A Short History of the WorldWells, H. G. (Herbert George)
History
A Short History of the World
Wells, H. G. (Herbert George)
World history
It is impossible within the space at our command here to trace the
intricate details of the war. Within a few months it became apparent
that the progress of modern technical science had changed the nature of
warfare very profoundly. Physical science gives power, power over
steel, over distance, over disease; whether that power is used well or
ill depends upon the moral and political intelligence of the world.
The governments of Europe, inspired by antiquated policies of hate and
suspicion, found themselves with unexampled powers both of destruction
and resistance in their hands. The war became a consuming fire round
and about the world, causing losses both to victors and vanquished out
of all proportion to the issues involved. The first phase of the war
was a tremendous rush of the Germans upon Paris and an invasion of East
Prussia by the Russians. Both attacks were held and turned. Then the
power of the defensive developed; there was a rapid elaboration of
trench warfare until for a time the opposing armies lay entrenched in
long lines right across Europe, unable to make any advance without
enormous losses. The armies were millions strong, and behind them
entire populations were organized for the supply of food and munitions
to the front. Then was a cessation of nearly every sort of productive
activity except such as contributed to military operations. All the
able-bodied manhood of Europe was drawn into the armies or navies or
into the improvised factories that served them. There was an enormous
replacement of men by women in industry. Probably more than half the
people in the belligerent countries of Europe changed their employment
altogether during this stupendous struggle. They were socially
uprooted and transplanted. Education and normal scientific work were
restricted or diverted to immediate military ends, and the distribution
of news was crippled and corrupted by military control and “propaganda”
activities.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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