Ever since taking an interest in the history of the First World War, I have heard The Guns of August by Barbara Tuchman mentioned quite a few times. Recently, I finally got around to reading it. It turned out to be different from what I expected, in a good way. Firstly, it does not cover the entire war, only the first month of it, focusing mainly on August and early September of 1914. Later events are foreshadowed, but that is quite appropriate, since since history doesn’t really have spoilers. Secondly, the book is not a dry narration of events and dates, but a thorough examination of the human factors that led up o the war and deeply influenced the outcomes. Tuchman avoids taking liberties with the narrative overlay applied to history by keeping speculation to a minimum. Although it is an oversimplification to blame individuals (such as the German Kaiser) for an event as gigantic as the Great War, there is a certain kernel of truth in the following quote that prefaces the book:

The human heart is the starting point of all matters pertaining to war

                     – Maréchal de Saxe, Reveries on the Art of War (Preface), 1732

Though critics may use it for the purpose of apportioning responsibility, the discussion of the personalities of various individuals involved is very interesting in itself. It is remarkable how people cling to their idiosyncrasies even in the face of something as serious as an imminent all-out war. Whether those qualities help or hurt them is a matter of chance. The French contempt for defensive measures almost ruined them. The Germans’ blind faith on their military machine proved to be the undoing of their initial offensive. Stubborn bureaucracies made matters worse by emphasizing protocols despite chaning realities. The clash of armies as well as doctrines failed to produce a decisive outcome, paving the way to the ultimate descent into the “murderous insanity” of trench warfare.