The Great Illusion: A Study of the Relation of Military Power to National AdvantageAngell, Norman
History
The Great Illusion: A Study of the Relation of Military Power to National Advantage
Angell, Norman
Commercial policy; Disarmament; Imperialism; War; War, Cost of
I am not overlooking the case of Germany. Does the history of Germany,
during the last half-century, show the blind instinctive pugnacity which
is supposed to be so overpowering an element in international
relationship as to outweigh all question of material interest? Does the
commonly accepted history of the trickery and negotiation which preceded
the 1870 conflict, the cool calculation of those who swayed Germany's
policy during those years, show that subordination to the blind lust for
battle which the militarist would persuade us is always to be an element
in our international conflict? Does it not, on the contrary, show that
German destinies were swayed by very cool and calculating motives of
interest, though interest interpreted in terms of political and economic
doctrines which the development of the last thirty years or so has
demonstrated to be obsolete? Nor am I overlooking the "Prussian
tradition," the fact of a firmly entrenched, aristocratic status, the
intellectual legacy of pagan knighthood and Heaven knows what else. But
even a Prussian Junker becomes less of an energumen as he becomes more
of a scientist,[96] and although German science has of late spent its
energies in somewhat arid specialization, the influence of more
enlightened conceptions in sociology and statecraft must sooner or later
emerge from any thoroughgoing study of political and economic problems.
Of course, there are survivals of the old temper, but can it seriously
be argued that, when the futility of physical force to accomplish those
ends towards which we are all striving is fully demonstrated, we shall
go on maintaining war as a sort of theatrical entertainment? Has such a
thing ever happened in the past, when our impulses and "sporting"
instincts came into conflict with our larger social and economic
interests?
All this, in other words, involves a great deal more than the mere
change in the character of warfare. It involves a fundamental change in
our psychological attitude thereto. Not only does it show that on every
side, even the military side, conflict must become less impulsive and
instinctive, more rational and sustained, less the blind strife of
mutually hating men, and more and more the calculated effort to a
definite end; but it will affect the very well-springs of much of the
present defence of war.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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