The German march through Belgium, like the march of predator ants who periodically

emerge from the South American jungle to carve a path of death across the land, was
cutting its way across field, road, village, and town, like the ants unstopped by rivers or
any obstacle (251).
As I read the second half of Barbara Tuchmans The Guns of August, I learned a lot
from her analysis of the many occurrences in the early days of World War 1. First of all,
I now better understand the chaos and unpredictability of war and how entire nations
can get caught up in a hysteria. This certainly happened to much of the German
population. However, Tuchman also answers many of the questions most readers
formed during the first half of the book. For instance, it is well known that World War 1
became a war of trenches and stagnation. For the majority of the war, there was very
little movement in either direction. In the first half of The Guns of August, Tuchman
reveals this was not the original plan and that every major powers doctrine was built
upon the offensive. Every major powers doctrine taught the importance of avoiding long
and costly wars and sought quick, decisive battles. The early battles of the war followed
this plan. How then, did a war of attrition come about? Tuchman, through analysis of
plans, battles, and results, shows that many factors brought about the long and bloody
Great War.
The first of these factors could hardly have been helped. One major reason the Central
Powers and Allied Powers were held at a stalemate was simply the way technology had
progressed. At this particular period of time, defensive weapons were considerably
stronger than their offensive counterparts. Both sides learned this the hard way when
they would fiercely charge into battle only to be mowed down by death spitting machine
guns. When the war was still young, Germany won major victories due to the French
refusal to fight a defensive war. Tuchman explained the situation like this: Although the
French did not yet know it, the slaughter at Morhange snuffed out the bright flame of the
doctrine of the offensive. It died on a field in Lorraine where at the end of the day
nothing was visible but corpses strewn in rows and sprawled in the awkward attitudes of
sudden death as if the place had been swept by a malignant hurricane (275).
As Germany conquered Belgium and began its march on Paris, the French
management realized something had to be changed. They knew Paris could not fall.
Though some commanders saw no value of defending Paris, most knew that if Paris
were taken, the morale of the French people would be crushed and that of the Germans
would be boosted. Paris may have been like any other city in terms of mere production
and strategic location, but it held a much deeper importance in the hearts of the French.
As long as Paris stood, so did France. As the French troops were being pushed back by
the advancing German army, French leadership knew something had to be done
quickly. Because the French troops had been retreating, they appeared defeated to the
Germans. The German troops over confidently got too far ahead of their supplies in an
attempt to finish off their enemies. This resulted in a tired, hungry, and spread out
German army. The French saw this a their chance of salvation and counterattacked with
everything they had left. They pushed the Germans back and the battle lines for the real
war were drawn.

Another interesting factor of the War is Americas involvement. It is also well known that
America did not enter into the war until the later years and that it was initially strongly
opposed to entering. The Guns of August explains the conditions that ultimately pulled a
nation dominated by Pacifism into the war. Tuchman explained Britains naval
dominance ensured that neutral countries could not trade fairly with Europe. England
ensured goods would not reach Germany and the Central powers. As a result, American
trade with the Allies increased drastically and trade with the Central powers decreased
drastically. Tuchman said, Eventually, the United States became the larder, arsenal,
and bank of the allies and acquired a direct interest in Allied victory that was to bemuse
the postwar apostles of economic determinism for a long time (401). This strongly
indicates that economics are a driving factor of wars whether we are willing to admit it or
not. This is vastly evident today. Why do we have such an interest and involvement in
Middle Eastern Wars? The simple answer is oil. It is an unfortunate reality that money
plays such a crucial role in whether or not we send human beings out to kill or be killed.
The Guns of August addressed many other interesting issues as well. Inflexibility was a
huge recurring theme throughout. Whether it was the Germans or the French, everyone
had a plan. Planning is critical to success in a war, but war is also full of unexpected
events that is impossible to prepare a rigid plan for. German generals found themselves
unable to adapt well to adversity on the battlefield. The French were even worse. They
established early on that their spirit alone would carry them through the war. Therefore,
they planned a chiefly offensive strategy. Tuchman described the problems that were
brought about by the stubborn leadership of France. Defensive preparations not being
in the French military vocabulary, the Xth Corps which held this sector had not dug in or
laid wire or otherwise organized the defenses of the south bank, but waited to hurl
themselves bodily at upon the enemy (291). When this foolish lack of preparation
resulted in defeats, the upper command simply blamed the failure on improper
execution and replaced Generals. The French throughout the war had problems of
believing what was convenient to their plan.
Another fascinating concept frequently mentioned in The Guns of August was how
history repeats itself. Tuchman frequently brought up how the battlefields of World War
1 had been fought on by many European generations before, and how in a few
decades, would be fought on again in World War 2. Over and over again, an aggressor
seems to pull the world out of its peaceful state and throw it into utter chaos.
The Guns of August was a very interesting read that has made me think a lot, about a
variety of things. What on the surface looks like a book of past events I have found to be
a book of truths unchanged by time. There is much to learn from the failures of the past.