Railway Warfare by Sabine Lorca

Railway Warfare examines the pivotal role of railways in military history, revealing how this technology, initially designed for commerce, became a critical weapon influencing conflict outcomes globally. The book emphasizes that effective railway utilization often determined victory or defeat, exploring how railways shaped military strategy through logistics, troop deployments, and supply chains. Intriguingly, the ability to efficiently move resources became a decisive factor, transforming ad-hoc use of commercial lines into dedicated military railways.

The book analyzes the vulnerability of railways as strategic targets, covering the evolution of defensive and offensive tactics such as armored trains, sabotage, and aerial interdiction. Beginning with early uses in the American Civil War and the Franco-Prussian War, the narrative progresses to analyze the expansion of military railway systems in colonial conflicts, their importance in both World Wars, and their continued relevance post-World War II, including an assessment of current and future roles. This study adopts a holistic approach, blending technical and strategic perspectives, and shows how control of rail networks consistently provided a strategic advantage, influencing the scale and outcome of conflicts.