by David Fromkin
New York: Vintage Random House, 2005. Pp. xiv, 338.
Illus., map, appends, personae, notes, biblio., index. $17.95 paper. ISBN:037572575X
A Well-Regarded Classic Study of the Causes of the Great War.
David Fromkin is one in a long series of authors who have attempted to explain the origins of the Great War, but on this classic work he actually succeeds, benefitting from newly discovered documents and the work of other scholars, and by discarding conventional thinking to provide a credible thesis. He begins in his prologue by listing a dozen conflicts – religious, ethnic, military, political – that could have contributed to the beginning of the war. Fromkin would have better served his readers if he had referred to these events at the end of the book, by indicating how several had contributed. These included
- the seven century occupation of the Balkans by Slavs,
- Kaiser Wilhelm’s firing of von Bismarck, which changed alliances between Germany, Austria, and Russia,
- Serbia’s murder of their pro-Austrian king and queen, leading Austria to plan Serbia’s punishment, and,
- German aggressiveness, pushing Britain and France closer together.
Historical background, its impact upon the rulers of nations in 1914, how those nations operated, and how our current day thinking clouds our understanding are among the strengths of this book. The reader learns how Germany viewed Russia as a threat, felt surrounded and friendless; and thus war was considered inevitable so better sooner than later when their adversaries would be stronger.
After the Archduke’s assassination, many nations were slow to realize where events were leading. Austria and Germany hid their intentions, not only in 1914, until the fighting began, but were among numerous countries that destroyed records to hide the truth forever. Diplomacy did not fail, because it never had a chance, as the antagonists wanted to go to war and moved directly toward that objective. Yet, when Austria-Hungary finally began their war of punishment, they were the ones taken to the woodshed; by 1915, Austria-Hungary had suffered 1,268,000 casualties out of some 3,350,000 mobilized, 38%, with almost four years of war left. Oh, the ancient curse, beware of what you wish for.
Fromkin has provided a coherent, readable text that pulls no punches and explicitly, painstakingly, identifies the guilty and the ramifications. He breaks down events on a day-by-day and nation-by-nation basis, enabling easy tracking by the reader. One of his more eye-opening thoughts is how this was two wars, where Austria’s war with Serbia got switched out for the war Germany wanted to fight with Russia. Another striking point is that the conflict which Germany began on 1 August 1914 did not end until “…the last Russian soldier left German soil on 31 August 1994.” Considering recent events in Crimea, and Ukraine, and the behavior of the governments of China and North Korea, the guns of August 1914 still haunt us.
Read Europe's Last Summer for a credible understanding of “who did it” and then read McMeekin’s July, 1914, reviewed earlier, for an update on relevant historical research and the counter argument that Austria dragged Germany into war. This conflict between historians continues also.
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Our Reviewer: Ron Drees is an archivist, retired from processing the collection of Dr. Michael DeBakey, the world-famous cardiologist at the Baylor College of Medicine. His interest in history dates back to junior high school with an emphasis on American military history, particularly the Civil and World Wars. He has written several reviews for Michael Hanlon's blog "Roads to the Great War", about the catastrophe that still shapes the world. His favorite WWI book is Margaret MacMillan’s Paris, 1919 which tells how the tragedy was compounded by setting the stage for even greater misery. Ron lives in Houston with his wife of 42 years, Lin, a retired librarian, and their Sheltie, Hannah. He had a grandfather who was a teamster on the German side in WWI, his first boss had been a Marine at Iwo Jima, virtually the only survivor of his company, and his brother-in-law had been at Inchon. Ron’s previous reviews include Imperial Germany and War, 1871-1918, Beneath the Killing Fields: Exploring the Subterranean Landscapes of the Western Front, Tirpitz and the Imperial German Navy, Between Mutiny and Obedience: The Case of the French Fifth Infantry Division during World War, The Kaiser’s U-Boat Assault on America, This Time Next Year We'll Be Laughing, 1918: Winning the War, Losing the War, After the Ruins: Restoring the Countryside of Northern France After the Great War, A Mad Catastrophe, Verdun: The Lost History of the Most Important Battle of World War I, July, 1914: Countdown to War, Dreadnought, Toward the Flame, A Memoir of World War I, The Trigger: Hunting the Assassin Who Brought the World to War, G. H. Q. (Montreuil-Sur-Mer), A Day With The Old Folks: Verdun, 1916, Beneath the Killing Fields, and Mobilizing for Modern War .
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Note: Europe’s Last Summer is also available in hard cover, audio, & e-editions.
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