Prit Buttar | |
---|---|
Occupation | General Practitioner, Historian |
Education | Medicine |
Alma mater | Oxford University, London University |
Genre | History |
Subject | World War I, World War II |
Spouse | Debbie |
Children | Dan, Lottie |
Prit Buttar is a British general practitioner and writer. He has written twelve history books on the eastern fronts of World War I and World War II, and two novels. Buttar was a Senior Partner at Abingdon Surgery until he moved to Scotland in late 2017. [1] [2]
Buttar studied medicine at Oxford University and London University, [3] [4] and served in the British Army as a surgeon [4] and medical officer for five years. He later worked in Bristol as a general practitioner (GP). Buttar worked as a GP in Abingdon-on-Thames from 2000 to 2017 and served on the GP's Committee of the British Medical Association. He is Chairman of the Oxfordshire Local Medical Committee. [3] [5]
Buttar's first book, Battleground Prussia, was inspired by one of his patients. The 83-year-old patient recalled stories about her life as a nurse in East Prussia and her escape from the Red Army near the end of World War II. [5] Buttar spent 8 years writing the book. [6] His second book, Between Giants, is a study of the battles for the Baltics in WWII, and explores the experiences of people from Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. [5]
His third book, Collision of Empires, is a study of the Eastern Front of World War I. It is the first of a four volume series. [7] Before writing the book, Buttar spent a year studying archives in Berlin, Vienna, and Freiberg. With the help of another historian, the multi-lingual Buttar was able to translate the German archives. [8] The second book of the series, Germany Ascendant: The Eastern Front 1915, was released in 2015. [9]
In 2023, Buttar appeared on the history-centered podcast, Out of the Box with Jonathan Russo. [10]
Buttar is of Indian descent. [11] He is married to Debbie, an army nurse. They have two children. [5] [8]
The Battle of Stallupönen, fought between Russian and German armies on August 17, 1914, was the opening battle of World War I on the Eastern Front. The Germans under the command of Hermann von François conducted a successful counterattack against four Russian infantry divisions from different infantry corps, which heavily outnumbered them but were separated from each other, creating a gap between the 27th Infantry Division and the 40th Infantry Division, and had little coordination with each other. The Germans retreated to Gumbinnen thereafter.
The siege of Przemyśl was the longest siege in Europe during the First World War. The siege was a crushing defeat of the Austro-Hungarian Army by the Russian Army. Przemyśl was a fortress-town and stronghold on the River San in what is now southeastern Poland. The investment of Przemyśl began on 16 September 1914 and was briefly suspended on 11 October, due to an Austro-Hungarian offensive. The siege resumed again on 9 November and the Austro-Hungarian garrison surrendered on 22 March 1915, after holding out for a total of 133 days. The siege has been referred to as "Austria-Hungary's Stalingrad".
The Battle of Kraśnik(German: Schlacht von Kraśnik) started on August 23, 1914, in the province of Galicia and the adjacent areas across the border in the Russian Empire, in northern Austria, and ended two days later. The Austro-Hungarian First Army defeated the Russian Fourth Army. It was the first victory by Austria-Hungary in World War I. As a result, the First Army's commander, General Viktor Dankl, was (briefly) lauded as a national hero for his success. The battle was also the first of a series of engagements between Austria-Hungary and Russia all along the Galicia front.
The Battle of Gumbinnen, initiated by forces of the German Empire on 20 August 1914, was a German offensive on the Eastern Front during the First World War. Because of the hastiness of the German attack, the Russian Army emerged victorious.
Battle of Rawa was an early stage World War I battle between Austria-Hungary and Russia, from 3-11 September, 1914. The Russian armies had defeated their opponents and pushed them back to the Carpathian Mountains. The battle was part of the series of engagements known as Battle of Galicia.
The Battle of Komarow was a battle on the Eastern Front during World War I. It would prove a victory for the Austro-Hungarian forces, but one they would not be able to reproduce in the coming months of the war.
Przemyśl fortress is a series of fortifications around Przemyśl, Poland. It was constructed by the Austro-Hungarian Empire from the mid 19th century until the First World War in sections, depending on the diplomatic relations between Austria and the Russian Empire, and saw extensive combat during World War I. Originally captured by the Russian Army, it was recaptured by the German Army in mid-1915. Afterwards the ruined fortifications lost their military significance.
Vladimir Mikhailovich Dragomirov was a general in the Imperial Russian Army.
Yuri Nikiforovich Danilov Russian: Ю́рий Ники́форович Дани́лов; 13 August [O.S. 1 August] 1866 – 3 February 1937) was a Russian military officer. In the years leading up to World War I, he served as the Quartermaster-General on the Russian General Staff and had a major role in developing Russia's war plan that was implemented in 1914.
Thadeus Ferdinand Ludwig von Sivers, always falsely referred to as Thadeus von Sievers, was a Baltic German general who served in the Imperial Russian Army.
Friedrich (Fritz) Bronsart von Schellendorf was a German officer and politician. He was the chief of staff of the Ottoman Army and was one of the many German military advisors assigned to the Ottoman Empire. He replaced Otto Liman von Sanders who was assigned to the Aegean region following disagreements with Enver Pasha. He was instrumental drafting initial war plans for the Ottoman Army. Many historians consider Bronsart von Schellendorf to have been complicit in the Armenian genocide. Archives show that he issued orders to deport Armenians.
While Poland did not exist as an independent state during World War I, its geographical position between the fighting powers meant that much fighting and horrific human and material losses occurred on the Polish lands between 1914 and 1918.
Osowiec Fortress is a 19th-century fortress built by the Russian Empire, located in what is now north-eastern Poland. It saw heavy fighting during World War I when it was defended for several months by its Russian garrison against German attacks.
Boje Friedrich Nikolaus von Scholtz was a German general, who served as commander of 20th Corps and the 8th Army of the German Empire on the Eastern Front in the First World War and later as commander of Army Group Scholtz on the Macedonian front.
Karl Freiherr von Pflanzer-Baltin was an Austro-Hungarian general who was active in World War I.
Arnold von Winckler was a Prussian military officer, and a general in World War I.
Adolf Louis Theodor Richard von Schubert served as a German army commander during the First World War.
The 8th Siberian Rifle Division was an infantry unit of the Imperial Russian Army. The division was formed in 1904 from a brigade, fighting in the Russo-Japanese War and World War I.
Leonid Vilgelmovich Lesh was an Imperial Russian Army commander. He served in the Boxer Rebellion, Russo Japanese War, and World War I.
The 549th Volksgrenadier Division was a volksgrenadier infantry division of the German Army during World War II, active from 1944 to 1945. It was formed as the 549th Grenadier Division in July 1944 and became a volksgrenadier division several months later. Fighting on the Eastern Front, it was nearly destroyed in the East Prussian Offensive, with its remnants retreating west and surrendering to American troops at the end of the war.