Stromberg, Roland N. “The Great War of 1914-1918.” Europe in the Twentieth Century (4 ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1997. 67-102. Print.
In the eyes of humankind, the war has always been associated with something that should never happen, and the first words that come to mind when one hear the word “war” are “death,” “destruction,” and “devastation.” The twentieth century was rich for wars, and one of them took place in 1914-1918 years. The First World War, or the “Great War” how it is called, was the first global conflict that involved two major sides with later joined allies: the Entente or Allied powers including Great Britain, France, and Russia, and the Central Powers of Austria-Hungary and Germany. In “The Great War of 1914-1918,” Stromberg not just overviews the years of the war and Russian revolutions but, more importantly, discusses their successes and failures, the reaction of people, and various problems the participants faced during the war years.
It is always interesting for me to learn something new about two greatest global wars in history, and it was interesting to look at the issues of the First World War at another angle. Indeed, every historical academic writer usually has an own point of view on happened events, and Stromberg is not an exception. In his book, he first discusses the major events of the First World War arranged by the years. He highlights the major mistakes and strategic and tactical maneuvers of both sides. The strong side of his writing lies in the combination of the description of war events and their analysis and evaluating. At the same time, Stromberg brings into focus the major direction of every year of the war. For instance, the first year was a failure of the Entente, and the second one was a year of slaughter as was marked with the most bloody battles and resistance of both sides.
Stromberg writes not only about the external conflicts of the war participants but also about the internal ones. Such double point of view allows appreciating the spirit of the war from the insides and outsides at the same time. For instance, Stromberg describes the 1917 mutinies in the French army and the origins of the 1917 Russian Revolutions. He lays particular emphasis on the morale of the population of the participative countries and propaganda of the war. Indeed, the level of morale is often the key factor of the war outcomes. The governments tried to bolster the morale of their troops and civilians blaming opponents in crimes and making them look like enemies. After the bloody 1917 and significant body counts, neither of the sides could just give up and surrender. Stromberg highlights that the war was a battle of people’s wills. He also writes about the relationship of participative countries. For instance, he highlights the role of Germany in the origins of the second Russian Revolution, the return of Lenin, and, hence, the following Russian withdrawal from the war and signing of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. Furthermore, he writes about the U.S. entry into the war on the side of the Allied powers and multiple conflicts and negotiations that appeared during wartime diplomacies and the formation of Treaty of Versailles.
Quoting Moltke who predicted the First World War would not be easy, Stromberg writes, “It will become a war between peoples which will not be concluded with a single battle but which will be a long, weary struggle with a country that will not acknowledge defeat until the whole strength of its people is broken” (Stromberg 85). Moltke’s statement is the right and strong one. The First World War was definitely a battle of wills, tactics, and strategies, and the challenge for human’s moral courage. I think that Stromberg successfully elucidated and evaluated the major sides of the First World War in his book.
Works Cited
Stromberg, Roland N. “The Great War of 1914-1918.” Europe in the Twentieth Century (4 ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1997. 67-102. Print.
