When Men Lost Faith in Reason: Reflections on War and Society in the Twentieth Century (Studies in Military History and International Affairs)

288 Pages·2002·17.61 MB·English

by  Hedley P. Willmott

WHEN MEN LOST FAITH
IN REASON
Recent Titles in
Studies in Military History and International Affairs
Jeremy Black, Series Editor
When Reason Fails: Portraits of Armies at War: America, Britain,
Israel and the Future
Michael Goodspeed
A History of Modern Wars of Attrition
Carter Malkasian
WHEN MEN LOST FAITH
IN REASON
Reflections on War and Society
in the Twentieth Century
H. P. Willmott
Studies in Military History and International Affairs
Jeremy Black, Series Editor
PRAEGER Westport, Connecticut
London
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Willmott,H.P.
When men lost faith in reason: reflections on war and society in the twentieth century/
H.P.Willmott
p. cm. — (Studies in military history and international affairs, ISSN 1537-4432)
Includes index.
ISBN 0-275-97665-3 (alk. paper)
1. War and society. 2. War—Psychological aspects. 3. World War, 1914-1918—Social
aspects. 4. World War, 1939-1945—Social aspects. 5. Military history, Modern—20th
century. 6. Militarism—History—20th century. I. Title. II. Series.
UA10.W478 2002
303.6'6'0904—dc21 2002019627
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data is available.
Copyright © 2002 by H. P. Willmott
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be
reproduced, by any process or technique, without the
express written consent of the publisher.
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2002019627
ISBN: 0-275-97665-3
ISSN: 1537-4432
First published in 2002
Praeger Publishers, 88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881
An imprint of Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc.
www.praeger.com
Printed in the United States of America
@r
The paper used in this book complies with the
Permanent Paper Standard issued by the National
Information Standards Organization (Z39.48-1984).
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 21
Dedicated to FY1645
and
in Praise of
Dissent, Uncertainty, and Tolerance
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Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Chapter 1
New Perspectives:
Twentieth-Century History, War, and Wars 1
Chapter 2
The First World War: Deadlock and Hatred 33
Chapter 3
A Reexamination of Interpretations of Aspects
of the Second World War 73
Chapter 4
The Destruction of Values, 1945-1974 135
Chapter 5
Doctrine as the "Danger on the Utmost Edge of Hazard" 197
Index 261
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Acknowledgments
In the preparation of this book acknowledgement must be made to those
who, over many years whether in the form of conferences, lectures,
exchange of letters or general conversation, provided me with the basis
of knowledge and critical facility that made this work possible. To
attempt to list these people is impossible, but they have the satisfaction
of knowing that without them this book could never have been written
and also that they are not responsible for the various errors that may be
within its pages.
Nonetheless there are two individuals whose critical facility and un
wavering personal support and loyalty command acknowledgement.
These were Michael Coles and Steven Weingartner, and invidious
though it might be to name names within this category I do so with the
simple statement that the book could not have been attempted, still less
completed, without their quiet contribution and benefaction. I trust only
that this acknowledgement of the debt I owe them provides no cause for
embarrassment.
Second, I would acknowledge my debt to those without whose pa
tience, tact, and ability this book would probably have gone the way of
the many of the formations cited in these pages; specifically one would
cite one's debts to Heather Staines and Penny Sippel of Praeger and also
Klara King of Communication Crafts, and trust that they will accept this
acknowledgement of their support, good judgement, and efforts on my
behalf: I trust they will not try to amend this poor acknowledgement of
their endeavors.