer with thirty-three years' service in the U.S. Army, including with paratroops, this book introduces readers to Austrian J ger arms, equipment, training and tactics, as well as their unique role in the Habsburg Empire's conflicts. Carefully illustrated, with many images never before published, J ger transcends the standard unit history. General readers of military history as well as arms and militaria collectors will find a comprehensive treatment of its subject in rich context, including:

• The emergence of the military J ger from a culture of hunting and rifled arms
• The place of Austrian J ger in the evolution of European light infantry
• J ger in Austria's wars against Frederick the Great, Napoleon, Bismarck's Prussia and in the wars of Italian independence
• J ger firearms and edged weapons
• Authoritative information for collectors

With J ger, a too-long neglected chapter in European military history emerges from relative obscurity, challenging conventional academic wisdom and popular historical fancy about the origins of European elite light infantry.